Why does Rhiannon Giddens have to schedule "Biscuits & Banjos" during #Merlefest every year!? She knows it's a conflict. Plus her audience would be way bigger since the two events draw the exact same crowd. Gonzo logic IMO.
EDIT: So I was completely wrong and it’s the day after Merlefest! Guess she figured out how to get that crowd!
Full #Merlefest lineup is out and it's awesome. If you've never been Merlefest is the best bang for your buck in the music industry. Four days over 12 stages and everyone in the #bluegrass, #Americana, #folk, and sometimes #country scene is there.
#Merlefest releases their full lineup. April 23-26, 2026 in North Wilkesboro, NC. I've been going for over 20 years and it's easily the best bang for your buck of any festival. 14 stages of music across four days, so worth it.
New additions are: Infamous Stringdusters, Railroad Earth, Joy Oladokun, Maggie Rose, and others. Announced headliners are: Alison Krauss & Union Station, Old Crow Medicine Show, Charles Wesley Godwin, and Blackberry Smoke.
Full lineup: https://merlefest.org/lineup/
Initial #Merlefest lineup is out! The big news here is the return of the Midnight Jam. Long a Merlefest staple it had been discontinued but is back for 2026. It will be hosted by OCMS.
Headliners include: Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Old Crow Medicine Show, Charles Wesley Godwin, Blackberry Smoke, Molly Tuttle, and more.
Also great to see Steep Canyon Rangers, Kruger Brothers, & Rev. Payton's Big Damn Band on there
New I'm With Her album is out today. The supergroup is comprised of the best talent the #Americana genre has to offer right now. Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins are all incredible songwriters, vocalists, and instrumentalists.
They performed at #Merlefest this year and were spectacular.
Here they are on Kimmel last night with the title track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MOYEdk7Bsg
Get the album here: https://imwithherband.com/
My favorite #Merlefest discovery was Stephen Wilson Jr. Awesome twang rock with excellent songwriting. His latest album is "Son of Dad”
But the truly mind-blowing aspect was getting to hear Cathy Fink / Marcy Marxer / Chao Tian (Asian fusion bluegrass), Peter Rowan (old-school high-lonesome bluegrass, a living legend), and the Kruger Brothers (Germanic-influenced bluegrass) all in one day. 🤯
They're all *insanely* talented, and it was so interesting to hear them one after another and get a sense of how broad a spectrum good bluegrass spans! 🪕 My only challenge now is that I've heard the absolute pinnacle of bluegrass, and it's hard to imagine how future experiences could live up to this. #MerleFest has set the bar so high...
Going into #MerleFest, I was excited about seeing [Scythian](https://scythianmusic.com/) and [Bonnie Raitt](https://www.bonnieraitt.com/) - both of whom were terrific!!
I adore Scythian's blend of their Ukrainian / Eastern European origins with Celtic & Appalachian traditions. @mbroome and I first saw them in a ridiculously crowded bar in Temple Bar, Dublin - and I have to say, a more intimate venue feels like a better fit for their vibe, but I'm *very* happy for them that they've made it big enough to be mainstage now.
Bonnie is just so real, and so personal - she was clearly disgruntled by the bugs and humidity (welcome to Carolina! It's not even summer yet) but still delivered an amazing set full of energy and pathos.
Also, [I'm With Her](https://imwithherband.com/) and [Stephen Wilson Jr](https://stephenwilsonjr.com/) were unexpected new faves...
#MerleFest was An Experience. My new friend graciously let me tag along with him all day and was a font of musical context, anecdotes, and recommendations - so amazing to have a native guide in this terra incognita of #bluegrass / #Americana / #traditionalmusic...
We bounced between stages a couple times, and this is who we ended up seeing:
Highlights from yesterday were:
Woody Platt & the Bluegrass Gentlemen
Tony Trischka doing and Earl Scruggs tribute set with Michael Daves
I’m With Her
Stephen Wilson Jr. (Fantastic! Great songwriter.)
Bonnie Raitt
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Lisa Lorenzin (she/her)