Midwest Trust Center Announces 2024 LIGHT UP THE LAWN Concerts

The Midwest Trust Center has announced the concert lineup for Light Up the Lawn, featuring local musicians with rich histories.

They include Mariachi Estrella on August 16, The Freedom Affair on August 23, and Marty Bush on August 30. All concerts will start at 8:30 p.m. on the lawn of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art (Johnson County  Community College, 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210). 

McDaniel said, “We are proud to offer these free concerts featuring the best of the region's music scene. Thanks  to our on-campus partner, the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, for helping us bring this experience to  our community. Each night will feature great music, passionate performances and lots of energy.” Bring your  blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets for these fun events! No reservations required. Come early to enjoy  food from local food trucks before each concert. 

Performances details include: 

August 16 - Mariachi Estrella is a Kansas City favorite, performing at venues across the metro including a  halftime performance for the Kansas City Chiefs. Their vibrant mix of traditional and contemporary mariachi  music with have everyone dancing. 

August 23 - The Freedom Affair is a female-fronted soul powerhouse inspired by the traditions of the genre's  past with an enduring message that looks toward the future. Three dynamic, awe-inspiring singers – Seyko 

Groves, Paula Saunders, and Shon Ruffin – share lead and background vocal duties, blending refined harmonies  while backed by an airtight band that meets every musical moment with taste, precision, and a deep pocket. 

August 30 – Hailing from the plains of eastern Kansas, Marty Bush is a torchbearer of the American  songwriting tradition. His songs resonate with the weight of his influences such as Townes Van Zandt, Blaze  Foley, and Kris Kristofferson, but he has channeled their emotional honesty and unvarnished truth-telling into  something uniquely his own. His latest LP, “Cowboy Chords,” takes a bold step forward, establishing his voice  as both a songwriter and performer. 

Ticket Information 

These events are free, but seating is first come, first served. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and  blankets to enjoy the show.  

For more information about Light Up the Lawn and the Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community  College, visit www.jccc.edu/MidwestTrustCenter. 

Midwest Trust Center Series 2024-2025 Season 

Sept. 13 Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster 

Sept. 14 MTC Kids Jam – Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players*

Sept. 20-21 New Dance Partners The Ultimate Collaboration 

Sept. 26 Malevo 

Sept. 28 Greg & Dana Newkirk's Haunted Objects Live* 

Sept. 29 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Live in Concert 

Oct. 16 Hotel Elsinore* 

Oct. 19 Chicago Blues Supersession* 

Oct. 26 MTC Kids Jam – Sonia De Los Santos* 

Oct. 26 Mariachi Herencia de México Our Latin Thing 

Nov. 3 Hyprov starring Colin Mochrie and Asad Mecci 

Nov. 17 Paragon Ragtime Orchestra in Meet Me at the Fair!: Music from the Great World's Fairs Dec. 6-7 What If Puppets - Shiver Me Paintbrush: A Pirate's Adventure in Art* Dec. 13&15 Owen/Cox Dance Group The Nutcracker & the Mouse King* 

Dec. 14 Christmas in Killarney 

Jan. 18 MTC Kids Jam – Funky Mama* 

Jan. 24 Hiplet Ballerinas 

Jan. 26 Time For Three* 

Feb. 2 Balaklava Blues* 

Feb. 15-16 Winterlude Jazz Festival featuring New Orleans Songbook: A Jazz at Lincoln Center  PRESENTS Production 

Feb. 21 The Addams Family 

Feb. 22 Alisa Amador Trio* 

Feb. 23 Imani Winds and Boston Brass 

Mar. 6 Goitse* 

Mar. 8 MTC Kids Jam – Pierce Freelon* 

Mar. 8 Rhythm India: Bollywood and Beyond 

Mar. 9 Dirty Dancing in Concert 

Mar. 14 L.A. Theatre Works – A Room with a View* 

Mar. 16 R.E.S.P.E.C.T. - A Celebration of the Music of Aretha Franklin 

Mar. 28 Trey McLaughlin and The Sounds of Zamar 

Mar. 29-30 Lyric Opera of Kansas City – Maya and the Magic Ring* 

Mar. 29 Trailblazing Women of Country: From Patsy to Loretta to Dolly 

Apr. 11 Omnium Circus – I'm Possible

Apr. 19 Uptown 

Apr. 26 The Pa'akai We Bring 

May 2 Our Planet Live – A Netflix Documentary Series with Dan Tapster* 

May 3 MTC Kids Jam – Mister G* 

May 10 Opus 76 with David Kim, violin* 

May 16 The Brother Brothers* 

About Midwest Center, Johnson County Community College 

The Midwest Trust Center is Johnson County's performing arts center. Early on, the founders of Johnson  County Community College (JCCC) dreamed of building a world-class performing arts venue in Johnson County, Kansas. In 1990, that dream was realized, and the center soon became a cultural hub for the rapidly  growing county. The Midwest Trust Center's growth parallels that of Johnson County, expanding from 50  events the first season to around 150 annually today. Events include Midwest Trust Center Series, the annual  series of around 25 events presented by JCCC that feature professional, internationally known artists in a wide  variety of genres; academic branches of JCCC; and community groups who rent the space.  

In 2020 Johnson County Community College accepted a $1,000,000 donation intended to provide an ongoing  endowment to support the College's Performing Arts Series. These funds will also provide scholarships for  students studying creative arts at JCCC. As a feature of the donation, the center now bears the name Midwest  Trust Center, a local company founded by Brad Bergman. The donors Brad and Libby Bergman are long-time  supporters of the College, having co-chaired the JCCC Foundation's annual Some Enchanted Evening Gala – the  largest single fundraising event for student scholarships. Brad has also served as Chair of the JCCC Foundation  Board of Directors. The Bergmans have been consistent supporters of dozens of activities at JCCC. They have  four children, each of whom has benefited from classes taught at the College. 

Since 2000, with the development of the Midwest Trust Center Arts Education program, the Midwest Trust  Center also addresses cultural and art-related program needs in K-12 education. The MTC Arts Education  programs include school performances at the Midwest Trust Center, and engagement activities with artists  performing in schools. Master classes, lecture/demonstrations, workshops and other opportunities for interaction  with students happen throughout the year. MTC Arts Education also offers support materials for programs,  study guides, concert previews, plus professional development - creative skills workshops and curriculum building seminars for teachers in arts integration. 

The MTC Arts Education had a leadership role in the re-establishment of the Kansas Alliance for Arts  Education, and in 2014 was named a Kennedy Center Partners in Education site, teamed with the Shawnee  Mission School District. An expansion of the Kennedy Center Partnership occurred in 2018 with the addition of  the Liberty Schools, and again in 2019, adding Kansas City Young Audiences, making it one of two cross-state  Kennedy Center Partnerships in the US. MTC Arts Ed is the only Kennedy Center Partner in the state of  Kansas. 

For more information, please visit Midwest Trust Center 2024-2025 Season. 

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