By ANDREW SPIESS
BG Independent News
As a former infirmary, the Wood County Museum is a historical landmark. However, on June 11, it became an outdoor concert venue, hosting two musical performances for a sizable audience for free.
Thursday was the first Music at the Museum of 2026, marking the fifth year of the annual concert series. Along with the live music, the event featured food trucks, a small beer garden, a raffle, a table for attendees to make friendship bracelets, and yard games including cornhole and Giant Connect Four. The concert series continues with dates falling on the second Thursday of the next three months.
The concert took place on the front lawn inside the Brandeberry Wall, where attendees brought lawn chairs and spread blankets across the grass for seating. The bands performed on the east wing porch of the County Home building.
“We launched it soft in 2022 with one concert in the summer just to see how it would go and turn out, and it was a fantastic hit. And so, we knew from then that we were going to go ahead and do it for four shows each year,” said Marissa Muniz Kolhoff, marketing & events coordinator at the Wood County Museum.
According to Kolhoff, the idea of hosting a concert series manifested after the curator read the former superintendent’s daily logs, which detailed the residents’ lifestyles when it was still the Wood County Infirmary.
“We can see in those logs and those journals that they were enjoying the porches,” explained Kolhoff. “They were playing cards, enjoying music, and just having leisure time outside on the porches. So, it’s kind of a little bit of a nod back to the site itself and the historical significance of that in those leisure time activities.”
“It’s relaxing and beautiful. It’s magical. I’m 65 [years old], so I like classic rock,” said attendee William Rinker, who has been to several past Music at the Museum events, reflecting on the leisurely appeal.
Similarly, Jared Wairse, working with Harkness Gardenscapes, cleaned up the overgrown weeds on the edges of the landscape before the event, and decided to come back for the show. Wairse agreed with the relaxing nature of the area and further stated, “I like to get out of the house and see live music whenever I can, and I feel like a lot of people in Bowling Green feel the same way.”
A substantial audience had grown by the time Classic Mellow Rock Show began delivering walking basslines and nimble keyboard progressions through songs by Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, and Joe Cocker. The cover band smoothly and skillfully complemented the relaxing atmosphere of the evening.
Ending the concert was Nikki “D” & The Sisters of Thunder, a group that must be experienced live to witness their enormous presence. Embodied by seven members, all part of the same family, Nikki “D” & The Sisters of Thunder are no strangers to outdoor events and festivals.
“I always say the sisters are the singers and the band is the thunder. So that’s how we got the Sisters of Thunder,” Nikki “D” said about the band. Their collective energy rolls in a way that justifies their name.
Playing together for 15 years, the group displayed a relentless intensity that came through trotting grooves in a set that mixed gospel, soul, funk, and blues.
“The main instrument that we kind of try to celebrate is the lap steel guitar,” said Nikki “D” about the instrument she plays. Her impressive skill was exhibited in her wailing, playful lap steel guitar solos.
“We do a lot of audience participation, so sometimes I think we throw people off, like we want y’all to sing with us, dancing and moving around,” mused Nikki “D” regarding how they engage with the audience and encourage them to be a part of the show. However, the participation aspect seemed to be well-received when they invited people to step up to the front of their performance space to take selfies with them during an extended jam, and when people in their lawn chairs raised their hands and shook them when Nikki “D” called for it.
Although the heat was difficult to endure, fortunately, the evening cooled as it progressed. Hopefully, the weather will continue to be comfortable for the remaining dates in the concert series. The next Music at the Museum concerts will be on July 9, Aug. 13 and Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. at the same location.
