MerleFest, presented by Window World, has announced the initial lineup for the annual event, taking place April 24-27, 2025, on the campus of Wilkes Community College. This year’s leading acts include two North Carolina-based heavyweights: folk-rock trailblazers The Avett Brothers and Appalachian-rooted duo Watchhouse, as well as legendary singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt and Canadian folk and bluegrass ensemble The Dead South.

While the history of Austin City Limits will continue to be written for years to come, the third and final day of the festival proved that its roots remain a defining influence in the creative world. With a strong commitment to the country genre, while still celebrating artists across other genres, the day felt like a true homage to the Texas soul, embodying the idea that music only needs to be “three chords and the truth.

As the sun rose above Zilker Park for day two of Austin City Limits, so did the temperature, with day two shaping up to be one of the hottest in recent memory from an early hour. However, the sweltering Texas sun did little to deter fans, who rushed to the barricades as soon as the gates opened, eager to be part of the festivities.

As their Florida run continued, Goose headed to the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, ranked the second-best amphitheater in the USA by Pollstar Magazine in 2019. This 5,000-capacity venue boasted impeccable sound and not a single bad seat in the house. The band, still on fire from the previous night, delighted the crowd with several notable covers.

As the sun dipped below the horizon on All Hallows’ Eve, children dressed in costumes—ranging from playful ghosts to ghoulish creatures—flooded the streets of Denver, ready to embrace a night of mischief and merriment. Halloween is a rare opportunity to step outside the ordinary and slip into another persona, a chance to celebrate the bizarre, bask in the glow of creativity, and share time with friends and family. However, deep within the heart of Colfax Avenue, something much darker was stirring. Something very much... alive.

Congratulations to three-time GRAMMY-winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy, who earned two GRAMMY nominations for the 67th GRAMMY Awards - “Best Jazz Vocal Album” and “Best Jazz Performance” - for her holiday EP, A Joyful Holiday. The collection of seasonal favorites, released last year on Verve, features multiple generations of Joy’s family, plus Pasquale Grasso on guitar, David Wong on bass, Kenny Washington on drums and Sullivan Fortner on piano.