By Rick Zeigler—
MUNCIE, IN—Critically acclaimed Americana/blues artist Cristina Vane and her band will be performing a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2026 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. This concert will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 8th at Canan Commons (600 S. Walnut St.) in the heart of downtown Muncie, IN. Locals Lovesick Moan will open the show.
More than a mere practitioner of her craft, Cristina Vane has a breadth and depth of serious musical skill compiled from countless miles across all kinds of geography. On her third studio album ‘Hear My Call,’ the pairing of a lifetime pursuit and growing treasure trove of songs makes for a record that demands to be heard. Vane’s sound reflects an amalgam of experiences; born at the foothills of the alps in Italy and raised between Italy, England and France, Cristina’s half American – half Guatemalan heritage is as unique as her sound. She is a product of a merging of numerous worlds —her classic rock, 90’s indie, and heavier roots with a passion for pre-war blues, old time fiddle banjo music, country and bluegrass. Rolling Stone described her early single “Badlands” as “evocative of a young Bonnie Raitt and early PJ Harvey.”
A deft multi-instrumentalist and captivating vocalist, Vane began writing songs and playing guitar in her teens, before the power of slide guitar captured her attention one summer in London and changed the course of her sound. After graduating from Princeton University, she moved to Los Angeles with a dream to pursue her constant passion, music. There, inspired by Rory Block, Skip James, and Blind Willie Johnson, she began teaching herself slide in open tunings and found herself working at folk staple McCabe’s guitar shop where the universe conspired in her favor by putting under the tutelage of her fingerstyle guitar mentor, Pete Steinberg. It was also at McCabe’s that Vane began her journey on the clawhammer banjo, and continued to busk on the Venice Boardwalk, putting in countless hours of practice to become closer to the powerhouse performer she is today.
After four years in Los Angeles, Vane dove into life on the road with a gusto that culminated in her moving to Nashville and recording her first studio album, Nowhere Sounds Lovely,” recorded by GRAMMY award winning producer and drummer Cactus Moser (Wynonna Judd, Noelline Hoffman). Her second full length album came a year later, recorded at The Studio by Brook Sutton and coproduced with Jano Rix (Wood Brothers). This third album is different, though. In some ways, it retains the musical diversity of the first two — Vane refuses to bend herself into a box, writing excellent bluegrass songs that exist cohesively alongside her blues, rock, and hill country blues inspired tunes. But she feels differently now- a decade of finding herself has brought her full circle.
In her words, “When it came to the album, I wanted it to be a reflection of who I am, not just of the old music that I’ve come to love”, she explains, “and I’m essentially a rock kid who is obsessed with old music.” Recorded with Brook Sutton at The Studio, she had her touring band come in to reflect the reality of what she spends her year doing as a nationally touring artist, and the record features exciting co-writes with Mike Harris (Old Crow Medicine Show) and Silas Lowe, as well as guest features from Molly Tuttle, JD Simo, Kenny Vaughan, Bronwyn Keith Hines and Brenna MacMillan.
The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is a non-profit partnership whose mission is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s premier outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown Muncie. A second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” — The White River Greenway, Cardinal Greenway, and Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope attendees will heed our slogan, “Explore the Trails, Enjoy the Music.”
Complete information about the Muncie Three Trails Music Series can be found at www.munciethreetrails.com.
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