The first full weekend of September brings a neatly drawn roots-music route to Groningen. Across Friday 4 and Saturday 5 September, SPOT De Oosterpoort presents three shows whose shared folk and country coordinates lead in sharply different directions: The 502s bring buoyant, communal beach folk to the Grote Zaal; Lisa Ploeger stages an album-release show at SPOT/A-Theater; and The White Buffalo closes the run with a larger-scale set of dark country, blues and roots. For listeners who like a weekend with a clear through-line yet plenty of variation in pace and weight, this is the concentrated local option within the Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 September calendar.[2][3][5]

The appeal lies in the sequencing. Friday splits the programme between an expansive American group sound and a close-up regional songwriter setting, then Saturday moves toward Jake Smith’s weathered, narrative-driven material. SPOT De Oosterpoort’s rooms make that contrast practical as well as musical: The 502s play the Grote Zaal at 20:00, while Ploeger begins at 20:30 in the standing-only A-Theater. The following evening, The White Buffalo returns the focus to the Grote Zaal at 20:00, with support from Amsterdam’s Subterranean Street Society.[2][3][5]

Friday’s bright and raw sides of roots music

The 502s provide the outgoing entrance point. The Florida band describes itself as beach folk, built around breezy banjos and shout-along choruses; SPOT frames its live sound as a mix of bluegrass, roots and rock. That gives Friday’s 20:00 show a broad, ensemble-led character, with Odhran Murphy in support. It is a sensible pick for anyone drawn to folk’s rhythmic lift and group-sing energy, with a sizeable room that has mainly standing space alongside limited seating. The group’s own description and the venue’s presentation align on the central feature: open, colourful folk shaped for collective momentum.[1][2]

Lisa Ploeger offers a more intimate counterpoint at 20:30. SPOT describes the Drenthe musician’s work as raw country-pop and songs from the heart, and identifies the date as her debut concept album’s Groningen release show. Nick Bosma supports. Ploeger’s current run of 2026 singles includes “my own way to rome,” “sober heart,” “if i ever have a daughter” and “deep inside,” placing the performance at an active release period. The A-Theater setting therefore suits a show centred on a new body of work and personal songwriting, while the Friday double bill lets listeners choose between a band-driven folk rush and a closer singer-songwriter frame.[3][4]

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Saturday’s darker closing chapter

The White Buffalo gives the route its shadowed final chapter on Saturday. The project is singer-songwriter-guitarist Jake Smith, whose work moves through country, folk, blues, Americana, rock and soul; SPOT characterises the Groningen show through dark country, blues and roots. Smith’s deep baritone and story-led approach make a strong contrast with Friday’s bright banjos and country-pop immediacy. His catalogue has also travelled into film and television, including Sons of Anarchy, and his management biography identifies him as an Emmy nominee. Subterranean Street Society, a Danish-Dutch trio based in Amsterdam, opens with a blend of grunge and narrative folk, extending the evening’s rougher textures before Smith takes the stage.[5][6]

Planning the Groningen run

The compact plan is simple: The 502s at 20:00 or Lisa Ploeger at 20:30 on Friday 4 September, then The White Buffalo at 20:00 on Saturday 5 September. All three listings sit within the SPOT De Oosterpoort programme, though Ploeger’s show takes place at SPOT/A-Theater on Akerkstraat and the other two use the Grote Zaal on Trompsingel. Check the official event pages again before leaving, since programme times are listed as indicative and venue details can change.[2][3][5]

Sources

  1. The 502s | Official Website — The 502s
  2. The 502s | + support: Odhran Murphy | 4 September 2026 — SPOT Groningen
  3. Lisa Ploeger | + support: Nick Bosma | 4 September 2026 — SPOT Groningen
  4. Lisa Ploeger — Apple Music
  5. The White Buffalo | support: Subterranean Street Society | 5 September 2026 — SPOT Groningen
  6. The White Buffalo — Red Light Management