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The Accidentals to perform at Concerts at the Courthouse on Friday, July 13
    A variety of area musicians will take center stage each and every Friday night throughout the summer on the lawn of the Historic Howell Courthouse as Concerts at The Courthouse celebrates its 20thAnniversary.  This perennially popular program is a free concert series presented by the Livingston Arts Council throughout the summer, featuring rock, folk and blues entertainment at the outdoor family (and pet)-friendly venue. Pack a blanket, lawn chair, and a few snacks, or come early and eat at one of Howell’s many downtown restaurants before enjoying the evening’s entertainment with family, friends and neighbors.
    This year’s “Best Of” series continues with the return of The Accidentals after their spectacular show last summer. The group will perform on Friday, July 13, from 7-9 p.m. at the Courthouse Amphitheater in Downtown Howell. 
   Named among Yahoo Music’s “Top 10 Bands to Watch in 2017,” The Accidentals’ adventure began in their hometown of Traverse City, MI, when Larson, a sophomore cellist, and Buist, a junior violinist, were paired for a high school orchestra event. The gifted young musicians became fast friends and before long, bandmates. Having both grown up in musical families with professional pianists for fathers and vocalists for mothers, their shared influences bounced between classical, jazz, bluegrass, country, alt-rock, and the obscure.
   Dubbing themselves after the musical notes that fall outside of a key signature, The Accidentals recorded and released a pair of independent albums in 2012 and 2013, the latter funded by a hugely successful Kickstarter. Their original songs revealed a band with wide-ranging influences but always true to their orchestral roots. National applause and attention followed, as did acclaimed collaborations with some fellow local artists and independent filmmakers. Other career highlights included scoring arrangements for a 75-piece orchestra to accompany them on their original songs as well as arranging pieces for an opera/dance production with Jennifer and Ryan Lott (Son Lux).
   The past five years have seen The Accidentals perform over a thousand live shows, including headline dates, festival sets, and shared stages along such like-minded acts as Martin Sexton, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Bird, The Wailers, Joan Baez and others. 2015 saw the band embark on their first full-scale national tour, funded in part by an Indiego go ‘online garage sale”. That year’s SXSW debut saw them hailed by Billboard for “displaying a genre-hopping range of influences and some smart songwriting skills to go with their abundant musical chops.”  
   With their most recent album, ODYSSEY, The Accidentals have conjured a truly one of its kind sound and vision, booming with free-thinking musicality, wisdom, and an understanding that growth is a process, not something that happens overnight. The Accidentals are already moving forward on their amazing journey, rolling down the windows on an open road towards someplace that’s both true and transcendent.
   Concerts at The Courthouse runs every Friday night from June 29th to August 24th. In the event of inclement weather, concerts may be cancelled.  Listen to WHMI 93.5FM for updates and/or visit the Livingston Arts Council Facebook page. No alcoholic beverages are permitted.