Graham Concert Association kicking off 79th season next month News Staff Tue, 08/27/2024 - 10:13 am
(ARCHIVE PHOTO | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Michael Martin Murphey performs at the Graham Memorial Auditorium as part of the Graham Concert Association’s 75th season in 2019. Murphey will be returning for the upcoming season Sunday, Oct. 20 alongside Gary P. Nunn. 
(ARCHIVE PHOTO | THE GRAHAM LEADER) The Graham Concert Association closed out its 78th season Sunday, Feb. 18 with a sold out performance from the Bellamy Brothers. The concert association will kick off its 79th season Tuesday, Sept. 17 with Wade Bowen.
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Thomas Wallner editor@grahamleader.com
With the launch of its upcoming season, Graham Concert Association will continue its almost 80-year tradition of providing music entertainment for the area.
The nonprofit organization started in 1944 with the mission of providing an outlet for the Graham and Young County community to enjoy performing arts locally and will continue that mission with the launch of its 79th season Tuesday, Sept. 17.
“(The concert season) is a quality of life enhancement in the fact that people can bring their families to a wonderful facility that this community has continued to pump money and support in, the Graham Memorial Auditorium,” GCA Program Chair Brendan Weatherman said. “But, to be able to go and experience something that you would have to normally leave and go to the city to experience, to me, is an absolute enhancement to the quality of life that we all enjoy in Young County.”
The season will kick off with Wade Bowen in September who is returning this year after being a part of GCA’s 77th season and will be playing a solo acoustic set. The second performance will be a historic one in October with a combined concert featuring Michael Martin Murphey and Gary P. Nunn.
“We just had a conversation with Gary… and he made the comment that they’ve been trying to put something like that together for 30 years, and he’d love to do it and Michael agreed,” Weatherman said. “So it’s just going to be a real intimate evening with those two guys just playing songs acoustic, telling stories... so it is a one-time performance. They have not put a tour together like this ever, and we were just fortunate to be the first.”
Following the duo’s performance will be the Dadrock cover band from Fort Worth in November that will cover 1970s and 1980s rock songs. Like Wade Bowen, Suzy Bogguss was a part of the GCA’s 77th season and will be making a return this year in December with “A Swingin’ Little Christmas.”
“She was so well received and just such a joy to work with the last time that she was just a natural fit to bring back. We really had a lot of good feedback,” Weatherman said. “She did such a great job of communicating with the kids and just had a really sweet family vibe for her show, too. So we thought that would be a wonderful way to kind of kick off the holiday season.”
Bonnie Bishop will follow Bogguss in January. Bishop is a Grammy-winning, country rock singer-songwriter. The season will close out with a local band started by Weatherman and Grant Ingram, The Last Plainsmen, as well as other local artists.
“The intent of that evening is we will kind of be a house band and have other guest vocalists and performances that are local performers,” Weatherman said. “I’ve talked to a couple of different ones, some are more well known than others. It’s just going to be an evening of local talent is basically what it’s going to be.”
Tickets will be available online at grahamconcertassociation.com and via general admission at Graham Memorial Auditorium, based on availability. Individual tickets cost $30, with the exception of the concert featuring Michael Martin Murphey and Gary P. Nunn, which will cost $50.
GCA 2024-2025 Season
Wade Bowen
7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17
Michael Martin Murphey & Gary P. Nunn
6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20
Dadrock
6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24
Suzy Bogguss
7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7
Bonnie Bishop
7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11
The Last Plainsmen & Friends
6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16
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