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The first time Grammy-winning Americana/bluegrass act Steep Canyon Rangers played the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida, the group was adorned in full suits and encircling a lone microphone.

“It was probably around 2004,” Rangers singer-banjoist Graham Sharp tells Rolling Stone backstage at the recent Suwannee Spring Reunion festival. “We’ve been able to trace our band and its evolution through this festival, from being a traditional bluegrass band to being whatever the hell we are now — this place is a natural home for that.”

Sandwiched...

After being forced to take a year off due to the Covid-19 pandemic, MerleFest will return in Fall 2021. The annual eclectic musical fest will take place September 16th to 19th in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, with a first round of performers that includes Melissa Etheridge, Mavis Staples, and LeAnn Rimes.

Held over the course of three days at Wilkes Community College, the event includes appearances by Tedeschi Trucks — composed of bandleaders and partners Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks — Donna the Buffalo, Scythian, and the Waybacks. Additional artists will be announced in...

Set in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina for more than three decades, MerleFest has presented a lineup of country, folk, bluegrass, and Americana musicians that have placed the event in the pantheon of must-visit music festivals. The 2020 four-day event, taking place April 23rd through 26th, will continue that tradition with appearances from Willie Nelson and Family, Alison Krauss, the Jerry Douglas Band, Jim Lauderdale, Sam Bush, Donna the Buffalo, Peter Rowan and the Free Mexican Airforce, and dozens of others. The complete lineup will be announced in the coming months.