From Robert Plant to Jason Isbell, see who's helping Tulsa's Cain's Ballroom turn 100

Tulsa's legendary Cain's Ballroom is turning 100 in 2024, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and Hanson are among the acts who are going to help the iconic Oklahoma venue celebrate its centennial.

Joined by with Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, hometown rockers Taylor Hanson and J.D. McPherson and the leader of the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture, Cain's Ballroom's current and previous owners kicked off the year-long centennial celebration for the revered "Home of Bob Wills" Tuesday with three special concert announcements, plus a proclamation and a preview of a commemorative beer.

“We’re really looking forward to celebrating the Cain’s Ballroom centennial this year with our Tulsa music community and beyond,” said Chad and Hunter Rodgers, who co-manage the venue they own together with their mother, Alice Rodgers, in a statement.

“It’s an honor to be custodians for all of the music history embodied in this building."

When are Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Jason Isbell and Hanson playing Cain's Ballroom?

The Rodgers family announced at Tuesday's kick-off event three special centennial concerts planned for 2024:

• Grammy winner Jason Isbell will return to Cain's Ballroom, along with his band the 400 Unit, to play May 5-6.

• The duo of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Robert Plant and Bluegrass Music Hall of Famer Alison Krauss will perform June 2 at Cain's, accompanied by McPherson.

• Grammy-nominated Tulsa-based sibling trio Hanson will help cap the centennial celebration with a December performance at the storied venue.

They join the extensive lineup of shows already announced at Cain's in 2024:

• Jan. 26: Red Not Chili Peppers with The Stylees

• Jan. 27: Emo Nite with special guest Brandon Saller of Atreyu

• Jan. 28: Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime

• Feb. 8: Explosions in the Sky

• Feb. 9: King Cabbage Brass Band with John Fullbright

• Feb. 13: Cold War Kids' "20 Years Later Tour"

• Feb. 16: Wyatt Flores with Kat Hasty and Evan Honer (sold out)

• Feb. 17: Warren Zeiders (sold out)

• Feb. 22-23: Treaty Oak Revival (sold out)

• Feb. 24: Riverfield Rocks benefit concert

• Feb. 25: Taj Farrant

• Feb. 28: The Dead South

• Feb. 29: Gregory Alan Isakov with Leif Vollebekk (sold out)

• March 1: Josh Meloy

• March 2-3: Bob Wills Birthday Celebration

• March 4: Sleater-Kinney with Black Belt Eagle Scout

• March 8: Pop Punk Nite featuring Van Full of Nuns

• March 10: The Dave Matthews Tribute Band

• March 13: Geoff Tate and Adrian Vandenberg

• March 16: World Breaking Classic USA Qualifier

• March 17: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

• March 23: 20th Annual Nude Art Show

• March 24: Circle Jerks and Descendents

• March 29: Kolby Cooper with Cam Allen

• March 30: 2 Minutes to Tulsa

• April 4: AleXa "Sick of You" U.S. tour

• April 6: Josh Abbott Band

• April 12: Asleep at the Wheel

• April 18: Southall

• April 23: Brittany Howard

• April 30: Chris Renzema

• May 5-6: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

• May 8: Waxahatchee

• May 9: Charles Wesley Godwin

• May 10: Morgan Wade

• May 11: The Great Divide

• June 2: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

• June 5: Chappell Roan's "The Midwest Princess Tour"

• June 21: Corey Kent

• Oct. 20: Social Distortion (sold out)

What is the history of Tulsa's legendary Cain's Ballroom?

The centennial celebration kick-off event started with a proclamation delivered by Bynum.

“Consistently ranked among the best venues in the world, Cain’s Ballroom is one of the major catalysts of Tulsa’s global music influence,” Bynum said in an email. “Cain’s is a top-tier events facility that continues to empower local musicians day in and day out, standing as a cornerstone of Tulsa’s identity.”

Built in 1924 by now-controversial Tulsa entrepreneur and politician Tate Brady as a car garage, the building at 423 N Main eventually became the Louvre, a Prohibition-era club.

In 1930, Madison W. “Daddy” Cain purchased the building and christened it Cain's Dance Academy, where people could learn the waltz and the Charleston.

In 1934, Tulsa radio station KVOO became home to Bob Wills and his new band, the Texas Playboys. On New Year’s night 1935, Wills and His Texas Playboys debuted at Cain’s Ballroom, and the venue quickly became known as “The House that Bob Built.”

From 1935 to 1942, Wills and his bandmates popularized in the Tulsa venue a new kind of “hot hillbilly music" called Western swing. Cain's built a reputation as the “Carnegie Hall of Western Swing."

Eventually, Wills moved to California, and his brother, Johnnie Lee, took over the daily radio broadcasts and the weekly dances into the 1940s and '50s. In 1957, Wills came back to Cain’s, but times and musical tastes had changed.

Still, the ballroom's legend continued to grow and evolve: In 1976, music promoter Larry Shaeffer bought the venue and showcased there national touring acts like The Police, The Pretenders, Pat Benatar, Talking Heads, INXS and the Sex Pistols.

Other iconic artists who have performed at Cain's include U2, Bon Jovi, Bob Dylan, Metallica, The Ramones, The Strokes, Kings of Leon, Post Malone, Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Green Day, Lainey Wilson, Mavis Staples, Patti Smith and Elvis Costello.

In 2002, the Rodgers family bought the ballroom. Famous for its springy maple dance floor, which is lighted by a disco ball and a 4-foot neon star, Cain's was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

While it remains an independently owned and operated venue, Cain's Ballroom has become an anchor of the burgeoning Tulsa Arts District, which also features the Woody Guthrie Center, Bob Dylan Center and the future OKPOP Museum.

“Cain’s Ballroom is a huge contributor to Tulsa’s musical pride and prominence, and seeing this venue continue to attract incredible shows and attention 100 years after opening is very special,” said Meg Gould, executive director of the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture, in a statement.

“Our team is excited to keep the party going all year long with ticket and merch giveaways on social media, and more community gatherings.”

Which Tulsa brewery is making a limited-edition beer to celebrate Cain's Ballroom's centennial?

The kick-off event featured a preview tasting of a limited-edition Cain's Ballroom centennial beer developed by Tulsa's Marshall Brewing Company.

“We will officially release this beer in the near future with can art that reflects Cain’s impressive legacy, and we’ll use that as another opportunity to get together with the community and celebrate Tulsa’s music history," said Wes Alexander, Marshall Brewing Company's director of sales, in an email.

For more information on upcoming events at Cain’s Ballroom, go to https://www.cainsballroom.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Jason Isbell, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss to play Cain's Ballroom