American Roots Festival: Never Come Down

The Department of Music presents the annual Bluegrass and American Roots Festival. This year, the festival will feature two nationally renowned bands – The Henhouse Prowlers, a Chicago-based bluegrass powerhouse that promotes the genre worldwide through its Bluegrass Ambassadors program and Never Come Down, a five-piece group from Oregon that blends modern and traditional styles of Bluegrass and Americana music.

Please see below for a full schedule of events. Denison’s Bluegrass and American Roots Ensemble, directed by Adam Schlenker, will open each concert with a short set.

Tickets required where indicated. PLEASE NOTE, CHOOSE YOUR CONCERT DAY PRIOR TO HITTING THE RED TICKET BUTTON.

For ticketing questions, please contact the box office at 740-587-6220. The box office will be closed December 20 through January 4th.

Friday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. in Swasey Chapel: Never Come Down 

Weaving together modern and traditional styles of bluegrass and Americana, Never Come Down is a Portland, Oregon-based 5-piece composed of Joe Suskind (guitar), Crystal Lariza (vocals), Brian Alley (banjo), Kaden Hurst (mandolin), and Ben Ticknor (bass). Their dedication to thoughtful songwriting and dynamic arrangements highlight polished technical skills and a commitment to listening to each other. Formed in 2018, the band’s self-titled debut arrived shortly thereafter, and their second album Better Late Than Never was released in 2021. They’ve toured internationally and have found acclaim from festivals and venues such as Iceland Airwaves, John Hartford Memorial Fest, Americanafest, FreshGrass, and RockyGrass. Ticketed event.