Free BAC Concert Series kicks off with Adrian and Meredith

The first free Levitt AMP Concert of the year is here, with Adrian and Meredith getting the party started. The duo from Nashville, Tennessee, played in Northern Nevada in January 2023 and now they bring the full band.

“We really wanted to come back to Carson City and play, and we wanted to bring the full band so we could really have a great time and give Carson City the party it deserves,” Meredith Krygowski said. “With the full band it brings a whole ‘nother level of entertainment.”

The free concert kicks off at 7 p.m. at the corner of King and Minnesota streets with opening band The Kilowatt Hours.

THE BAND

Adrian and Meredith have been touring together since 2014 and they play shows as a duo and as a band. They play the same songs as a duo and a full band, so you can get two versions of how the songs are played. The band has been through many configurations, but they’ve been touring with the same lineup for a couple of years now.

Adrian Krygowski plays guitar and sings vocals and Meredith Krygowski plays fiddle, percussive dance and sings vocals. John Kveen is on bass. He tours full time with the Squirrel Nut Zippers. Ken Wenzel plays tenor and baritone saxophone and acoustic guitar, and he’s toured with Carlos Santana and brings an element of jazz and gypsy jazz to the stage, Meredith said. Ben Reiff is on drums.

“It’s a great group of people and a great group of musicians,” Meredith said.

THE MUSIC

Meredith said the band’s sound lands broadly in Americana, and it could land broadly in folk. But most of all, it’s music with soul, she said.

“It’s music with soul, music with heart and music with a lot of joy,” she said. “When we perform it, it is our happy place and when we play that, joy exudes out.”

Adrian’s background is more rock and roll and Motown. His first couple of bands played punk rock and he brings a raw-edged voice, Meredith said. Meredith grew up learning classical violin and fiddle music and her love for old-time fiddle music grew during college.

She said they grew up in the Midwest, so there’s also a common thread of polka sewn into the music.

“At the end of the day, the heart and soul is that it’s American roots music,” she said.

Meredith also dances while she plays on her stomp boards. She has experience as a tap dancer and a flat foot clogger and that gets woven into the show.

“It’s something that’s really important to us and something we really want to bring to the set,” she said.

Lyrically, Meredith said the songs are deep and meaningful with stories they’ve gathered while touring all over the United States and Europe. The lyrics take the audience on a migratory journey through the South, East, West, the Midwest and Europe.

“Our music really embodies that small town story that is uniquely American, but when we take it overseas it creates a bridge of life everywhere,” Meredith said.

They’ll have new music to share as well, as they are touring before the release of their 5-song EP, which they will have physical copies at the show. They’ve been releasing singles monthly and you can find their music on all streaming platforms.

RETURNING WEST

Meredith said she really enjoyed coming to the area in January 2023 as a duo, and she said this Carson City show was a big reason they are coming back.

“In 2023 it was such a great time, we weren’t sure what to expect,” Meredith said. “We were blown away by the city and community that showed up. It really turned into a special night, and it was important for us to come back.”

She said she hopes many of those people come back and that there will be new fans along the way.

“We’re excited to be back, and hope people come out and it will be a fun evening.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Adrian and Meredith with opening act The Kilowatt Hours at the Brewery Art Center’s Levitt AMP Concert Series

WHERE: 449 W. King St. at the Brewery Arts Center

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, June 22

MORE INFO: breweryarts.org; adrianandmeredith.com