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Mr Sun comprises some of the most original musicians to apply themselves to the American String Band.

Legendary fiddler Darol Anger is at home in a number of musical genres, some of which he helped to invent, and is a member of the original “nuclear” generation of pickers who extended Bluegrass, Jazz, and Classical music to find their common ground; Mr Sun is the latest iteration in that legacy. Joe K. Walsh is one of the foremost contemporary mandolinists, with 4 award-winning years in the Gibson Brothers, 3 solo recordings, and a Berklee professorship. Grant Gordy is a standout in the crowded field of Acoustic Guitar Wunderkinds. Grant’s work was quickly recognized for its kaleidoscopic excellence and startling emotion, fusing Jazz, R&B, and Bluegrass concepts to an unprecedented degree. The group recently added the masterful bassist Aidan O’Donnell, a Brooklyn, New York (by way of Scotland) jazz veteran.

The 4 musical personalities of Mr Sun are so strong that one might imagine the group could explode if not for the palpable love and humor that emanate from every note they play together. The group means to take a relaxed approach to writing its own chapter in the American Music Saga with their new Compass Records release “extrovert”, on CD & bright yellow vinyl.

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Even among the pantheon of music’s finest artists, Del McCoury stands alone. From the nascent sound of bluegrass that charmed hardscrabble hillbilly honkytonks, rural schoolhouse stages, and the crowning glory of the Grand Ole Opry to the present-day culture-buzz of viral videos and digital streams, Del is the living link. On primetime and late-night television talk shows, there is Del. From headlining sold-out concerts to music festivals of all genres, including one carrying his namesake, there is Del. Where audiences number in the tens of thousands, and admirers as diverse as country-rock icon Steve Earle and jamband royalty Phish count as a few among hundreds, there is Del.

Emerging from humble beginnings in York County, PA nearly eighty years ago, Del was not the likeliest of candidates for legendary status. As a teen, he was captivated by the banjo playing of one of its masters, Earl Scruggs, and decided he’d be a banjo picker, too. The Baltimore/Washington, D.C. bar scene of the early 1960s was lively and rough. Del caught a break. More than a break, really. It was an opportunity of a lifetime; joining Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys in early 1963. Considered the Father of Bluegrass, Monroe transformed McCoury, moving him from the banjo to guitar, anointing him lead singer, and providing him with a priceless trove of bluegrass tutelage direct from the source.

Countless hours of recording sessions and miles of tireless touring dotted the decades. Del carried on, and carried with him the hallowed traditions of the form and its dedicated following. The passing years became certificates of authenticity. So, in the sea of grunge and R&B that dominated the music scene of the mid-1990s, it was special, perhaps even startling, to see: There was Del.

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One of the most compelling new voices in the roots music world, Molly Tuttle is a virtuosic multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter with a lifelong love of bluegrass, a genre the Northern California-bred artist first discovered thanks to her father (a music teacher and multi-instrumentalist) and grandfather (a banjo player whose Illinois farm she visited often throughout her childhood). On her new album Crooked Tree, Tuttle joyfully explores that rich history with bluegrass, bringing her imagination to tales of free spirits and outlaws, weed farmers and cowgirls resulting in a record that is both forward-thinking and steeped in bluegrass heritage.

Golden Highway Band Members:
- Mandolin: Dominick Leslie
- Banjo: Kyle Tuttle
- Fiddle: Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
- Bass: Shelby Means.

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The top 3 contestants in each of the 5 instrument contests (banjo, mandolin, guitar, fiddle, dobro) compete on the main stage for cash and prizes. Learn more about the instrument contests

The preliminary rounds are held on Friday in the Wildflower Pavilion.

Rooted in tradition but with a fierce commitment to innovation, Jake Leg forges their own path through the expansive world of acoustic music. Consisting of award-winning musicians Eric Wiggs on guitar and vocals, Dylan McCarthy on mandolin and vocals, Justin Hoffenberg on fiddle, and Aaron Hoffenberg on bass, Jake Leg breathes new life into modern progressive bluegrass, crafting a captivating landscape of high-level instrumental ability and thoughtful songwriting. Drawing something new from the well of tradition, the band takes the listener on a journey through rich narratives and evocative melodies, proving that within every note lies both a connection to the past and the promise of a bold musical future.

Since forming in 2021, the band has quickly garnered national attention. They were recently nominated for 2024 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year and named one of “10 of the Top Colorado Bluegrass Bands” by Denver Westword. With steadily growing momentum and their all-original, debut album Fire on the Prairie released May 11, 2024, Jake Leg stands out as a unique voice in bluegrass music.

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Characterized by No Depression as “the future of bluegrass”, Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road twine innovation, tradition, and excellence into a unique musical experience. Though only in his 22nd year, North Carolina’s Liam Purcell has already established a name for himself in the world of American Stringband music. Growing up less than a mile away from the legendary guitarist Doc Watson, Purcell was steeped in Appalachian Old-Time and Bluegrass traditions from an early age. Taking inspiration from the local Deep Gap legacy, Liam began writing, performing, and storytelling from an early age.

Entering the professional bluegrass circuit during his teenage years, Purcell formed the stringband-supergroup Cane Mill Road. He would go on to lead the virtuosic ensemble through regional appearances, building a fanbase across the Southeast and bringing his homespun rapport to some of the most revered festivals in the scene. By the time Purcell was 17, the project had seen multiple entries on the Billboard Top 10 Bluegrass charts, performed in 25 states, and was recognized by the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2019 as the recipient of their Momentum Band of the Year Award.

New paths emerged for Liam in 2020 when he was accepted to attend Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA) on a full scholarship. However, plans quickly ground to a halt with the onset of a global pandemic. Using this time to write and record, Purcell began his studies remotely while multi-tracking a 10-song album released as “Roots” later that year. This independent project led to a widely anticipated tour and a recording contract with Pinecastle Records over the following years.

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Becky Buller is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter from St. James, Minn., who has traversed the globe performing bluegrass music to underwrite her insatiable songwriting habit. Her compositions can be heard on records by Ricky Skaggs, Rhonda Vincent and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, to name just a few.

Becky Buller Band is comprised of Ned Luberecki, Daniel Hardin, Wes Lee, and Jake Eddy.

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Securely ranked among Scotland’s most skilled and imaginative contemporary folk acts, Breabach unite deep roots in Highland and Island tradition with the innovative scottish music scene. 2022 saw them release their latest studio album ‘Fàs’ and be awarded ‘Folk Band of the Year’ at the BBC ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards. To date they have released seven increasingly acclaimed albums, whilst fuelling their creative appetites in collaborations with BAFTA award winning animator Cat Bruce on short film Dùsgadh, indigenous Australasian artists Moana & The Tribe, Quebec’s Le Vent du Nord, video game composer Big Giant Circles and as artists-in-residence at 2019’s Celtic Colours festival with Cape Bretoners, Beòlach.

2023 saw the band present their music widely across the United States, the UK and Europe with 2024 set for more performances in North America and beyond. Fàs (a Gaelic word meaning growth) is an album heavily inspired by the natural environment of Scotland and sees the band showcase more progressive elements in their music than ever before. Produced by esteemed musician Inge Thomson, engineered & mixed by Iain Hutchison at GloWorm Recording Studios in Glasgow and mastered by Peter Beckmann, the record also features collaborations with analogue synth player Keir Long and Gaelic lyricists & musician Ewen Henderson. The protection, conservation and regeneration of the natural world influenced every part of the album making process, from song composition and sourcing material to the recording process and album production.

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It is rare for there to exist a defining moment that changes the trajectory of four lives at once. But, clear as a lightning bolt in an open field, so electric was the moment The Fretliners first played together around a single microphone in the Cloverlick banjo shop barn one fateful evening, they knew they would be inseparable from that moment on.

The Fretliners (Tom Knowlton - guitar, Sam Parks - mandolin, Dan Andree - fiddle, Taylor Shuck - bass) are a genuine and powerful bluegrass quartet recognized for their songwriting and undeniable chemistry. Their newfound camaraderie produces an energy that is as infectious on stage as it is on record. So much so that in the summer of 2023, they won both band competitions at Telluride Bluegrass and Rockygrass Festivals—a feat that had only been accomplished once before. That September, they released their debut eponymous album to acclaim and adoration.

With one eye on the rear-view, inspired by that traditional high lonesome sound, The Fretliners navigate a road less traveled into the peaks of Rocky Mountain original bluegrass.

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AJ Lee and Blue Summit made their first appearance in Santa Cruz in 2015. Led by singer, songwriter, and mandolinist, AJ Lee, the bluegrass band has performed all over the world, but finds home in California’s Bay Area. In 2019, they released their debut album, Like I Used To. Their second full length project, I’ll Come Back, came out August 2021 - with national touring in support of the record ongoing.

Unlike their first record, which featured experimentation with session musicians and electric instruments, the new project is a pure reflection of the live sound of the group, hearkening back to their acoustic roots. Each band member performs at their peak, and the variety of songs on the record caters to their broad fanbase. Certain tracks (“Put Your Head Down,” and “Faithful,”) fall more in the classic bluegrass realm of songwriting, while others (“Lemons and Tangerines,” and “I’ll Come Back,”) fall into that hard-to-define realm of acoustic Americana that blends mesmerizing lyricism and acoustic mastery.

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There was only one prize-winning teenager carrying stones big enough to say thanks, but no thanks to Roy Acuff. Only one son of Kentucky finding a light of inspiration from Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys and catching a fire from Bob Marley and The Wailers. Only one progressive hippie allying with like-minded conspirators, rolling out the New Grass revolution, and then leaving the genre’s torch-bearing band behind as it reached its commercial peak. 

There is only one consensus pick of peers and predecessors, of the traditionalists, the rebels, and the next gen devotees. Music’s ultimate inside outsider. Or is it outside insider? There is only one Sam Bush.

“With this band I have now I am free to try anything. Looking back at the last 50 years of playing newgrass, with the elements of jazz improvisation and rock-&-roll, jamming, playing with New Grass Revival, Leon, and Emmylou; it’s a culmination of all of that,” says Bush. “I can unapologetically stand onstage and feel I’m representing those songs well.”

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Born in the holler of Tennessee’s first legal moonshine distillery, Seth Mulder & Midnight Run blend tradition with innovation through genuine songwriting and tasteful arrangements, bringing to life their original music and lost covers like no other in the genre. Combining elements of bluegrass, country, and folk music, their sound resonates with traditional and contemporary audiences alike. “In the day and age where authenticity is everything, Seth Mulder & Midnight Run are the real deal.”

Formed in 2018, the band released their first studio album, “Traveling Kind” in 2020, followed by their second album, “In Dreams I Go Back,” released on Mountain Fever Records in 2022. Their latest album features the acclaimed track “My, My, My,” honored as the S.P.B.G.M.A. 2023 Song of the Year. Fans can anticipate new music in 2024, solidifying Seth Mulder & Midnight Run as a genuine voice of roots and bluegrass music.

Their high-energy style of music has taken them worldwide, including festivals across the United States, Canada, and multiple European tours. Together, Seth Mulder, Colton Powers,Tyler Griffith, Chevy Watson and Max Silverstein create a powerhouse of music and a stage show you do not want to miss and that is why they are one of the most talked-about young bluegrass bands on the festival circuit today!

In a day and age where authenticity is everything, Seth Mulder & Midnight Run are the real deal.

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The Faux Paws have a problem. They’re a triangle band in a land of circles. Musically impossible to describe, they don’t even fit into todays often hyphenated-genre world. No fan, industry expert, nor member of the band can seem to sum up this band’s sound in any kind of marketable way. They continue to remain a singularly unique outfit in the acoustic music community, always on the fringes, always memorable and with an increasing number of die-hard fans who feel like they’ve uncovered a secret.

Is it bluegrass? Not usually. Old-time? Occasionally. Is it Celtic? Can’t quite say that. Is it Folk? Americana? Jazz? Singer-songwriter? None of the above, but members of the Paws have deep ties to all of these traditions and blend their elements effortlessly to serve whatever musical idea is being presented.

So what can we say? This band takes risks. They’re dynamic, exciting, sincere, irreverent, infectious, and surprising. They move deftly between moods, influences and instruments but always maintaining a “groove” that pulses through the music like a heartbeat (you may not always be aware it’s there but it gives the thing life).

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Lindsay Lou has been making soulful, poignant music for the last decade. An undeniable powerhouse, Lou’s remarkable gifts as a singer, songwriter, musician and performer demand the listener’s attention. Her singing floats over the masterful playing and deep groove of her band with both a fierce intensity and a tender intimacy. Lindsay Lou’s fourth album, southland (released April 2018), is a transformative and heart-wrenching ten-song stunner. Lou’s voice—and it’s unique ability to create an expansive, almost physically tangible soundscape—carries each song on southland forward, made even more recognizable and potent by bandmates Josh Rilko (mandolin, vocals) and PJ George (bass, Vocals) And Special Guests.

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The Infamous Stringdusters are a celebrated American progressive bluegrass band known for their virtuosic musicianship, innovative arrangements, and genre-blending style. The GRAMMY® Award-winning Americana quintet—Andy Falco [guitar], Chris Pandolfi [banjo], Andy Hall [dobro], Jeremy Garrett [fiddle], and Travis Book [double bass]—have musical influences that truly run the gamut, but their common denominator is certainly bluegrass— the sound that has in essence defined the course of their career.

The Infamous Stringdusters stand out as the rare group who can team up with contemporary artists on late night television one night and headline the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre the next, and have recently emerged as proprietors behind their newly found independent record label, Americana Vibes.

Manifesting an actual flock of impassioned fandom, much like those who paved the road before them, the band have attracted a faithful international audience that continues to grow. Moreover, their powerful music and performances paved the way for a GRAMMY® Award win in the category of “Best Bluegrass Album” for 2017’s Laws of Gravity, and a number of International Bluegrass Music Awards (IBMA) in a variety of categories. Known for their energetic live shows and improvisational prowess, The Infamous Stringdusters continue to push the boundaries of bluegrass while honoring its roots, captivating audiences across the country and around the world.

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