Bicknell Center partners with Olive Street Presents for concerts 

A new partnership between the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts and Olive Street Presents will bring Americana and folk concerts from the home of Rob Poole and Carol Puckett to the Miller Theatre in the Bicknell Center, starting with Laney Jones on July 21. 

Olive Street Presents, Ltd., is a non-profit 501c-3 organization based in Pittsburg created to be the next generation of Olive Street House Concerts, which since 2009 has produced more than 100 shows featuring award-winning artists from across the country and abroad. 

Olive Street

The organization was founded by Poole and Puckett literally in their living room with the mission of  supporting live music, community, and culture by creating safe, inclusive, and respectful environments for musicians and their audiences. 

“Small towns are often passed over by national touring musicians. Instead of leaving town to hear great musical performances, we want to support a live music culture in Pittsburg,” Poole said. 

Being centrally located on travel routes between major metropolitan areas helps attract such musicians as they move between large concert venues. 

“We are excited about teaming up together to bring these house concerts to the center!” said Joe Firman, Bicknell Center director. “Audience members will be able to get up close to the music like they do on Olive Street, but there will be expanded seating to accommodate the popularity of these singer-songwriters!” 

Under the new partnership, two or three concerts a year will be offered. All tickets will be sold online by Olive House. 

bfcfa miller podium

Laney Jones 

Not quite folk and with hints of pop, Laney Jones earned widespread acclaim with a string of early releases, drawing comparisons to the likes of Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver for her majestic take on organic roots music.  

Her 2013 debut, Golden Road, landed her a nationally televised performance at The Kennedy Center alongside Alison Krauss, Sara Bareilles, and Ben Folds, while her 2016 follow-up, Laney Jones, prompted Rolling Stone to hail her as an Artist You Need To Know and praise her “penetrating hooks” and “Seventies-era flourishes.”  

Tracks from the albums, meanwhile, racked up millions of streams on Spotify and turned up in films from major studios like Disney and Pixar alongside commercials for Google, Netflix, New Balance, Toyota, and Red Bull.   

She’ll perform in the Miller Theater at 7 p.m. on July 21. All seats are $20, general admission. Tickets may be purchased at olivestreetpresents.org