Jon Batiste

A special presentation of The Umbrella’s Concert Series in partnership with Salt Lick Incubator

Wednesday, February 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM

Click here for ticketing information

Headlined by the GRAMMY®, Emmy, and Academy Award-winner Jon Batiste

Featuring breakout artists from Salt Lick Incubator
This event will be filmed as a presentation of Salt Lick Sessions live from The Umbrella Arts Center.

Jon Batiste is a seven-time GRAMMY®, Emmy, and Academy Award–winning singer, songwriter, and composer. He recently released his ninth studio album, BIG MONEY, a project rooted in American traditions spanning gospel and soul to blues, folk, and rock & roll and featuring collaborations with No I.D., Randy Newman, and Andra Day. He recently wrapped his national headlining BIG MONEY tour in support of the album, which is nominated for three 2026 GRAMMY® Awards including Best Americana Album, Best American Roots Song, and Best American Roots Performance. BIG MONEY caps a landmark year that included Batiste’s Super Bowl performance and the chart-topping success of his album Beethoven Blues, which spent nine weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Classical Albums chart.

His 2023 album, World Music Radio, earned five GRAMMY® nominations, including Album of the Year. That same year, Batiste also earned an Oscar nomination and a GRAMMY® Award for his song “It Never Went Away,” from the Netflix documentary American Symphony, which follows him as he is celebrated with 11 GRAMMY® nominations, including Album of the Year, for his 2021 studio album We Are while navigating the return of his wife’s long-dormant cancer. His accolades also include an Academy Award for Pixar’s Soul and a seven-year tenure as bandleader and musical director of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

MEET THE SALT LICK ARTISTS

With her warm, soulful voice, Farayi Malek has captivated audiences around the globe as a GRAMMY®-nominated vocalist with Danilo Pérez’s Global Messengers. Now, she’s returning to her musical roots. As a mixed-race child, Malek grew up in a small, rural town in Southern Idaho, playing the fiddle and absorbing the culture of seemingly conflicting communities.

From the American folk music and hymns of her childhood, to the blues and jazz she studied, Malek brings all of the diverse sounds and experiences of her life into resonant songs that allow her effortless vocals to shine. The Salt Lick Incubator award-winner released her sophomore EP in April, 2025. When she is not performing and recording, Malek shares her vast musical knowledge as a professor at various esteemed institutions including Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory.

Whether she is engaging with her audience through performance or education, Farayi Malek is driven by the desire to make people feel seen and at home in their otherness. Learn more about Farayi here.

Pulsing with the energy of their hometown, New York City, If There’s a Heaven (2024) is the debut album from indie band Melt. Hear the band simultaneously at their most airtight and freewheeling — evoking the raw, communal spirit of Fleetwood Mac as well as the modern, danceable hooks of MUNA. Recorded live to tape with producer Sam Evian (Big Thief), the 11 tracks span existential, feel-good pop (“Plant the Garden”), classic love ballads (“Your Name”) and lush, soulful rockers (“Heaven”). Melt’s debut is a joyous, timeless soundtrack for coming of age and finding oneself and one’s community.

Melt formed in 2017 and cut their teeth touring on the heels of their viral single “Sour Candy.” Called “one groovy superorganism” by NPR, the band’s ecstatic live set has led them to supporting slots with a wide array of artists from Grouplove, Lawrence, My Morning Jacket, and Grace Potter. Back with their first release since If There’s a Heaven, the band’s new single “Stay for the High” is 2025’s “Yellow”—an early aughts heartbreaker with the edge of a queer rock band. Learn more about Melt here.

Couch spent nearly three years writing and recording remotely before ever stepping foot on a stage together. What began as a long-distance experiment between high school and college friends — crafting songs from bedrooms across the country — eventually fueled their self-titled debut EP and a string of singles, culminating in a breakout 20-city headline tour in 2022.

After returning home to Boston, the band released their sophomore EP, Sunshower, in 2023, followed by a two-part, 40-city US headline tour, appearances at Boston Calling and Levitate, and a sold-out debut UK run.

They’ve since toured with Lake Street Dive, and Cory Wong (Vulfpeck) on his US and European tours, with past opening slots for St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Sammy Rae, and Ripe.

This fall, Couch released their debut full-length album Big Talk. The record signals a bold leap forward for the band, highlighted by their national TV debut on CBS Saturday Morning and a 40-city international headline tour featuring marquee stops at Roadrunner (Boston), The Fonda (LA), Brooklyn Steel (NYC), and 9:30 Club (DC). Learn more about Couch here.

About Salt Lick Incubator

Founded in 2022 by Roger Brown, the nonprofit Salt Lick Incubator is reshaping the landscape for artists by providing support, grants, essential career guidance, and exposure to new audiences through such vehicles as WERS Radio’s Salt Lick Sessions and the Salt Lick YouTube channel. Led by an illustrious artist advisory board including T Bone Burnett, Jon Batiste, Patrice Rushen and more, its unwavering commitment to fostering diverse, emerging musicians is a testament to its belief in the transformative power of music.

"We formed Salt Lick Incubator to help talented artists build sustainable careers and become part of a supportive community.  During my 17 years as President of Berklee College of Music, I witnessed many examples of great success but also cases of hyper-talented musicians who never got their due. We are out to improve the odds," says Roger Brown, Founder & Chair of Salt Lick Incubator.

TICKETING INFORMATION

$1000 Platinum Level tickets

$750 of each Platinum Level ticket is a tax-deductible donation to The Umbrella Arts Center.*

• VIP Premier seating in the front section of The Umbrella’s Theater 144
• Pre-show reception 6:00-7:15 PM, including beer, wine and light supper
• Jon Batiste merchandise (one per household)
• Complimentary concessions
• Complimentary valet parking
• Platinum level tickets are limited to six tickets per transaction
   

$750 Gold Level tickets

$500 of each Gold Level ticket is a tax-deductible donation to The Umbrella Arts Center.

• VIP seating in The Umbrella’s Theater 144
• Pre-show reception 6:00-7:15 PM, including beer, wine and light supper
• Complimentary concessions
• Gold level tickets are limited to six tickets per transaction
   

$350 Silver Level tickets

$150 of each Silver Level ticket is a tax-deductible donation to The Umbrella Arts Center.

• Reserved seating in The Umbrella’s Theater 144; seating assigned per order of ticket sales
• Complimentary concessions
• Silver level tickets are limited to four tickets per transaction

$100 Bronze Level ticket lottery