Austria’s Meena Cryle and Chris Fillmore are a formidable one-two punch — a dynamic fusion of smoky, emotive vocals and blistering guitar mastery that has carried them onto international stages for more than a decade.

Meena Cryle is a powerhouse blues singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist who writes, arranges, and produces her own music. She made history as the first and only female Austrian competitor at both the European Blues Challenge and the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and has worked with Grammy Award–winning producer Jim Gaines and guitarist Donna Grantis (Prince). Nominated for the Austrian Amadeus Music Award and invited to the Memphis Blues Awards, Cryle commands the stage with a voice that shifts effortlessly from velvet to volcanic, balancing refined control with unmistakable fire.

At her side is Chris Fillmore — an exceptional multi-instrumentalist whose guitar became his signature voice.  Fillmore delivers searing solos and deeply expressive slow blues, blending technical brilliance with raw soul. Discovered early by blues great Junior Wells and praised by Grammy-winning producer Jim Gaines, Fillmore has performed with artists including Coco Montoya and Ian Siegal and has built a reputation as one of Europe’s standout roots guitarists.

Together, Cryle and Fillmore have released multiple albums, toured extensively throughout Europe and America, and performed at renowned festivals and venues. Whether in an intimate voice-and-guitar duet or in full quartet form, their sound is unmistakable — never cliché, always evolving, and driven by authenticity.

Joining them at Playing with Fire 2026 is American bassist Angus “Bangus” Thomas, a jazz and funk heavyweight whose career includes work with members of Miles Davis’s band and performances alongside John Mayall, Albert King, Buddy Miles, Peter Wolf, and Johnny Winter. Now based in Europe, Thomas brings decades of experience — from major international tours to studio work, including bass tracks for The King of Queens — adding depth and groove to an already world-class lineup.

Meena and Chris first lit up the PwF stage in 2012 with a response so overwhelming fans demanded — and received — an encore performance in 2013. Long overdue, the August 2026 series is the perfect time to welcome this electrifying team back to Omaha for a powerful and well-earned PwF 3-peat. 

Colin Linden’s career reads like a blues odyssey, shaped by modern roots-music folklore.  A singer-songwriter, master slide guitarist, and Grammy Award–winning producer, Linden has spent more than four decades carrying the torch, shaping the sounds of blues and Americana across stages, studios, and soundtracks worldwide.

As a young teenager in Toronto, Linden met his hero, Howlin’ Wolf — a defining moment that set him on a path few could imagine. By his teens, he was traveling to Detroit, Chicago, Memphis, and the Mississippi Delta, absorbing the tradition firsthand, learning from blues greats, and playing the juke joints and landmarks of his heroes like Muddy Waters, Son House, Brownie McGhee, and more. He began performing professionally at 12 and never looked back.

Over a remarkable career, Linden has played on more than 500 albums and produced over 140 recordings, earning a Grammy Award in 2020 for producing Keb’ Mo’s Oklahoma (Best Americana Album). He has received 25 Juno Award nominations, winning nine. As a guitarist and sideman, he has worked with Bob Dylan, John Prine, Greg Allman, Rhiannon Giddens, Pistol Annies, and longtime collaborator Bruce Cockburn, while also fronting the acclaimed roots trio Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, who brought their signature sound to the PwF stage in August 2018. 

Linden’s slide guitar work has been featured on the soundtracks for O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Inside Llewyn Davis, and he was a principal music contributor to the hit television series Nashville, further cementing his influence beyond the traditional blues circuit. As a producer, collaborator, film and television music supervisor, and songwriter, he has quietly helped define the sound of contemporary Americana and blues for a generation.

His latest solo release, bLOW, marks his 14th album and his first fully electric blues record — a raw, road-worn collection steeped in Delta grit, Texas roadhouse swagger, gospel soul, and psychedelic edge. Recorded at his own Pinhead Recorders studio, the album reflects a lifetime immersed in the roots tradition while continuing to push forward.

Few artists embody the history, heart, and evolution of blues and Americana quite like Colin Linden. His audiences witness not just a performer, but a true torchbearer of the blues — a master storyteller and slide-guitar virtuoso whose artistry bridges past and present, connecting generations while honoring tradition and pushing it forward with authenticity, fire, and unmistakable soul. 

Few artists in modern blues and roots music work harder — or shine brighter — than Canada’s Steve Marriner. A multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, producer, and one of today’s most electrifying harmonica players, Marriner has built an international reputation through relentless touring, fearless collaboration, and award-winning artistry, earning recognition as one of the hardest-working musicians in the business. 

As frontman of the award-winning trio MonkeyJunk, Marriner has helped drive the band to multiple Juno Awards and Maple Blues Awards, releasing six acclaimed albums and becoming a fan and critic favorite across North America and Europe. His ferocious harp playing, gritty vocals, and sharp songwriting have powered the band’s unmistakable sound for more than a decade — and the momentum shows no signs of slowing.

Beyond MonkeyJunk, Marriner’s versatility sets him apart. He has collaborated extensively with Colin James (Miles To Go), delivered standout performances alongside Harry Manx on their chart-topping Hellbound for Heaven, and worked with Paul Reddick, Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar, and countless others — shifting effortlessly between harmonica, guitar, bass, keys, and vocals.  With hot harp playing, soulful grooves, and deep conviction in his craft, Marriner delivers a rock-solid performance that carries forward the fire and feeling of the blues masters who inspired him.

As a producer and session musician, Marriner’s fingerprints are on numerous respected recordings, reflecting both technical mastery and artistic curiosity.. His dedication to growth led him to expand into engineering and mixing — further cementing his role as a complete modern musician.

His solo release Hope Dies Last reveals another layer of his creative voice — blending blues, rock, and Americana with raw honesty and expansive musicianship.  Featuring a broad cast of collaborators, the album highlights Marriner not only as a powerhouse harp player but also as a thoughtful songwriter unafraid to explore tender, deeply personal moments alongside driving grooves, affirming Marriner’s evolution as both craftsman and storyteller.

Marriner is no stranger to Playing with Fire — previously fronting MonkeyJunk at PwF in July 2018 — he  returns with a band of award-winning artists, including Canadian keyboardist Jessie O’Brien and acclaimed American guitarist Laura Chavez.  

With hot harp playing, soulfu l grooves, and deep conviction in his craft, Marriner delivers a relentless, rock-solid performance that carries forward the fire and feeling of the blues masters who inspired him — bringing intensity, authenticity, and the unmistakable energy of an artist who truly lives the music.