Roots-rockers The Bacon Brothers, featuring composer Michael Bacon and actor Kevin Bacon, will deliver the headline performance at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts’ annual fundraiser, the Center Celebration 2026 presented by Ice Miller.
Hosted by Artistic Director Michael Feinstein, the Sept. 19 gala at the Payne & Mencias Palladium will include cocktails, dinner, a live auction, and two after-parties following The Bacon Brothers’ set. All proceeds support Allied Solutions Center’s performance programming and its wide array of education and enrichment opportunities for people of all ages. Information on table reservations, sponsorship opportunities and more are available at TheCenterPresents.org/Gala.
Kevin Bacon, of course, is the A-list Hollywood star known for roles in classic films including Footloose, National Lampoon’s Animal House, JFK, A Few Good Men, Apollo 13, and Mystic River. Michael, an associate professor at New York’s Lehman College, is a multi-instrumentalist and the Emmy-winning composer of hundreds of film and television scores.
The Philadelphia natives have spent nearly three decades creating an original mix of folk, rock, soul, and country music – “forosoco,” they call it – and sharing it around the world, from headlining gigs in Japan to performances at iconic venues like Carnegie Hall and the Grand Ole Opry. In 2024, they released their 12th album, Ballad of the Brothers. They have visited once before, performing in October 2011 during Allied Solutions Center’s first full season.
Programs supported by Center Celebration proceeds include the Peanut Butter & Jam performance series for families with young children; the Prism Project, a performing arts summer camp for youth with disabilities; free matinee performances and science presentations for school groups; a donor-funded Transportation Grant Program that reimburses transportation costs for school groups attending events; and arts classes for adults, including vocal music, songwriting, two levels of stand-up comedy instruction and three levels of ukulele instruction.
The gala revenue is generated through table reservations, corporate sponsorships, direct donations, and the auction for prize packages including luxury getaways and VIP professional sports experiences, donated by Allied Solutions Center supporters. This year’s Gala Steering Committee is led by Carmel residents David and Annette Greene, now serving their second year as co-chairs, and Carl Butler and Jeffrey Goens, serving the first of two years in the role.
Last year’s Center Celebration 2025 presented by Ice Miller, with rocker Richard Marx as the headliner, generated a record $708,000 in support of Allied Solutions Center’s mission “to inspire and engage the Indiana community with enriching arts experiences.” Other past headliners have included Chris Botti, Amy Grant, Straight No Chaser, Chris Isaak, and Dionne Warwick.