Riverbend Live is a free summer concert series in Winston, Oregon. For six Fridays (and one Saturday) this summer, people from all over Douglas County and beyond, can enjoy premium music and youth theater at no cost. We feature regional and national artists at our wonderful outdoor venue at Riverbend Park in Winston, Oregon.

Shows start at 7:00 PM and last about two hours.

Bring the family, a blanket or lawn chairs, some dinner, drinks, and enjoy the show! Also, rotating Food Trucks will be onsite to purchase from each night (except Youth Theater evenings).

2026 Riverbend Live!

June 26th ● COLIN JAMES

Opening the 30th Anniversary season is internationally acclaimed blues-rock guitarist and singer Colin James, whose remarkable career spans more than three decades. With over 20 studio albums, eight Juno Awards, 31 Maple Blues Awards and multi-platinum record sales, James remains one of the most respected and versatile artists in contemporary blues and roots music. His newest release, Chasing the Sun, showcases James alongside an impressive lineup of guest musicians including Americana icon Lucinda Williams, Rolling Stones bassist Darryl Jones, legendary drummer Charley Drayton, harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite, and gospel vocalists Ann and Regina McCrary. James first gained international recognition with his 1988 self-titled debut album, which became the fastest-selling album in Canadian history and produced the hits Voodoo Thing and Five Long Years. Over the years he has collaborated with legendary artists including Bonnie Raitt, Albert King, Robert Cray, Carlos Santana, Buddy Guy, Keith Richards and Mavis Staples. More than 35 years into his career, James continues to captivate audiences with his masterful guitar playing and electrifying stage performances.

July 3rd ● SHEMEKIA COPELAND

GRAMMY-nominated blues powerhouse Shemekia Copeland takes the Riverbend stage on July 3 with her unmistakable voice and powerful songwriting. Praised by The Washington Post as “the greatest blues singer of her generation,” Copeland is known worldwide for her fearless, soulful performances that blend blues, rock, gospel, soul and Americana influences. Born in Harlem and raised in the blues tradition by her father, legendary musician Johnny Copeland, Shemekia began performing professionally at a young age and quickly established herself as one of the most important voices in modern blues music. Her latest album, Blame It On Eve, combines bold storytelling with energetic performances that invite audiences to both think and celebrate. Copeland’s music explores important social themes while maintaining the joy, humor and deep emotion that have made her a beloved performer around the world. Throughout her career she has performed alongside artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, Dr. John and James Cotton, and has appeared at major venues including the White House, PBS’s Austin City Limits, and the United Nations General Assembly Hall.

July 10th ● GOOD VIBRATIONS

Much more than just your typical tribute band, Good Vibrations celebrates the legacy and spirit of the legendary California icons by re-creating all of their classic music and timeless sounds of summer live on stage! This high energy production brings the days of sun, surf and cars vividly back to life with all the famous anthems, surf guitar shreds and ocean-deep harmonies faithfully re-produced right before your eyes and ears exactly the way you remember them.

July 17th ● RONNIE BAKER BROOKS

Chicago guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and multiple Blues Music Award-winner Ronnie Baker Brooks is one of the city’s—and the world’s—most undeniably talented and electrifying bluesmen. Ronnie was born into Chicago blues royalty as the son of legendary multiple GRAMMY Award nominee, Hall Of Famer, and longtime Alligator Records recording star Lonnie Brooks. He is among the few contemporary blues artists who learned his craft directly from many of the genre’s icons, including Albert Collins, B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor and, most significantly, his father. “I’m blessed to have played with and learned from the best. I’m carrying them within me,” he says of all the legends he knew growing up and the journey he’s been on.

July 24th ● Cowboy Poetry & Western Music Roundtable
ANDY HEDGES, DAKOTA ROBINSON, KRISTYN HARRIS, & JAKE RILEY

Andy Hedges is a songster, reciter, storyteller, guitarist, and collector of cowboy songs and poems. The son of an Italian schoolteacher and a rodeo cowboy turned preacher, Andy was born in Lubbock, Texas, in the spring of 1980. He grew up in the small community of Tokio, Texas, where his family paid rent on an old farmhouse by looking after a few head of cattle. It was there that Andy fell in love with traditional music by listening to his father’s cassettes of cowboy songs. Andy’s vast and varied repertoire includes classic cowboy poetry recitations, obscure cowboy songs, dust bowl ballads, and blues. He also hosts a podcast, Cowboy Crossroads which features in-depth interviews with fellow musicians and poets. Andy has performed many times with folk legend Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and the duo’s performance at the 60th Newport Folk Festival was named one of the “10 Best Things We Saw” by Rolling Stone. In 2023, he made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, and in 2024, Andy brought his album Roll On, Cowboys to Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Working on ranches from Texas to Kansas, Wyoming, New Mexico and back again, Dakota Robinson experienced first-hand the many challenges and rewards the lifestyle of a cowboy can bring. Inspired by the likes of Red Steagall, Ian Tyson, Baxter Black and Waddie Mitchell, he soon started filling his solitary hours in the saddle with an internal dialogue of prose and rhyme– the cattle, horses and his wife were among the first victims of his early experimentation. Now a full-time farrier back in Texas, Dakota spends his days shoeing horses to support his poetry habit.
Kristyn Harris is a singer, songwriter and entertainer from Burleson, Texas, known for her western swing spin and fresh take on original and classic songs of the western and agricultural lifestyle. She is recognized for her powerful voice, swing rhythm guitar chops, songwriting, yodeling, and energetic stage presence. Kristyn performs regularly both as a solo artist as well as fronting various configurations of the Kristyn Harris Band. She has toured in Europe 4 times; appeared in documentaries that aired throughout the US, Europe, and Australia; and most recently ventured into the acting world by starring in “A Ranch Musical”, an independent film featuring her own songs. Outside of sharing her music all over the West and beyond, her passions find her with her "Diamond K" black angus cattle herd or training her newest colt. Her music is heavily influenced by her own ranch life experiences as well as her love for Texas and the West. She has been named International Western Music Association Entertainer of the Year 6 times, and is the youngest person to ever receive this award.
Jake Riley grew up, for the most part, in the upper Arkansas Valley of the Colorado mountains. He began roping and rodeoing as a kid, which led to helping out on some local ranches, feeding his love of cowboy culture. He has always enjoyed the magic of poetry, especially after seeing poet Waddie Mitchell at Copper Mountain, Colorado in the mid '90s. One of the poems Jake wrote for a high school project was published his senior year, and he has continued writing ever since. Jake first shared his work at his church, and then at the Nebraska Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Valentine, Nebraska in 2016. Since then, he has performed at events from Minnesota to Nevada, including 6 times at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada. Jake's work leans toward the more contemporary, which draws old and young alike. He loves to share a good story, and his delivery is engaging and often quite animated. He also enjoys reciting the classics, and considers himself extremely blessed to take part in carrying the tradition forward. Jake, along with his wonderful wife, and a teeming hoard of youngins, now calls central Nebraska home.

July 31st & August 1st ● Riverbend Live! Youth Theater presents:
  INTO THE WOODS, JR.

Be careful what you wish for, as fairytales come to life in this adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical. Into The Woods Jr. features all of your favorite characters — Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (and his beanstalk), Prince Charming and the Witch!