Nashville’s beloved AMERICANAFEST spans across five days, each jam-packed with insightful seminars, artist panels, and electrifying performances throughout the city. Hosted by the Americana Music Association, the 24th installment of the festival is a celebration of the artists, the fans, and its rich diversified history.
Stretching from September 17th to the 21st, AMERICANAFEST plays host to dozens of venues, bars, and clubs across town, offering an array of artist showcases and networking parties from morning ’til midnight. (and later)
This past week, I was fortunate enough to get my first taste of AMERICANAFEST, and though I just scratched the surface of what the festival has to offer, the energy was infectious.
Greenwood Rye & The Kody Norris Show @ 3rd and Lindsley
Banjos ablaze, four dynamic bluegrass groups took the stage of 3rd and Lindsley this past Wednesday night. Several charming groups graced the stage, including Nashville’s own Greenwood Rye, a five-piece band with a large and classic bluegrass sound who tore down the roof.
A highlight was the Kody Norris Show, a four-piece spectacle clad in sequined western outfits strung with tassels. The group is a pure and honest tribute to a bygone musical era, a captivating yet hilarious whirlwind of talent. The group riffed off each other, performing a number of notable tunes, including one called “I Was Engaged To A Peg-Legged Woman But I Had To Break It Off.” The Po Ramblin’ Boys and Rhonda Vincent & The Rage would close out the evening of spectacular Americana music.
This night at 3rd and Lindsley demonstrated what makes live music and happenings like AMERICANAFEST in particular so great: community. Sitting on the upper balcony, I basked in the happiness and joy felt from those below who tapped their feet with friends enjoying drinks and food, and the couples close together on the dance floor letting the music flow through them.
ANTI- Records 25th Anniversary @ The Basement East
Powerhouse indie label ANTI- Records, known for backing iconic voices like Tom Waits and Mavis Staples among others, hosted a showcase this past Thursday night at The Basement East featuring a handful of their artists to honor their 25th anniversary.
Half a dozen captivating artists took the stage to jointly celebrate the label and AMERICANAFEST, and it was a sold-out party that lasted until after midnight.
Nashville singer-songwriter Madi Diaz noted that the festival is a week for “getting together with good friends and celebrating good music.” Waxahatchee took the stage with MJ Lenderman to perform their duet “Right Back To It,” which was nominated for Song of the Year at the Americana Association Awards this year. The final act of the night was the formidable Neko Case. The prolific indie powerhouse placed a spell over the room with her enchanting voice and music. Other acts included Christian Lee Hutson and Leyla McCalla.
The mid-sized East Nashville venue was packed like sardines before the show, with patrons full of excitement and giddy conversation. Due to such close proximity, I couldn’t help but listen to the eager crowd surrounding me: the woman to my right had been waiting at Grimey’s since 9 AM that morning for a ticket, the man behind me had come from Asheville for the event, and the girl to my left buzzed after seeing Waxahatchee in conversation with NPR’s Ann Powers that afternoon. Spirits were high, and this is the kind of excitement the festival instills.
AMERICANAFEST is a unique event that offers something for most everyone — from songwriters, to industry professionals, to dedicated fans. It is a celebration of a genre that has remained an impactful part of the musical landscape, yet is hard to define. Americana’s mission –- authenticity and connection –- rests at the heart of AMERICANAFEST. I am thankful to have been a small part of it, enjoying such trailblazing artists both from my bucket list and newly discovered favorites.
AMERICANAFEST gathers folks from all walks of life to celebrate song and the written word, and does so in a way no other event does. The sheer volume of events, showcases, panels, and so on is astounding, and it’s no wonder it only seems to be growing nearly a quarter century into its run.
