Muncie Three Trails Music Series Announces Its 2025 Lineup
by Rick Zeigler
The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is pleased to officially announce its 2025 lineup. This will be the 12th season in which the series presents critically acclaimed national recording artists in completely free concerts (no tickets needed). And in 2025, for the first time, there will be seven such concerts, four at Canan Commons in downtown Muncie and three at the Brown Family Amphitheater at Ball State University. All shows begin at 7 PM and are All Ages. Complete information on the series and all artists, including videos, can soon be found at www.munciethreetrails.com. We are proud to announce that our entire 12th season is presented by Ball State University.
Grammy-winning bluegrass greats Steep Canyon Rangers will open our series on Saturday, May 31st at Canan Commons. Over the band’s esteemed career, they have released 14 studio albums, three collaborative albums with actor and banjoist Steve Martin, and been inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.
Our second show, sponsored by Defur Voran, will feature Grammy nominees Harlem Gospel Travelers, who will bring their gospel-soul sound to Canan Commons on Friday, June 13th. “We always found it difficult to stay in this one lane of what people think gospel is supposed to be,” says group founder Ifedayo Gatling. “[Rhapsody, our new] record allowed us …to create this project that is message-wise gospel, but the feeling and the sound can be whatever you want it to be.”
Our third concert will be by award-winning Canadian blues/swing duo Blue Moon Marquee, who will grace Muncie’s Canan Commons stage on Saturday, August 16th. The vast repertoire of this band is a trademark blend that pulls the different parts of their musical worlds together, incorporating the tones of early blues, the expressions of jazz, the heart of country, the spirit of folk, the swagger of soul, and the rhythms of rock ‘n’ roll.
Our next show will be our first-ever concert at the Brown Family Amphitheater at Ball State University. It will feature blues/jazz/funk horn player and 12-time Blues Music Awards nominee (and four-time winner) Vanessa Collier, performing on Saturday, August 23rd. Ms. Collier is a master musician and instrumentalist, weaving jazz, funk, soul, rock, and blues into powerful performances and dynamite recordings, featuring dynamic vocals, searing saxophone, and witty songwriting.
Local favorite Jennie Devoe will headline our fifth show of 2025, which will take place at Canan Commons on Saturday, August 30th. Jennie has built a rock-solid career without the backing of a major label--a conscious decision that has allowed her to remain fiercely independent and create music on her own terms. Her personal style of Americana-Soul-Roots and Blues music has earned her loyal fans of all ages and from all musical genres This show is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County.
Our sixth concert will feature Country/Americana artist Colby T. Helms & the Virginia Creepers, who will take the Brown Family Amphitheater stage at Ball State University on Saturday, September 6th for a rollicking performance. His debut album, Tales of Misfortune, with its starkly honest songwriting and sharp angular vocal twang, strikes a dynamic balance between country storytelling, bluegrass energy, and blues power.
Our 12th season will conclude with Grammy-nominated world music outfit The Afro Peruvian Jazz Orchestra (APJO) on Saturday, September 20th at the Brown Family Amphitheater. APJO is a dynamic 19-piece ensemble that expertly blends jazz with traditional Peruvian rhythms, creating fresh and innovative sounds and melodies. APJO performs both original compositions and unique arrangements of traditional Peruvian tunes.
The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is a non-profit partnership between Muncie Downtown Development Partnership and Rick Zeigler, series founder and organizer. The mission of the series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s premier outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown Muncie, and at the Brown Family Amphitheater at Ball State University. A second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to downtown Muncie, Ball State, and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” -- The White River Greenway, Cardinal Greenway, and Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope attendees will heed our slogan, “Explore the Trails, Enjoy the Music”.
Contact:
Rick Zeigler
11525 W. Windsor Road
Parker City, IN 47368
317-430-1452 (cell)