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Arts and Entertainment
Music, film, culture, and live performance features
Roots, Rhythm, and Recognition: Red Camel Collective Lights Up Upperco Bluegrass Festival 2025
Featuring 2024 IBMA Momentum Vocalist of the Year Heavy M, Red Camel Collective brought heartfelt originals and infectious Americana energy to the Upperco Bluegrass Festival stage. From tender odes to self-worth and womanhood to sun-soaked, Spanish guitar-tinged reveries, the collective proved why they are one of the most compelling acts in contemporary bluegrass. The crowd at Upperco was treated to a set that balanced emotional depth with the kind of easy, between-song banter that makes festival performances feel like front-porch gatherings.
Straight from Music City: Authentic Unlimited Brings Bluegrass Fire to the IBMA Offices
Billy Blue Records artists Authentic Unlimited dropped by IBMA headquarters in Nashville for an intimate live session, showcasing the tight-knit ensemble's signature blend of traditional bluegrass and gospel. With a new secular album and gospel record both on the horizon, the band ?" featuring mandolin, fiddle, acoustic guitar, and rich lead vocals ?" gave fans an early taste of what's coming. The session offered a rare, unfiltered look at one of bluegrass music's most anticipated new acts.
Morning Session, Ryman Bound: East Nash Grass Brings the Bluegrass to Lightning 100
Before taking the stage at the legendary Ryman Auditorium, East Nash Grass stopped by Lightning 100's cozy studio for a live in-studio session with Jay and Lisa on Lightning in the Morning. The Nashville-based bluegrass outfit delivered an intimate preview of what fans could expect that evening, making for a warm and spirited Tuesday morning on Nashville's independent radio.
Old Friends, New Stages: Sister Sadie Brings Bluegrass Brilliance to the Country Music Hall of Fame
Award-winning bluegrass band Sister Sadie took the stage at Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for an intimate Live at the Hall performance, filling the Ford Theater with soaring fiddle work, tight harmonies, and warm storytelling. The all-female ensemble charmed the crowd with a set rooted in tradition, from lonesome railroad ballads to tales of searching hearts, while sharing the personal journeys that drew each musician to her craft. Equal parts concert and conversation, the evening captured exactly why Sister Sadie remains one of bluegrass music's most celebrated acts.
The SteelDrivers Bring Soulful Grit to Paste Studio NVL in Intimate East Nashville Session
The SteelDrivers stopped by Paste Studio on the Road at Instrumenthead Live in East Nashville to celebrate their album 'Bad for You' with a raw, heartfelt live session. Drawing on themes of whiskey-soaked sorrow, redemption, and resilience, the band delivered a performance that reminded listeners why their brand of bluegrass-soul cuts so deep. Three songs, one reunion, and a room full of genuine warmth made this a session to remember.
Margo Price Brings Grit, Grace, and a Reckoning to NPR's Tiny Desk
Country rebel Margo Price delivered a raw, intimate set at NPR Music's Tiny Desk, weaving tales of Midwestern decay, personal resilience, and American disillusionment. With sharp wit and unfiltered emotion, she turned a compact office setting into a confessional stage. It was the kind of performance that reminds you why honest songwriting still matters.
Mountain Soul: Jesse Welles Strips It Down in an Intimate Relix Session
Singer-songwriter Jesse Welles brought the quiet magic of small-town Americana to a live Relix session, drawing on memories of Halloween parades in Colorado and his Arkansas mountain upbringing. With little more than his voice and a guitar, Welles wove together themes of nostalgia, belonging, and the bittersweet search for understanding. The result was a raw, unhurried performance that felt as honest as a campfire confession.
Brandi Carlile Bares Her Soul at NPR's Tiny Desk: An Intimate Triumph
Brandi Carlile transformed NPR's legendary Tiny Desk into a cathedral of raw emotion, delivering a stripped-back set that left the room breathless. Joined by collaborators Sister String and Solomon Darcy, she navigated themes of loss, time, and self-reclamation with stunning vulnerability. It was the kind of performance that reminds you why live music still matters.
Lone Star Soul: Charley Crockett Brings Texas Heartache to the Tiny Desk
Charley Crockett delivered an intimate, unvarnished performance at NPR Music's Tiny Desk, weaving tales of shame, longing, and life along the Texas borderlands. Accompanied by the Houston-born Cullen Fox, Crockett channeled the spirits of Charley Pride and Freddie Fender in a set as wide and weathered as the Brazos River itself. Equal parts honky-tonk confession and Americana storytelling, the session was a masterclass in lived-in country music.
Chasing the Horizon: Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland Debut 'Outrun The Rain' Live for the Very First Time
In a rare and unguarded moment, bluegrass luminaries Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland took the stage to premiere their brand-new single on its release day. Written by Terry Herd and Jimmy Yi, 'Outrun The Rain' is a driving, heartache-fueled anthem about leaving pain in the rearview mirror. The duo's effortless chemistry and raw delivery turned a first-ever live performance into a masterclass in Americana authenticity.
Roots and Rafters: Del McCoury Band Brings Bluegrass Magic to NPR's Tiny Desk
Legends of American bluegrass, the Del McCoury Band, turned NPR's intimate Tiny Desk into a warm, wood-paneled honky-tonk for an afternoon. With new material fresh off a recent record release, Del and the boys delivered the kind of soulful, string-driven storytelling that has defined the genre for decades. Banter, warmth, and world-class picking made this session one for the books.
Soul, Sweat, and New Songs: Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats Bring 'Tearing at the Seams' to Life at KEXP
Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats stopped by Seattle's KEXP performance space to debut tracks from their eagerly anticipated album 'Tearing at the Seams.' With an intimate live session hosted by Kevin Cole, the band showcased the raw, soulful energy that has made them one of Americana's most compelling acts. From warm banter to powerhouse performances, the session offered a rare early glimpse at the sound defining their next chapter.
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