John McEuen & The Circle Band Present “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”

John McEuen & The Circle Band Present "Will The Circle Be Unbroken"

Join music legend John McEuen and The Circle Band at the PACE Center on November 7, 2026, for an unforgettable evening celebrating the music, stories, and legacy behind Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Through masterful musicianship, personal memories, and stories from a remarkable career, McEuen takes audiences on a journey through the people and experiences that helped shape American roots music.

As a high school student in Orange County, California, John McEuen thought his teenage dream job at Disneyland’s Magic Shop was “as good as it gets.” At just 16, he and his lifelong friend and Magic Shop coworker Steve Martin landed their jobs on the same day in 1963. But at 18, music came along. After seeing Missouri bluegrass group The Dillards, John set his sights on a new dream: making magic with music and getting on the radio. Leaving Garden Grove for Hollywood, that dream became a reality beyond anything he could have imagined.

Performing continuously since 1964, McEuen joined Les Thompson in 1966 as they helped form the legendary Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, beginning a musical journey that would span more than 55 years, 11,000 concerts, 300 television shows, and 10,000 interviews. For this special musical “family reunion,” McEuen reunites with Thompson and welcomes acclaimed North Carolina multi-instrumentalist Byran McDowell, known for his exceptional vocals and mastery of the mandolin, guitar, and fiddle. A longtime winner of guitar and mandolin competitions at Telluride, McDowell brings extraordinary talent to the stage. Longtime Colorado artists Jim Ratts, Warren Floyd, and Jim Christie will also join the performance.

In 1971, McEuen set the landmark Will the Circle Be Unbroken album in motion by inviting musical mentors Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson to record with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. His brother Bill, the band’s manager and record producer, brought Merle Travis into the project, while Scruggs helped bring together an extraordinary group of country and bluegrass legends, including Mother Maybelle Carter, Jimmy Martin, Roy Acuff, “Bashful” Brother Oswald, Vassar Clements, and Norman Blake. Over five remarkable days in a Nashville recording studio, these musical pioneers joined the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to create an album that bridged generations and transformed American roots music. Now a multiplatinum recording, Will the Circle Be Unbroken is honored by both the Library of Congress and the GRAMMY® Hall of Fame. McEuen’s role in this historic collaboration is also featured in Episode 6 of Ken Burns’ Country Music documentary series.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2015. A founding member and celebrated multi-instrumentalist, McEuen plays banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, dobro, piano, and dulcimer. He departed the band on October 22, 2017, following its 50th anniversary tour, and shares stories from his extraordinary journey in his acclaimed memoir, The Life I’ve Picked.

Throughout his career, McEuen has recorded more than 46 albums, including seven solo releases, earning CMA and ACM awards, an Emmy film score nomination, an International Bluegrass Music Association Record of the Year honor, five platinum and six gold records, and multiple GRAMMY Awards and nominations. He has also contributed as a guest artist on more than 25 albums. His production of Steve Martin’s first all-music recording, The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo, earned the 2010 GRAMMY Award for Best Bluegrass Album.

His many other accomplishments include a Western Heritage Award for The Music of the Wild West, a GRAMMY nomination for String Wizards II, the Uncle Dave Macon Award for preserving and performing historic music, and induction into the Traditional Country Music Hall of Honor in 2009. McEuen was also inducted into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame in 2017. His album Made in Brooklyn earned recognition as Stereophile magazine’s Record of the Month and won the 2018 Independent Music Award for Best Americana Album.

Beyond the concert stage, McEuen is an author, producer, radio host, concert promoter, and magician. His popular SiriusXM program, John McEuen’s Acoustic Traveller, ran for 20 years, and he continues to explore new musical projects, including The Newsman on Compass Records.

Filled with extraordinary musicianship, bluegrass energy, unforgettable stories, and a lifetime of musical memories, John McEuen & The Circle Band offers a rare opportunity to experience American music history through the eyes and instruments of one of its most influential performers.