St. Cecilia Music Center Opens 2026-2027 Season with the Acoustic Café Folk Series
Featuring Multi-GRAMMY Award winning Bluegrass Artist Dan Tyminski and Band
on October 20, 2026
Opening the show will be Special Guest Dobro Player and Songwriter Mark Lavengood
St. Cecilia Music Center (SCMC) brings 14-time GRAMMY Award winning bluegrass artist and songwriter Dan Tyminski with his band on October 20, 2026, to launch the Acoustic Café Folk Series 2026 – 2027 season. Special guest Mark Lavengood, dobro player, songwriter, and long-time musical friend and collaborator with Grammy-winning bluegrass artist Billy Strings will begin the evening.
St. Cecilia Music Center Executive & Artistic Director Cathy Holbrook says, “We are so excited to kick off our Acoustic Café Series with exciting multi-Grammy-Award winning bluegrass artist Dan Tyminski and his band. People will enjoy hearing the voice of George Clooney come to life on stage from the film O’ Brother Where Art Thou as Dan sings some of those beloved songs. We are also happy to welcome special guest, dobro artist and songwriter, Mark Lavengood as the opener.
Dan Tyminski is a legendary bluegrass artist and a 14-time Grammy Award winner. He has been recognized as a four-time Male Vocalist of the Year honoree by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Throughout his career Tyminski has recorded instrumental and vocal harmony contributions for projects with iconic artists including Dolly Parton, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Willie Nelson, Joan Osborne, Charlie Daniels, Kenny Chesney, LeAnne Rimes, Rob Thomas, and Charlie Haden to name a few. Tyminski’s voice became well-known to all as he was the singing voice of George Clooney in the hit movie “O’ Brother Where Art Thou” as the lead singer of the “Soggy Bottom Boys” portrayed on screen by George Clooney. He also spent decades touring with Alison Krauss’ band Union Station. Dan Tyminski is a revered leader of modern bluegrass music.
Tickets for the Dan Tyminski Band with special guest Mark Lavengood – $55 and $40 – are available online, or by calling 616-459-2224. Contact the Box Office Manager at tickets@scmcgr.org or 616-459-2224 x201 for questions.
Within SCMC’s 2026/2027 concert season the Acoustic Café Folk Series includes Grammy-award winning artists like Dan Tyminski, legendary Judy Collins, and Béla Fleck , along with charismatic actor and musician Jeff Daniels, Aoife O’Donovan and Chris Thile performing - Wassail! A Christmas Show, fiddlers Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland, world-renowned guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, folk duo Shovels and Rope, and soulful Irish balladeer Foy Vance.
Additional Acoustic Café Folk Series concerts for spring 2027 may be announced later in the season.
Dan Tyminski Bio:
Dan Tyminski was 6 years old when his parents began taking him to fiddle contests, square dances, and bluegrass festivals across New England. For a young musician who would later become one of the biggest names in modern-day bluegrass, those early experiences were life changing. “Watching live music always spoke to me much louder than sitting in front of my record player,” he remembers. “I loved it. Whatever music was being played, I wanted to go watch. Years later, I still feel that way.”
Throughout his 30+ year career, Tyminski has left his mark in every corner of modern music. His voice famously accompanies George Clooney’s performance of the Stanley Brothers’ classic song, “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow,” in the film Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? And his vocal collaboration with Swedish DJ Avicii on the song “Hey Brother” was a global smash, having been streamed more than a billion times to date. His diverse solo projects and years of work with Alison Krauss and Union Station have yielded troves of award-winning music.
In recent years, Tyminski’s live shows with the Dan Tyminski Band have become bluegrass fan favorites and are regularly on the must-see lists among music fans of any genre.
With his newest album release – the GRAMMY-nominated 2024 concert album Dan Tyminski: Live From The Ryman – he captures the magic of those live shows, while also proving that he still has the same passion for live music as he did when he was growing up.
His earliest touring and recording work were as a part of the band, Green Mountain Bluegrass. He later joined the influential bluegrass group, Lonesome River Band, before embarking on his three decades of work with Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Over the course of his career, Tyminski has evolved into a prolific songwriter, penning songs with Monty Criswell, Phillip Lammonds, Kristian Bush, Ashley Monroe, Chris Stapleton and many others. Dan has been honored with 14 GRAMMY Awards and as a four-time Male Vocalist of the Year honoree by the International Bluegrass Music Association. He has also recorded instrumental and vocal harmony contributions for projects by Dolly Parton, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Willie Nelson, Joan Osbourne, Charlie Daniels, Kenny Chesney, LeAnn Rimes, Rob Thomas, and Charlie Haden, to name a few.
While Dan enjoys a good conversation and a good cigar, he can often be found participating in charitable Pro-Am golf tournaments, as well as competing regularly in the Foosball tournament circuit.
Mark Lavengood Bio:
Mark Lavengood plays the dobro the way Michigan weather moves: patient one minute, wide open the next. A songwriter and bandleader out of Grand Rapids, MI, he took the 2012 RockyGrass Dobro Championship, spent years on the road with Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys, and has carried his slide all the way to Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble in Woodstock. In August 2026, he hosted and emceed Billy Strings’ inaugural Ionia Freak Fair. He also leads Prine Time, his long running tribute to the songs of John Prine. His new two-volume album, Wake Up, is on the way.
Acoustic Café Folk Series Tickets including ticket fees
October 20, 2026
Dan Tyminski Band with special guest Mark Lavengood
A section $55
B section $40
C section $25
November 5, 2026
Béla Fleck - My Bluegrass Heart – Low ticket alert
A section $95
B section $80
C section $65
December 5, 2026
Sarah Jarosz with special guest Jordan Tice – Low ticket alert
A section $70
B section $55
C section $40
December 8, 2026
Jeff Daniels - Sold Out!
A section $70
B section $55
C section $40
December 11, 2026
Aoife O'Donovan & Chris Thile - Wassail! A Christmas Show – Low ticket alert
A section $100
B section $85
C section $70
December 19, 2026 – Second show added!
Jeff Daniels
A section $70
B section $55
C section $40
January 28, 2027
Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland
A section $60
B section $45
C section $30
January 29, 2027
Tommy Emmanuel
A section $60
B section $45
C section $30
February 21, 2027
Shovels and Rope
A section $55
B section $40
C section $25
April 20, 2027
Foy Vance
A section $61
B section $46
C section $31
May 19, 2027
Judy Collins
A section $65
B section $50
C section $35
