Dakota

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers
2026-05-08 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago)
“Sizzling, slow-burning, gritty blues and rock” – Living Blues

Multiple award-winning guitarist, vocalist, and bandleader Tommy Castro is a California-based blues and rock powerhouse. Here, he captivates audiences with his soul-drenched vocals, searing guitar work, and high-energy live shows. Furthermore, as frontman of the telepathically tight and wildly raucous Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, he’s released seventeen albums. Here, they span a wide stylistic range—from horn-driven R&B and hot-blooded soul to gritty, stripped-down rock and electric blues.
With his latest release, 2025’s Closer To The Bone, Castro returns to his roots. He delivers what he calls “a real blues record, the way they would have made them back in the day.” Thus, the album becomes Castro’s rawest and most direct blues effort to date.
Early on, Castro was inspired by icons like Elvin Bishop, Taj Mahal, and Mike Bloomfield. Then, he absorbed everything from Ike & Tina Turner to John Lee Hooker and Buddy Guy. There, he developed a uniquely uplifting and soulful style rooted in blues, R&B, and funk. Castro formed the first Tommy Castro Band in 1992.
Castro is one of the most decorated artists in contemporary blues, winning ten Blues Music Awards. Furthermore, these include four B.B. King Entertainer of the Year honors—the genre’s highest accolade. Here, his no-frills, 150-shows-a-year approach has earned him a fiercely loyal fanbase and praise from legends like Joe Bonamassa, who says, “Tommy has always been top of the heap among blues guitar players. He always puts on a great show.”
With Closer To The Bone, Tommy Castro strips it all back to deliver an album brimming with grit, fire, and authenticity. “This is the deeper blues side of me,” says Castro. “With these songs, I am at my most authentic.”
Recommended for fans of Coco Montoya, Jimmy Thackery, Walter Trout and Tab Benoit.

VIP Event: Mike Dawes
2026-10-11 16:30 - 17:30
Invitation to pre-show experience with Mike Dawes, including:

Meet & greet and photo opportunity
Intimate guitar workshop
Performance of an exclusive song not in the setlist
Early entry into the venue
Early merch shopping before doors open to the public
VIP Exclusive pack of Mike Dawes’ personal D’addario XS DADGAD strings
Commemorative VIP laminate

IMPORTANT: This is not a ticket to the show.
You must have a concert ticket in order to purchase this VIP Meet & Greet.
MIKE DAWES – OCT 11 • 7PM
Check-in Time: Please arrive at the venue by 4:30 PM.
After check-in, you’ll be escorted to the VIP area for the meet & greet, which takes place before doors open at 5:30 PM.

“technical virtuosity and passion… compelling” – Acoustic Guitar

Mike Dawes is an English guitarist known for composing, arranging, and performing multiple parts simultaneously on a single guitar. He is regarded as one of the world’s most creative modern fingerstyle guitarists. Also, his repertoire includes original viral videos and popular arrangements alongside mainstream chart success performing with Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues.
Dawes was named Best Acoustic Guitarist in the World two years in a row (2017 & 2018) by Total Guitar Magazine & Music Radar reader polls, with numerous second place rankings in the proceeding years. YouTube personality Rick Beato named Mike “one of the finest acoustic guitar players in the world.”
His debut release, a solo guitar arrangement of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” quickly became a viral hit. Moreover, it received tens of millions of views on YouTube. This success has been duplicated and expanded upon numerous times. He’s scored hits with songs like “One,” “The Impossible,” and “Jump” across multiple video platforms.
His reputation has invited him opportunities to collaborate with Grammy Award-winning artists such as Tommy Emmanuel. Together, they recorded the duet record Accomplice Vol.3. Dawes also worked with the Grammy-nominated metal band Periphery, joining them on their 2024 double single release. Mike is featured on multiple Justin Hayward live releases, including Spirits…Live, which debuted at Number Two on the US Billboard Chart.
Recently, he contributed electric guitars to Mentrix and Gareth Croker’s stunning soundtrack to Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Additionally, he has done other session work on TV shows such as AMC’s Better Call Saul.
Mike’s passion, however, is performing. He has shared the stage with acts as diverse as Tommy Emmanuel, Christopher Cross, Periphery, The Aristocrats, Justin Hayward, and the Athens State Orchestra in 2023 alone.
Recommended for fans of Tommy Emmanuel, Andy McKee, Kaki King and Trace Bundy.

Mike Dawes
2026-10-11 19:00 - 21:00
“technical virtuosity and passion… compelling” – Acoustic Guitar

Mike Dawes is an English guitarist known for composing, arranging, and performing multiple parts simultaneously on a single guitar. He is regarded as one of the world’s most creative modern fingerstyle guitarists. Also, his repertoire includes original viral videos and popular arrangements alongside mainstream chart success performing with Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues.
Dawes was named Best Acoustic Guitarist in the World two years in a row (2017 & 2018) by Total Guitar Magazine & Music Radar reader polls, with numerous second place rankings in the proceeding years. YouTube personality Rick Beato named Mike “one of the finest acoustic guitar players in the world.”
His debut release, a solo guitar arrangement of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” quickly became a viral hit. Moreover, it received tens of millions of views on YouTube. This success has been duplicated and expanded upon numerous times. He’s scored hits with songs like “One,” “The Impossible,” and “Jump” across multiple video platforms.
His reputation has invited him opportunities to collaborate with Grammy Award-winning artists such as Tommy Emmanuel. Together, they recorded the duet record Accomplice Vol.3. Dawes also worked with the Grammy-nominated metal band Periphery, joining them on their 2024 double single release. Mike is featured on multiple Justin Hayward live releases, including Spirits…Live, which debuted at Number Two on the US Billboard Chart.
Recently, he contributed electric guitars to Mentrix and Gareth Croker’s stunning soundtrack to Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Additionally, he has done other session work on TV shows such as AMC’s Better Call Saul.
Mike’s passion, however, is performing. He has shared the stage with acts as diverse as Tommy Emmanuel, Christopher Cross, Periphery, The Aristocrats, Justin Hayward, and the Athens State Orchestra in 2023 alone.
Recommended for fans of Tommy Emmanuel, Andy McKee, Kaki King and Trace Bundy.
