Amos Perrine

This year’s edition of MerleFest, which took place in Wilkesboro, North Carolina from April 24-27, 2025, was the epitome of how Doc Watson described the festival he and his wife Rosa Lee founded in 1988 to honor their son Merle — “traditional plus.” To make it even more inviting, the

One-hundred artists are scheduled to perform across 12 stages at this year’s MerleFest, to be held April 24-27, 2025 on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The artists highlighted below are, with a couple notable exceptions, ones that regular MerleFest attendees may not be that

When one thinks of locations for world class multi-disciplinary arts festivals, Idaho may not immediately come to mind. But with more than 420 bands, artists, storytellers, comedians, workshops, film presentations and other activities, the Treefort Music Fest in Boise has become just that. With 13 “forts” spread across 46 venues

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

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 the

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 latter,