With just a few weeks until the gates open at the Newport Folk Festival, I find myself thinking about little else, at least musically. I go to a number of festivals and see a lot of shows, but it’s rare that a musical event can rob my attention well before it happens. It’s difficult to describe the festival to those who haven’t been; like anything magical, you really need to experience it for yourself to fully understand why it sells out instantly, without the fanfare of announcements and advertisements. In fact, the last ticket is sold long before the first artist is announced.

This year’s rendition of Bourbon and Beyond is set to outdo the festival of last year that unfortunately was rained out due to dangerous conditions of the grounds. The new location will be outside the Kentucky Expo center at Highland Festival Grounds, more inland than the previous location on the banks of the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky. 

The sun painted the final day of the 2019 Beale Street Music Festival in bright colors as puffy clouds floated about in the sky like cotton balls. It was a picture-perfect afternoon as the sold-out crowd began to fill the Tom Lee Park shortly after the gates opened. The music started early with the happy go lucky sounds of 24-year-old Memphis native Healy. The upbeat singer mixes musical genres like a Long Island Ice Tea of music.

The kickoff date is May 7 in Grand Rapids, MI with the band wrapping up the first leg of the tour June 1 in Toronto, ON. A much-anticipated series of fall dates will launch on September 6 in St. Paul, MN and conclude on October 23 in Edmonton, AB.  Tickets are on sale at LiveNation.com.  

The World’s Largest Bourbon Festival, Bourbon & Beyond, will make its anticipated return to Louisville, KY Friday, September 20, Saturday, September 21, and Sunday, September 22, expanding to three days full of incredible music, unique culinary events, and unmatched experiences from the region’s best distilleries at the new Highland Festival Grounds At KY Expo Center.

OHANA--the annual three-day festival curated by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder--will once again bring its mix of powerful headlining sets, standout collaborations and performances from emerging talent to the beautiful Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA.

KAABOO is pleased to announce its 2019 music and comedy lineups for KAABOO Texas taking place May 10-12, 2019. The multi-stage and full sensory event will happen at the state-of-the-art AT&T Stadium and take place both inside and outdoors allowing guests to move freely throughout the property.

Graduating to the next level after four great years at the Stanley Hotel, Leftover Salmon is thrilled to bring you Leftover Salmon’s Boogie At The Broadmoor Friday- Sunday, March 22-24. They are excited to share some incredible additions to the lineup including Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Southern Avenue, and Pixie and the Partygrass Boys! LoS has already announced that they will be joined by special guests The High Country Horns, featuring Skerik, Natalie Cressman, and Jennifer Hartswick and will be announcing further additions in the new year.

Lukas Nelson, whose career profile continues to broaden and flourish, most recently for his work in the remake of “A Star is Born,” doubled down on his commitment to the Music Heals International (MHI) organization. On November 19, he again headlined a dynamic, diverse, and musically proficient lineup of music in support of MHI’s Haitian music-in-schools program at the intimate Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, Calif.

The sad passing on October 12 of Andy Goessling, founding member of Railroad Earth, the ongoing host band for the Hangtown Music Festival (Oct. 25-28), was a unifying thread at this year’s fest, prompting outspoken love, respect, and admiration. In the end, the shared loss sparked a like-minded cause for life celebration and a shared process of moving forward amid a backdrop of fabulous music, Halloween costumes, and community.