Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light are packing up their instruments and setting off on a run of spring and summer performances, highlighted by first-time headlining dates at iconic venues and a highly anticipated appearance on the main stage of the Kerrville Folk Festival.
The band kicks off a busy schedule April 5 at the renowned Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY—a historic space that has hosted folk music legends for decades. The following week, on April 11, they’ll play a hometown show in the Boston area at Second Friday Concerts (First Church Belmont). As one of their biggest local venues to date, Sumner notes that filling the room will be “a wonderful milestone for the band.”
Sumner’s spring tour also features a solo highlight on May 25, when she steps onto the Kerrville Folk Festival’s main stage in Kerrville, TX. Though she has performed there before—once with Twisted Pine and again after winning the New Folk contest—this marks the first time she’ll appear on the legendary stage as a solo artist. Fittingly, her set leads into the announcement of this year’s New Folk winners, and precedes headliner Peter Rowan, whose songwriting has been a formative inspiration for her.
Looking ahead, Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light head west in June for a mini-tour of Colorado’s mountain towns. They’ll hit Boulder on June 18, Telluride (for the Telluride Band Contest) on June 20, and Carbondale on June 22. Additional dates and potential house concerts may be added along the way, as the trio looks forward to connecting with new audiences and exploring Colorado’s vibrant music scene.
Aside from touring, Sumner has been immersing herself in the first two Diane Cluck albums—Diane Cluck and Macy’s Day Bird—thanks to a recommendation from Laura Marling. Sumner describes Cluck’s work as “intimate, urgent, and unpolished in the best way,” urging listeners to begin with the track “Monte Carlo.”
UPCOMING TOUR DATES AT A GLANCE
April 4 | Northampton, MA | The Parlor Room
April 5 | Saratoga Springs, NY | Caffe Lena
April 6 | Bennington, VT | Coffee Bar
April 11 | Belmont, MA | Second Friday Concerts
April 12 | Brooklyn, NY | The Owl Music Parlor
April 13 | Harrisburg, PA | Susquehanna Music Society Presents
May 2 | Wellsboro, PA | Deane Center
May 3 | State College, PA | Acoustic Brew Concerts
May 4 | Belleville, PA | House Concert
May 25 | Kerrville, TX | Kerrville Folk Festival (Solo)
June 7 | Medfield, MA | Fieldfest at Belforge Arts Center (Solo) | FREE
June 18 | Boulder, CO | Gold Hill Inn | FREE
June 20 | Telluride, CO | Telluride Band Contest
June 22 | Carbondale, CO | Steve’s Guitars | Tickets Coming Soon
July 10 | Falmouth, MA | Highfield Hall | Tickets Coming Soon
July 19 | Blue Hill, ME | Barncastle | Tickets Coming Soon
July 31 | Leavenworth, WA | Tickets Coming Soon
Aug 1 | Olympia, WA | Tickets Coming Soon
Aug 2 | Snohomish, WA | Tickets Coming Soon
Aug 3 | Eastsound, WA | Tickets Coming Soon
For more information on upcoming shows, tickets, and how to host a house concert, visit Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light online.
