2026 Band Lineup

Nick Tolford & Company are an eight-piece rock ‘n’ roll band from Columbus, Ohio. Led by Nick Tolford on vocals and Rhodes, the band also features Julian Dassai (guitar), Brian Travis (bass), Mike O’Shaughnessy (drums), and four backup singers: Katie Gartin, Leslie Jankowski, Cecil Moore III, and Robin Joos. A virtual who’s who of the Columbus rock scene, members of the band have played in The Slide Machine, Church of the Red Museum, El Jesus de Magico, Brainbow, and with national hip hop act Blueprint.

Formed in 2009, Nick Tolford & Company draw influence from the sounds of Stax, Motown, and Columbus’ own Capsoul Records, delivering songs that span the spectrum from sweat-soaked rock ‘n’ roll to blood-and-guts soul crooners. Passionate, energetic and upbeat, Nick Tolford & Company teeter on the edge between raw soul electricity and punk rock abandon.

Named by Paste Magazine as one of Ohio‘s “Bands to Listen To Right Now” and by The Guardian as one of “Nine Must-Listen New Tracks From Around the World,” Nick Tolford & Company have had the privilege of sharing the stage with Booker T (of Booker T and the MGs), the Fleshtones, The Flaming Lips, The Coup, Cat Power, George Jones, Company of Thieves, Grand Funk Railroad, and The Ohio Players, among others. They have also played to enthusiastic crowds at regional festivals such as the Nelsonville Music Festival, Athens’ Blackout Fest, and have headlined the massive Comfest in Columbus. Nick Tolford & Company’s songs “Every Day” and “Until I Walk Away” have been in rotation on CD102.5.

A balladeer of bad decisions, Darrin Hacquard is the soundtrack to doing something you’ll regret, and the repercussions you’ve earned. We travel with Hacquard to a jail cell in Pennsylvania, to seeing the morning sun shine over a city skyline, to the long ride home eager to do laundry. From being in a string band with acclaimed singer-songwriter John R. Miller, to stints in county lock-up and rehab, to grinding his songs out on the Appalachian songwriter circuit “Weights & Measures” is the culmination of hard-living, harder work, and honest autobiographical songwriting that admits to life experiences many have but are seldom shared.

Hacquard, now based out of Huntington, WV, writes with the storytelling of Tom T. Hall, the emotional honesty of Vic Chesnutt, and a sense of place like Breece Pancake. The songs feel lived in, because he’s lived them—treating cans of sardines, gas station coffee and cheap cigarettes with the same respect and reverence as Life’s Big Topics.  Hacquard navigates the troubled waters of these modern times with a sense of Love and Hope, and nothing but affection for all of those who choose to sail with him.

Well-known local musicians Beister and Nate with a special guest!

Children's Songwriter and Performer

For over two decades, Mister E has been creating a friendly and fun, gentle and interactive space for kids to use their voices, bodies, and imagination while introducing them to new songs and instruments.  

Mister E (Eric Nassau) has been a professional musician for over 20 years. He has taught guitar lessons to children across central Ohio including Barrington Elementary, Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary, Edison Intermediate, and the Boys and Girls Club of Columbus. Previously, he worked as a teacher at the Columbus Children's Theatre and at the Hartford Children's Theatre (CT).

Mister E's music programs provide an interactive concert for children. His catchy original songs encourage children to move about the space jumping, clapping, stomping and shouting in "Your Dinosaur Roars, My Dinosaur Snores", learning to add in "13 Llamas in the Kalama-ZOO", searching and recognizing shapes, colors, and patterns in "Secret Agent Person", learning new languages "A La Playa" and learning new words about Ice Cream in "A La Mode!"