Burning Up the Bend with The Matchsellers at Leighton Auditorium

The Matchsellers are a Kansas City-based acoustic group founded in 2013 by guitarist Andrew Morris and fiddler Julie Bates, who met while teaching English in Germany. For over a decade, they've built a signature sound that blends traditional roots and bluegrass with art-house storytelling, humor, and the occasional outer-space opera. Their current lineup includes banjoist and puppeteer Matthew Hawkins and bassist Dan Perez, whose Venezuelan musical heritage lends the band a distinctive groove. With six full-length albums — including the celebrated Bluegrastronauts (2018) and Psychobiography due in 2025 — plus appearances on NPR's Mountain Stage, Folk Alliance International showcases, and tours across the US and Europe, the Matchsellers have earned a reputation as one of the most original and sought-after acoustic acts in the Midwest and beyond.