American Tobacco Campus, 318 Blackwell Street, Durham, will once again be the setting for live music, and once again, the shows are free to the public. Duke Arts at American Tobacco takes place every Wednesday in September, 2025, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
The series is from Duke Arts Presents in partnership with American Tobacco Campus.
Love outdoor music? Check out our huge day by day list of outdoor music around the Triangle! Most of the shows are free.
No tickets or reservations are required. Bring your own chair.
Enjoy food and drinks from any of the 15 bars and restaurants on campus. Alcoholic beverages are allowed ONLY if they have been purchased from an establishment participating in The Bullpen Social District; all other alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited.
The amphitheater is the grassy area below the Lucky Strike water tower. The closest parking is at the south Parking Deck at ATC.
Shana Tucker
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
6:30 p.m.
Free
Forget genre—Shana Tucker’s signature style “ChamberSoul” blends jazz, classical, folk, acoustic pop, and soul, anchored by cello and voice in a deeply personal loop. As JazzTimes put it, she’s “a jazz talent…whose imprint and vitality has already been quite visible in North Carolina.”
From The Kennedy Center to Johannesburg, Shana’s been captivating audiences worldwide for over two decades. Her albums SHiNE and Hiding in the Light showcase her emotive songwriting and genre fusion. Shana’s voice and playing have appeared alongside Norah Jones, the Indigo Girls, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and more.
Whether she’s composing for PBS or performing on international stages, Shana is a local talent with global reach, and the perfect artist to kick off this year’s series at American Tobacco Campus.
Kenny Sharp
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
6:30 p.m.
Free
Raised on Muscle Shoals soul and James Brown funk, Nashville-based artist Kenny Sharp delivers a Southern-fried blend of soul, funk, country, blues, and rock. He calls it “Brown Liquor Music”—a sound that’s smooth, punchy, and deeply rooted.
A former rapper turned vocalist, Sharp writes with a storyteller’s heart and a musician’s ear. He’s worked with sync teams and studios from L.A. to Miami and won Nashville’s 2024 Music City Mayhem, rising to the top of over 650 contestants.
Sharp’s songs are rooted across the American south, offering a rich sonic blend that goes down even easier than the best brown liquor.
Dior Ashley Brown
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
6:30 p.m.
Free
Dubbed “the Hip-Hop Polymath” by The Washington Post, Dior Ashley Brown is an award-winning emcee, actor, poet, and activist whose work fuses music, politics, and performance. She’s opened for artists from Esperanza Spalding to the Wu-Tang Clan, and even shared stages with Yo-Yo Ma.
A Recording Academy member and powerhouse in the D.C. arts scene, Brown is driven by a deep belief in the power of voice—using her platform to preserve the soul of hip-hop, uplift women, and build a legacy rooted in change.
Denitia
Wednesday, September 24, 2025
6:30 p.m.
Free
Texas-born and Nashville-based artist Denitia has spent years remapping country music. Her sound drifts between Nashville roots and Brooklyn edge—acoustic guitar and pedal steel woven with shimmer, soul, and restraint.
Stereogum praised her 2022 album Highways as “deeply tuneful, light on its feet, and shot through with melancholy.” Her latest release, Sunset Drive, deepens that vision—part Glen Campbell nostalgia, part dreamlike Americana.
An NPR 2023 Artist to Watch, Denitia has toured with the Black Opry Revue and shared stages with Joy Oladokun, Allison Russell, and Amythyst Kiah. Denitia’s voice will stop you in your tracks.
Double-Check Before You Head Out!
We make every effort to make sure that everything on Triangle on the Cheap is 100% accurate.
However, sometimes things change without notice, and it’s also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
More Outdoor Music in the Triangle
Learn all about outdoor music in the Triangle, or take a quick look at some of the upcoming outdoor concerts here:
