Live at the Center: Gordon Bonham & Gene Deer
Thursday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m.
The Studio Theater and online
Guitarists-vocalists Gordon Bonham and Gene Deer have been pillars of the regional blues scene for decades, touring widely and performing regularly at festivals, public events and venues like the revered Slippery Noodle Inn in Indianapolis. For this performance, they will trade off songs and accompany each other in an acoustic format.
Live at the Center is a series of livestreamed concerts for the community, featuring local and regional artists in genres from jazz and classical to soul and indie rock. Whether on desktop, mobile device or smart TV, viewers anywhere can enjoy a front-row perspective on Indiana’s top talent, with stereo sound and multi-camera HD video. For its second season, Live at the Center is welcoming live, in-person audiences at just $5 per person. Seating is limited.
Click here to buy tickets for $5 or to register for the free livestream.
Luminare Christmas
Friday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m.
The Palladium
Drawing from his many years as keyboardist for Dennis DeYoung (Styx) and lead keyboardist for Mannheim Steamroller, John Blasucci and Luminare have created a new and exciting musical experience that will take audiences on an unforgettable journey through the holiday season and beyond.
Luminare is made up of world-class musicians whose international credits include Foreigner, Chicago, Camerata Strumetale Italiana, Orchestra Sinfonica del Conservatorio Giuseppe Tartini di Trieste, Rock of Ages, American Idol and The Voice, to name only a few. The band’s debut album, That Star, showcases their powerful blend of rock, pop, classical and folk music on the original title track and Christmas classics such as “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “What Child Is This,” “We Three Kings,” “Little Drummer Boy” and “Joy to the World.”
Click here to buy tickets.
A Debby Boone White Christmas
Saturday, Dec. 4 at 8 p.m.
The Palladium
Debby Boone is a rare crossover artist who has enjoyed Top 10 successes on the pop, country, adult contemporary and contemporary Christian charts. Her record-breaking 1977 single “You Light Up My Life” was a No. 1 hit for 10 straight weeks and later ranked No. 7 in Billboard’s 50th Anniversary Hot 100.
In recent years, Boone has been exploring the Great American Songbook with such albums as Reflections of Rosemary, a musical portrait of her late mother-in-law, Rosemary Clooney; and Swing This, inspired by her father, Pat Boone, and his headlining years in Las Vegas.
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DeadRoots: The Folk and Blues Influences of the Grateful Dead
Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m.
Online
Though generally associated with the 1960s counterculture, rock legends the Grateful Dead first built their repertoire on classic folk, blues and jug band music, and they introduced generations of fans to the nooks, crannies, branches and offshoots of American roots music like perhaps no other act of their size and influence. They learned songs from itinerant street musicians, covered songs by blues legends and country stars, and packed a gumbo of musical styles into their own canon of beloved original songs.
Join musician and teaching artist Dave Ruch to explore the rich well of American music that inspired the Grateful Dead. Deeply researched and brimming with great music and stories, the DeadRoots show is performed on acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, banjo, jaw harp and more.
This presentation is offered through Zoom. You will be able to ask questions during the presentation. Click here to register.
Postmodern Jukebox: The Grand Reopening Tour
Friday, Dec. 10 at 8 p.m.
The Palladium
Best known for viral YouTube videos that reinterpret modern pop hits in various vintage genres, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox is a rotating musical collective founded in 2011 by arranger-pianist Bradlee. In addition to the group’s many independent releases, Concord Records has issued two The Essentials collections featuring PMJ classics from American Idol alum Haley Reinhart’s torch song rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep” to actor-comedian Wayne Brady’s Cab Calloway-inspired version of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
The ensemble of singers and musicians is returning to the road and celebrating “the new Roaring ’20s” with its Grand Reopening Tour of North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Click here to buy tickets.
“Holiday Cabaret on Strings” with Melchior Marionettes
Faegre Drinker Peanut Butter & Jam
Saturday, Dec. 11 at 10:30 a.m.
The Studio Theater
Back by popular demand, come to the Studio Theater for a fast-paced, entertaining cabaret of hand-crafted marionettes. Children and adults will delight in the hilarious antics of the Melchior Marionettes and the skill of the puppeteers as they sing along with holiday favorites.
Designed for children ages 1 to 7, Faegre Drinker Peanut Butter & Jam sessions encourage young children to become engaged in the arts. These informal Saturday concerts take place from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m.
Tickets are only $10 per child, with two free adult admissions included – perfect for parents and grandparents. Click here to buy tickets.
Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour 2021
Saturday, Dec. 11 at 8 p.m.
The Palladium
A popular annual tradition at the Center, saxophonist and bandleader Dave Koz’s holiday concerts feature stellar special guests performing fresh, lively arrangements of seasonal favorites in a high-energy show for the entire family. This year’s tour features Jonathan Butler, Richard Elliot, Rick Braun and Rebecca Jade.
In a career spanning three decades, Koz has earned nine Grammy nominations and sent nine albums to the top of Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. An entrepreneur and restaurateur, he also hosts two radio programs: the syndicated The Dave Koz Radio Show, on the air over 20 years, and The Dave Koz Lounge on SiriusXM.
Click here to buy tickets.
Christmas with the King’s Singers
Sunday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m.
The Palladium
Touring with a special holiday show, the King’s Singers have represented the gold standard in a cappella singing on the world’s greatest stages for over 50 years. Comfortable in a sweeping range of styles and genres, the six-member group continues to push boundaries while honoring its origins in the British choral tradition.
Committed to creating new repertoire, the ensemble boasts over 200 commissioned works by many leading composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Its extensive discography has won numerous awards including two Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, and a place in Gramophone magazine’s inaugural Hall of Fame.
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An Evening with David Sedaris
Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
The Palladium
Beloved for his personal essays and short stories, David Sedaris is the author of Barrel Fever, Holidays on Ice, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls and Calypso, which was a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. He is the author of Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary, a collection of fables with illustrations by Ian Falconer, as well as an essay-length book titled Themes and Variations, each an immediate bestseller. Sedaris also was the editor of Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules: An Anthology of Outstanding Stories. His pieces regularly appear in The New Yorker and have twice been included in The Best American Essays.
The first volume of his diaries, Theft By Finding: Diaries (1977-2002), was a New York Times best-selling book. As a companion piece to the book, Jeffrey Jenkins published and edited an art book of Sedaris’ diary covers, titled David Sedaris Diaries: A Visual Compendium. Newly published this fall is a second volume of his diaries, A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries (2003-2020) (Little Brown/Hachette).
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Damien Escobar: 25 Day of Christmas
Thursday, Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
The Palladium
Known for his crossover mix of classical, jazz, pop, R&B and hip hop, violinist Damien Escobar returns to the Palladium with a special holiday concert. Escobar first began performing as a child in the New York City subways and was the youngest person ever admitted to the Julliard School before gaining national fame in the brother duo Nuttin’ But Stringz. A solo artist since 2012, Escobar has built a career that includes Billboard chart-topping albums, sold-out global tours, collaborations with music legends, an NAACP Image Award nomination and two Emmy Awards.
Click here to buy tickets.