BGS and MerleFest are so excited to once again partner to bring you exclusive clips and sessions captured on site during the incredible 2026 MerleFest event in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. We’re launching our off-season collaboration with the iconic, long-running bluegrass and roots music festival sharing one of the most memorable performances from this year’s edition of the MerleFest Late Night Jam with the Grand Ole Opry hosted by Old Crow Medicine Show.
During the Late Night Jam, a crowd-favorite program that sells out each year at MerleFest, Americana singer-songwriter and artist Maggie Rose joined Old Crow Medicine Show on stage to perform “Beautiful Land,” a track from OCMS’ brand new studio album, Union Made. (Watch above.) Rose also features on the album version of the track, and the collaboration stuns equally in this live setting, captured live by our videographerf friends at I Know We Should. With twanging electric guitars and loping old-time banjo Rose and OCMS frontman Ketch Secor sing, “So people take a chance on each other and see/ What a beautiful land this might be…” It’s a certainly timely message, delivered aptly by Old Crow, Maggie Rose, and their cohort. It’s the exact kind of community message and jam session vibe you can expect each year at MerleFest and the Late Night Jam.
Elsewhere in the evening, Maggie Rose returned to the stage with accompanists from OCMS joining her to perform “Gentle Man,” previewing her most recent single, which back in April had yet to arrive on the streaming platforms and in stores. “Gentle Man” continues in a similar sentimental vein to “Beautiful Land,” kicking off with lyrics that are immediately engaging and relatable: “Confusion of the world is at an all-time high/ It’s no wonder that the heaviness weighs down your mind/ Take your time, you’re only in the dawn of life/ Grow into yourself, find your stride…”
It’s a lovely, contemplative song about masculinity – toxic and otherwise – and offers thoughtful models and ideas for how to reckon with growing up in a world of heaviness and confusion. Rose’s voice is soulful and with great depth and emotion, you can hear the conviction is her delivery of the song.
It’s an excellent way to begin the latest series in our partnership with MerleFest, with Maggie Rose, Old Crow Medicine Show, and these magical moments from the MerleFest Late Night Jam with the Grand Ole Opry. And this is just the beginning! Over the coming months, BGS and MerleFest will bring you more performances, more collaborations, and more unforgettable moments from the artists who make MerleFest special. Stay tuned right here on BGS and across our BGS and MerleFest social media accounts for more coming soon.
Video Credits: I Know We Should, Brad Wagner and Juan Soria.
This content brought to you in partnership with MerleFest. Experience music and more at MerleFest.org.
