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Nestled in a natural amphitheater with a stunning view of the Three Sisters Peaks, there are not many venues that can match the Hollister Concerts as far as atmosphere. Add in five nights of top-flight tribute and cover bands, some of the best food vendors in the county, and perhaps a glass of Guerra Cellars wine, and you have the makings of a perfect starlit evening.
The series kicks off on June 20 in country-western style with Like Combs, a Luke Combs tribute, and Take Me To Church, an Eric Church tribute, straight from Texas and making their first-ever appearance in Hollister.
“We’re really excited to have these guys coming here,” promoter Danielle Nino said. “Luke Combs and Eric Church are very popular right now, and we like to pick bands that play music that everybody, from the kids to the grandparents, likes to dance and sing along to.”
The two tribute bands are, in a sense, a double-feature. The musicians are the same for both tributes, magically transforming by completely swapping instruments and lead singers halfway through the concert.
According to co-founder and guitarist Dallas Durham, combining the two artists was an easy choice.
“Luke Combs and Eric Church have written songs together,” he said, “and have sung songs together. Eric Church had a big influence on Luke Combs’ career as it was getting started. And with both being from North Carolina, it was just a perfect pairing.”
Like Combs was the first of the two bands to be created, in 2019, and was popular from the start. Durham, however, said they had a hard time keeping a lead singer until Jeremy Young joined the group.
“The musical world is a small world,” he said. “I was introduced to him, but I had run across him before. I just said, ‘Oh, I know you. Do you want to do this?’ And he decided to come try out. And, of course, he’s a phenomenal singer and he just took off with it.”
Combs’ career and success made forming a band around his music particularly interesting, Durham said.
“He is just a hit machine,” he said. “He’s had so many No. 1s in such a short period of time, it’s astonishing. It kind of reminded me of Garth Brooks when I was younger; just everything put out was gold. He’s a really cool dude, and he’s got a great backstory.”
Take Me To Church was formed in 2020, sparked by Durham discovering the band’s lead singer, Cody Martin, while talent scouting through social media.
“I saw videos of him doing Church songs,” he said, “and it was mind-boggling. It stopped me dead in my tracks. I thought, “Good God, who is this guy?’ It took a couple of years reaching out and him ignoring me before he said he was interested. And it kind of took off from there.”
While the musicians are the same for both tribute bands, Durham said the two performances are very different.
“Eric Church is very musical—lots of parts, lots of instrumentation,” he said. “It’s such a change of pace from the Combs Show, which is just banger after banger after banger. Church’s songwriting comes from a bit deeper place. So, it’s a very cool combo of shows.”
Creating a perfect tribute, Durham said, requires seeing a lot of shows, watching a lot of videos and soaking up the details and context. It comes down to exactitudes, he said, like which wrist the singer wears his watch on, specific instruments and keyboard facades, tailored drum head logos, and backdrops that mirror the original artists’ touring setups.
“Both of our front guys really focus on vocal inflections and physical habits,” he said. “We want to recreate that feeling and that experience, the nuances and the tics and the little things that they do.”
Durham said that obviously you can’t create the same experience as seeing the original artists live, but he is hoping the two bands can come close.
“We want you for a second,” he said, “to kind of forget that you’re watching a tribute and feel like you’re watching the real thing. When people tell us that, it’s probably the biggest compliment we can get. It helps when a crowd is responsive and knows all the music.”
The inaugural show will be followed by four more nights of performances through September.
Next up, on July 11, are Beer Drinkers, a ZZ Top tribute, and Sounds of Skynyrd, both of which have performed at the venue before.
New this year, on Aug. 1, is The Spazmatics, playing with the Neverland Band. The first band is a personal favorite of Nino’s.
“They just have such high energy,” she said. They are an ’80s band that plays everything from the Beastie Boys to Prince to Michael Jackson to Pat Benatar. They will play every song that you know and love.”
Aug. 22 will see the return of 24K Magic, a Bruno Mars tribute, with a new act making their Hollister debut, Raise your Glass, a Pink tribute.
“The first time 24K performed for us, a lot of people came out to the Hollister Concerts who had never been here before,” Nino said. “It was a totally new genre for us, with a lot of current pop songs. Ticket sales for that are going really, really well right now already.”
The final show, on Sept. 12, features two more acts that have been well-received at the venue, including Garth Guy, a Garth Brooks tribute, with Tennessee River, an Alabama tribute.
“How can you go wrong with those two, right?” Nino said. “You’ve got slow songs, and you’ve got fast songs, all good ones that can be enjoyed by every age group.”
As usual, Hollister Concerts will be hosting some of the finest food vendors in the county. The first show will feature perennial favorites Steak Stop, the Hapa Bros, which will be serving pulled pork in honor of the country western theme, and newcomer Rosie’s Baked Potatoes. At future shows, food will be available from Mattia’s Pizza, JJ’s Burgers, El Guapo and more.
Nino says the venue is prepped and in top shape for the first show, with major improvements to the stage and the grounds. And one of last year’s innovations, balcony seating, has proven popular, coming close to selling out.
“It is going to be so beautiful out here,” she said. “We are such a hidden gem, a really unique space to bring a picnic lunch and be able to enjoy the view with your friends, your family—and hear some great music at the same time.”
The 2026 Hollister Concert Series:
- June 20: Like Combs and Take Me To Church (Eric Church tribute)
- July 11: Sounds of Skynyrd, with Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers (ZZ Top tribute)
- Aug. 1: The Spazmatics, with the Neverland Band (cover bands)
- Aug. 22: 24K Magic (Bruno Mars tribute), with Raise your Glass (Pink tribute)
- Sept. 12: Garth Guy (Garth Brooks tribute), with Tennessee River (Alabama tribute), 6 p.m.
Tickets for the series can be purchased on the Hollister Concert website or at Diaz Liquors (1709 Airline Hwy D, Hollister). The concerts take place at Guerra Cellars Winery and Pepper Tree Ranch, 500 John Smith Road, Hollister. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. except for the Sept. 12 show, which opens at 6 p.m.
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