Three Trails 2024 lineup: The Reverend, Ramblers, Brothers and chamber music by SYBARITE5
MUNCIE, Ind. — The Muncie Three Trails Music Series announced its 2024 lineup, the 11th season of bringing critically acclaimed national recording artists to the city in four free concerts at Canan Commons in downtown Muncie.
All shows begin at 7 p.m. and are open to all ages. The music series is proud to announce that the season is presented by Ball State University.
Acclaimed country-blues guitarist Josh “The Reverend” Peyton brings his Big Damn Band to Canan Commons to open our series on Saturday, July 27.
Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band has built its reputation the long, slow, hard way.
After many years of playing as many as 300 shows each year, in a total of 37 countries, the biggest little band in the country has pieced together one of the most dedicated followings. Reverend Peyton is now recognized as one of the world’s foremost country blues finger-style pickers, playing the bass with his thumb while picking the lead at the same time. His prowess has drawn notice, with multiple Blues Music Awards nominations, including in 2021 for “Best Blues Rock Artist,” as well as being the cover subject for Vintage Guitar magazine. This show is sponsored by Defur Voran.
Bluegrass five-piece band, Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, will grace the Canan Commons stage on Saturday, Aug. 10.
Mullins’ music is best described as authentic bluegrass, marked by consistently clean harmonies, Joe’s driving Scruggs-style banjo playing, and his band’s entertaining showmanship. Mullins has recorded more than 22 albums and had 11 No. 1 songs, and has received over a dozen awards, including “Banjo Player of the Year” in 2023 from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music Association, as well as the International Bluegrass Music Association’s 2019 award for “Entertainer of the Year” (with the Radio Ramblers), the highest award a band can earn within the genre.
Making their second appearance at the Muncie Three Trails Music Series will be Memphis-based soul-gospel greats The Sensational Barnes Brothers on Saturday, Aug. 24.
The Sensational Barnes Brothers are a melting pot of the old and the new, effectively capturing the sound of Memphis during the heyday of Stax Records, the Bar-Kays, and Booker T. & the M.G.s, while also drawing modern-day gospel and soul sounds into the mix. This concert is sponsored by The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County.
The critically acclaimed chamber string quintet SYBARITE5 will close out the 2024 season on Saturday, Sept. 14.
Comprised of Sami Merdinian and Sarah Whitney, violins; Angela Pickett, viola; Laura Metcalf, cello; and Louis Levitt, bass, SYBARITE5 has taken audiences by storm all across the U.S., forever changing the perception of chamber music performance. Dubbed the “Millennial Kronos,” SYBARITE5’s eclectic repertoire includes music with roots in classical, rock, jazz, hip-hop, Armenian folk, and the avant-garde. From David Bowie to Radiohead, John Coltrane to Astor Piazzolla, Pete Seeger to the Punch Brothers, and Akiho to Komitas, their selections, when combined with their commanding performance style, are turning heads throughout the music world.
The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is a nonprofit partnership between Muncie Downtown Development Partnership and Rick Zeigler, series founder and organizer.
Complete information on the series and all artists, including samples of their music, can soon be found at www.munciethreetrails.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie Three Trails Music Series draws top talent for four free shows
