[The following is from the official press release.]
Blue Ox Music Festival is proud to announce its initial lineup of artists for the 8th annual Blue Ox Music Festival, to be held the first weekend of summer on June 23, 24, 25, 2022. Blue Ox welcomes back the summer pilgrimage of Bluegrass, Americana, Roots, and Folk artists, and their devoted music festival fans; returning to the tall pines and hardwoods of northern Wisconsin.
Presenting three days of music and camping with an electrifying lineup of heavy hitters including- Béla Fleck: My Bluegrass Heart – featuring Michael Cleveland, Sierra Hull, Justin Moses, Mark Schatz, and Bryan Sutton. Attendees can expect plenty of special guest sit ins for this once in a lifetime performance from some of the best Bluegrass musicians on the planet.
The 2022 Blue Ox Music Festival will also welcome – Old Crow Medicine Show, Sam Bush Band, Punch Brothers, Del McCoury Band, Railroad Earth, Joseph, Paul Cauthen, Fruition, Samantha Fish, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, Cedric Burnside, Daniel Donato, Tejon Street Corner Thieves, Them Coulee Boys, Riddy Arman, Rumpke Mountain Boys, The Okee Dokee Brothers, Armchair Boogie, Fireside Collective, Chicken Wire Empire, Mae Simpson, Good Morning Bedlam, Ryan Necci and The Buffalo Gospel, Humbird, Erik Koskinen, The Pistol Whippin’ Party Penguins, Dig Deep, and Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs. More artists will be announced in the coming weeks.
Pert Near Sandstone will host the Blue Ox Music Festival for its eighth year, in addition to performing for two nights.
The return of the 2022 Blue Ox Music Festival will celebrate the extraordinary talent of traditional Bluegrass and Roots music legends, as well as progressive stars in the making.
One such legendary artist is Béla Fleck, performing the acclaimed, My Bluegrass Heart, the third chapter of a trilogy which began with the 1988 album, Drive, and continued in 1991 with The Bluegrass Sessions. The project features a who’s who of some of the greatest instrumentalists in Bluegrass music’s history, alongside some of the best of the new generation of players. Including mandolinists Sam Bush, Sierra Hull, and Chris Thile; fiddlers Michael Cleveland and Stuart Duncan; celebrated multi-instrumentalist Justin Moses, bassists Edgar Meyer and Mark Schatz, and the amazing Bryan Sutton and Molly Tuttle on guitar. Although not everyone who played on the album will be performing on My Bluegrass Heart tour this summer, fans can expect plenty of special guest appearances by artists also performing at the 2022 Blue Ox Music Festival.
This year, Old Crow Medicine Show celebrates 23 years of making live music together, as they keep turning new pages in their collective story.
It’s a story that includes all the stars Old Crow Medicine Show chased, all those fans who followed in their chasing, and each of the musicians who made the chase their own. The journey that began in a Volvo station wagon at the Canadian border in the fall of 1998 continues to unfold in ways unimaginable. Ketch Secor captures the essence in their own words, “Our exploration of the continent’s heritage in song simply keeps on producing. Until that vein is tapped we’ll probably just keep on digging. And that’ll likely take a good long while.” With their new album, Paint This Town coming out on April 22, Blue Ox Music Festival looks forward to Old Crow Medicine Show performing their new songs and gracing the main stage this summer for the first time.
This year, attendance will be limited to 5,000 tickets, to preserve the intimacy and magic that Blue Ox Music Festival was built upon.
Fans can stay tuned for updates about the 2022 Blue Ox Music Festival and The Pines Music Park, by subscribing to the newsletters at http://www.blueoxmusicfestival.com and http://www.pinesmusicpark.com.
As artists and ambassadors for the festival – members of Pert Near Sandstone, Nate Sipe and Justin Bruhn, produce and host the popular, Road to Blue Ox Podcast. In each episode, Bruhn and Sipe interview performing artists on the Blue Ox lineup, as well as highlighting key information and updates about the festival. Tune in for new Road to Blue Ox Podcast episodes on Apple iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher and Pocket Casts. Follow along on Spotify and be notified as soon as a new episode is released.
About Blue Ox Music Festival– Blue Ox creates and fosters a wonderful sense of artistic community and has become a cornerstone of the cultural renaissance movement in the Eau Claire area. Blue Ox Music Festival at The Pines Music Park boasts 155 acres of pristine forest, walkable trails and green landscaped lawn with music presented across three distinct stages, Main Stage, Saloon Stage, Backwoods Stage.
Since its premiere in the summer of 2015, Blue Ox Music Festival has consistently brought together a lineup of top level regional and national acts that have set the stage and standard of artists for the true music festival fan’s experience. With the vision of an intimate music and camping experience focused on Bluegrass, Folk, and Americana Roots genres, the 3-day festival creates a unique experience with an impressive lineup of notable artists, in a familial and beautiful outdoor venue setting.
As a family friendly environment, an array of cultural events take place throughout the festival grounds, including music workshops, morning yoga and meditation, eclectic arts and craft vendors, kids activity stages, as well as an impressive disc golf course. The variety of quality food and beverages offers something delicious for everyone to enjoy. All ages are welcome. Children 13 and under are free with a paid adult.
Blue Ox Music Festival 2-day and 3-day General Admission Tickets are on sale now – which gives guests access to all entertainment and Unreserved Tent Camping. Car Camping Passes are available for guests who prefer their car at the camp site next to their tent. Blue Ox Music Festival Reserved RV / Tent sites are still available for purchase, but are in limited supply. Camping accommodations include spaces for RVs, Family and Quiet Camping.
Great restaurants, hotels, and the amenities of Eau Claire are just a few short miles away from The Pines Music Park.
