Chad Stoner Band set for final Music at Miller Park concert

The Chad Stoner Band will debut at Omaha Performing Arts’ Music at Miller Park on Aug. 8, closing the free summer series at Miller Park Pavilion in North Omaha. For saxophonist Chad Stoner, the show is a return to a community that has supported his music and a chance to bring a personal, soulful performance to the neighborhood.

Why it matters: - The final Music at Miller Park concert brings a local, free outdoor performance to North Omaha on Saturday, Aug. 8. - The Chad Stoner Band’s debut in the series adds a community-focused jazz and R&B performance to a neighborhood event designed to be accessible to the public. - Stoner’s appearance matters because the show connects his personal story of recovery and resilience with a hometown audience that has supported his career.

What happened: - Omaha Performing Arts will present the final concert in the Music at Miller Park series on Aug. 8 at Miller Park Pavilion, 2707 Redick Ave. - The Chad Stoner Band will make its Music at Miller Park debut at that event. - Music at Miller Park is a free, community-sponsored outdoor summer concert series held annually at the pavilion. - Omaha Performing Arts is presenting the series in partnership with Nelson Mandela Elementary School and the Minne Lusa and Miller Park Neighborhood Associations.

The details: - Chad Stoner is the bandleader and saxophonist. - Stoner’s musical influences include Luther Vandross, Donny Hathaway, Anita Baker and D’Angelo. - Stoner describes the band’s sound as focused on connection, whether the set includes familiar R&B songs or instrumental arrangements. - Stoner first picked up the saxophone in sixth grade. - After high school, Stoner played football for the Huskers. - Stoner later stepped away from music during college while dealing with substance use and mental health challenges. - After a suicide attempt, Stoner left college and returned home to recover with his parents. - During that time, Stoner bought a bass from a pawn shop and played along to U2 songs in his parents’ basement. - Stoner later returned to the saxophone after friends invited him to join a garage band. - Stoner spent 20 years as a pastor. - Stoner now works in the in-school suspension program at Papillion La Vista South High School, in the same district where he grew up and where his children attended. - Stoner also performs professionally at venues across the area. - Stoner said North Omaha has been a major source of support for him, both personally and musically. - The concert is free and open to the public. - More information is available at the event page.

Between the lines: - The event is more than a performance slot for Stoner; it also reinforces Music at Miller Park as a neighborhood gathering built around access, familiarity and local connection. - Stoner’s emphasis on eye contact and audience connection suggests a show designed to feel intimate, even in an outdoor community setting. - His background in ministry and school support work fits the same theme: using music and presence to steady other people. - His comments point to North Omaha as both an audience base and a source of identity, which helps explain why the concert carries personal weight.

What's next: - Music at Miller Park will close its 2026 series with the Aug. 8 concert. - Stoner is expected to deliver a set built around soul, uplift and direct engagement with the crowd. - Omaha Performing Arts will continue offering free community programming through the series format.

The bottom line: - For Chad Stoner, the Miller Park stage is both a homecoming and a chance to turn lived experience into a public lift for the audience.