Rotary Club of Columbus President-elect Clear Moore, left, and President Jeremy Bandre listen to Steve Ellis, co-founder and producer of the Barn Concert Series, talk Tuesday during the club’s weekly meeting at Lion Hills Center. Ellis spoke about the impact his Barn Concert Series has had over the last six years through its fundraising efforts and about the upcoming fall 2026 series kicking off later this month. Braden Simmons/Dispatch Staff	
			Steve Ellis remembers looking out at an open pavilion in his backyard seven years ago and having an idea.
“We’ve done family reunions and class reunions and all this stuff,” Ellis told Rotarians Tuesday. “And it sat empty for a while after all the kids left. And I told (my wife) … that’d be a perfect place to have a concert.”
Kay Ellis, Steve’s wife, was less sure of the idea, but after some convincing and planning, the two put on their first-ever show in their backyard, and immediately they knew they had a hit.
But before it really had a chance to take off, the COVID-19 pandemic sidelined Steve Ellis’s concert dreams. That year off from musical events gave Steve Ellis a chance to come back with a resurgence through The Barn Concert Series.
The Barn Concert Series is an annual six-show Americana music series hosted at the Ellis’ venue on Mac Davis Road. Since 2021, the series has included more than 36 shows with 72 artists and has generated more than $72,000 for local nonprofits.
Steve Ellis said each season the series hosts six shows with three each scheduled in the fall and spring.
Since its inception, Steve Ellis said every show has a jar placed at the front of the stage to take in cash donations for the cause of that night.
“We charge $30 a ticket,” Steve Ellis said. “That’s it. You get a free meal, free beer and soft drinks, and a concert. Two artists. But in exchange, we ask you to make a donation. … I mean, some nights I’m obnoxious. If the jar looks empty or not very full, I’ll say ‘Come on, folks. You got free beer. I see you. You’re on your third beer. Drop a little in the in the jar there.’”
Through the 36 shows he has put on over the last six years, Steve Ellis said he has raised about $2,000 each time for local organizations like Loaves and Fishes, Cicero’s Coalition and Camp Rising Sun.
He and his wife have always been intentional in selecting local nonprofits and organizations that are not always at the forefront of locals’ minds, he said.
“We sit down, we do research and we have people give us suggestions all the time, and we’ll research them and stuff,” Steve Ellis said. “But it’s just basically she and I, and we try to focus on education. We try to focus on food insecurity (and) the arts.”
In that same vein, Steve Ellis said the concerts also have served as a great way to highlight musicians that are working on gaining a following. Steve Ellis said each year he attends AmericanaFest in Nashville and Folk Alliance International meetings, where he gets ideas for performers for the next season.
The fall portion of the 2026 series will begin Sept. 17 with Kyle Kite, Earlie Grace Davis and Goodloe Chilcutt, the top three winners of the Munson and Brothers Songwriters Contest from September 2025, kicking off the show. Scott Levi Jones Band will be the headliner for the night.
“We thought we’d pick the top three finishers and invite them out to play,” Steve Ellis said. “… The headline act is a group called Scott Levi Jones Band, and Scott … is in the same vein as John Prine, such a talented songwriter. Really, really good stuff.”
On Oct. 8, Sophie Gault will open for the band Dale Watson and His Lonestars. The final show of the fall series will take place on Oct. 22 with opener Bailey Bigger kicking off The Deltaz performance.
Shows for next year’s series will be announced Nov. 1, and Steve Ellis said he’s excited for the acts he’s convinced to sign on.
As the shows continue to progress, he said he would like to continue to expand to more popular performers.
Steve Ellis has one dream performance he’d love to see at the venue, even if it is a bit of a pipe dream.
“Billy Joel,” Ellis said. “We’ll never get him. We’ll never ever get him. … (But) that’s kind of my aspiration.”
			
						
						
			
      
      
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