Cecilia Music Center’s Acoustic Café Folk Series Launches for the 2025-2026 Season – Tuesday, September 9, 2025
St. Cecilia Music Center (SCMC) launches its 2025-26 Season with the Multi-Grammy-Nominated duo The Milk Carton Kids performing Tuesday, September 9 at 7:30 p.m.
The Milk Carton Kids are an Americana indie folk duo from Eagle Rock, California. They began making music together in early 2011 and have recorded and released six albums. The duo has been nominated four times for Grammy Awards, their most recent at the 66th Annual Grammy’s in February 2024 for “Best Folk Album” for their record I Only See The Moon. This will be The Milk Carton Kids third appearance at St. Cecilia Music Center.
Executive & Artistic Director of SCMC Cathy Holbrook says, “We are delighted to bring back Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale of The Milk Carton Kids to St. Cecilia Music Center to kick off our 2025-2026 Season. Their sublime harmonies, and also witty exchange, make for a thoroughly entertaining evening.”
Tickets for The Milk Carton Kids are $55, $40 and $25, available online at www.scmcgr.org or by calling 616-459-2224. Contact the Box Office Manager at tickets@scmcgr.org or 616-459-2224 x201 with questions.
More Upcoming Acoustic Café Folk Series Concerts coming up!
- Two more September 2025 Acoustic Café Folk Series Concerts feature amazing legendary acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke on September 23, and two-time Grammy Nominated singer songwriter and bluegrass artist Sierra Hull on September 25.
- The acclaimed Grammy Award-winning mandolinist, singer, songwriter, and composer Chris Thile will light up the stage on October 23.
- Josh Ritter, renowned singer, songwriter and musician, will bring his original folk, rock, country sound on November 2 with his exciting new release.
- Grammy-nominated Yonder Mountain String Band, a driving force in roots music, will bring the energy on December 4.
- Master Bluegrass/Newgrass Artist and Grammy Award winner Sam Bush will rock the stage on March 26, 2026.
Additional Acoustic Café Folk Series concerts for spring 2026 will be announced throughout the new season.
The Milk Carton Kids Bio:
Founded in 2011, the Milk Carton Kids —Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale —swiftly emerged as a major force in the American folk tradition, blending ethereal harmonies and intricate musicianship with a uniquely powerful brand of contemporary songcraft. Their 2013 debut The Ash & Clay marked their national breakthrough, earning them their first Grammy Award nomination for Best Folk Album. Another Grammy nomination followed in 2015 for Best American Roots Performance with "The City of Our Lady" from their acclaimed third studio album,
Monterey, and their 2018 album All The Things That I Did and All The Things That I Didn't Do received a Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Their most recent album, 2019's The Only Ones, garnered extensive praise, with Rolling Stone highlighting that "Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan get back to the beautiful basics with The Only Ones," while NPR's "World Café" noted that "even though Joey and Kenneth are not related, their voices together create a sibling-like harmony...the duo has a strong sense of respect and reverence for the musical traditions that they've grown from The Milk Carton Kids were nominated for "Best Folk Album" for their new record I Only See The Moon at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. This marked the group's fourth Grammy nomination.
I Only See The Moon is out now to critical acclaim on Far Cry Records in partnership with Thirty Tigers.
"Both of us have now lived enough life to understand that maybe one of the purposes we were put on Earth for is to sing together, to write songs together, to make music together," notes guitarist/vocalist Kenneth Pattengale. "It has truly provided a direction for our lives." Ryan adds, "It's like a successful marriage in that there's always been enough there between us collaboratively in the way that we work together, sing together, play together. It's a very special thing. And I don't think we ever took that for granted.”
2025 – 2026 Season Individual Tickets for all concerts and Series Subscription Tickets for the Spectacular Jazz Series and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Series are available for purchase at www.scmcgr.orgor by calling 616-459-2224. Contact the Box Office Manager at tickets@scmcgr.org or 616-459-2224 x201 with questions.
Single tickets include a $5.00 per ticket fee.
Acoustic Café Folk Series Tickets including ticket fees
Milk Carton Kids
Tuesday, September 9, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
A section $55
B section $40
C section $25
Leo Kottke
Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
A section $60
B section $45
C section $30
Sierra Hull
Thursday, September 25, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
A section $60
B section $45
C section $30
Chris Thile
Thursday, October 23, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
A section $80
B section $65
C section $50
Josh Ritter
Sunday, November 2, 2025, 5 p.m.
A section $70
B section $55
C section $40
Yonder Mountain String Band
Thursday, December 4, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
A section $75
B section $55
C section $35
Sam Bush
Thursday, March 26, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
A section $80
B section $65
C section $50
SUBSCRIPTION TICKETS BENEFITS for Chamber Music Series and the Jazz Series:
- By subscribing to the Chamber and Jazz Series (six concerts), you receive 20% off the single ticket price.
- By subscribing to either the Chamber or Jazz Series (four concerts), you receive 15% off the single ticket price.
- Subscriptions are not offered for the Folk Series, however as a subscriber, you will have the benefit of purchasing tickets to these concerts first prior to the public sale.
- Subscribers have the benefit of choosing their seats and are guaranteed those seats for the season.
Purchase Subscription Tickets online at www.scmcgr.org or by calling 616-459-2224. Contact the Box Office Manager at tickets@scmcgr.org or 616-459-2224 x201 with questions. **Ticket prices: There is a $7 fee on each subscription ticket. All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m.
Chamber Music Society Series
3-concert subscription
15% discount off single ticket prices
Subscription - $141
Spectacular Jazz Series
4-concert subscription
15% discount off single ticket prices
Subscription - $217
Chamber + Jazz Subscription package
20% discount off single ticket prices
7-concert combination series
Subscription - $336
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Series
Gilbert Kalish & The Viano Quartet
Thursday, November 20, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
A section $60
B section $45
C section $30
Quintet Revelations
Thursday, April 16, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
A section $60
B section $45
C section $30
Schubertiade
Thursday, May 14, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
A section $60
B section $45
C section $30
Spectacular Jazz Series
Catherine Russell
Thursday, October 9, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
A section $65
B section $50
C section $35
John Pizzarelli Trio
Thursday, January 16, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
A section $65
B section $50
C section $35
Emmet Cohen “Presents Miles and Coltrane at 100”
Thursday, February 26, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
A section $65
B section $50
C section $35
Branford Marsalis Quartet “Belonging Tour”
Thursday, March 19, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
A section $80
B section $65
C section $50
