Riverbend Live Unveils 2026 Lineup For 30th Anniversary Season In Winston

WINSTON, Ore. — Riverbend Live has announced its 2026 summer lineup, marking the concert series’ 30th anniversary with six Friday performances and one Saturday youth theater production at Riverbend Park in Winston. The series is free and organizers say shows begin at 7 p.m. and typically run about two hours.

Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs, along with dinner and drinks. The organization also says rotating food trucks will be on site each night except during the youth theater performances.

June 26 - Colin James

Riverbend Live opens the season June 26 with Colin James, the Canadian blues-rock guitarist and singer whose career now stretches beyond three decades. According to Riverbend Live, James has released more than 20 studio albums, earned eight Juno Awards, collected 31 Maple Blues Awards and achieved multi-platinum sales, building a reputation as one of the most respected contemporary performers in blues and roots music.

Organizers highlight James’ newest release, Chasing the Sun, which features guest appearances from Lucinda Williams, Rolling Stones bassist Darryl Jones, drummer Charley Drayton, harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite, and gospel vocalists Ann and Regina McCrary. Riverbend Live also notes that James first broke through internationally with his 1988 self-titled debut album, which became the fastest-selling album in Canadian history and included songs such as “Voodoo Thing” and “Five Long Years.”

Over the years, James has worked with major names including Bonnie Raitt, Albert King, Robert Cray, Carlos Santana, Buddy Guy, Keith Richards and Mavis Staples. Riverbend Live says his performances continue to be defined by standout guitar work and a high-energy stage presence, making him a significant opening act for the anniversary season.

July 3 - Shemekia Copeland

On July 3, the series shifts to blues vocalist and songwriter Shemekia Copeland. Riverbend Live describes Copeland as a Grammy-nominated artist with a distinctive voice and songwriting style that blends blues, rock, gospel, soul and Americana influences. The organization also points to praise from The Washington Post, which called her “the greatest blues singer of her generation.”

Born in Harlem and raised in a musical household by her father, blues artist Johnny Copeland, she began performing professionally at a young age and went on to become one of the most prominent modern voices in blues. Riverbend Live says her latest album, Blame It On Eve, combines sharp storytelling with energetic performance, while her music often addresses major social themes without losing humor, emotion or the celebratory spirit that has made her popular with audiences around the world.

Riverbend Live also notes that Copeland has performed with artists including Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, Dr. John and James Cotton, and has appeared at venues and events ranging from the White House to PBS’ Austin City Limits and the United Nations General Assembly Hall.

July 10 - Good Vibrations

The July 10 performance will feature Good Vibrations, a tribute act centered on the music and style of The Beach Boys. Riverbend Live says the group goes beyond a standard tribute format by recreating the “classic music and timeless sounds of summer” associated with the California band.

According to the event description, the show is designed as a high-energy production that brings the era of surf, cars and summer pop vividly back to life through familiar anthems, surf guitar lines and layered harmonies. Organizers say the performance aims to reproduce those songs in a way that feels faithful to how audiences remember them, making it one of the more nostalgic entries in the 2026 lineup.

July 17 - Ronnie Baker Brooks

Ronnie Baker Brooks is scheduled to perform July 17. Riverbend Live describes the Chicago guitarist, vocalist and songwriter as a multiple Blues Music Award winner and one of the city’s most electrifying blues performers.

Brooks also comes from a deep blues legacy. Riverbend Live notes that he is the son of Lonnie Brooks, the Hall of Famer, multiple Grammy Award nominee and longtime Alligator Records artist. Organizers say Ronnie Baker Brooks is among the relatively small group of contemporary blues musicians who learned directly from major genre figures such as Albert Collins, B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor and his father.

That background, Riverbend Live suggests, gives Brooks a direct connection to some of the most influential names in blues history while also shaping his own modern performance style. The site quotes him reflecting on that lineage, saying he has been blessed to learn from the best and carries those influences with him.

July 24 - Cowboy Poetry & Western Music Roundtable

The July 24 show takes a different turn with a Cowboy Poetry & Western Music Roundtable featuring Andy Hedges, Dakota Robinson, Kristyn Harris and Jake Riley. Rather than focusing on one act, the evening brings together several performers rooted in western storytelling, music and cowboy culture.

Riverbend Live describes Andy Hedges as a songster, reciter, storyteller, guitarist and collector of cowboy songs and poems. Raised in rural Texas, Hedges developed an early love for traditional music through cowboy song recordings. His repertoire includes cowboy poetry recitations, old cowboy songs, dust bowl ballads and blues. Organizers also note that he hosts the podcast Cowboy Crossroads, has performed with Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, made his Grand Ole Opry debut in 2023 and brought his album Roll On, Cowboys to Carnegie Hall in 2024.

Dakota Robinson’s background comes from hands-on ranch work across Texas, Kansas, Wyoming and New Mexico. Riverbend Live says those experiences shaped his poetry, with his writing drawing from the realities, humor and hardship of cowboy life. He is now a full-time farrier in Texas, balancing that work with his poetry career.

Kristyn Harris is described by Riverbend Live as a singer, songwriter and entertainer from Burleson, Texas, known for western swing, strong vocals, rhythm guitar, yodeling and energetic performances. The organization says she has toured in Europe four times, appeared in documentaries seen in the United States, Europe and Australia, and recently acted in A Ranch Musical, an independent film that included her own songs. Riverbend Live also notes she has been named International Western Music Association Entertainer of the Year six times and is the youngest person ever to receive that award.

Jake Riley, meanwhile, grew up largely in Colorado’s upper Arkansas Valley, where roping, rodeoing and ranch work fed his interest in cowboy culture. Riverbend Live says Riley began publicly sharing his work in church settings and later at the Nebraska Cowboy Poetry Gathering in 2016. Since then, he has appeared at events from Minnesota to Nevada, including six appearances at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada. His work is described as more contemporary in tone, with an animated delivery that appeals across generations.

July 31 And Aug. 1 - Into the Woods, Jr.

The season will close with Riverbend Live! Youth Theater presenting Into the Woods, Jr. on July 31 and Aug. 1. Riverbend Live says the production is an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical and features characters including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack, Prince Charming and the Witch.

Riverbend Live describes itself as a free summer concert series in Winston that draws attendees from across Douglas County and beyond to its outdoor venue at Riverbend Park.