2019’s Lineup

The Wood Brothers formed after brothers Chris and Oliver Wood pursued separate musical careers for 15 years. You’d be forgiven at the time for expecting it to be something of a side project. Chris already had legions of devoted fans for his incomparable work as one-third of Medeski Martin & Wood, while Oliver toured with Tinsley Ellis before releasing a half-dozen albums with his band King Johnson. Almost a decade later and with drummer Jano Rix added as a permanent third member, it’s become quite clear that The Wood Brothers is indeed the main act.

Billy Strings plays hard and he lives hard, picking so fast and intensely that he’s known to break multiple strings per song, and basing the songs he writes on the hard lives he grew up around in the abandoned rural communities of America. He’s one of the most beloved young bluegrass guitarists today within the bluegrass community, and his front porch in east Nashville is constantly filled up with Nashville’s best roots musicians just picking up a storm.

More than three decades have passed since Los Lobos released their debut album, Just Another Band from East L.A. Since then they’ve repeatedly disproven that title—Los Lobos isn’t “just another” anything, but rather a band that has consistently evolved artistically while never losing sight of their humble roots.

After a dozen acclaimed albums, virtuoso slide guitarist and bandleader Sonny Landreth found himself at an artistic crossroads. He wanted to finally create the full-length acoustic collection his fans had long requested. But he was also itching to capture the sound of his stalwart electric trio augmented by a couple of his favorite collaborators. And the time was certainly right for an elastic, career-spanning double-live album. So Landreth and his longtime friends decided to do it all. ‘Recorded Live in Lafayette’ is a 16-song opus that covers more musical ground than any single album ever could, as the singer and songwriter’s work stretches and twists across 93 minutes of full-band acoustic and electric bottleneck lightning.

As world travelers for nearly two decades, Rising Appalachia have merged multiple global music influences with their own southern roots to create the inviting new folk album, Leylines. Remarkably the band has built its legion of listeners independently — a self-made success story that has led to major festival appearances and sold-out shows at venues across the country.

A unique blend of excellent songwriting, bluegrass roots and the sheer raw energy of a rock band. The Lil Smokies weave seamlessly through genres, leaving behind melodies you’ll be singing to yourself for days.

Northern California’s outlaw music bards bring a reputation for high-energy live shows and an incomparable fusion of bluegrass/old time, southern rock, and old school jam to stages and festivals worldwide. Poor Man’s Whiskey has been growing exponentially in the past 5 years selling out venues across the country such as the legendary Fillmore in SF.This “High-Octane Hootenanny” will certainly delight those interested in a foot-stompin good time. Poor Man’s Whiskey has evolved into a ragged, spontaneous beast pulling from equally deep wells of story-telling originals, expertly crafted covers and zany on-stage shenanigans.

Known far and wide as the impossibly big voiced leader of acclaimed soul collective Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, singer Arleigh Kincheloe has made an astonishing leap forward with Sister Sparrow’s new LP, GOLD. Produced by Carter Matschullat (Chef’Special, Secret Weapons), the album sees Sister Sparrow taking the classic brass-fueled Dirty Birds sound and turning it into something altogether new: a soul-blasted contemporary pop sound both timeless yet utterly now. Recorded mere months after Kincheloe became a new mother, songs like the evocative first single, “Ghost,” and the ebullient title track highlight Sister Sparrow’s strikingly strong vocals while also showcasing her growing muscle as an individualistic, communicative songwriter.

In 2017, Andy Frasco reached a fork in the road. Renowned for a jubilant jambalaya of rule-breaking rock n roll his career kept rolling ahead at full steam. To date, he had released three independent albums, chronicled a German gig in front of 15,000 screaming fans on the recent live opus Songs from the Road, made jaws drop at festivals such as Grandoozy, Firefly, Mountain Jam, Summer Camp, Rock am Ring, Rock im Park and Electric Forest, generated millions of streams, launched Andy Frasco’s World Saving Podcast, and performed at festivals alongside icons such as Peter Frampton, Gary Clark Jr., The Revivalists, Snoop Dog, Dr. Dog, Joe Walsh and Kendrick Lamar, to name a few. 

Although the music from each act is different, Pink Talking Fish has discovered that fusing the material together creates an amazing story. The epic emotion of Pink Floyd…. The funky, danceable layerings of Talking Heads…. The multitude of styles, unique compositional structures and pure fun of Phish…. to merge these three into one gives music lovers a special experience.

Matador! Soul Sounds is a jazz, funk and soul band born from the vision of Eddie Roberts (The New Mastersounds) and Alan Evans (Soulive).

​The band consists of six funk and soul artists, each with their own independent music backgrounds. Alan Evans leads the rhythm section on Drums with Eddie Roberts playing electric guitar along with keyboardist Chris Spies and bassist Kevin Scott (Jimmy Herring). Adding a feminine energy to the band are Adryon de León and Kimberly Dawson (Pimps of Joytime) on vocals. Combining the dynamism of each band leader, the music they have created is brand new, hard hitting and drenched with their shared musical passions – jazz, funk & soul.

Rich with bold brass and hypnotic percussion, Polyrhythmics‘ latest album, Caldera, showcases the instrumental eight-piece’s impossibly tight grooves and virtuosic musicianship as they tear through a singular blend of funk, soul, psychedelic rock, R&B, progressive jazz, and Afrobeat. 

From their humble inception as an acoustic trio, The Drunken Hearts have evolved into an electric five-piece that is captivating audiences across the country. In those few years, the Colorado-based group has managed to make a name for itself in a state that is known for cultivating world-class music. The band fearlessly bottles a tempestuous, yet honest brand of Americana music — infusing spirited vocals with electric and acoustic instruments, and crafting heartfelt songs that are resonating with crowds everywhere.

Mestizo Beat is a collective of musicians based out of Los Angeles who compose and perform music influenced by the early 1970’s era of funk, soul, afro-beat, and afro-cuban genre. Formed by lead guitarist Aquiles “Lito” Magaña along with his brother Gus Magaña on drums. These two would come to share their passion and love for this era of music and become the driving core for the group. Influenced by the greats such as James Brown, Fred Wesley and the J.B.’s, Parliament Funkadelic, the Meters, and WAR.

Multifaceted artist Scott Law is a powerful instrumentalist, singer­-songwriter and raconteur operating at the very highest level of his craft. Hailed as an “esteemed flat-picker” by Acoustic Guitar magazine, Law is equally reverent and inventive on electric guitar, acoustic guitar and mandolin and sought after as both leader and accompanist.

Law’s shape-shifting sonics reflect primary colors of the American musical panorama. Having sown deep roots in blues and the Bakersfield-tinged country Telecaster of Don Rich and Clarence White, Law’s electric guitar is widely appreciated for giving a feel and melodic fluidity reminiscent of Jerry Garcia.

Eisen-Meyers cut his musical teeth early and by the age of 13, performing regularly with blues groups in Portland, OR. At 18 he began writing and performing his own original material, while actively touring and supporting other artists and songwriters. With roots in blues, pop, soul and groove music, he developed a fond appreciation for the expansiveness and colors of contemporary songwriting and the freedom of expression that exists in jazz and improvised music.

Blue Summit is a genre fluid bluegrass band that first formed in 2016. They are a remarkable group of young musicians who have grown up performing in the California bluegrass community. One of their latest achievements includes a CBA showcase at the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) event held in North Carolina. They have been gaining traction with their unique sound, sharing their music all over the west coast. Later this year, they plan to travel overseas for the first time.

Jason Graham created his stage name, MOsley WOtta (a.k.a., MO WO), from the idea that every human is made mostly of water. His interactive performance, writing, poetry, music and movement incorporate into an unique hybrid art form.

Maddie Carpenter is a singer-songwriter from Northern California. She is a lover of Americana, Blues and Pop music— from Bonnie Raitt to Ariana Grande she is inspired by female vocalists who are are strong and have something to say. Catch her singing her own tunes plus a few covers that you know and love!

Maxwell Friedman is living proof that some musicians are indeed “born with it.” At a very young age, his tasteful yet ferociously inspired keyboard playing and compositions are already becoming legendary and his skill, knowledge, taste, phrasing and artistry are already on-par with many accomplished players on the national scene who, without hesitation, call him their peer. One of the youngest players to have ever been endorsed by Hammond Organ, Maxwell has already been invited to share the stage with many musical heavy hitters such as Karl Denson, George Porter Jr., The New Mastersounds, Skerik, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Michael Franti, The Werks, ALO, Scott Pemberton, and many more. This young wunderkind’s star is surely on the rise!

The soulful sound, innovative improvisations and relevant lyrics that come from 12 year old singer songwriter and multi instrumentalist CJ Neary, you must hear for yourself. The CJ Neary Band has captured the hearts of people of all ages with their infectious groovy sound and exceptional talent.

When she found yoga, it felt like coming home in both her body and spirit. Through her own practice, she has experienced yoga’s ability to heal grief, deepen consciousness, cultivate mind-body connection, and awaken true potential in the spirit of dharma. When her lifelong passion for travel merged with her love of yoga, it led her to pilgrimages in Nepal, Bali, and Thailand for a deeper immersion in the culture, sacred sites, and traditions of the East.