St. Cecilia Music Center is stepping outside its usual programming calendar this summer to present a special one-night performance by award-winning actor and musician Jeff Daniels on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. Known for his acclaimed work on screen and stage, Daniels will bring his signature storytelling and acoustic guitar stylings to Grand Rapids as part of the venue’s Acoustic Café Folk Series.
“SCMC typically doesn’t present concerts during the summer months, but we didn’t want to pass up the unique opportunity to present Jeff Daniels,” said Cathy Holbrook, executive and artistic director of SCMC. “We are excited to hear his legendary wit and musical talent on the intimate Royce Auditorium stage.”
While Daniels is best known for his roles in “The Newsroom,” “Godless,” “The Looming Tower,” “The Comey Rule,” and a yearlong run on Broadway as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, he has long nurtured a deep love for music. A dedicated guitarist since 1976, Daniels said his music has become his creative constant.
“Much as I love acting, I don’t do it every day,” Daniels shared. “The only thing I do every day, the only thing I want to do, the only thing I have to do, is play my acoustic guitar. Back in ’76, I bought a Guild D-40, tossed it into the backseat of a beat-up Buick and chased a dream. I had no idea I was bringing along my best friend — the one I would turn to, the one I would rely on. And now, decades later, the one who knows what I’m all about.”
Tickets for the Aug. 20 performance are on sale now at www.scmcgr.org or by calling 616-459-2224. For ticketing questions, contact the box office at tickets@scmcgr.org or 616-459-2224, ext. 201. Single tickets include a $5 fee.
Daniels’ appearance kicks off the fall Acoustic Café Folk Series, which continues in September with performances by Grammy-nominated duo The Milk Carton Kids (Sept. 9), legendary guitarist Leo Kottke (Sept. 23), and two-time Grammy nominee Sierra Hull (Sept. 25).
Later in the season, the series will welcome Grammy-winning mandolinist and composer Chris Thile (Oct. 23), acclaimed songwriter Josh Ritter and his band (Nov. 2), Grammy-nominated bluegrass ensemble Yonder Mountain String Band (Dec. 4), and master bluegrass artist Sam Bush (March 26, 2026).
Tickets for all previously announced Acoustic Café concerts, as well as subscription and individual tickets for the 2025–26 Spectacular Jazz Series and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Series, are also on sale at scmcgr.org.
For more information, visit the website or contact the box office.
