Tag: festival

What to Do, See, and Hear at Earl Scruggs Music Festival 2024

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

From August 30 to September 1, the legacy of banjo innovator and bluegrass forebear Earl Scruggs will be celebrated once again at the 3rd Annual Earl Scruggs Music Festival. Held at Tryon International Equestrian Center in the western North Carolina foothills – just beyond where the Bluegrass and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee was born and raised – the festival will see Jerry Douglas and the Earls of Leicester return as hosts and will include performances by roots superstars like Tanya Tucker, Old Crow Medicine Show, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Yonder Mountain String Band, and many more. (Full lineup below.)

BGS is excited to be returning to ESMF for the third year in a row, this time presenting the Scruggs Sessions with the Earls of Leicester. On Saturday, August 31, from 3 to 4:30p.m. on the Foggy Mountain Stage – nearest the festival gates – the Earls of L will pay tribute to Flatt & Scruggs’ seminal live album, Flatt & Scruggs At Carnegie Hall!, with special guests and appearances from across the festival lineup. This is a brand new iteration of our fan favorite tribute sets from the past two years that highlighted albums by the Earl Scruggs Revue. Last year’s performance was hosted by Tony Trischka and included guests such as Della Mae, Tray Wellington, members of Greensky Bluegrass, and more. We cannot wait for you to see what’s in store for this year’s Scruggs Session.

Below, find a few of our tips and insider tricks for attending ESMF, plus we’ll highlight a few of the acts, artists, and bands we’re most excited to catch at this year’s festival. From the posh grounds to engaging workshops and sessions, horse jumping demonstrations to excellent brick-and-mortar restaurants and local food trucks, up-and-coming groups and world-class talents, Earl Scruggs Music Festival truly has something for everyone.

The Grounds: Tryon International Equestrian Center

The Earl Scruggs Music Festival entrance. Photo by Eli Johnson.

Your first impression of the Earl Scruggs Music Festival grounds – the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina – might be that this is a very fancy locale for a bluegrass festival. But after your first day, or even your first few hours, you’ll see how perfect a setting this state-of-the-art equestrian park is for a music festival. It can be very hot in late August in Mill Spring, but the permanent amenities, ample shade, high quality air-conditioned restaurants, and relatively compact footprint make the usual pitfalls and inconveniences of a hot summer festival fade to the background.

A horse jumping demonstration held during the festival. Photo by Eli Johnson.

Catch a horse jumping demonstration or one of the center’s mini-horse ambassadors doing a meet and greet to get the full equestrian experience. VIP ticket holders can enjoy the shady grandstand with perfect views of the main stage. There’s plenty of space in the sandy arena grounds for folding chairs, too. The General Store, near to the festival entrance, sells drinks, ice cream, snacks, and treats and has many festival essentials you may need – whether you’re camping on site or just visiting for the day.

Definitely don’t miss the delicious Italian restaurant, Campagna, on the grounds, as well. Pro tip: order their delicious wood-fired pizzas to go and enjoy while watching your favorite bluegrass bands take the stage. Or, dine in and cool off – whether lunch or dinner, we loved always having Campagna nearby. Other brick-and-mortar options on site include Blue Ginger Sushi, Legends Grille, Roger’s Diner, and more. Plus, plenty of delicious fair foods are on sale with carnival-style vendors and food trucks coming out in force for the fest.

Campagna Italian Cuisine raises the bar for bluegrass festival food. Photo by Eli Johnson.

The Area

L: Nina Simone’s childhood home. R: Earl Scruggs’ childhood home.

Sure, there’s not much to mention directly surrounding the oasis that is the Tryon International Equestrian Center, but there is so much to explore just beyond the festival grounds. Whether you head up towards the mountains and Tryon proper (hometown of Nina Simone, where you can visit her historic home place) or head down the road to Shelby (Scruggs’ home turf), this area of North Carolina holds so many treasures. A visit to the Earl Scruggs Center, which calls the former Shelby county courthouse home and is located just up the road from Scruggs’ homeplace(s) in Flint Hill, is essential. The museum tells the story of Scruggs, his banjo, and his music within and outside of Shelby county and includes plenty of local history, too. If you’re not able to make it the short drive to Shelby to see the Center, don’t worry! They have a great booth set up at the festival for the entire weekend.

There are a few excellent trails and hikes nearby, like Alexander’s Ford Trail at Bradley Nature Preserve pretty near to Mill Spring, and there are so many mountain-y treks and water fall hikes just a short drive west – we recommend Little Bradley Falls. If you like cute little railroad towns, Saluda, North Carolina is worth a stop. Just up the mountainside, it used to be the home of the steepest standard gauge railway line in the United States. As you drive back down the interstate east, down the titular Saluda grade toward Tryon and Mill Spring, it’s a stunning view of North and South Carolina beneath you, with the Appalachians at your back. It’s lovely country!

The Music

ESMF does an excellent job demonstrating the sheer depth, width, and breadth of Earl Scruggs’ impact on American roots music. The lineup boasts country, Americana, singer-songwriter, old-time, and endless bluegrass. It’s curated thoughtfully and intentionally and there’s always someone new to discover and someone legendary to nerd out over. Here are a few of the sets we’re most excited for, below. Plus you can peruse the entire announced lineup and find links to the full schedule of events. We hope we see you this year at Earl Scruggs Music Festival!

Casey Driessen’s Red Shoe Stringjam (Sunday)

Fiddler Casey Driessen has turned his infamous and beloved Red Shoe Stringjam into a traveling roots music festival variety hour! We can’t wait to see what he cooks up at ESMF with this superlative lineup. His recent appearance at Grey Fox earlier this summer boasted and incredible roster of guests and collaborators.

AJ Lee & Blue Summit (Saturday)

We can’t wait to catch up with our pals AJ Lee & Blue Summit, fresh off their Grand Ole Opry debut and the release of their critically-acclaimed new album, City of Glass. Our recent feature on that new record has been a reader favorite ever since it published – check it out here. Don’t miss their main stage (Flint Hill Stage) performance and their Foggy Late Night set (Foggy Mountain Stage), which will surely be a raucous and rowdy end to day two of the festival.

Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives (Saturday)

If you’re a true fan of Marty Stuart, you know just how intimately his own story in music is woven into the stories of Flatt & Scruggs. What a perfect addition to the lineup. From psychedelic country to surf rock to driving bluegrass to shredding the mandolin – like he did with F&S as a kid all those years ago – Marty and His Fabulous Superlatives epitomize so many distinct facets of Earl’s music and legacy. This is especially noticeable with Stuart carrying on the bluegrass tradition of mentorship bestowed on him by Flatt & Scruggs – like with young mandolinist, Wyatt Ellis, who is also on the festival roster this year.

Miko Marks (Sunday)

Bay Area-based country singer, songwriter, and recording artist Miko Marks is a “must-see” on our list! She’ll be playing the Foggy Mountain Stage on Sunday evening, bringing her thoughtful, engaging, fun, and polished post-genre country to western North Carolina. Marks is a musical activist, a truth teller, and a community builder who has blazed a trail – nationally, in Nashville, and in the Bay Area, as well – in country and roots music.

Darrell Scott’s String Band (Friday)

Even though Darrell Scott’s solo shows are just as engaging and jaw-dropping as when he tours with a band, we’re certainly pleased that his recent string band album, Old Cane Back Rocker, included Shad Cobb, Bryn Davies, and Matt Flinner – and doubly pleased to still be able to catch this crack ensemble on the road! Darrell will also play a set on the Foggy Mountain Stage in the evening Friday, after the band’s afternoon appearance on the Flint Hill Stage.

The Scruggs Sessions with the Earls of Leicester (Saturday)

There is no one better to tribute a classic and iconic bluegrass album like Flatt & Scruggs At Carnegie Hall! than the Earls of Leicester. We’re tickled to be presenting the Scruggs Sessions, where the Earls and many special guests will perform songs from Flatt & Scruggs’ appearance at Carnegie Hall, a set and an album that have become keystones in the bluegrass canon. We’ll see you at the Foggy Mountain Stage on Saturday at 3p.m.!

Twisted Pine (Saturday)

Twisted Pine blew us away last year at Earl Scruggs Music Festival, so we were especially excited to see them set to return to the event this year, too. They’ll be doing double duty, again, playing both stages at different points on Saturday – catch them at 12p.m. on the Flint Hill Stage and at 5p.m. on the Foggy Mountain Stage.

The Wilder Flower (Friday)

A local string band trio based in western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina – making them essentially festival neighbors! – the Wilder Flower are a group to look out for. Made up of Danielle Yother (guitar), Madeline Dierauf (fiddle), and Molly Johnson (banjo), we’re looking forward to catching the band’s set on the Foggy Mountain Stage on Friday at 3p.m. Especially given their debut album, If I Wait Anymore, will be released in September. Keep your eyes and ears on this trio!

Explore the full Earl Scruggs Music Festival schedule and purchase tickets here.

The Full Lineup:

Hosted By:
Jerry Douglas
The Earls of Leicester

Featuring:
Tanya Tucker
Old Crow Medicine Show
Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
Yonder Mountain String Band
The Steeldrivers
Peter Rowan & Sam Grisman Project
Mighty Poplar
Lindsay Lou
Pony Bradshaw
Darrell Scott’s String Band
Miko Marks
Shawn Camp
The Grascals
Darin & Brooke Aldridge
AJ Lee & Blue Summit
Chris Jones & The Night Drivers
Travis Book Band
Shadowgrass
The Scruggs Sessions, Hosted by The Earls of Leicester
Casey Driessen’s Red Shoe Stringjam
Twisted Pine
Wyatt Ellis
Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light
Carley Arrowood
The Faux Paws
Larry & Joe
Martha Spencer & The Wonderland Country Band
Tanasi
The Wilder Flower
The Well Drinkers
Warren Wilson College Bluegrass Band
Ryn Riley and Appalachian Roots
PacJAM Ramblers
The Biscuit Eaters
Creekwater Collective
Fine Tuned Sessions Presented by Rare Bird Farm & Blue Ridge Music Trails

All photos courtesy of Earl Scruggs Music Festival. Photo credits as marked. Lead photo by Eli Johnson. 

Camping at Bonnaroo? Beat the Heat By Booking a Luxury Mansion and Driver

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

MANCHESTER, TN – Bonnaroo is here, and what better way to experience your favorite national brands and a little music than by camping out with thousands of strangers. But after pitching your tent in the swampy hellscape of Tennessee, experiencing the serenity of a fetid port-a-potty, and meeting your new influencer neighbor, “Kylie B,” living it up in her $4,000 glamping tent, you might be craving some creature comforts of your own. Here’s how to secure the ultimate Bonnaroo experience that’ll make you the envy of the unwashed masses before human-being-turned-cigarette Post Malone even takes the stage.

FUNDRAGING

You’ve already blown your firstborn’s college fund on festival passes, so it’s time to get creative with money. Start by hitting up any old roommates who stumbled into lucrative STEM careers while you were exploring your passion for Russian literature, then consider who among them you might have particularly damaging kompromat on. Your roommate-turned-pediatrician Owen really doesn’t want you to email his wife the Polaroids you have of “Turtle Night” back at Sigma Chi? It’s probably best that he just Venmo you a few thousand dollars in your time of need so that they never see the light of day.

SECURING PRIMO DIGS

Booking sites like Hotels.com or Airbnb can be expensive, and during festival season, availability is limited. Instead of stressing out with a last-minute scramble to find a place to your standards, try heading straight to Google Earth. With satellite technology, you can easily see which nearby McMansions look empty during the summer months. Nervous about trespassing? Bone up on Tennessee’s excellent stand-your-ground laws. Once you’ve established residency, even a returning homeowner can be escorted off their own property using any means necessary.

EATING LIKE A ROCKSTAR

Festival food is notoriously overpriced and underwhelming. But the headlining artists at these festivals come with specific riders that all but guarantee a yummy backstage spread. Since anyone under 5’6″ with a shaved head and the confidence of a middle-aged white man can pass for Flea, you’re virtually assured a seat at the table once you whisk past security into the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ dressing room. Over 5’6″? Throw on a backward baseball cap and cosplay as drummer Chad Smith or his lesser-known doppelgänger, Will Ferrell.

DRIVING IN STYLE

Did you know that Tesla owners get roadside assistance anywhere in America? Of course, you don’t own a Tesla, but your ring-light-bathed glamper neighbor Kylie B sure does. A standard box cutter will make quick work of the tires on her new Model S. When the tow truck arrives, simply decline the repair and ask them to drop you at your new house. Your compelling tales of every performance you’ve witnessed over the weekend are sure to win over the driver, so at the festival’s end, don’t hesitate to make him take you all the way back to your old life in Iowa and your wistful year-long wait before you can do it all again.

Greg Hess is a comedy writer and performer in Los Angeles. His work has been featured in The American Bystander, The Onion, Shouts & Murmurs, Points in Case, and he cohosts the hit satirical podcast MEGA.

DISPATCH: An Intimate and Essential Kentucky Festival, Sleeping In The Woods

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

There’s something in the water in Kentucky that’s conducive to making great songwriters, and the second annual Sleeping In The Woods Festival — held May 17-19 in Monticello — was no exception.

Hosted by artist and songwriter Nicholas Jamerson, the gathering has quickly become a can’t-miss attraction featuring a mix of the Commonwealth’s most revered songwriters, as well as the ones they’ll eventually be handing the reins off to. The setting of Hidden Ridge camping — a birch tree-covered campground nestled along Lake Cumberland — further elevated its intimate feeling (in addition to providing a canopy of shade during a deluge of rain Friday).

However, despite Mother Nature’s best efforts on day one, the few hundred in attendance didn’t have their spirits dampened by the soggy forecast, instead filling out a massive tent by the festival’s second stage for a songwriter round to open things up. Featuring Ryan Anderson of Louisville rock band Bendigo Fletcher alongside Jamerson, in a last minute change of plans, the two opted to debut entirely new and unrecorded music during the hour-long round, further putting a microscope on their superb songwriting, the stories behind them, and the creative process at an event built for exactly that. Outside of rain pattering on the tent above, you could hear a pin drop. Even though fans weren’t familiar with these songs, it was obvious they were captivated by the occasion, a sign of the duo’s songwriting prowess and power of getting caught up in the moment.

Nicholas Jamerson and Ryan Anderson (Bendigo Fletcher) open Sleeping In The Woods festival with a songwriter round.

“Getting to play all new songs with Ryan Anderson felt like the perfect way to set the tone for the festival,” Jamerson tells BGS. “I’ve admired him so getting to share that space meant a lot.”

Following the round of new material was one of the festival’s few non-Kentucky acts, Cristina Vane. As a result I found myself talking with countless folks as she set up about what to expect from the electrifying slide guitar and banjo picker, but even my best of introductions couldn’t have prepared them for the show she gave them.

Working as a trio with drums and bass guitar, Vane tore through originals like “Blueberry Hill” and “Small Town Nashville Blues” alongside new songs like “You Ain’t Special” and sweltering covers like James McMurtry’s “Choctaw Bingo.” Through it all, she had the crowd at her will, seemingly unaware of the rain falling around them, including myself.

Cristina Vane performs at Sleeping In The Woods.

Although I’ve seen Vane perform several times, each occasion always feels like a first due to the versatility of her band setups. I’ve seen her play solo, with a full electric band, a full bluegrass band, and now as an electric three-piece; each show feels so different. Her songwriting is built for a festival like Sleeping In The Woods, but how she’s able to plug and play, presenting her music in many different ways is what truly sets her apart. Fans on Friday seemed to agree, giving Vane a ferocious standing ovation at her set’s conclusion, something that even she didn’t seem to expect.

“It was cool seeing people react to acts they hadn’t seen,” shares Jamerson. “I felt like Cristina Vane, The Dick and Tammy Show (Justin Clyde Williams and Tyler Hatley), and Josh Slone all made really huge impressions on people.”

Another out-of-state act integral to the weekend was Rachel Baiman. The Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist was everywhere over the three-day event, starting with a songwriter workshop she led to begin Saturday’s musical menu. Attended by around 50 under the tent that Cristina Vane rocked out the night prior, the croissant-fueled workshop saw Baiman working with fellow songwriters and aspiring ones alike to take internal conflicts and turn them into external ones via song.

This drew a mix of interesting inspiration from the heavy — a man trying to fit in with his different groups of friends and a mom and pop trying everything to keep their small business afloat — to tongue-in-cheek ones, like a prompt about how losing your Chapstick makes you feel like an inadequate lover.

“The songwriting workshop was both a complete joy and completely terrifying,” recalls Baiman. “Trying to ‘teach’ songwriting to some of my favorite songwriters felt a little crazy, but I think it really contributed to the class, because we could hear ideas from newcomers and seasoned professionals side by side.”

Rachel Baiman leads a songwriting workshop on day 2 of Sleeping In The Woods festival.

Outside of the workshop, Baiman also led a songwriter round of her own on Sunday afternoon that she used to showcase recent co-writes with Pony Bradshaw (“Equine Elvis”), Caroline Spence (“Throw Away The Moon”), and Jamerson, who joined her for a performance of their song, “The Vine That Ate The South,” due out next month. Additionally, she took to the stage with Leah Blevins, an Eastern Kentucky singer by way of Nashville, prior to Sunday’s round, fiddling with the Sandy Hook native on a selection of songs including the nostalgic “First Time Feeling.”

The set was a grounding one for Blevins, who expressed a longing to return home from Nashville in recent months even as she’s hit a breakthrough, signing a publishing and management deal with Major Bob Music in April. She expects to begin recording a new album soon.

“Any opportunity to be back home in Kentucky is a true sense of comfort,” says Blevins. “There are so many unbelievably talented artists there and this weekend was a true representation of that. It’s inspiring and always humbling to share the stage with folks that you genuinely respect like Nicholas. He’s always made me feel welcomed and his kindness alone is influential on a human level.”

Other Kentucky luminaries that stood out included Somerset’s Cody Lee Meece, brothers Wes and Aaron Smith — who were joined by Anderson on synth for an intriguing acousti-tronic sound — along with Ryan Allen & Maggie Noëlle’s stripped down versions of songs from their band, Magnolia Boulevard, and a Saturday evening round featuring three of the state’s stars of tomorrow: Salyersville native Zoe Howard, Hindman’s Josh Slone, and Central Kentucky’s Ireland Owens.

But it was Hunter Flynn, one of the state’s other promising young talents, that garnered the most attention. A local boy from just up the road in Somerset, Flynn’s Sunday afternoon set showcased the singer’s sensational songwriting and holler yell on cuts like “Spanish Street Signs” and “Fucked Up Brain” that have earned him recent gigs on the road with Zach Top and Ian Munsick, among others.

Hunter Flynn performs Sunday afternoon at Sleeping In The Woods festival.

In a pay-it-forward fashion similar to how Jamerson is platforming new artists with the festival, Flynn — who won a recording package from festival sponsor Jamm Nation during the event — plans to serve up his studio time to young artists in need on a collaborative EP that Jamerson will produce. According to Flynn, he wouldn’t be where he is today without Jamerson’s music and guidance.

“Before I knew Childers, before I knew Sturgill, before I knew Stapleton; I knew Nicholas Jamerson,” explains Flynn. “He might not have been the first to do it, but he was the first person that I knew from the Appalachian region that was writing songs and playing them for a living. Now I don’t know a single singer/songwriter from this region who doesn’t cover at least one of his songs. He could win six Grammys next year and it wouldn’t be as much recognition as he deserves.”

A more seasoned Kentucky artist that also turned heads was Henry County’s Joe Clark, who pulled back the curtain on songs typically backed by his country rock band, The Peacemakers, that touch on everything from drug addiction to the love he has for his father. Clark was hard to miss all weekend due to his towering presence, but heartfelt songs like “Wishin’ Well” and “Battlefield” showed a soft side to counter his hard exterior, one of the many things a powerful song can do.

Joe Clark takes the stage at Sleeping In The Woods festival.

“Music is my therapist. Along with my children and family it’s kept me sober and alive for years,” confides Clark. “I owe my life to songwriting. It is a power greater than me and I’m honored to put pen to paper each time a lyric comes to me. My biggest hope is to be able to take my real life experience and translate it through song in a way that someone else can take it and make it theirs and use it in a healing way for themselves. Music is medicine, and I believe everyone needs a daily dose to stay healthy.”

Closing out Sleeping In The Woods was one of the most iconic and influential Kentucky songwriters ever – Darrell Scott. For nearly two hours on Sunday afternoon the trailblazer showed off his fiery picking skills on iconic songs like “Never Leave Harlan Alive” and “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive,” giving all of the artists and fans in attendance something to look up to and aspire to in the process. The performance also left many in the audience visibly emotional including Jamerson, who could be seen tearing up throughout it.

“Having Darrell there really meant a lot,” reflects Jamerson. “It felt like we had the full spectrum of musicians, from green, next generation, seasoned vets and a master in Darrell. We are hoping to expose the youngins to a sustainable path in this industry, so having someone like Darrell was really validating for me.”

Darrell Scott headlines Kentucky’s Sleeping In The Woods festival.

From vets like Darrell Scott to youngins like Josh Slone, Zoe Howard, and Hunter Flynn, and present day stars like Nicholas Jamerson, Sleeping In The Woods was proof of many things — that Kentucky music is in as good a place it’s ever been, that smaller, niche festivals do have a place in today’s music landscape, and that great songwriting will never go out of style.

“It feels like the best way to kick off the year,” describes Jamerson, who’d been laying low since his two-night Hollerday Gitdown in December. “It’s such a great group of people that makes it all happen. It’s also really grounding, inspiring and a nice reminder of the community of people that I’m a part of, which is uplifting and gives me life going into the busy season.”

All photos by Joe Wilkins, courtesy of Sleeping In The Woods festival. 

PHOTOS: Trampled by Turtles and the Unique Appeal of FreshGrass Bentonville

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

On my way from the Northwest Arkansas International Airport to the apparently booming town of Bentonville, Ron, the man driving the van, pointed at an old farmhouse that was now sticking out like a sore thumb among its newer, beige-r neighbors. “I remember when that house was way out in the country,” he told me. The town is growing rapidly, and the surrounding countryside is disappearing at the same rate. Bentonville is probably best known as the birthplace and headquarters of mega-retailer Walmart. However, it is also now home to a couple high-quality art museums, miles and miles of mountain biking trails (the city’s Chamber of Commerce website dubs Bentonville “The Mountain Biking Capital of the World”), and a very cool festival, FreshGrass. I’m here to play that festival with my band, Trampled by Turtles.

Trampled by Turtles perform under the lights at FreshGrass Bentonville. Photo by Cooper Baumgartner.

We have played FreshGrass a couple times before, but those shows were at its other and original location way up in Massachusetts. This being our first foray into the burgeoning Arkansas version, I was curious to see how it would compare. As with its Massachusetts sibling, FreshGrass Bentonville is set up on the grounds of a multi-use art space. The Momentary, as it’s called, is a decommissioned cheese factory that is now a hub of artistic activity in the region. There are indoor and outdoor installations, several performing arts venues, a variety of food experiences, and for our purposes here, a large outdoor concert area. I mean, what a cool place to play a show! I love the venues this festival chooses. We have played all manner of these things and though it probably goes without saying, the setting has so much to do with the experience of the ticketholders and the performers alike. There is something about a concert being surrounded by an atmosphere of artistic creativity that gives the FreshGrass festivals their unique flavor. Don’t get me wrong, we have had great times at festivals set up in nameless fields, but given the choice, I would choose this. I enjoy playing a show at a place that I would go anyway.

Fans react to Trampled by Turtles. Photo by Cooper Baumgartner.

We had a lovely experience here. The crowd seemed very happy to be there and all the music I heard was great. I want to give a little shoutout to whoever set up the main stage concert bowl as well. Often at outdoor venues with both seated and standing areas, the seats are up against the stage and the standing lawn is way in the back. At The Momentary they’ve made a bit of a hybrid setup. There are small standing room areas right up in front, a large section of seating, and then a wide lawn in the back.  Everyone can enjoy the show in the way they choose, whether that’s dancing like demons in the front row, having a comfortable chair in the middle, or spreading out on a blanket with the family in the back. Having standing room up against the stage is such a boon for the band that’s up there, as well. There is an energy partnership with those wilder, bouncing audience members and it can feel weird to have them way behind the seated crowd. I don’t know if that was the reason for this layout, but we enjoyed its effect at our set last night.

Trampled by Turtles and a “full house” at FreshGrass Bentonville. Photo by Cooper Baumgartner.

I am not surprised to be impressed with the younger FreshGrass. This festival has consistently proven its desire to provide a unique and art-forward experience for both band and crowd alike. They invest in interesting lineups and create visually exciting venues in which to show them off. They’ve made us feel very welcome over the years and I hope we get to play these festivals forever.  – Dave Simonett, Trampled by Turtles

Make plans to attend FreshGrass Bentonville next year May 16 – 17, 2025 at the Momentary.

Dave Simonett is the lead singer, guitarist, and a songwriter for fan-favorite bluegrass group Trampled by Turtles. Subscribe to his Substack, Good Record, here.

Photo Credit: All photo credits as marked. Lead image and Trampled by Turtles photos by Cooper Baumgartner. All other photos courtesy of the Momentary.

PHOTOS: The 5th Annual Baltimore Old Time Music Festival

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

More than 1,500 people from 26 different states made their way to the fifth annual Baltimore Old Time Music Festival, bringing pickers, fiddlers, and players of all stringed instruments to rejoice along the waters of the Charm City’s Inner Harbor last month, on April 19 and 20.

A convincing demonstration of the city’s thriving old-time and roots music scene, the Old Time Festival saw attendance more than triple from 2023 as it packed the Baltimore Museum of Industry (BMI) in the first year at its new location after four memorable years at Creative Alliance.

Presented by the Center for Cultural Vibrancy and hosted by father-son duo Ken & Brad Kolodner, this year’s event boasted a lineup of high-profile artists and groups both honoring the traditions of old time, and seeking to broaden them.

BMI and its astonishing collection of artifacts set a remarkable scene that grew to life with performances early Friday evening on the Harborview and Pavilion stages, each presenting splendid views of the Inner Harbor and famous landmarks, like the Domino Sugar sign glowing just to the southeast.

Old Time legend Bruce Molsky at the festival Kickoff Concert.

Saturday afternoon brought a loaded schedule of not only live music, but workshops, presentations, and open jam sessions in every nook and corner of the fascinating museum – and outside on its docks, too, where old pals reconnected and total strangers became friends as they played underneath the warm sun all day long.

“We’re clearly witnessing a huge period of growth for our old time community,” said Brad Kolodner, who’s a member of numerous Baltimore-based string bands and, as he does each spring, performed alongside his dad at this year’s festival.

Twin fiddling from festival co-founder Brad Kolodner and Rachel Eddy.

“This marks 10 years that my father and I have been organizing events, square dances, jams and concerts, and this is the culmination of those efforts and work done behind the scene as well. We know that this is already a landmark event for Baltimore, but we took it to another level this year thanks to so much support, the amazing venue and of course the artists, who were incredible.”

Ascending Seattle-based string band The Onlies headlined both nights and served up numerous delightful sets across Friday and Saturday, as did Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves, the Horsenecks, and Bruce Molsky, a widely respected fiddler, banjoist, guitarist, vocalist and educator.

The Onlies dazzling at the Kickoff Concert.

“This festival brought together all the most positive and wonderful aspects of roots and old-time music,” said Molsky, who has recorded and performed with a long list of legendary musicians.

“It really represented all the things I love about this music, including the community,” he continued. “The cross-section of music and kinds of musicians that Brad and Ken programmed was kind of perfect.”

From Africa to Appalachia (one of the weekend’s most anticipated acts) is the fascinating project featuring Grammy-nominated master Malian griot Cheick Hamala Diabate, old-time banjo player Riley Baugus and multi-instrumentalist Danny Knicely.

From Africa to Appalachia featuring Cheick Hamala Diabate, Riley Baugus and Danny Knicely.

Through its uncommon blend of sound and perspective, the dynamic group illustrates and educates on the historical connection between West African and Appalachian music, a theme crucial to the Baltimore Old Time Music Festival.

“This band — these people — is my heart,” said the spirited Diabate as he detailed his adventures in America, where he’s worked with star musicians and been cast in major motion pictures.

Diabate mesmerized with blazingly fast fingers on the ngoni and played his custom gourd banjo that was handcrafted by Baltimore’s own Pete Ross.

Dom Flemons, the American Songster, performs on the Pavilion Stage.

In each of his unforgettable appearances, Diabate riveted with stories and offered advice to concert goers. Presenting a session on Old Time Roots, he spoke alongside modern day old-time pioneer Dom Flemons — a co-founder of the award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops and himself a Grammy nominee, who delivered two unforgettable performances on Saturday.

Another spectacular presence at the event, Becky Hill is a percussive dancer, choreographer, square-dance caller and educator who has focused her research on Appalachian percussive dance, flat footing and clogging. She considers the old-time space one where dancers are an equal part of the conversation with instrumentalists.

As a performer on both Friday and Saturday at the festival, Hill displayed her interest in the intersections of clogging, flatfooting and tap dance. To do so, she invited tap dancer Roxy Hill to join her at BMI, where they used old-time sounds to examine the relationship between the different dance styles.

Tap dancing and flatfooting with Roxy King and Becky Hill.

“They’re all American roots percussive dance forms. Both tap and flatfooting originated here and are unique to this complicated melting pot of the U.S. … To have the space to present our dance dialogue on stage feels really significant,” Hill said.

“It opens up new audiences for both tap dancing and flatfooting and it shows that there’s connective tissue across music and dance genres in the U.S. … In particular, what the festival is doing with the Center for Cultural Vibrancy is to expose that connection between all different aspects of old-time music.”

Dance, as it is each year, was a primary feature of the latest Old Time Music Festival, and the two days were capped with a jubilant old fashioned Baltimore square dance that twirled and howled into the late hours on Saturday night.

Square dancing in the pavilion with over 300 participants.

The lively affair took over the pavilion as hundreds of attendees let loose with friends and family. Veteran caller Janine Smith, who’s stoked many Charm City celebrations, led the way with the help of the Horsenecks and other performers from the lineup before all the artists on site joined together to close out the special occasion.

For Molsky and others deep into their careers, the festival provided a refreshing post-pandemic chance to catch up with longtime friends forged on the old time touring circuit, but also to interact with festival goers themselves.

“This kind of music isn’t the thing where a big star is sequestered until they walk out on stage,” he said. “Part of it is walking out there and remembering people’s names and getting to know them. I don’t consider that to be work. I love that.”

Molsky lived in the D.C. area for years and spent time in Baltimore, but he was impressed by what he sees as an undeniable “vibrancy” in the Charm City’s music landscape and its people.

The all star square dance band featuring Bruce Molsky and the Horsenecks.

“I think Brad has a lot to do with that,” Molsky said. “When somebody walks up to me and says, ‘Hey man, I’ve been listening to your music for 20 years, it’s so nice to meet you in person,’ I’m moved by that. This festival was just a great festival for meeting people.”

Beyond introducing artists to listeners, the Kolodners intentionally designed the event to help cutting-edge musicians show what they’re doing to expand the traditional confines of the old-time genre.

“It’s going to grow into something beautiful and it already is,” Hill observed.

“It’s unique because it highlights all the different ways that this tradition is evolving by not only celebrating its roots but by having new conversations within it, too, like what Tatiana and Allison are doing or like Roxy and myself,” she continues. “We’re pushing the boundaries and we’re experimenting within the structures that old-time music provides. And I think that is part of how vernacular music traditions keep evolving.”

Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves perform at the Kickoff Concert.

With its 2024 version in the books, the Baltimore Old Time Music Festival has firmly established itself as one of the fastest growing and most influential gatherings of its kind anywhere in the country. Eyeing sustainable growth and a balance of honoring and augmenting old-time customs, the Kolodners are optimistic for what the future holds.

“We’re pleased to make so much progress, to create an enriching experience for everyone involved and we’re thrilled to be at BMI for years to come,” said Brad Kolodner.

“We’re proud of the intergenerational aspects we’ve built into it. We offer children’s programming and make it free for families, all with the hope that we can keep driving interest and participation in old time moving forward. Above all, we aim to celebrate diversity and the true roots of this music through the performers we invite to be here with us.”

Be sure to save the date for next year’s Baltimore Old Time Music Festival, which will return to BMI on April 18 and 19, 2025. More information here.

Becky Hill and Ben Nelson, in conversation with feet and banjo.

Photo Credit: All photos by Casey Vock and courtesy of the Baltimore Old Time Music Festival.

ANNOUNCING: Louisville’s Bourbon & Beyond 2024 Lineup

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Today, Bourbon & Beyond, the world’s largest music and bourbon festival, announced its lineup for their 2024 event, to be held in Louisville at the Kentucky Expo Center September 19 through 22, 2024. With headliners such as Neil Young, Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, and many more, the festival promises a roster filled-to-bursting with the best acts from country, Americana, bluegrass, and beyond.

BGS will return to the festival for ours and the festival’s sixth consecutive year, once again curating the musicians and bands that will grace the Bluegrass Situation Stage. Housed in the Kroger Big Bourbon Bar, the BGS stage will feature bluegrass, line dancing, and as much bourbon as you can drink from dozens of distilleries. Each day of the festival our stage will culminate with performances by Sam Bush Band, the Jerry Douglas Band, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Tony Trischka’s Earl Jam. Plus, don’t miss exciting acts like IBMA Entertainer of the Year winners Sister Sadie, newly-minted Black string band New Dangerfield, and KY neighbors the Local Honeys and the Kentucky Gentlemen. See the full list of performers for the Bluegrass Situation Stage below.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, via press release, had this to say about the festival: “The Commonwealth of Kentucky is honored to be hosting Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville this September,” he said. “The festival brings in fans from all over the world and showcases the best of Kentucky; highlighting our rich culture of bourbon, the best in local culinary, and a top tier musical lineup. We can’t wait to welcome fans once again for this great tradition that we all in Kentucky are proud to call our own.”

First-rate bands and artists from across the American roots music community can be found throughout Bourbon & Beyond’s lineup, not only at the Bluegrass Situation Stage. This year, Bourbon & Beyond adds two new secondary stages, as well as the usual BGS Stage and the Oak and Barrel main stages. From Tedeschi Trucks Band and Black Pumas to Melissa Etheridge and Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, there’s truly something for everyone. Don’t miss sets by Larkin Poe, Josh Ritter, Jade Bird, Lyle Lovett, Sierra Ferrell, Devon Gilfillian, Vincent Neil Emerson, Robert Finley, Hiss Golden Messenger, and so many more.

Another highlight of Bourbon & Beyond each year are the bourbon and culinary events, workshops, and activations that feature celebrity chefs and food-and-drink experts such as Chris Blandford, Amanda Freitag, Ed Lee, Chris Santos, and more. All in all, Bourbon & Beyond promises to yet again be your complete music, bourbon, and food festival in beautiful Kentucky. Tickets are on sale now – we hope you’ll join us in Louisville for another year of Bourbon & Beyond!

The Bluegrass Situation Stage Lineup

Sam Bush Band
The Jerry Douglas Band
Yonder Mountain String Band
Tony Trischka’s Earl Jam: A Tribute to Earl Scruggs
Sister Sadie
New Dangerfield
Big Richard
Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley
The Brothers Comatose
The Local Honeys
Tray Wellington Band
Chatham County Line
The Kentucky Gentlemen
East Nash Grass
Mountain Grass Unit
Jacob Jolliff Band
…and more to be announced!

Photo Credit: Nathan Zucker, courtesy of Bourbon & Beyond.

WATCH: The Earls of Leicester Behind the Walls at Newport Folk Festival

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

(Editor’s Note: Enjoy this exclusive video premiere from the team at Newport Folk Festival and their Behind the Walls series, featuring a performance of Flatt & Scruggs’ version of “Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms” by award-winning Flatt & Scruggs bluegrass tribute band, the Earls of Leicester.)

Artist: The Earls of Leicester
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms”

In Their Words: “The song ‘Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms’ has long been a staple in the bluegrass canon. It’s a good, hard driving song about traveling and returning home to the one you love. Down to the details of some of the family members’ occupations. Also there is a slight Romeo and Juliet effect in the line, “I know your parents don’t like me.” Flatt & Scruggs probably had the best version, but it’s a crowd pleaser and works in any situation.” – Jerry Douglas

“The Earls Of Leicester are living embodiments of the traditions of bluegrass that have graced our stages for over 60 years. We’re grateful that they recorded a backstage Behind The Walls session with us at last year’s Newport Folk Festival. And big thanks to The Bluegrass Situation for sharing it far and wide.” – Christopher Capotosto, producer, Newport Folk Festival

Lead image courtesy of Newport Folk Festival.

PREVIEW: IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, This Week in Raleigh

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

The biggest week in bluegrass has arrived. The International Bluegrass Music Association’s annual business conference and festival begins tomorrow, September 26, and continues through Saturday, September 30, in Raleigh, North Carolina. It’s the 10th year the event has been hosted in the music-rich state of North Carolina.

From Tuesday to Thursday, industry professionals, artists, musicians, songwriters, lawyers and more will participate in panels and professional development during Wide Open Bluegrass, the conference portion of the week’s programming. Highlights will include a keynote address by Matt Glaser of Berklee College of Music (Tuesday), the Momentum Awards Luncheon (Wednesday) and Industry Awards Luncheon (Thursday) — plus a BGS-presented panel on podcasts, An Essential Guide To Podcasting (Wednesday), which will be moderated by Keith Billik of Picky Fingers and will feature Basic Folk hosts Cindy Howes and Lizzie No, among others. During the evenings, when conference events have concluded, attendees and fans will enjoy the Bluegrass Ramble, IBMA’s roster of more than thirty showcasing acts and bands at venues peppered throughout downtown Raleigh.

On Thursday evening, it’s the so-called “Bluegrass Prom,” the 34th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, held at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts just steps away from the conference center and host hotel. Hosted by Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle, the biggest night of the biggest week in bluegrass will see artists and bands like Billy Strings, Sister Sadie, Tray Wellington, Del McCoury Band and many more vie for awards like Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year, Best New Artist and beyond. The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum will also induct three new members during the ceremony, mandolinist Sam Bush, innovator and stylist David Grisman and the legendary and chart-topping Wilma Lee Cooper.

The awards show marks the week’s transition from conference to festival, as Bluegrass Live! takes over the Red Hat Amphitheater and all of downtown Raleigh on Friday and Saturday. On the main stage, enjoy headliners like Mighty Poplar, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Missy Raines & Allegheny and an all-star banjo collaboration of Tray Wellington, Jake Blount and Kaïa Kater. Vendors, artisans, food trucks and more will line the streets of downtown, where dozens more bands will perform for the second-largest bluegrass festival audience in the world – nearly 200,000 bluegrass and roots music fans will make Raleigh their destination this weekend.

Below, find our short list of events, bands, panels, showcases, presentations and shows not-to-be-missed at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass and Bluegrass Live!

Panels & Conference Events

The World of Bluegrass business conference gets going bright and early tomorrow morning, with a New Attendee Orientation at Raleigh Convention Center room 304 at 9 a.m. Once you have the lay of the land, check out these conference programs and panels throughout the week. Don’t miss your IBMA professional member constituency meeting – they’re held throughout the week for the various constituencies – and don’t miss the exhibit hall, full of vendors, organizations, festivals and more. It opens Wednesday at 1 p.m.

IBMA KEYNOTE ADDRESS & RECEPTION BY MATT GLASER
TUESDAY 4PM – 5:30PM | RCC BALLROOM

Matt Glaser, who served as chair of Berklee College of Music’s String Department for 28 years and has pioneered its American Roots Music Program, will give a “dynamic” presentation for this year’s keynote entitled, Hidden Threads: Bluegrass in the American Musical Tapestry.” Glaser will explore the many styles, genres and formats that influenced and informed the creation of bluegrass – jazz, blues, gospel, old-time and so much more.

SUPERSESSION – WOMEN IN THE BUSINESS OF BLUEGRASS
WEDNESDAY 9AM – 9:50AM | RCC 306

An absolutely star-studded panel will explore how women and femme folks continue to carve out spaces for themselves, professionally, in these roots music communities. Panelists include: Deering Banjos chief executive Jamie Deering, event planner and promoter Claire Armbruster (Planning Stages), the owner/operator of Elderly Instruments, Lillian Werbin, broadcaster and radio host Michelle Lee, BGS contributor and collaborator Brandi Waller-Pace, a non-profit founder, organizer and educator (Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival & Decolonizing the Music Room), Rounder Records co-founder Marian Leighton Levy, Mary Beth Martin of the Earl Scruggs Center and Carly Smith of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

IBMA MOMENTUM AWARDS LUNCHEON
WEDNESDAY 11AM – 1PM | RCC BALLROOM

Each year during World of Bluegrass the Wednesday luncheon is devoted to awarding up-and-comers in the bluegrass industry, from bands and instrumentalists to industry involved professionals and mentors. You can see the full list of Momentum Awards nominees here. Plus, hear luncheon showcases by a fine selection of Bluegrass Ramble bands.

SUPERSESSION – OH, DIDN’T THEY RAMBLE: THE BLUEGRASS SIDE OF ROUNDER RECORDS
WEDNESDAY 1PM – 1:50PM | RCC 306

BGS contributor and Carolina Calling host David Menconi will release his new book, Oh, Didn’t They Ramble: Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music, next month, so it’s perfect timing for this panel examining the historical significance of this record label. The lineup will feature Rounder founders and IBMA Hall of Fame members Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy and Bill Nowlin along with broadcaster Daniel Mullins and, of course, Menconi himself.

AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO PODCASTING 
WEDNESDAY 2PM – 2:50PM | RCC 304

We are so excited to convene Keith Billik of Picky Fingers Podcast, Lizzie No and Cindy Howes of Basic Folk, and more BGS team members from our Podcast Network to talk about the essentials of bluegrass and roots music podcasting. If you’re interested in learning about distribution, sponsorships, syndication, editing, production, pre-production and so much more, this conversation is for you.

IBMA INDUSTRY AWARDS LUNCHEON
THURSDAY 11AM – 1PM | RCC BALLROOM

On Thursday, the Industry Awards luncheon will recognize achievements and contributions of the industry’s sound engineers, broadcasters, writers and more. Plus, IBMA will hand out their second-highest honor, the Distinguished Achievement Award, to a small handful of honorees – of which we’re one! BGS is so humbled and honored to be one recipient of this year’s Distinguished Achievement Awards. Watch for a feature on BGS and the award presentation later this week.

Plus, a few more panels and programs starred on our calendar include:

AVOIDING TOKENISM IN TRAD MUSIC
WEDNESDAY 2PM – 2:50PM | RCC 306

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION (DEI) TOWN HALL
WEDNESDAY 4PM – 5PM | RCC 306

IBMA TOWN HALL MEETING
THURSDAY 9AM – 10:30AM | RCC 306

YOUTUBE: FINDING YOUR COMMUNITY, GROWING YOUR AUDIENCE
THURSDAY 1:30PM – 2:20PM | RCC 305

IBMA WOMEN’S COUNCIL MEETING
THURSDAY 4PM – 5PM | RCC 306

THE MAKING OF WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN ALBUM AND ITS IMPACT ON THE WORLD
FRIDAY 1PM – 3PM | RCC 306

BLUEGRASS IS FOR EVERYONE JAM
SATURDAY 12PM – 2PM | RCC MAIN LOBBY

See the full conference schedule on IBMA’s website here.

Bluegrass Ramble

30+ bluegrass, old-time, and roots music bands will showcase throughout downtown Raleigh during IBMA’s World of Bluegrass. These shows are open to both conference attendees and the general public. Find out more about ticketing and admission here.

Not sure where to begin? Here are a few bands worth your attention – and perhaps a hasty jog down Fayetteville Street!

ALEX LEACH

Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and Clinch Mountain Boys alumnus Alex Leach brings a delightful ’60s and ’70s flair to his brand of central Appalachian bluegrass. We recently premiered his latest single, “Summer Haven,” and look forward to catching him live this week during the Bluegrass Ramble.

GOLDEN SHOALS

Golden Shoals are Nashville-based duo Amy Alvey and Mark Kilianski, another group we were fortunate enough to recently feature in a video premiere for “Bitter,” a song co-written by Alvey and Rachel Baiman.

RACHEL SUMNER & TRAVELING LIGHT

You may recognize Rachel Sumner from her time in zany, jazz-inflected string band Twisted Pine. She’s since ventured out on her own as a solo artist with her music centered on her New England-influenced songwriting and chambergrass aesthetics – though she originally hails from the Southwest U.S.

SEQUOIA ROSE

“Bluegrass is for everyone,” after all, and we’re so glad to see Sequoia Rose on the official showcase lineup for IBMA! We were first introduced to her jamgrassy music via submission earlier this year and have been itching for a chance to hear it live.

THOMAS CASSELL

Mandolinist, writer and songwriter Thomas Cassell – who, you may know, is a BGS contributor as well – makes his home in Nashville, Tennessee, though he was raised in the bluegrass-steeped mountains of Southwestern Virginia. His brand of bluegrass is all at once timeless and forward looking with its keystone being his honeyed voice, like a youthful Dan Tyminski with a dash of Russell Moore.

VIOLET BELL

North Carolina string duo Violet Bell are both ethereal and grounded. Their latest album, Shapeshifter, is a stunning conceptual work that is never burdened by the nuanced stories it tells. (Read our feature on the record here.) Omar Ruiz-Lopez and Lizzy Ross subtly and deftly complicate the roots music forms that infuse their music. A must-see at IBMA.

WYATT ELLIS

Our readers, followers and fans can’t get enough of mandolin prodigy Wyatt Ellis, who gracefully and virtuosically continues the now generations-old tradition of fleet-fingered youngsters shredding the mando. Like Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Chris Thile, Sierra Hull and many more before him, Wyatt enjoys cross-generational collaboration and has his sights set on a lifelong career in this music. Catch him showcasing at IBMA and tell folks thirty years from now you “saw him when.”

Keep in mind, this is merely the tip of the bluegrass iceberg for this week in Raleigh. There’s the entire lineup of the street fest plus the lineup of Bluegrass Live!’s mainstage, the Red Hat Amphitheater, to explore, too. In short, there’s nowhere else to be this week than Raleigh, North Carolina for IBMA’s World of Bluegrass conference and festival.

Graphics courtesy of IBMA

This Music Festival’s Goal Is Healing Appalachia, From the Inside Out (Part 2 of 2)

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

This weekend, September 21, 22, and 23, at the West Virginia State Fairgrounds in Lewisburg, West Virginia, ascendant, down home country star Tyler Childers and his cohort will gather for an event begun in 2018 called Healing Appalachia. The benefit festival, put on by West Virginia based non-profit Hope in the Hills, will include performances by some of the biggest and buzziest names in American roots music: Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Trey Anastasio Band, Marcus King, Umphrey’s McGee, Amythyst Kiah and many more.

Healing Appalachia is just one of many such community-led, collective efforts born from within the region in recent years that is working towards effecting positive change while offering local, ground-up solutions to big, systemic problems. Their social media and website put it elegantly and succinctly: Their vision is a prosperous Appalachia, free from addiction. The opioid crisis has hit Appalachia, especially West Virginia and Childers’ home state of Kentucky, incredibly hard. When 26 people overdosed on one day in Huntington, West Virginia, in 2016, the mission for Hope in the Hills and Healing Appalachia was born.

At the time, Childers and his hardscrabble team were still climbing the music industry ladder, building connections and community that would eventually grow and blossom into the multi-day event Healing Appalachia has become today. Childers’ friend and manager, Ian Thornton – who founded WhizzbangBAM, the booking and management company that represents Childers – together with festival program director Charlie Hatcher, Hope in the Hills board president Dave Lavender, and others took that tragic day in Huntington and turned it into an accretion point, around which they gathered and took action. Now, the festival has a local, annual economic impact approaching $3 million while raising thousands of dollars to be distributed to local, on-the-ground organizations and non-profits that specialize in addiction programs, recovery, support, and healing for this long-oppressed region of the world.

We spoke to Ian Thornton and Dave Lavender for a two-part interview preview of Healing Appalachia, that dives into the work of Hope in the Hills and explores this grassroots music event’s community-first mission, that hopes to heal these music-steeped, underestimated communities in Appalachia from the inside out. Read our conversation with Dave Lavender below, read our conversation with Ian Thornton here.

Unable to attend the festival this weekend? You can donate to support the cause here.

Can you talk a bit about the impetus or inspirations for Healing Appalachia?

Dave Lavender: Hope in the Hills, our non-profit, was started in 2017, and then the first Healing Appalachia was held in 2018 as it took a minute for Ian Thornton, Keebie Gilkerson and Charlie Hatcher, and the other OG board members to get the all-volunteer non-profit going.

The birth of the group is rooted in the events of 2016 – two historic things happened that year. In June 2016, central West Virginia got record flooding that killed 23 people. Shortly thereafter, the Huntington music scene, which was really getting built-up in a mighty way with touring bands, came together and raised more money in one night at the V Club than some big corporate fundraisers had in a couple weeks. I think all of us there saw a ragtag bunch of musicians could really make a difference banding together. Interestingly, Tyler Childers and the Food Stamps’ first New York City trip was that August as well, for a West Virginia flood fundraiser organized by our friend, Michael Cerveris, the two-time Tony winner from Huntington.

As that was happening in August 2016, Huntington, West Virginia, hit the world’s headline news with 26 overdose calls within four hours. It might have been a shock to the world, but we were all living around it in West Virginia so Ian, Tyler and Charlie Hatcher, Healing’s co-founder and show producer, knew how bad it was, and knew it was time to project the “bat signal” in the air, and unite their super friends in music to gather again and put on a show to help out the boots-on-the-ground folks overwhelmed and trying to assist in this opioid crisis.

One thing that struck me about the organization and the event is how y’all are from the region and building support systems, resources and pathways for folks from within the region – can you talk about the importance of mutual aid and community to the org and also the event?

DL: Everyone in the world knows the West Virginia theme song is “Country Roads,” but I would say the West Virginia and Appalachian motto is a song from Slab Fork, West Virginia-native Bill Withers. He wrote “Lean on Me” about being raised in the coal camp where you rely on your neighbors. Being from Appalachia, we know help is not on the way and that we are also better and stronger together.

For Hope in the Hills as a granting organization, we try to stay acutely aware of the ever-changing recovery ecosystem and fill the gaps where we can. For instance, I think the general public thinks of the opioid crisis as, “That’s the guy with the backpack at the recovery house.” Yes, true. But, the opioid crisis has created deep and wide fall-out – from historic numbers of kids in foster care (addressed by Barbara Kingsolver in her latest Pulitzer-Prize winning book, Demon Copperhead), to an overloaded prison system with non-violent drug offenders to many governments not wanting to fund harm reduction – even though they know through countless studies that it saves lives. Without harm reduction, communities are likely to get horrific spikes in hepatitis and HIV.

We try to put what funds we have into the gaps to provide a little help, but to also let folks know through our socials about some of these amazing programs happening across the region with things like camps for kids in trauma, and innovative recovery-work programs.

As for the event, I think that “Lean on Me” spirit is really palpable everywhere you look at Healing Appalachia. We’ve modeled ourselves in the spirit of using music to create social change, after Farm Aid. Healing is shining a light on a crisis that many choose to ignore. We’re highlighting amazing people who help daily to deal with that crisis. We’re inspiring attendees through the music, testimonials from the stage, and the dozens of service providers there, to go forth and be the change when they get home from the concert, wherever home is. And that home is widespread – last year we had folks from 38 states and 3 countries.

The message I hope the casual music fan receives in their heart and acts upon from Healing Appalachia is that the opioid crisis is not “us and them,” it’s just us. Last year, we lost more than 109,000 in the United States to overdose. Music is a powerful vehicle for conveying with love that message of empathy. Even if you haven’t lost someone personally to overdose, we lost Prince, Tom Petty, Whitney Houston, and a long list of beloved musicians to opioid overdoses. So I hope that at the very least the casual music fan who comes just to see some amazing bands, goes back home with an improved empathy muscle that allows them to lay down the proverbial stones and jokes and judgment they were set to throw at someone suffering from Substance Use Disorder and in active addiction.

For the recovery service groups coming to Healing – and this year we will have more than 40 from 13 states – I want them to know, that as Mavis Staples sings, “You’re Not Alone.”

That they hopefully will meet folks from organizations like them who are in the trenches everyday, doing the hard, tedious and often-unsung work of helping someone along their journey, and that they may pick up some best practices, some group to ally with, and some friends from across Appalachia who know their struggles and can be an encourager.

Do you have a favorite anecdote or story about a partner organization or individual or program that was particularly impactful, or a perfect representation of why you do what you do?

DL: At Healing Appalachia last year, Kenney Matthews, the ONEBox coordinator for Drug Intervention Institute was one of our main speakers. I’m typically running around taking care of a lot of back-end stuff at the fest, but I was out there with him before he went out. He was really nervous, but I hugged him and told him he was going to crush it. He did, and threw down this beautiful line about “the opposite of addiction is connection.” It really was electric, so real and so true. I was talking with my wife, Toril, after Healing and Kenney – who spent 15 years in prison – told her about running into a prison guard who knew him on the inside at the festival. The guard tells Kenney he never did think he would change and that he was really proud of him, and they both had a moment of healing at Healing. We’ve had LOTS of moments in doing this work and the fest is full of them, but I loved hearing both sides of Kenney’s story and its impact to spread hope.

How do you – either individually or as a group – see music and the arts (especially arts with regional ties, like folk and country music and folk arts) as part of these regional solutions to regional problems?

DL: In Appalachia, storytelling and music are so grapevine-wrapped in who we are, how we think, what we do, so connecting and teaming up with those artists who are using their music with intent and purpose is what we want to do.

As a group, Hope in the Hills, we’ve been building out a Music Is Healing program that has active music therapy programs in East Tennessee with Cecilia Wright (who plays cello with Senora May and who has her own band), and in Eastern Kentucky at ARC and West Virginia with Huntington-based music therapist Margaret Moore (a multi-instrumentalist folk artist who also teaches the Wernick Method bluegrass jams). She also happens to be an expert in forward facing trauma.

The inspiring thing is we are bringing folks like Cecilia and Margaret – with that intersectionality of professional musicianship and therapy – to team up with other regional artists of all genres and do sessions not only at drop-in centers and recovery houses but also at regular music festivals to spread the fact that music is therapy and can be tapped into to get on a higher spiritual plateau.

At Addiction Recovery Care (ARC) Centers in Eastern Kentucky, Margaret gets to work with world-class bluegrass artists Don and John Rigsby, long-time nationally-touring bluegrass artists who are sharing their music to inspire folks on their recovery journey. Through ARC, Don’s built out a studio in Lawrence County, Kentucky, where he is teaching some of the ARC guys the recording industry. Along those career pathway lines, at Recovery Points in West Virginia, Hope in the Hills (Dave Johnson and Charlie Hatcher) have been working with folks there who have in years past helped build Healing’s stages and do stage-hand and festival security work, get paid for additional festival work as a career pathway build-out as an employment option.

Hope in the Hills is also helping fund the WVU School of Medicine’s music therapy program at the opioid unit. We’re also contributing to the inspiring Troublesome Creek Stringed Instruments program with Doug Naselrod in Eastern Kentucky, where Doug is doing music therapy while also carving out recovery-to-work opportunities for his world-class luthier shop making traditional music instruments.

Specifically for Healing, we’ve leveraged the fact that we have a large audience to help train them on using Naloxone. Last year (the first year back after two years off because of COVID), we teamed up with the WV Drug Intervention Institute to have a Naloxone training tent that really broke down the stigmas of Naloxone with a festival spirit. Our buddy Joe Murphy got Gibson Gives involved and we loaded up swag bags with Tyler CDs, water bottles from Healing, and then additional swag from other artists.

Are there particular bands/artists/acts on the lineup this year you’re especially excited about?

DL: Gotta give crazy props to Charlie Hatcher and Ian Thornton for pulling aces and connections to reel in an insanely good lineup that includes 24 national acts. This is only our fourth Healing Appalachia, so to have Marcus King, Umphrey’s McGee, and Warren Haynes and Gov’t Mule back-to-back-to-back – would be the envy of jam band festival in the world! Truly a guitar lover’s feast on Friday. And opening act Joslyn and the Sweet Compression is one of my favorite R&B bands out there.

I’m really knocked out that 49 Winchester (who’s up for Americana Group of the Year) are throwing down for two nights in a row hosting our Late Night Jam with some killer bands and songwriters on those bills.

As far as really impactful musicians and people in that recovery space, we feel beyond blessed to have Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit on Thursday as the headliner and then Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB on Saturday headlining with festival co-founder Tyler Childers and The Food Stamps. Isbell, who was on a recovery panel at SXSW 2022 with our good friend Jan Rader, has put in the hard work to become increasingly more comfortable and sure-footed in that space and has Weather Vanes fresh out — the album to prove it. That’s been inspiring to watch.

We’re over the moon to have Trey (who is 15 years in recovery) with us and bringing Classic TAB, after a full summer of Phish shows, and with the great news that his 40-bed recovery center Divided Sky Foundation is on the way to opening in Ludlow, Vermont.

As a West Virginian, I’m super stoked to get Charles Wesley Godwin back on home turf to do something so real. I think he could grow into the biggest thing out of West Virginia since Brad Paisley. His new 19-song album, “Family Ties,” drops the day after he plays Healing on Thursday.

Margo Price performs at Healing Appalachia 2022.

What does a healed Appalachia look like to you?

DL: The problems are many, but the power of collective hope is growing and change is in the air all over Appalachia.

A healed Appalachia spends its riches and resources on mental health and particularly on children, making sure they are loved, nurtured, yet independent, and have all of the coping skills needed. We are now in an era of record kids in foster care and, as we know, childhood trauma is a thread that runs through folks who suffer with Substance Use Disorder. So first order for a healed Appalachia would be a widespread movement and budget shift to help kids in trauma now.

A healed Appalachia is one that has abundant opportunities within a clear line of sight for everyone in the community. A healed Appalachia gives everyone a seat at the table regardless of their past.

I’m a big fan of Brad Smith, who along with John Chambers and others, helping launch and rebrand West Virginia as the start-up state, where we create a really robust small business economy that allows folks here to dream big and launch those dreams here, like Ian, Tyler and the WhizzbangBAM team have done in Huntington, building out a business that builds spiderwebs of creative economy supporting regional musicians and artists.

A healed Appalachia has ample and good-paying sustainable green-energy jobs that pay a living wage and that brings wealth and health and that are not destructive to our beautiful Appalachian Mountains and to the workers.

A healed Appalachia is one with nature, gardening, exercise and healthy lifestyles that bind us to our beloved mountains and valleys.

A healed Appalachia talks less about politics and more about community and being a good neighbor – as the wonderful new Tim O’Brien song, “Cup of Sugar,” suggests we should do.

A healed Appalachia is full of true forgiveness, grace and second chances for folks, making forgiveness not just an often-trotted out word in a book but something real and necessary to heal our communities.

I think that’s probably enough healing or I’ll have to send you a doctor’s bill… [Laughs]

(Editor’s Note: Read part one, our conversation with Hope in the Hills board vice president and WhizzbangBAM founder Ian Thornton, here.)

Photos by Hunter Way / Impact Media

Preview: The BGS Scoop on AmericanaFest, September 19-23 in Nashville, TN

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

AmericanaFest is HERE! The annual festival, business conference and roots-music extravaganza will once again take over Nashville beginning today, September 19, through Saturday, September 23. While of course we’re most looking forward to our event presented with Queerfest, the Good Ol’ Queer Country Jamboree, on Saturday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., the entire week is filled to the brim with must-see, must-hear, must-do events, panels, showcases, parties and hangs.

As we do most years, below we lay out a variety of items starred by BGS staff on our AmericanaFest apps – which, BTW, is a festival and conference essential. You can add performances, panels, and keynotes to your own personalized scheduled complete with lineups, panel rosters, details and more. Plus, you’ll be able to easily see which events require special tickets or advance RSVP directly in the app and which are accessible with your conference badge or festival wristband. Download the official app on the app store here. Download via Google Play here. See the full AmericanaFest daily schedule in your browser here.

We want to hear from you, too! Which AmericanaFest events and shows are you most excited for? Which of the more than 200 showcasing bands and artists are at the top of your lists?

Panels, Parties, & Events

Check-in and pass pick-up begin today, Tuesday, September 19, at 12 noon at the Westin Nashville in the Gulch, but most panels and conference programming gets rolling tomorrow, on Wednesday. If you thought ahead, you already RSVP-ed to the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum’s conversation and performance by two of our faves, Rosanne Cash and John Leventhal, this afternoon at 3 p.m. They’ll chat about their careers plus the 30th Anniversary re-issue of The Wheel – hear a track from that project on BGS here.

There are quite a few more conversations, panels and events we’re eyeing this week around Nashville:

Roots & Branches – Kentucky Music – WED. SEPT. 20 10:00 AM @ The Westin Vanderbilt III

Kentucky poet laureate Silas House – who recently wrote the story behind Tyler Childers’ sensational new music video – will chat with fellow Kentuckians and musicians S.G. Goodman, Kelsey Waldon and Nat Myers about “the history, legacy and current state of Kentucky’s music and the way it has helped to shape American music…” The bluegrass state means more to American roots music than just bluegrass and these folks know it. An enlightening conversation is sure to be had.

Where the Action Is: Americana Artists and Activism – WED. SEPT. 20 11:00 AM @ the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum Ford Theater *RSVP REQUIRED*

Moderated by veteran BGS contributor Jewly Hight and hosted by the Country Music Hall of Fame, this conversation will feature performances by Adeem the Artist, Mya Byrne, Autumn Nicholas and Allison Russell, all artists who leverage their music making in Americana spaces to advance activist causes, social justice and representation and inclusion. The event promises to connect the present and each of these artists to this vibrant tradition in roots music and folk.

Hillbillies and Hot Dogs – WED. SEPT. 20 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM @ Compass Records *RSVP REQUIRED*

Our friends at Compass Records and No Depression host one of the best hoedowns every year at AmericanaFest, replete with hot dogs and the recording studio that birthed the Outlaw movement. Hear music by Robbie Fulks, Kelly Hunt, Mattie Schell and the business queen of banjo herself, Alison Brown.

NMAAM Songwriters Rounds – WED., THURS., FRI. SEPT 20, 21, 22 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM @ National Museum of African American Music

A music conference and festival in Nashville is the perfect time to visit the National Museum of African American Music, which opened during the pandemic and has slowly but surely built momentum and an audience for the history, culture, and tastemaking of African American music. And situated right in the heart of Nashville’s lower Broadway neighborhood, it’s the perfect venue to make such points. NMAAM’s daily writers rounds will feature artists and songwriters like AHI, guitar phenoms Joy Clark and Yasmin Williams, BGS One to Watch Julie Williams and more.

An Intimate Conversation with Nickel Creek & Sarah Silverman – WED. SEPT 20 1:00 PM @ RCA Studio A *RSVP Required*

You read that right! Nickel Creek and Sarah Silverman in conversation at RCA Studio A moderated by Jewly Hight!? Pinch us! Clearly one event not to miss this week. RSVP is required, hope yours has been submitted long ago!

Indigenous Americana – WED. SEPT 20 4:oo PM @ the Westin SoBro I & II

You are still on stolen land. While you occupy the historic lands of the Cherokee, Shawnee and Yuchi this week, set aside time to appreciate, ingest and center Indigenous music makers, their songs and their stories. This panel conversation on the future of the thriving Indigenous music community will feature Amanda Rheaume, Crystal Shawanda, Nicole Auger of the Indigenous Music Summit and Trenton Wheeler. More events for/about Indigenous music below.

Kentucky Bluegrass, Past and Future – THURS. SEPT. 21 2:30 PM @ the Westin Gulch I & II

From our friends at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, a conversation about the arc of bluegrass in the bluegrass state featuring BGS contributor Craig Havighurst, Bluegrass Hall director Chris Joslin, fiddler Jason Carter, the legendary Sam Bush, educator and picker Scott Napier, and Jessica Blankenship of the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.

Who Are the Gatekeepers of Americana Anyway? – THURS. SEPT. 21 4:00 PM @ the Westin Gulch I & II

If your immediate reaction to this panel title is skepticism, this is definitely for you! The roster of Omar Ruiz-Lopez (of Violet Bell), Rissi Palmer and Yasmin Williams immediately indicate this conversation will critically unpack and explore the construction of Americana as a format, just how multi-cultural the music really is, and why that strength is worth spotlighting while we dismantle systems of gatekeeping and exclusion.

Transgender Artists Arriving and Breaking Through in Americana – FRI. SEPT. 22 1:00 PM @ the Westin Gulch I & II

Just a few short years ago there were almost no LGBTQ+ spaces at AmericanaFest, so we’re ecstatic to see a trans-specific space like this opened up at the conference. Hear from Ally Free, Cidny Bullens, Mya Byrne, Paisley Fields and moderator Marcus K. Dowling on historic and current challenges and opportunities for trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming Americana musicians.

From ‘Queer Jolene’ to ‘Pay Gap’: Teaching Social Issues Through Americana in the Classroom – FRI. SEPT. 22 3:30 PM the Westin Gulch III

Using two songs as a springboard, scholar-musician Nadine Hubbs and showcasing artist Beth Bombara will be joined by Aimee Zoeller, Ethan Anderson, and renowned writer/thinker Tressie McMillan Cottom to discuss the use of Americana music and texts to teach and highlight current issues of race, class, gender, sexuality and identity in university and college classrooms and academic spaces.

Americana Honors & Awards

 

Keb’ Mo’ attends the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

The marquee event of the week, the 22nd Annual Americana Honors & Awards will take place on Wednesday evening beginning at 6:30 p.m. See the full list of honorees and nominees here. The awards show promises appearances and performances by so many Americana friends and neighbors: Adeem the Artist, Allison Russell, Brandy Clark, Jessi Colter, Marty Stuart, Nickel Creek, William Prince, Sunny War and many, many more. Recipients of this year’s Lifetime, Trailblazer and Legacy Awards include The Avett Brothers, George Fontaine Sr., Bettye LaVette, Patty Griffin and Nickel Creek.

Not able to be in the sacred pews of the Ryman Auditorium for the show? You can watch online via Circle All Access’s YouTube Channel or the Americana Music Association’s Facebook page.

Good Ol’ Queer Country Jamboree at Soho House Nashville

A rare opportunity to utilize the gorgeous facilities of Soho House Nashville at this members-only and conference passholders-only event! Plus, enjoy the absolute best in queer country being made today as we celebrate the announcement of BGS’s new outlet, Good Country, coming in 2024! Space is limited, so make sure your RSVP is in for the Good Ol’ Queer Country Jamboree featuring music by Adeem the Artist, Jett Holden, Amanda Fields & Megan McCormick, Chris Housman and special guests.

You can get more information and RSVP here.

The Good Ol’ Queer Country Jamboree
Featuring Adeem the Artist, Amanda Fields & Megan McCormick, Jett Holden, Chris Housman, and more.
Saturday, September 23, 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Soho House Nashville

Showcases, Artists & Bands

Here are just a handful of the showcases, lineups, artists and bands we’ve got our eye on this week:

Americana Proud: A Voice for All – TUE. SEPT. 19 8:00 PM & 9:30 PM @ the City Winery

Hosted by singer-songwriter Autumn Nicholas and Nashville-based drag queen Vidalia Anne Gentry, Americana Proud will bring two showtimes of their highly-anticipated showcase to the City Winery on Tuesday evening, the first at 8 p.m. and another immediately following at 9:30 p.m. Hear from artists and musicians such as ISMAY, Jobi Riccio, Kentucky Gentlemen, Palmyra and many more.

Bourbon & Bluegrass – FRI. SEPT. 22 4:oo PM to 6:30 PM @ the Vinyl Lounge

Join us and our friends from Visit Owensboro and LogStill Distillery for one of our most favorite pairings, bourbon and bluegrass presented by BGS! Fresh off of our rollicking time in Kentucky at Bourbon & Beyond, we’ve still got a hankering for whiskey and tunes – this time from Mama Said String Band and the Owensboro Bluegrass Band. Join us Friday afternoon at the Vinyl Lounge in Wedgewood Houston!

Willi Carlisle

We can’t get enough of this lonesome troubadour’s poetic, old-timey country. He’s in and out of Nashville quick this week, so catch Willi Carlisle’s official showcase at the Vinyl Lounge on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 8:00 p.m. (Read our most recent feature on Carlisle here.) Now THAT’S good country!

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

Fiddler Michael Cleveland burnt down our BGS Stage at Bourbon & Beyond last weekend when he brought on his friend and ours, Billy Strings, as a surprise guest. Later that evening during Strings’ main stage set, he brought Michael out in front of 40,000 roaring fans. We LOVED that moment – don’t miss his official showcase with his band, Flamekeeper, at Analog at the Hutton Hotel on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 9 p.m.

Jessi Colter

This legend of country has a new, Margo Price-produced album, Edge of Forever, out on October 27, so it’s the perfect week to check her off your live performance bucket list. Colter will have an official showcase at 3rd & Lindsley on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 10 p.m., plus she appears as part of Mojo’s Music City Mayhem on Thursday, Sept. 21 between 3 and 6 p.m. Also some good country.

Della Mae

We’ve been keeping up with Della Mae lately – from Earl Scruggs Music Festival to Bourbon & Beyond to AmericanaFest! – and we’ve loved every second. If you haven’t heard their new four-person lineup, it’s worth checking out this week. If you’re not in Nashville at the conference, stream their newly released Neil Young cover instead. (Below!)

Liv Greene

AmericanaFest is all about discovery and if you haven’t discovered this singer-songwriter yet, this week is your chance. Hear Greene’s award winning songwriting – which is equally winsome and pining while gritty and bluegrassy – on three different occasions throughout the week: Tuesday, Sept. 19, 8 p.m. at Americana Proud at City Winery; their official showcase on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 10 p.m. at the City Winery Lounge; and during the Tribute to the Songs of 1973 Part 3 on Friday, Sept. 22 at 10 p.m.

Jaimee Harris

You know what Jaimee Harris’s music is? Good country! It’s all over this AmericanaFest lineup, for sure. Harris will have your heart firmly in hand with her grounded, earnest and effacing nostalgia. It feels so country and effortlessly Americana, but with endless queer, subversive wrinkles. Get acquainted with Harris and her latest album, Boomerang Town, at several different performances during the week: Tuesday, Sept. 19, 8 p.m. at Americana Proud at City Winery; Thursday, Sept. 21, 4:30 p.m. at the Lone Star Shindig at the Bobby Hotel; Friday, Sept. 22, 1:20 p.m. at Bowery Vault for SHC East Coast Social Club; her official showcase on Friday, Sept. 22, 8 p.m. at the City Winery Lounge; Friday Sept. 22, 11 p.m. at the Basement East for A Tribute to the Songs of 1973; and Saturday, Sept. 23 at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge at 1 p.m.

Lola Kirke

All of Lola Kirke’s exes live in LA, so luckily she’s in Nashville this week! Kirke was a highlight of our BGS Stage last week at Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville before heading to AmericanaFest, where you can see her at SiriusXM Outlaw’s Americana Most Wanted guitar pull on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 12 p.m.; also see her official showcase at the Blue Room on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 10 p.m.; and at Imogene + Willie’s Round Up – a free, unofficial, buzzworthy event certainly worth a drop-by at least – on Friday, Sept. 22 at 7:15 p.m.

Native Guitars Tour – Voices of Native Americana – THURS. SEPT. 21 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM @ The Blue Room

Native leaders in music, art and fashion will bring authentic songs and stories to the Blue Room at Third Man Records on Thursday afternoon. Hear from Dach Martin, Jir Anderson, Levi Platero Band, Mike Bruno & the Myriad Mountains, Mozart Gabriel, Olivia Komahcheet, Rico Del Oro, Sage Bond and Scotti Clifford. From Native blues to crooning country and everything in between.

Emily Nenni

Get your boot scootin’ in while you’re in Nashville with honky-tonker Emily Nenni, whose country & western picked up a few tricks and twists in California’s Bay Area before landing in Music City. Nenni will jam a handful of Nashville shows into a packed tour week that takes her away from and back to AmericanaFest in the blink of an eye. Hear her at Honky Tonk Tuesday at the American Legion in East Nashville on Tuesday, Sept. 19; plus an appearance at Musician’s Corner at Centennial Park on Friday, Sept. 22 at 4:35 p.m.; and her official showcase at Eastside Bowl on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 10:30 p.m.

Autumn Nicholas

Nicholas has already appeared on this preview in a few places, and rightly so, as the North Carolinian Black Opry alumnus continues to build momentum behind their stratospheric voice and introspective, emotive songs. Hear the voice Nashville has been buzzing about for months – and that will open for Jason Isbell at the Ryman this fall – throughout the week: Tuesday, Sept. 19 at Americana Proud at City Winery, 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. shows; “Where the Action Is” panel at the Country Music Hall of Fame on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 11 a.m.; and their official showcase at the Basement on Friday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m.

Queer Cowpoke Roundup – SAT. SEPT. 23 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM @ the Groove

On your way to/from the Good Ol’ Queer Country Jamboree at Soho House on Saturday, stop by the Groove record shop in East Nashville for another LGBTQ+ centered event, the Queer Cowpoke Roundup! With music by Austin Lucas, Julian Talamantez Brolaski, Julie Nolen, Melody Walker, Mercy Bell, Secret Emchy Society, Shawna Virago and Wiley Gaby plus a special tribute to the legacy of Lavender Country and Patrick Haggerty to kick it all off.

Jobi Riccio

We are sweet on Jobi Riccio’s new album, Whiplash, a showcase of powerful, talented songwriting done up in checkered gingham and starchy denim and the perfume of broken in leather. We’ve had our eye on Riccio for a few years now, so it feels gratifying to watch the music industry discover and get behind the Berklee graduate. Hear Riccio perform during the Americana Honors & Awards on Wednesday night, but also elsewhere during AmericanaFest: Tuesday, Sept. 19 at Americana Proud at City Winery at 9:30 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 21 at WMOT Day Stage at Eastside Bowl at 4 p.m.; and her official showcase will be at Exit/In on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. (Plus, Riccio’s social media tease a “to be announced” appearance on Friday, September 22, so keep your eyes peeled.)

The Shindellas

Americana is all about making music outside the lines, about exploring the rootsy fringes of these genres we all hold dear. The Shindellas are one of the most exciting groups to come out of Nashville in recent memory, but because of their glitz, polish and crisp production values they’re rarely categorized as Americana – which they certainly can lay claim to, through blues, R&B, soul and so much more. Their new Louis York-produced album, Shindo, drops in October, so make sure you catch them this week on Saturday. You’ll be glad you did! See the Shindellas at the 11th Annual Thirty Tigers Gospel Brunch at the City Winery, Saturday, Sept. 23 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; and their official showcase at the Basement East on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m..

Dan Tyminski

The man, the legend, he needs no introduction to the BGS reader (except, perhaps, when introduced as his mononym, Tyminski). Hear Dan fresh off his Bourbon & Beyond appearance on the BGS Stage with his new bluegrass band lineup, who are certainly worth a listen, at their official showcase on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 10 p.m. at the Analog at the Hutton Hotel. This new lineup of pickers backing up the famed voice of George Clooney on O Brother, Where Art Thou? are one of the most exciting things to come from Tyminski, musically, in the last handful of decades.

Yasmin Williams

If you’ve never seen Yasmin Williams play guitar, prepare to have your mind blown. Her approach to the instrument doesn’t just wow her audiences, it wows her fellow guitarists as well, from Bryan Sutton to Tommy Emmanuel. We’ve been fans of Williams for more than a few years, since before her Shout & Shine appearance even, and we’re glad to catch her again this week at AmericanaFest: “Wide Open Spaces – The Rise of Ambient Americana” Panel, Thursday, Sept. 21, 1 p.m. at the Westin Gulch I & II; “Who are the Gatekeepers of Americana Anyway” Panel, Thursday, Sept. 21, at 4 p.m., the Westin Gulch I & II; NMAAM Songwriters Round Friday, Sept. 22 at 12 p.m.; and her official showcase Thursday, Sept. 21 at the Blue Room at 9 p.m.

Poster graphic and photo of Keb’ Mo’ courtesy of the Americana Music Association.

Lead images: Yasmin Williams by Kim Atkins Photography; Amanda Fields & Megan McCormick by Lindsey Patkos; Adeem the Artist by Shawn Poynter; Michael Cleveland by Amy Richmond.