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Amos Perrine

THROUGH THE LENS: Roots Music Roars Through Austin, Texas During SXSW 2025

THROUGH THE LENS: Roots Music Roars Through Austin, Texas During SXSW 2025

Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, South by Southwest (SXSW) has become, like its host city, many things to many people. The event has grown to incorporate tech, fashion, design, film, television, exhibitions, comedy, education, gaming and other cultural endeavors as well as music. The schedule of the Music Festival

THROUGH THE LENS: Big Ears Festival 2025 Digs Deep

THROUGH THE LENS: Big Ears Festival 2025 Digs Deep

Founded in 2009, the Big Ears Festival lays claim to bringing more diverse music acts to single locale than any other event or gathering. From roots to the avant-garde, the fest brings together performers from around the world to music and other arts aficionados who are also from around

THROUGH THE LENS: Willie Nelson’s Texas Luck Reunion & Australia’s Blue Mountains Music Festival

THROUGH THE LENS: Willie Nelson’s Texas Luck Reunion & Australia’s Blue Mountains Music Festival

There is simply too much going on in the roots music world. This week, the column goes from Texas to Australia. In the former, Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion (Spicewood, Texas, March 13, 2025) showed the world how to put on a one-day festival, with some surprise guests. The

THROUGH THE LENS: Cayamo and Outlaw Country Cruises Provided Roots Music Fans Memorable Experiences on the High Seas

THROUGH THE LENS: Cayamo and Outlaw Country Cruises Provided Roots Music Fans Memorable Experiences on the High Seas

During the past 24 years promoter and organizer Sixthman has presented over 150 themed festivals on the high seas. Those festivals, which push off from its Miami, Florida home port, now number 28 and permit guests (over 300,000 so far) to be captive audiences with their favorite artists, athletes,

THROUGH THE LENS: Arizona’s Extra Innings Festival Knocks it Out of the Park

THROUGH THE LENS: Arizona’s Extra Innings Festival Knocks it Out of the Park

March in Arizona means it's time for Cactus League spring training in Phoenix. Music promoter and festival organizer C3 Presents (Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Bonnaroo, and more) thought it would also be a great time hold a roots music fest. They first created the Innings Festival,

THROUGH THE LENS: Folk Alliance International & Wintergrass Gatherings Bring Roots Music to the Forefront

THROUGH THE LENS: Folk Alliance International & Wintergrass Gatherings Bring Roots Music to the Forefront

This week’s column takes us, in the throes of winter, up north, where two roots music events occurred on the same overlapping weekend: Folk Alliance International in Montreal, Canada (February 19-23, 2025); and Wintergrass in Bellevue, Wash. (20-23, 2025). In addition to presenting full schedules of live

THROUGH THE LENS: John Hiatt Tribute & The Vero Beach Blues Festival

THROUGH THE LENS: John Hiatt Tribute & The Vero Beach Blues Festival

This week’s column features two events at opposite ends of the country: AMERICANAFEST’s Pre-Grammy Salute to John Hiatt (February 1, 2025) at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, California; and the Vero Beach Blues Festival (February 15 & 16, 2025) in Vero Beach, Florida. Column regulars were there