2025 Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Riverbend Live! Concert Series Returns for 29th Season
Winston, Oregon, May 1, 2025 – Riverbend Live! returns for its 29th season of free outdoor performances in Winston, Oregon, celebrating another summer of music, theater, and community. This year’s lineup includes five Friday night performances spanning Blues, Americana, Cowboy Poetry, and Electro Swing, plus a full-scale youth theater production.
VENUE DETAILS
All performances take place at the Riverbend Park outdoor amphitheater in Winston, Oregon. Concerts begin at 7:00 P.M. and run approximately two hours. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs. Outside food and picnic baskets are welcome. Food vendors will be available at all concerts (vendor details available via social media). The Humble Lush will offer beverages at concerts, but not during youth theater presentations. Pets and smoking are not allowed inside the venue.
2025 RIVERBEND LIVE! CONCERT SCHEDULE
- July 4 – Southern Avenue
- July 11 – Eilen Jewell
- July 18 – Cowboy Poetry & Western Music with Andy Nelson and Brenn Hill
- July 25 & 26 – Seussical the Musical by Riverbend Live! Youth Theater
- August 1 – Good Co
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
July 4 – Southern Avenue
Southern Avenue, the Blues Music Award-winning, GRAMMY-nominated Memphis-based family band, plays original Memphis blues, modern soul, and gospel-infused roots music that is uplifting and timeless. They are known worldwide for their inclusive, message-driven songs fueled by hard-hitting grooves and electrifying guitar. The band’s new album, Family, makes it clear that Southern Avenue creates musical storytelling magic. The band is unlike any other on the scene today, featuring lead vocalist/songwriter Tierinii Jackson, her husband, guitarist/songwriter Ori Naftaly, and her sisters, drummer/vocalist/songwriter Tikyra “T.K.” Jackson and percussionist/violinist/vocalist Ava Jackson. “Through our music,” says Naftaly, “we expand our family to include our fans and whomever is moved by our songs.” www.southernavenuemusic.com
July 11 – Eilen Jewell
An Idaho native, Jewell built her career the old fashioned way, touring relentlessly with the kind of undeniable live show that converts the uninitiated into instant acolytes. Over the course of nine albums, she’s crisscrossed the globe countless times and shared bills with the likes of Lucinda Williams, Loretta Lynn, Mavis Staples, Wanda Jackson, George Jones, and Emmylou Harris. Rolling Stone lauded Jewell’s “clever writing,” while NPR declared that she has a “sweet and clear voice with a killer instinct lurking beneath the shiny surface,” and The Washington Post mused that “if Neko Case, Madeleine Peyroux and Billie Holiday had a baby girl who grew up to front a rockabilly band, she’d probably sound a lot like Eilen Jewell.” www.eilenjewell.com
July 18 – Cowboy Poetry & Western Music
Andy Nelson is an energetic and high-spirited cowboy poet and humorist offering history, heritage and hilarity of the cowboy culture through traditional poetry and storytelling. Western Horseman Magazine writes, “One of the most dynamic cowboy entertainers today, Nelson’s vivid descriptions, voice inflections and fluid recitation bring his stories to life in listeners’ imaginations.” www.cowpokepoet.com
Brenn Hill is a singer/songwriter who doesn’t just sing about the West, he reveals its heart to anyone who will take the time to listen. He is not just an observer or narrator of western lore, but one of its strongest interpreters. The cowboy’s trials and tribulations are his raw material. Brenn’s career spans twelve recordings of mostly self-penned music and over two decades on the road. www.brennhill.com
Together they bring the Western way of life to the stage with authenticity and enthusiasm. As one producer put it, “Their unique performance which combines great original western music by Brenn along with moving story telling by Andy in concert with each other is a huge hit. Together they have created a synergistic performance which keeps the audience totally engaged for the duration of the time they are on stage. The combination of deep emotional and moving lyrics along with the humorous and light hearted side of life experiences they share in song and poetry will always be remembered.”
July 25 & 26 – Seussical the Musical
Seussical is a contemporary re-imagining of Dr. Seuss, which weaves together many of his most famous stories and characters in unexpected ways. The musical creates the witty, wild and whimsical world of Dr. Seuss as it has never been seen before. When chaos erupts in the Jungle of Nool, it will take The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz and a gaggle of characters to bring harmony back to their world. The Tony Award-winning team of Ahrens and Flaherty has created a score that includes pop, gospel, blues and R & B.
August 1 – Good Co
The 1920s collide with the 2020s when Seattle’s Good Co takes the stage, bringing Electro Swing to life with infectious energy and vintage flair. As the first live Electro Swing band in the U.S., Good Co fuses the brassy swagger of the jazz age with modern dance beats, blending flapper-era rhythms with cutting-edge electronica. Led by trumpeter Carey Rayburn, this six-piece ensemble channels the spirit of Cab Calloway and the soundscape of Daft Punk into a danceable, genre-bending spectacle that’s equal parts retro and future. www.goodcomusic.com
ABOUT RIVERBEND LIVE!
Riverbend Live! is a nonprofit community organization that has brought free, high-quality performing arts to Winston, Oregon, for nearly three decades. Our mission is to enhance cultural access and enrich the lives of residents through concerts and youth-focused programming. Our free six-week summer concert series and youth theater day camp are hosted at Riverbend Park and attract attendees of all ages from throughout Douglas County. We proudly serve a rural population with limited access to live arts experiences, with strong partnerships including the City of Winston, Winston-Dillard School District, and Umpqua Community College’s work experience program. Thanks to our volunteers, sponsors, and donors, Riverbend Live! continues to provide entertainment and educational opportunity without financial barriers.
CONNECT WITH US
Instagram: @riverbendlive
Facebook: facebook.com/riverbendlive
Website: www.riverbendlive.org
CONTACT
Riverbend Live! | PO Box 2438 | Winston, OR 97496 | info@riverbendlive.org
Press Inquiries: Ellen Porter, (541) 643-1748 | riverbendlive@gmail.com