Botanists who specialize in maize, folks whose favorite food is cornbread, and just about anyone who appreciates eclectic theatrical music won’t want to miss The Opera Bell Band’s free corn-themed potluck this Sunday celebrating the release of its new album, A Salute to Corn. Enjoy a cornucopia of guests’ favorite corn dishes, corny games, a lecture from a maize scientist, and, of course, a live performance of A Salute to Corn at The Green Center in University City from noon to 3 p.m.
It’s not every day a local band becomes a group of corn enthusiasts. The Opera Bell Band has been exploring the world of maize for roughly two years, beginning when the Missouri Botanical Garden hired it to perform at its exhibit Kernels of Culture: Maize Around the World. The band wasn’t explicitly asked to write original music for the gig, but upon researching songs to perform, they quickly realized there was a kernel-sized absence of songs about corn in the music industry.
Get a guide to the region’s booming music scene
Subscribe to the St. Louis Music newsletter to discover upcoming concerts, local artists to watch, and more across an eclectic playlist of genres.
At that point, says lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist Shane Devine, “We dove right in. We took a great big bite out of it. It was a lot of fun from the beginning.”
At the initial performance at MoBOT, several botanists in the audience were so enamored with the songs that they invited the band to perform at the 2025 International Maize Conference, where its music was met with thunderous applause. “The scientists that were in attendance responded so strongly and positively to the song, we almost felt like we had no choice. We have to record these songs if only for this room full of people,” says Devine. The band recorded A Salute to Corn with Sam Golden at Holiday Heart Studio in St. Louis.
Despite the niche topic, the band wanted an album that could be appreciated by everyone, featuring songs in a range of genres, from Western swing to 1940s jazz. “We were very influenced by Schoolhouse Rock,” says Devine. Bandmate Kristina DeYong adds, “Our goal was that a regular person or a scientist could listen to this album and get something out of it. So, it’s not highly technical songs about science, but they’re all scientifically accurate. And then … one of the songs is basically about how we love popcorn.”
The band could think of no better way to celebrate the album than by honoring the very crop that inspired it—and, in typical Opera Bell Band fashion, they knew they had to go big or go home. “We’re just always looking for excuses to throw great big parties for our community,” says Devine. The potluck will include cornhole, bobbing for corn, and corn-themed photo opportunities. Dr. Katie Murphy of the Danforth Plant Science Center will also give a crash course on her work studying the crop’s remarkable resilience. Guests are encouraged to bring their favorite corn dishes to share.
The full band—Shane Devine, Kristina DeYong, Jake Hurst, Jess Adkins, and Grant Martin—will perform the new album in bright corn-yellow attire. Guests can expect the group’s usual sketch comedy and theatrical flair to be sprinkled throughout the performance.
“When people are at an Opera Bell Band show, we want them to forget themselves for a while, to give them permission to join us in being goofy and campy and creative and ridiculous.” says DeYong, “We live in a culture and a time period that is so individualistic and siloed. I hope people leave our shows feeling freshly reminded of how good it feels to be together with a full plate of food and an earful of music and cheeks that hurt from smiling a lot.”
