By Jennifer Champagne
Beacon Correspondent
For Jack Bowers, music has never simply been about playing songs. It has always been about creating moments.
When Bowers and Nicklas Johnson take the stage as the Jack & Nick Duo, audiences won’t find a performance built around flashy solos or high-volume production. Instead, they’ll experience an acoustic show centered on connection, nostalgia and giving listeners a chance to simply breathe.
The duo will perform in Munising on July 7 as part of the Concert in the Park series — presented by the Alger Parks and Recreation Department and Munising Visitors Bureau — bringing a stripped-down performance that traces its roots back to the early days of The Daydreamers.
“A lot of it came from where we started,” Bowers said. “It was just me and Nick trying to figure things out — trying to figure out what works musically and what works business-wise. We just started playing the stuff that we wanted to play and hoped everybody else liked it, too.”
While Bowers also performs with the full Daydreamers band, he said the acoustic format offers a different kind of musical experience.
“With the bigger shows, there’s less responsibility for me to play guitar,” Bowers said. “I love letting people express themselves.”
He credited bassist Dave Ziegner for helping shape the band’s sound, then contrasted that with the smaller acoustic performances.
“When it’s the acoustic duo — or sometimes the acoustic trio when Bryn Jungwirth joins us — I feel like I have a little bit more control over the dynamics of how everybody feels in those moments,” Bowers said. “I’m able to get up, move around and really take control of my space while still getting a chance to be part of something bigger.”
That connection extends to the music itself.
Rather than sticking to a single genre, the duo builds each set list around variety, moving from familiar classics to unexpected selections designed to keep audiences engaged.
“We prioritize trying to get as much variety of genres as we can,” Bowers said. “Sometimes we’ll go into ‘Crazy’ by Patsy Cline or Willie Nelson, and then sometimes we’ll go into Eminem right after that. It’ll catch people off guard.”
Even with those surprises, Bowers said the overall atmosphere remains relaxed and welcoming.
“What we want to do is bring all of that feeling of nostalgia and mix it with the hope for your music around town,” he said.
For Bowers, performing has always been about more than entertainment. Music has been a constant presence throughout his life, beginning when he was 4 years old.
“It has been my structure,” he said. “It has been my babysitter, my mentor and my teacher. It has been the thing that has kept me sane through a lot of difficult times.”
Seeing audiences respond emotionally is what continues to inspire him.
“When I perform and I see the impact that has, that’s all I want,” Bowers said. “It’s for me and for everybody to feel as good as possible.”
Whether listeners are discovering the Jack & Nick Duo for the first time or returning after previous performances, Bowers hopes they leave with the same feeling: “I just want them to take that breath and say, ‘Hey, I don’t have to think about anything else. I just have to enjoy myself.’”
The Jack & Nick Duo will perform at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, at Bayshore Park in Munising.