FSU's Opening Nights festival announces lineup for 2023

“Oliver’s Army” is on the way, as singer Elvis Costello might put it.

The headliners coming to Florida State University's 2023-2024 Opening Nights festival are rock legend Costello, multitalented performer Mandy Patinkin, lecturer Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, jazz guru Terence Blanchard, the Vienna Boys Choir and The Indigo Girls, which got a career boost from having its signature song “Closer to Fine” prominently featured in the “Barbie” smash hit movie.

“The curation of a complete season takes into consideration the needs and wants of the university, our patrons, and the community we serve,” said one-year director Jennifer Wright, who oversaw the booking of the shows for the first time. “But I do feel a tremendous amount of responsibility and satisfaction.”

The complete ON lineup for 2023-2024 was announced Tuesday evening, Aug. 1, at The Champions Club in Doak Campbell Stadium at Florida State University.

Songwriting troubadours Mary Chapin Carpenter (“The Dirt and the Stars”) and Shawn Colvin (“A Few Small Repairs”) are teaming up to kick off ON at the beginning of October.

The big catch is Costello, who performs with his band The Imposters in early January 2024. The singer of “Watching the Detectives” and “Shipbuilding” is making his Tallahassee performance debut at ON.

“We are thrilled to finally present Elvis Costello,” Wright said. “He’s been on our wish list for years. We feel very fortunate to secure this performance mainly through persistence, patience, and professionalism.”

Catching The Indigo Girls in the middle of the “Barbie” bump was just a fluke, Wright said.

“The correlation between booking The Indigo Girls and the ‘Barbie’ movie is a sheer coincidence,” the director said. “They are an iconic group with a large following and it’s been years since they have performed in Tallahassee, so they were a perfect choice to complete a season that offers something for everyone. Their music still resonates today.”

Wright also pointed out the off-the-beaten-path acts on the latest ON list.

“I am excited about each performance, but the lesser-known artists were selected because of their incredible talent,” Wright said. “(Flamenco guitarist) Jesse Cook, (blues-based belter) Ruthie Foster and (quintet) Ranky Tanky will blow you away.”

Ranky Tanky, appearing at ON in early October, mines music from the Gullah culture found along the Atlantic coast and sea islands in South Carolina. The name of the group means “get funky” in the Gullah language, which was handed down from Afro-Seminole creoles. The band has won two Grammy Awards so far for its roots approach.

Although Ruby Diamond Concert Hall at Florida State University is ground zero for most ON shows, the festival is stretching out to more venues, such as The Moon nightclub and the Adderley Amphitheater in Cascades Park.

“New venues create new experiences,” Wright said. “By creating fun, unique experiences, we build success. For example, Hot Club of Cowtown will be a boots and jeans concert set at the beautiful Phipps Farm (near Maclay School) complete with food trucks and bars for an enjoyable and casual concert experience. One of our greatest strengths is our ability to present performances on and off campus.”

Local acts getting in on the upcoming action include watercolor painter Dean Mitchell delivering a talk, The Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra playing for a Beatles salute and the annual PRISM concert, which showcases FSU’s band department.

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Past visitors to the ON series include singer Mavis Staples, songwriter Randy Newman, blues guitarist Buddy Guy, author Margaret Atwood, violinist Joshua Bell, horror writer Stephen King, humorist David Sedaris, country legend Willie Nelson, TV raconteur Anthony Bourdain, poet Billy Collins, FSU alum and singer Rita Coolidge, comic Joan Rivers, jazz pianist and FSU grad Marcus Roberts, novelist Salman Rushdie, comic actor Martin Short, singer Aaron Neville, Oscar-winning movie director Jonathan Demme, jazz horn player Wynton Marsalis and many more.

ON members and sponsors can purchase 2023-2024 tickets Aug. 1-24. Tickets for the general public start selling at 11 a.m. on Aug. 28. Visit openingnights.fsu.edu for more. All shows start at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Here’s the lineup for the upcoming 26th season:

1: Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. Hear such hits as “Passionate Kisses” (Carpenter) and “Sunny Came Home” (Colvin). Tickets are $60 and $45.

5: Ranky Tanky in Opperman Music Hall. The award-winning outfit from Charleston, S.C. performs a vibrant take on Gullah roots music and party tunes. Tickets are $40.

12: Adele Myers and Dancers on stage in Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theater. The Miami touring company will add theatricality to its moves. Tickets are $35.

20: The Gipsy Kings in The Adderley Amphitheater in Cascades Park. The Latin-infused group will hopefully perform its inspired version of “Hotel California.” Tickets are $30, $45 and $65.

26: Hot Club of Cowtown visits The Phipps Farm. Return to the sounds of Tin Pan Alley and hear some Western Swing when this band hops in a musical time machine. Tickets are $45.

1: Broadway’s Next Hit Musical: "The Phony Awards" at The Moon. This comedic cabaret act of improvisers takes song titles from the audience and makes up tunes on the spot. Tickets are $50.

7: Della Mae in concert at Goodwood Museum & Gardens. The all-female, Grammy-nominated band puts its own spin on bluegrass and roots music. Tickets are $45.

7: MacMaster & Leahy Celtic Family Christmas in Opperman Music Hall. Parents Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy bring their musical kids along to celebrate the sounds of the holiday season. Tickets are $50.

10: Elvis Costello & The Imposters take over Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. Costello has penned and performed so many rock classics (“Alison,” “Less Than Zero,” “Pump It Up,” “God’s Comic”) he will have plenty of material to pick from during his live show. Tickets are $115 and $130.

11: Jesse Cook in concert in Opperman Music Hall. Jazz guitarist Cook will play a highly personal blend of nuevo flamenco rhumba. Tickets are $50.

18: Delirium Musicum chamber orchestra in Opperman Music Hall. Some of the youngest and most talented musicians in Los Angeles come together in this new contemporary classical ensemble. Tickets are $50.

24: Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson returns to Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. The astrophysicist will champion the sciences during his talk titled “A Cosmic Perspective.” Tickets are $75, $90 and $250.

1: Sons of Serendip perform in Turner Auditorium at TCC. Fresh from a turn on “America’s Got Talent: The Champions” season nine, these four classical musicians, including a harpist, bring classical music to a new generation. Tickets are $35.

7: “The Simon & Garfunkel Story” is acted out on the stage in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. This musical follows two kids from Queens as they transform from struggling folkies to pop sensations with such hits as “Cecilla,” “Sounds of Silence” and “Mrs. Robinson.” Tickets are $35 and $50.

11: Prism pulls out all the stops in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. The annual, non-stop brass band concert returns, including The Marching Chiefs blasting the rafters indoors. Tickets are $25 and $40.

12: The Vienna Boys Choir gets in harmony in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. One of the most famous singing sensations in the world returns to Tallahassee. Tickets are $25 and $40.

14: Complexions Contemporary Ballet leaps across the stage in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. Fittingly, the American company will perform “Love Rocks” on Valentine’s Day. Tickets are $30 and $45.

17: The Fab Four’s music gets highlighted when a four-piece Beatles tribute group joins the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra for a “Classical Mystery Tour” in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. The concert’s list of songs has included “All You Need is Love,” “Got to Get You into My Life,” “Penny Lane” and “Dear Prudence.” Tickets are $35, $55 and $65.

29: Ruthie Foster will sing and play the guitar in Opperman Music Hall. Mixing blues with gospel and more, Foster is out on the road promoting her latest album, “Healing Time.” Tickets are $45.

2: iLuminate brings its futuristic approach to dance in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. After blowing away the celebrity judges on TV’s “America’s Got Talent,” this troupe, which wears multicolored glowing outfits in the dark, has been onstage with such performers as Chris Brown and Death Cab for Cutie. The starting time is 5 p.m. Tickets are $25.

4: Pink Martini returns with singer China Forbes in tow for a show in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. The Oregon-based large band became a sophisticated sensation when the song “Hey Eugene!” broke out as an audience favorite. Tickets are $45 and $60.

7: Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents horn players Bria Skonberg and Benny Benack III at The Moon. Hear the next generation of jazz players. Tickets are $50.

9: Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive commands the stage in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. The versatile singer and actor (“Homeland,” “The Princess Bride,” “Run Ronnie Run!”) will serve up his singing chops. Tickets are $55 and $70.

18: Jesmyn Ward reads from her written work in Opperman Music Hall. The winner of two National Book Awards for Fiction has a new novel, “Let Us Descend,” out in October. Tickets are $50.

21: Damn Tall Buildings brings its slant on bluegrass to Goodwood Museum & Gardens. Even though they hail from Brooklyn, the three lead musicians play a brand of bluegrass-tinged country juke that sounds positively downhome. Tickets are $40.

5: Terence Blanchard blows his horn with the E Collective and the Turtle Island Quartet in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. The jazz trumpeter and composer, who hails from New Orleans, has won five Grammys and been nominated for Oscars for writing soundtracks. Tickets are $25 and $40.

6: The Jurassic Era comes alive when Dinosaur World Alive! roars in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. Bring the kids when a life-like T. Rex and more step out of the prehistoric world. The starting time is 2 p.m. Tickets are $25.

18: Dean Mitchell delivers a talk titled “Navigating the Art World: Building Success Against the Odds” in the Jim Moran Building downtown. One of the nation’s leading fine-art painters, Mitchell grew up in Quincy and started his career in Tallahassee. His visit is also part of the Chain of Parks Art Festival. The starting time is 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $40.

27: Rising Appalachia harmonizes in the Adderley Amphitheater at Cascades Park. The duo sister act takes a dreamy, lilting approach to folk music with soaring vocals. Free.

1: The Indigo Girls return for an evening of folk music with a message in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. The multi-Grammy winning duo hails from Atlanta but is known around the world. Tickets are $50 and $65.

Mark Hinson is a former senior writer for the Tallahassee Democrat. His email is [email protected].