Let’s close out Twangville’s coverage of this year’s AmericanaFest, the Americana Music Association’s annual gathering in Nashville, with one of the week’s highlights. Rock legend John Fogerty took to the stage of the Ryman Auditorium, an institution unto itself, to close out the annual Americana Honors and Awards program. And he didn’t do it alone. […]
AmericanaFest 2025, Say What?!
One of my favorite things about attending music conferences and festivals are the crazy comments that you hear along the way. Here are a few choice selections from this year’s AmericanaFest. If you’re gonna sign to a major label, do it in the 1990’s – it’s the best. Rhett Miller offering advice as he and […]
AmericanaFest 2025, Todd’s Take
When I saw Daniel Lanois announce he was playing a couple of shows in Nashville during AmericanaFest my excitement level hit a 10 out of 10, only to be eclipsed by my excitement level of 11 when I was actually watching him play with his trio at Dreamland on Tuesday. It was a perfect display […]
AmericanaFest 2025, Mayer’s Picks (Part 2)
SOPHIE GAULT Sophie Gault kept busy at AmericanaFest this year. I managed to catch her three times—solo, with the SiriusXM house band, and with her own crew—each performance more electrifying than the previous. There’s something about an artist finally making music on her own terms, and the new songs she previewed suggest her 2026 album […]
AmericanaFest 2025 – Shawn’s Favorites
I saw one estimate that in addition to the 150-ish musical acts with official showcases at this year’s AmericanaFest, there were another 150 you could only see at an unofficial event. If rumors of the dramatic slashing of music at SXSW are true, that may make AmericanaFest the largest event of the year, at least […]
AmericanaFest 2025, Mayer’s Picks (Part 1)
kirby baby Two sets from Brooklyn’s kirby baby meant double the proof that his razor-edged indie rock songs are built for live performance. Whether solo or with his full band—I saw both—the material from his new album crackled with the same intensity. JADE BIRD Bird’s magnetic presence commanded Third Man Records’ legendary Blue Room as […]
2025 Americana Music Awards
In what now clocks in at a full 7 days of festivities, if you count the first unofficial showcase until the last, AmericanaFest landed in Nashville the week of September 8th this year. And although the organization itself has started scheduling showcases opposite the annual awards event, there’s no doubt the extravaganza at the ever-fabulous […]
Americana 2024, Say What?!
One of my favorite things about attending music conferences and festivals are the crazy comments that you hear along the way. Here are a few choice selections from this year’s Americana Festival. Do people clap at your job when you mess up? Iron & Wine It was a big hit for me in Texas and […]
AmericanaFest 2024 – Shawn’s Favorites
Like a smaller, more focused SXSW, AmericanaFest is part industry conference, part music festival, and part social event. Although it’s a much smaller event, you still have to accept you’re not going to be able to see everyone you want. The official count was about 250 artists, but there were dozens of events that weren’t […]
Americana 2024, Mayer’s Picks (Part 2)
LYDIA LOVELESS Loveless played two shows to celebrate a new album, Something Else, a reimagined version of her 2014 release Somewhere Else. The new release is nearly entirely Loveless solo on piano and was the focus of a stunning Thursday appearance at Todd Snider’s Purple Building. The next afternoon Loveless and John Calvin Abney brought […]