Southern Illinois University’s longtime summer tradition, the Sunset Concert Series, will return for its 47th season beginning June 11 with six weeks of free live music across multiple venues in Carbondale.

This year’s lineup features a variety of genres, including country soul, blues, funk and zydeco. If you haven’t heard of zydeco, it’s high-energy music originating from the Black Creole culture of southwest Louisiana. Concerts will alternate between the lawn of Shryock Auditorium, Turley Park and the new downtown venue, New Era Events Plaza. Performances begin at 7 p.m. each Thursday through July 23, except July 2.

Among the featured performers are Nashville Americana duo Goldpine and Chicago blues group Shawn Holt & The Teardrops.

Goldpine, made up of married musicians Ben and Kassie Wilson, will perform July 16 at Turley Park. The duo describes its sound as “aggressive Americana,” blending folk rock, country soul and storytelling into their live performances.

“We like doing the live shows because we are bringing people together, sharing the art and stories together,” Ben Wilson said. “It helps people feel connected.”

The couple has performed separately for 16 years and officially formed Goldpine four years ago. The band’s name reflects both the pair’s past and future.

“I grew up on Pine Road in Alabama, which is from the past, and gold is the element that burns bright and shines, and that’s what we hope for the future,” Kassie Wilson said.

The duo spends much of the year touring throughout the country and abroad.

“We’re about 75% on the road, coast to coast,” Ben Wilson said.

The group also has a history in southern Illinois. Ben Wilson said Goldpine performed in Carbondale more than a decade ago at Walker’s Bluff, but they are excited to perform at the Sunset concert for the first time this summer.

“It will be an honor to play that series,” he said. “We love that kind of stuff.”

Shawn Holt & The Teardrops will bring traditional Chicago blues to Turley Park on June 18. Holt, the son of blues legend Magic Slim, said music became both a passion and a path forward after his father’s death.

“He pretty much saved my life and gave me a career,” Holt said of his father. His father, Magic Slim, was a part of a band and encouraged him to get into music and explore outside the south side of Chicago. This inspired him to spontaneously move to Oklahoma and start his own band. Holt said the band remains committed to preserving authentic Chicago blues wherever they go.

“We try to stick to the roots, as pure as possible,” he said.

The musician said he especially enjoys introducing younger audiences to the genre and its history.

“I love playing to a younger audience so they can experience the roots,” Holt said. “It’s a dying American art form. There are more DJs now, and live music is fading away.”

Despite concerns about the future of blues music, Holt said he is looking forward to performing in Carbondale. The Sunset Concert Series has become one of southern Illinois’ most recognizable summer traditions, drawing crowds from across the region for free outdoor entertainment. Organizers encourage attendees to bring lawn chairs or blankets.

“People get ready to listen to some real blues and pay attention,” he said. “I am looking forward to it.”

Sunset Concert Lineup 2026
Shane Guerrette — June 11, 2026
Shawn Holt and the Teardrops — June 18, 2026
The Way Down Wanderers — June 25, 2026
Funky Butt Brass Band — July 9, 2026
Goldpine — July 16, 2026
Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers — July 23, 2026

Reporter Yahri Edmond can be reached at [email protected] and on Instagram @yahri.edmond

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