MSU Alum Endea Owens Returns to Wharton Center With The Cookout

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Courtesy Photo: MSU Alum and acclaimed bassist Endea Owen’s

Michigan State University alum and acclaimed bassist Endea Owens will return to East Lansing for her Wharton Center debut with her band, The Cookout. The performance is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. in Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre. Tickets start at $42, with student and youth tickets available for $22. Tickets are available through the Wharton Center Ticket Office, online at whartoncenter.com, or by calling 517.432.2000 or 1.800.WHARTON.

Owens returns to the MSU campus after building an international career as a bassist, composer and recording artist. The longtime house bassist on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is an Emmy, Grammy and George Foster Peabody Award recipient. A Detroit native and graduate of Michigan State University’s College of Music, Owens also received the 2023 MSU Young Alumni Grand Award. Her work has included commissions for ensembles such as the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, where she served as the 2023 MAC Music Innovator.

Owens has been mentored by jazz figures including Marcus Belgrave, Rodney Whitaker and Ron Carter. She has toured and performed with artists including Wynton Marsalis, Jennifer Holliday, Diana Ross, Rhonda Ross, Solange, Jon Batiste, Jazzmeia Horn, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Steve Turre. Her work also appears on Jon Batiste’s Grammy Award-winning album We Are, the Oscar-nominated film Judas and the Black Messiah, and H.E.R.’s Super Bowl LV performance. Owens released her debut album, Feel Good Music, in 2023.

With The Cookout, Owens blends jazz, soul and global influences into a performance designed around connection and energy. Wharton Center describes the group’s concerts as an experience built to leave audiences feeling inspired and connected. The Oct. 9 performance will mark Owens’ Wharton Center debut while bringing her back to the university where she studied music. For ticket information and additional event details, visit whartoncenter.com.