Curtis Eller’s American Circus Returns to Yorkshire with New Album Tour

Yorkshire audiences are set for a distinctive mix of rock & roll energy, vaudeville charm and banjo-led storytelling this October, as Curtis Eller’s American Circus arrives with a series of live performances to celebrate the release of their new album Another Nice Mess.

The tour will see the eccentric and much-acclaimed band perform across the county at Harrogate, York, Whitby, Hull and Leeds between 21 and 26 October 2025, bringing their unique brand of stagecraft and musical theatre to venues large and small.

A Banjo, a Circus, and a Rock & Roll Heart

Curtis Eller is no ordinary frontman. A banjo player, songwriter and rock & roll singer, he began performing at the age of seven as a juggler and acrobat before, in his own words, turning “to the banjo because that's where the money is.”

His band, Curtis Eller’s American Circus, has earned an international following through what they describe as “spellbinding stage performances that combine a dreamlike vision of American history with silent film style, physical comedy, and explosive rock & roll energy.”

The upcoming tour marks a return to the UK for Eller and his four-piece lineup, who promise to deliver their “ragged, retro splendour” to audiences in Yorkshire and beyond.

The New Album: Another Nice Mess

At the heart of the tour is the band’s new album Another Nice Mess, which, in the words of the group, “guides listeners through a sepia-tinged world of tightrope walkers, heavyweight brawlers, Hollywood scream queens, firing squads, fallen soldiers and conscientious objectors.”

The title track is described as “a sweet, sentimental waltz about the enduring friendship between Laurel & Hardy,” a nod to the band’s fascination with bygone eras of entertainment and culture.

Fans will be able to hear the new material live at every stop, with Eller extending the invitation to “run away with the circus when this little big top comes to town.”

Yorkshire Tour Dates

Curtis Eller’s American Circus will play five dates in Yorkshire as part of the UK tour:

• Tuesday 21 October – The Blues Bar, Harrogate (7:30pm)
  One of Harrogate’s most iconic live music venues, The Blues Bar offers an intimate setting for the band’s blend of vaudeville showmanship and rock & roll flair.
• Thursday 23 October – Rise @ Bluebird Bakery, York (7:30pm)
  The recently reimagined Bluebird Bakery hosts the American Circus in its Acomb Road venue, promising a night where the theatrical and the musical collide.
• Friday 24 October – Musicport Festival, Whitby Pavilion (time TBC)
  As part of Whitby’s celebrated Musicport Festival, Eller’s performance is set against the dramatic North Sea backdrop of the Pavilion on the West Cliff.
• Saturday 25 October – The New Adelphi, Hull (8:00pm)
  A legendary grassroots venue with a history of showcasing groundbreaking acts, The New Adelphi welcomes the circus to its stage for an evening steeped in rock & roll tradition.
• Sunday 26 October – Wharf Chambers, Leeds (7:30pm)
  The Yorkshire finale will take place at Leeds’ Wharf Chambers, where Eller will be joined by special guest Thomas Benjamin Wild, Esq.

A Veteran of the Stage

Over the course of twenty-five years, Curtis Eller has toured extensively across North America, Europe and Australia. Known as an “iconoclastic troubadour,” he has developed a reputation for blending history, theatre, and music into performances that feel both timeless and immediate.

Backed by band members Stacy Wolfson (harmony vocals), Hugh Crumley (electric bass) and Andy Lyth (drums & harmony), Eller’s shows are a riot of energy, nostalgia and storytelling.

Tickets and Album

Tickets for all Yorkshire performances are available via curtiseller.com/tour. The new album Another Nice Mess can be ordered from the band’s official Bandcamp page: curtiseller.bandcamp.com/album/another-nice-mess.

Yorkshire’s Circus Awaits

As the band themselves put it: “You are invited to run away with the circus when this little big top comes to town.”

For those looking for a live music experience that’s equal parts history lesson, carnival and rock & roll show, Curtis Eller’s American Circus promises a tour unlike any other.