Highway 309 LIVE presented by CEFCU will move from concept to stage at an inaugural event Monday, June 12 at the Normal Theater with a very special Pride theme.  

Singer songwriter Jaimee Harris will make her Bloomington-Normal debut to showcase her Americana-Folk hits from the 2023 album Boomerang Town. Harris turned 30 during the pandemic. It’s a milestone that is a rite of passage even during normal times. But for the Texas-born singer-songwriter, who now hails from Nashville, it came in the midst of one of the strangest and most tumultuous periods in American history. When the world stopped during lockdown, Harris, like many others, found herself gazing back into the past, ruminating on the nature of her hometown and family origins, and reckoning with their imprint on her. Boomerang Town, Harris’ latest album, marks a bold step forward. It is an arresting, ambitious song-cycle that explores the generational arc of family, the stranglehold of addiction, and the fragile ties that bind us together as Americans.

Opening for Harris is emily the band. Hailing from Peoria and fronted by Emily Antonacci, emily the band is a self-described “indie pop queer girl group” who recently released The Heartbreak Album. 

In partnership with Prairie Pride Coalition, WGLT will celebrate Harris, emily the band, and Pride Month. Event ticket sales and a percentage of drink sales will benefit the Friends of WGLT and Prairie Pride Coalition. 

The event will include musical performances and the artists in conversation with WGLT’s Program Director Jon Norton, Music Director Ariele Jones and Arts & Culture Correspondent Lauren Warnecke. 

This is an all-ages show but some conversations and song lyrics may contain sensitive content. 

6:00pm - Doors open
6:30pm - emily the band
7:15pm - Intermission
7:30pm - Jaimee Harris 
9:00pm - Event concludes