The Final 2026 Music at Miller Park Event Headlines Chad Stoner Band and Chad Chats with KIOS-FM’s Mike Hogan

The following program was previously recorded. It's time for another installment of Live and Local from the studios at 33rd and Burt. I'm your local host, Mike Hogan. Thank you for joining me today. Well, Saturday, August 8th, you will want to be at Miller Park because the last installment of this season's music at Miller Park is going to kick off. And wow, talk about saving the best for last. It is the Chad Stoner band. And with me today. Chad Stoner. Chad, thanks so much for joining me today. I'm happy to do so. Happy to hear your voice. Great to be here. Boy, oh boy, I can't wait to start talking about music at Miller Park and everything. But let's get a little introduction to you and your band. You're a saxophonist, right? I am a saxophonist, yes. Mostly tenor, some soprano, but tenor is my home horn. Do those look different between tenor and soprano saxophone? Well, you know, honestly, I'm... six three about two seventy five so every horn looks small on me so not too much different it looks like expensive bling is what it looks like that's fantastic how many members in your band Five members, Mitch Town on Keys, Jacob Sorensen on bass, Miles Jasnowski on guitar, and Jonathan Bernie Sanders on drums. So guys, I've been playing with a very long time. Oh, sure, sure. And actually, I believe Mitch Town's already been on this show before. Yeah, Refuge. His Mitchtown Trio recording is fantastic. Yeah, you bet. What kind of music do you play? We play R&B. R&B is my home. I love singers, so a lot of stuff is, you know, rooted in the R&B singers that I love. But it's an R&B show. Are there any considerations that have to happen with respect to the weather? And what I mean by that is humidity or heat or anything like that, does that impact any of the instruments in your band? You know, I think there's impact on all of the instruments in one way or another. Even keyboards, sun on those will make the screen blot out. Drummers get sweaty hands. But for me, honestly, direct sun on my horn, increased heat makes the instrument change its tuning as I'm playing, so I have to adjust that. And then, you know, humidity can bank pads sticky, but I've been doing it for a long time. I know how to mitigate those things. Yes, things are impacted, but I think all five of us know how to adapt in adverse conditions. Have you been at the music at Miller Park festivities before?

I have. I've played there, been featured with a few people, with Danny Cleveland. And I play predominantly, honestly, my playing is in North Omaha, so I'm unfamiliar with the setting. Can you talk about the thrill that it is to be on stage and to look out over this sea of people who, and really it's a sea of families because it's such a family-oriented event? Can you talk about what you see and feel from your perspective up there on stage? First of all, it's fantastic feeling. Sometimes it's fantastic because people come specifically for you. Other times, there's just the element of it's live music in an awesome setting. So everyone comes. I love the sea of people. It's energizing. But within that, I'm always looking for individual faces and eye contact as far as I can go. Because I think there's connection in the whole situation, but I love connection with individual people. But something I think on the receiving end of watching music is if... I know that that musician knows that I'm here and I feel like they're doing something that is meant for me. It just elevates the experience. And so that's what I crave. So I think that's what I go for in that. And it's fantastic feeling. The feeling of connection, honestly, it's my favorite part of music in general as a performer. It's just magic, isn't it? It is. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's just wonderful. It was to make you feel like you're doing for the city, if you will, right? Yeah. I mean, anytime people gather and there's a broad demographic of every type, it can be race, age, the area of town, whatever that might be. Anytime something brings a diverse and massive group of people together, that's a positive. That in some way, shape, or form causes people to look around and say, hey, there's something significant that we share. that we have in common in north omaha where i've had a tremendous amount of support and love there's something about pouring back into a community that has been so supportive and loving to me and that we can have that shared experience on a large scale anytime you can in any way pour hope or love or support or unity into a setting, that's going to be to me the most important thing. Because music styles can change. The band can change. Again, I think it comes back to that connection part of pouring love and support into a community. Well, this is the final installment of this season of music at Miller Park. It's the Chad Stoner band. It's Saturday, August 8th. The lawn opens up at 5 o'clock. Remember, you can bring your lawn chairs, food, beverages, and the family. Come on down. It is free.

and completely open to the public. He is the leader of the Chad Stoner band, and they named that band after him. Chad Stoner, who's been my guest today. Creative, right? How did you come up with that? I know. It took a team. It took a team. Every great thing takes a team. He's Chad Stoner, the band leader of the Chad Stoner band. Chad, thanks so much for taking the time. It's really been a pleasure. Thank you. I appreciate all you do, Mike.