Rakish + Rasa Quartet - An unparalleled evening of music with the duo of Rakish, drawing inspiration from the history of Scottish & Irish composition, precise structures of classical chamber music, and an array of improvisational styles, who combine their talents with the award winning, Boston-based Rasa String Quartet. This performance showcases music where classical, rock and folk veins can intersect and influence one another. A show with a spirit rooted in tradition, yet with an ear to the future!

One of Houston’s most acclaimed and promising songwriters! As the rising voice of America's most ethnically diverse generation of young people, 26-year-old Amanda Pascali writes songs that speak to the experience of growing up as a first-generation American. The internationally acclaimed, bilingual singer/songwriter and 2021 Houston Chronicle "Musician of the Year," was born in Queens, New York, and is now based in Houston, Texas. She has released music and performed internationally, from the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. to the European Union Parliament in Brussels, and across the globe. Blending a variety of influences - touches of folk/Americana, cumbia,Texas, Sicily and beyond - with southern Italian and Latin rhythms, Pascali’s songs are powerful tales of America told through the eyes of immigrants and those who have always felt like the “other”. Amanda has felt driven from a young age to be the messenger of her family’s stories and diaspora, and she does that beautifully through her music.

Ranky Tanky
Gullah Music of the Carolina Coast - Ranky Tanky makes joy sound like a responsibility. The two-time Grammy Award winning quintet from Charleston, South Carolina featuring Quiana Parler (vocals), Charlton Singleton (trumpet, vocals), Clay Ross (guitar, vocals), Kevin Hamilton (bass), and Quentin E. Baxter (drums, percussion), draws on the living well of Gullah music from the Sea Islands and carries it forward with jazz verve, gospel fire, blues feeling, and soul-deep groove. Their very name, from the Gullah language, means “work it” or “get funky,” which is exactly what they do: turn ring shouts, children’s game songs, work songs, and spirituals into modern American music that moves both body and memory.

The Brothers Comatose fuse traditional bluegrass with a modern folk-rock edge, crafting tight harmonies, virtuosic strings, and a rowdy back-porch spirit. Their high-energy, participatory shows and storytelling-driven songs have made them a standout in the Americana scene, bridging roots authenticity with fresh West Coast flair. Don’t let the name fool you — The Brothers are anything but Comatose. Bursting with relentless energy, lightning-fast picking, and a crowd-first attitude, the genre-blending outfit has turned their brand of high-octane acoustic music into a must-see movement. Hailing from California, the band has a long-held reverence for the traditions of bluegrass music. But existing in their own ecosystem, far from the epicenter of bluegrass, they haven't been constrained by those same traditions. The result is “GOLDENGRASS,” a term the band has fully embraced to describe their unique style of music — born out of bluegrass, but with the undeniable freedom and rock ’n’ roll attitude of California. Don’t miss this finale!