Kristine Kabbes Brings Energy & Honky-Tonk Attitude to Aurora’s Farmers Fair on Oct 3

Kabbes has had a wild journey making her music

(Aurora, Ind.) - Kristine Kabbes has never been one to ignore a good sign. The Aurora native has followed a winding, sometimes wild, but always hopeful path from small-town stages to the heart of Nashville’s country music scene.

Along the way, she has built a career rooted in faith, family, grit, and the kind of joyful determination that makes people want to cheer her on. But she still prays every day for God to let her know if she needs to make a U-turn and find a new path.

Kristine grew up singing in church choirs, festivals, and community events, developing an early love for country music and storytelling. She later studied Vocal Performance and Music Business at Columbia College Chicago, where she formed important musical relationships and began shaping the sound and spirit that still define her work today.

After performing throughout the Midwest as Kristine Kabbes & The Skallywags, Kristine and her husband and bass player, Mike Dittmer, moved to Nashville in 2012 to chase the dream full time.

At first, it looked like the road might open quickly. She signed with a manager who had connections to Curb Records and CAA (Creative Artists Agency), but the arrangement limited her ability to play smaller bars and festivals - the very places where artists often build loyal fans one room at a time.

When that chapter ended after a few years, Kristine and Mike started over. She waited tables, he worked in a clothing store, and both kept writing, rehearsing, and singing at home.

Then one of those only-in-Nashville moments arrived. A customer who played bass for Toby Keith encouraged Kristine to attend a selective open mic night. That same day, Mike was invited to the very same event by Toby Keith’s guitar player. Coincidence? Kristine might call it a sign.

The night helped open new doors. Kristine made connections with musicians and country music names including John Rich, Collin Raye, and Rascal Flatts. Toby Keith’s drummer went on to produce Kristine Kabbes & The Skallywags’ breakout album, Guns and Gravel, which helped her land regular gigs in Nashville clubs.

Before long, Kristine and Mike were able to leave their day jobs behind and focus on music.

Like every good country song, Kristine’s story has had a few unexpected turns. In 2019, she auditioned for the TV show The Voice and made it successfully to the final steps, only to have production shut down because of COVID.

Even then, the music kept going. Many clubs closed, but they still had jobs with their residencies in Nashville. But it was another crazy turn in her career.

The audiences were allowed in the club, seated safely apart. But Kristine and her band were in a separate back area, playing to a camera. Their performance was broadcast on a screen to the audience in the front room. It was not exactly the Nashville dream they had pictured, but it kept the songs alive and kept Kristine moving forward.

After COVID restrictions were lifted, the momentum and her career continued, sharing stages with artists such as Carly Pearce, The Grascals, Parmalee, Diamond Rio, Wynonna Judd, Lorrie Morgan, Collin Raye, and Bret Michaels.

In 2024, she and Mike welcomed a baby girl, adding a sweet new verse to their family story. These days, Kristine makes the most of naptime, using those precious couple of hours to work in her basement studio before heading out to perform multiple shows a week at The Stage on Broadway and Legends Corner. She’s known for turning crowded rooms into singalongs.

Her latest release, “Cowboys,” began when fellow Aurora artist Rick Lane sent her a demo. Kristine liked the idea and asked to collaborate, turning it into her next single. Its celebration of jeans, dusty boots and country romance has made the song a fan favorite, drawing nearly 1,000 streams a month on Spotify and Apple. Her goal is 100,000 streams by January 1.

Kristine’s next release, “Little Cowgirl,” is expected at the beginning of the year. Co-written with Milan native and Nashville musician Jamie Johnson, the song captures the bittersweet joy of watching her little girl grow up so fast.

And she still looks for signs. So far, the road has brought twists, speed bumps, detours, surprises, and blessings but no U-turns.

Kristine returns to her roots on Oct. 3, performing at Aurora’s Farmers Fair. When she comes home, Aurora can send her a sign with loud applause that will tell this hometown country girl to keep on making her feel-good music!