Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden®

Home of the world famous hippo Fiona. Family friendly Zoo committed to inspiring visitors with wildlife and saving species.

See a collection of  Cincinnati’s finest and most respected music veterans playing together in the Zoo’s beautiful gardens, for FREE! Why tip-toe through the tulips when you can rock the garden?

On Thursdays during Tunes & Blooms, admission is free after 5pm. Parking is $10.  Music starts at 6pm.

As a reminder, NO outside alcohol is permitted to be brought inside the Zoo.  Beer will be available for purchase.  Bags will be inspected at the turnstiles before entering the Zoo. Guests can bring in their own chairs or blankets, but no umbrellas. LaRosa’s truck will be available for pizza!

Enjoy the Zoo Blooms while you’re here!

Live Music

The Harmed Brothers band photo for tunes and blooms performanceThe Harmed Brothers story can best be traced by the highways and byways of the United States and beyond. From the plains of Ray Vietti’s boyhood home of Missouri, to the hustle and bustle of Alex Salcido’s Los Angeles upbringing, molded in the foothills of North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains and seasoned in the woodsy luster of the Great Northwest and everywhere in between–the Harmed Brothers have most often called the road home.

In early 2019, the Harmed Brothers crossed the river into downtown Cincinnati’s historic Herzog Studios to record their fifth LP “Across the Waves.”

Kryst Kruer at the Grove

Kryst Kruer will be playing at the Grove during Tunes & Blooms on April 6! Kryst Kruer has established herself as Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky’s premier singer-songwriter through tirelessly gigging and entertaining at events across the region throughout the years. Whether you catch her at a dinner show at Arnold’s Bar and Grill, or stop in on her Tuesday Open Mic Night at MOTR Pub, you are bound to be greeted with a huge smile and a song tailored to remind you that life is wondrous and music is a language of love meant for everyone, humans and animals alike!” – Maxx McKinley

Kiely Connell is a Nashville Tennessee transplant with rustbelt roots. Hailing from Hammond, Indiana just four houses down from the Illinois state line, Kiely draws inspiration from the hardworking people of her native Midwest community. As one of her peers put it: “Kiely’s songs walk a tightrope, planting each step equally with both the grace at the heart of folk music, and the steadfast confidence of an experienced rock and roll soul”. Kiely’s powerful four-octave range will take you on a journey that transcends the ordinary.

In a time when most country and Americana artists are forging a similar path, Kiely takes fans on a different journey to unknown places—sonically, and emotionally. She writes songs that have a gothic country aesthetic- a blend of somber poetry and western melodies delivered with her rich and brooding voice. Her voice merges gritty blues with an ethereal upper register, leaving audiences comparing her to the likes of Patsy Cline, Joan Baez, and Joni Mitchell. Kiely’s incomparable voice, and her poetic storytelling truly make her an Americana artist to watch.

Michael Moeller at the Grove

Coming from a family that wasn’t necessarily musical, Michael Moeller found music to be the thing that was his own. It was the thing that came easy enough to him that gave him the confidence to keep pushing through the tougher times. It was the tougher times that gave him the confidence to write down words on a page to escape, to cope, and to document the life happening around him. From sorting through the vinyl collection in the stereo cabinet, scanning the tuner dial on road trips, and being the low sibling on the totem pole being force-fed the top pop tunes in the back seat. Through that musical education, Michael absorbed the different personas of each of these professors and through the exploration of his own path of playing music and performing he has found what is comfortable mixing the storyteller with the entertainer. The story comes first for Michael because the story is what makes the song.”


Carriers: Having played in several bands and touring throughout the US since, skipping college in the process, Cincinnati-based artist Curt Kiser has been meticulously crafting his proper debut as a songwriter in step with his own personal development. Adopting the moniker Carriers back in 2014, Kiser has worked with a collective of friends, including Bryan Devendorf (The National) and John Curley (The Afghan Whigs), to bring his sweeping rock visions to life.

Rucca at The Grove

Rucca is a singing and songwriting female duo from the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati area. With a wide range of influences from indie, folk, country and rock, it can be hard to pinpoint Rucca’s exact genre – and that’s okay. Ashley and Lauren are two girls with two guitars that make Rucca best known for their memorable harmonies and a musical chemistry they’ve formed over the past ten or more years.

Moonshine Drive is a high-energy bluegrass band hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio. The band was formed in 2007 by Louis Mazzocca and brothers Greg and Marc Mecoli and quickly established themselves as a local favorite. Moonshine Drive’s music is rooted in traditional bluegrass, with elements of country, folk, and classic rock mixed in for a unique and captivating sound. The band’s high-energy live performances and strong musicianship have earned them a loyal following and a reputation as one of the top bluegrass acts in the Tri-State area.

Clay Beverly / Moonshine Drive – Rain and Snow from Moonshine Drive on Vimeo.

band photo for Linus Tate UnpluggedLinus Tate Unplugged at The Grove

Linus Tate is a Cincinnati, Ohio based trio featuring Alex Poteet on guitar/vocals, Noah Cope on bass/vocals, and Shawn Elsbernd on drums/percussion. The band was founded in 2015 after expanding on an acoustic duo that Alex and bassist Noah Cope assembled in 2014. The band was formed around the concept of combining musicianship and great pop/rock covers mixed with a live tribute to amazing songwriters old & new such as Jackson Browne, The Beatles, Glen Campbell, Ray LaMontagne, Hozier, John Mayer, Eric Clapton and more.

Tunes & Blooms Playlist

Press play on this Spotify playlist to hear all your favorite local bands from Tunes & Blooms years past! Listen at home or while walking around the Zoo!

Cincinnati Zoo Tales Podcast

Listen to Steve Foltz on the Cincinnati Zoo Tales podcast!

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