McLain Band to Perform at KASU’s Bluegrass Monday Series

JONESBORO – The Michael and Jennifer McLain Band will perform a concert of bluegrass and acoustic music Monday, June 26, at 7 p.m. at the Collins Theatre, 120 West Emerson Street, in downtown Paragould.  The show is part of the Bluegrass Monday concert series presented by KASU 91.9 FM of Arkansas State University. 

                                 (From left) Kori Caswell, Jennifer McLain, Michael McLain and Dan Kelly.


Husband and wife Michael and Jennifer McLain have been playing music together since their first date over two decades ago.  They have entertained audiences in 27 states and Canada, and have appeared at the Grand Ole Opry and on numerous television programs.

Michael McLain grew up as part of the McLain Family Band, an acclaimed ensemble that performed from the late 1960s through the 1980s, recording 14 LP records and touring across 49 states and four foreign countries. 

Michael is also a former member of the Claire Lynch Band, appearing with that group on a Grammy-nominated CD.  He has also toured and recorded with International Bluegrass Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year Dale Ann Bradley.

For over a decade, Michael served as an adjunct professor in the School of Music at Belmont University in Nashville.  He taught guitar, banjo and mandolin courses as well as overseeing the university’s student bluegrass ensemble.

Jennifer McLain also grew up in a musical family.  She is an in-demand vocalist in Nashville for demo recordings and as a harmony vocalist.  She holds a degree in music performance from Elon University.  She and Michael both play multiple musical instruments, and their live performances feature songs showcasing their skills playing together.

The Michael and Jennifer McLain Band features fiddle player Dan Kelly.  He has appeared at past Bluegrass Monday concerts as part of the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band.  Kelly has won numerous fiddle contests, including the Grand Masters Fiddle Championship in Nashville.  He has played fiddle in the bands of Roy Acuff, Pam Tillis, Alan Jackson, Faith Hill and Clint Black.

The fourth member of the band is bassist Kori Caswell.  A native of Hannibal, Mo., Caswell is a recent graduate of Belmont University, having completed a degree in commercial bass performance in the school’s honors program.

More information about the band is at www.banjocats.com.

Seating at the concert is first-come, first-served.  Doors to the theatre will open at 6 p.m. KASU will literally “pass the hat” to collect money to pay the group.  The suggested donation is $5 per person.

In addition to the concert, Terry’s Café, 201 South Pruett Street in Paragould, opens on Bluegrass Monday nights to welcome bluegrass music fans.  The café serves a buffet meal beginning at 4:30 p.m. on the evenings of Bluegrass Monday concerts.  Concessions are also available at the Collins Theatre.

Bluegrass Monday concerts are held on the fourth Monday night of each month.  These concerts are presented with support from the Northeast Arkansas Bluegrass Association, Bibb Chiropractic, the Posey Peddler, Holiday Inn Express and Suites of Paragould, and KASU.

KASU, 91.9 FM, is the 100,000-watt public broadcasting service of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.  For more information, contact KASU Program Director Marty Scarbrough at mscarbro@astate.edu or 870-972-2367.  Bluegrass Monday is also on Facebook (search “Bluegrass Monday”).