Stephens Auditorium and Reiman Gardens Announce 2026 Concert Series

STEPHENS AUDITORIUM & REIMAN GARDENS ANNOUNCE SUMMER GOLDFINCH ROOM SHOWS

Where: Reiman Gardens Catalpa Courtyard
When: Five Shows: June 2, June 16, July 14, July 28 and August 18
Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
TICKETS: On Sale Now at https://www.center.iastate.edu/gfr-reiman-gardens/

AMES, Iowa – Stephens Auditorium and Reiman Gardens are pleased to announce the return of The Goldfinch Room Songwriter Showcase at Reiman Gardens. This partnership brings together singers/songwriters from the Midwest in the Goldfinch Room tradition of storytelling with the stunning beauty of Reiman Gardens. Performances will take place in the Reiman Gardens near Bald Cypress Allée. Season passes are available as well as tickets to individual shows at this link: https://www.center.iastate.edu/gfr-reiman-gardens/. Reiman Gardens members will receive free admission to the performances.

"We are absolutely thrilled to that the Goldfinch Room Songwriter Showcase at Reiman Gardens is returning this summer. It's an incredible opportunity to welcome such a talented lineup of artists to our space, and we can't wait to continue sharing this unique experience with our community” said Christine Prescott, Director of Reiman Gardens. “The fusion of beautiful music and the stunning surroundings of the Gardens promises to be an unforgettable event for all who attend."
 

At each Songwriter Showcase, beverages will be available for purchase, and ISU Creamery ice cream will be sold this year at the concessions tent through a partnership between Reiman Gardens and ISU Creamery. Outside food and non-alcoholic beverages are allowed into the Gardens. Audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets as the seating is on the lawn. If weather proves to be a challenge, the performance will move inside to the Garden Room. This year there will be no food truck at the performances.
 

Reiman Gardens members receive free admission to all the Songwriter Showcases. For non-members, Stephens Auditorium is offering season passes at $50 and Individual show tickets are available. Passes and tickets do include free admission to Reiman Gardens on the afternoon of the performance.
 

“Stephens Auditorium is thrilled for our Goldfinch Room Singer/Songwriter Series to return to Reiman Gardens this coming summer,” said Stephens Auditorium Executive Director, Tammy Koolbeck. “The outdoor atmosphere in the gardens were a hit with the audiences and the artists.”

Songwriter Showcase Schedule:

Tuesday, June 2 BreAnne Stone
Tuesday, June 16 Casey Joe and The Foxes
Tuesday, July 14 The Bone People
Tuesday, July 28 Beggars’ Bargain
Tuesday, August 18 Society of Broken Souls
 

The Goldfinch Room Songwriter Showcase at Reiman Gardens is supported by Discover Ames Community Grant Award with additional underwriting support from Doug and Gwenna Jacobson and David and Bonnie Orth.
 

ARTIST BIOS

BreAnne Stone: BreAnne Stone is an indie folk/rock artist known for her raw, honest songwriting, soulful, powerful vocals, and emotionally grounded live performances. After previously playing the Listening Room Series as a solo act, she returns this year with a full band—bringing a richer, more expansive sound to the stage. Joined by Nathan Hoeft on lead guitar and Joe Hinrichs on drums, the music takes on new life—layered, dynamic, and rhythm-driven while still holding onto the intimacy at its core. For fans of artists like Brandi Carlile, Maggie Rogers, and Lake Street Dive, BreAnne Stone offers a sound that’s both deeply personal and effortlessly inviting.
 

Casey Joe and The Foxes: Casey Joe and the Foxes are a folk trio from Des Moines. With thundering upright basslines, swashbuckling mandolin and inviting harmonies, songs written by Casey Joe come to a whole new life with this band.
 

The Bone People: Poet and singer/songwriter Debra Marquart and her collaborators, Peter Manesis and Anthony Stevens, fuse elements of acoustic rock, jazz, and rhythm & blues in The Bone People with a female vocal and lush guitar parts underpinned by intricate congas and other hand drums—to find a sliver of listening space where music can be as close & intimate as acoustic but also as powerful and moving as electric.
 

Beggars’ Bargain: Beggars’ Bargain is an Indie Folk duo featuring Joe Bach and Micah Spurlock, currently based in Des Moines, IA. Their unique sound is rooted in their diverse backgrounds: Joe, originally from Ida Grove, IA, honed his skills in Chicago, drawing inspiration from the soulful storytelling of Amos Lee and Ray Lamontagne. Micah, from Mineral Wells, TX, brings a foundation built on the blues energy of Stevie Ray Vaughn and the folk sensibility of artists like Willie Nelson and Jack Johnson. For both artists, creating music has always been a powerful vehicle for navigating life’s trials. Beggars’ Bargain is driven by the belief that music is a force for positivity and change. Their mission is simple: to share their story and create songs that resonate in a meaningful way.

Society of Broken Souls: Society of Broken Souls is the songwriting duo of multi-instrumentalists Dennis James and Lauryn Shapter. Performing their own brand of American Roots Music, they write unflinching songs that confront our shared, raw humanity while celebrating the beautiful mosaic of the human experience. Having performed in 34 states from coast to coast over the last decade, their live show features seamless harmony vocals and a wide array of instruments and sounds. From stripped down, bare-bones acoustic arrangements to a denser and edgier electric sound, their songs invite the listener to walk through the fire with them — and to find freedom, strength and courage on the other side.