The Hangout keeps piling on big-name acts—don't wait for tickets

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The Hangout has had two additional lineup rounds since its auspicious kickoff last month, and it just keeps getting better. A number of the adds are top-of-the-bill acts at other festivals. Here, only Phish frontman Trey Anastasio playing with his side project TAB cracks the top three.

Other big names that have been recently named include Ben Harper and Relentless7, The Flaming Lips and former Wallflower Jakob Dylan with his new configuration Three Legs featuring stars in their own right Neko Case and Kelly Hogan.

Add to that Yonder Mountain leader Jeff Austin & Friends, blues rocker Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, southern rock brother act North Mississippi All-Stars, New Orleans soul standbys The Funky Meters, and indie singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne, and you have a pretty impressive second-day story.

Remember, the first round included names like Alison Krauss, Zac Brown, John Legend, Michael Franti, Keller Williams, Govt Mule, The Black Crowes and a lot more.

Dierks Bentley goes bluegrass for MerleFest

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Dierks Bentley at Delfest with members of The Travelin' McCourys (Photo by countrygal24)

MerleFest filled in its conspicuous Friday night TBA, announcing that country star Dierks Bentley will bring his just-announced Up On the Ridge bluegrass-oriented show to the festival on May 30, with backing from The Travelin' McCourys.

The performance is the only announced festival stop on the 24-date tour, which will introduce Bentley's new bluegrass concept album Up On the Ridge, due to be released this summer. Appearing on the album with Bentley are The Del McCoury Band and the Punch Brothers with Chris Thile, along with guest appearances by Alison Krauss, Miranda Lambert, Tim O'Brien and Sam Bush.

Added bonus for All Good lineup

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You never know what configuration Keller Williams will show up in but you can be pretty sure he'll be on the bill at All Good Music Festival & Campout. He heads the list of second-round additions as Keller Williams and the Added Bonus.

And what is the Bonus? It is described on Keller's Facebook page as "an even blend of Keller's solo looping show and new flavors of grassy disco jazz funk featuring Claude Arthur, Jay Starling, Toby Fairchild as well as digital visuals by Scott Sunn." Sounds good.

Also new for the 2010 fest running July 8-11 at Marvin's Mountaintop in Masontown WV are Bassnectar, Garage a Trois, The Travelin' McCourys, Dr. Didg, and The Lee Boys. Also sounds good. 

They join a great jamfest lineup led by Further (the latest Bob Weir-Phil Lesh incarnation), Umphrey's McGee and Widespread Panic.

Winnipeg lineup presents Canadian perspective on the international folk scene

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Canada's oldest folk festival remains one of North America's best all-around roots music festivals, judging by the just released 2010 lineup.

Some of the notable international stars on the bill include John Hiatt & The Combo, The Levon Helm Band, The Avett Brothers, Emmylou Harris and Hot Tuna. But the festival is known for its eclectic mix of singer-songwriter, world, blues, indie, string-band, Celtic, and other styles.

Other acts to look forward to include Andrew Bird, The Cat Empire, The Swell Season, Sarah Harmer, Greg Brown, Sonny Landreth, Geoff Muldaur, Alvin Youngblood Hart, The Wilders and Works Progress Administration. Hip-hop stars Arrested Development will make a much anticipated debut.

Winnipeg maintains its connection with the early days of the folk genre by presenting third-generation representatives of folk legends Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger with Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion and Tao Rodriguez Seeger. Also, nonagenarian Oscar Brand, a native of Winnipeg who played the very first festival in 1974 will get a honored appearance.

Early bird ticketing opens for Earthdance's last year at Black Oak

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Earthdance Northern California announced its 2010 festival running Sept. 17-19 will be its last year at Black Oak Ranch in Laytonville CA, after which it will move to a larger venue. Early bird ticketing opened for an allocation of 500 tickets at the discount price of $140. The festival plans a "grand farewell" to the grounds that have hosted the event for eight seasons.

For more information

Ravinia releases monster summer lineup of popular and classical music

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Ravinia Festival, the Chicago area concert series that claims to be America's longest running music festival, announced its popular music schedule, supplementing the previously released Chicago Symphony Orchestra repertory season schedule.

The most in-demand tickets could be for two performances by Sting backed by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra as well as shows by Crosby, Stills & Nash, Sheryl Crow, and Carrie Underwood.

But there are a huge number of major stars in every popular music genre, including Backstreet Boys, Big Head Todd And The Monsters, Bobby McFerrin, Buddy Guy, Cheap Trick, Colbie Caillat, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Earth, Wind & Fire, Garrison Keillor, George Benson, Jethro Tull, John Hiatt & The Combo, Nancy Wilson, Nelly Furtado, Peter and Paul, Poi Dog Pondering, Procol Harum, Sheryl Crow, Soulive, Squeeze, Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers, The B-52s, The Beach Boys, The Bodeans, The Cat Empire, The Four Tops, The Levon Helm Band, The Moody Blues, The Ramsey Lewis Trio, The Swell Season, The Temptations, Train, and Vince Gill.

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Tue, 01/12/2010 - 12:01

Old Settler's Music Festival rolled out the bulk of its 2010 lineup, laying claim once again to a position in the ranks of top national roots festival. OSMF is strong in progressive acoustic, traditional bluegrass, singer-songwriter, roots and jam rock, and tosses in a sprinkling of other eclectic styles. But its distinctive added element is its strong country, alt-country and Americana orientation, a natural outgrowth of its musical geography.

This year that means iconic Texas songwriter Joe Ely headlining the festival on Friday night, a starring role for Americana legend Buddy Miller, a featured guest shot for Canadian cult hero Fred Eaglesmith, and lineup spots for Radney Foster, Mindy Smith and Elizabeth Cook. Folkie Patty Griffin (with Miller leading her band) is the Saturday closer.

On the bluegrass/acoustic front, The Travelin' McCourys, Peter Rowan, The Infamous Stringdusters, Bearfoot, Blue Highway, The Special Consensus, and Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver make for a mighty fine lineup.

Tue, 11/17/2009 - 11:58

Early shoppers will get up to a 30 percent discount over walkup prices on three- and four-day wristbands for Old Settler's Music Festival, running April 15-18 at the Salt Lick Pavilion and Camp Ben McCulloch outside Austin TX. Final pricing will be announced when the box office opens December 1. The discounts apply to three- and four-day camping passes, three-day no-camping passes and VIP Platinum passes. The Thursday night opening concert is available only to those with camp access. For complete information.

Fri, 11/13/2009 - 16:52

Austin TX is such a music town that there are lots of competition for best local festival—even after the top two contenders are disqualified. City entertainment site Austin360.com asked readers to name the "best local festival that is not SXSW or ACL." Competition was intense among fans of two of the area's top folk/Americana festials, Old Settler's Music Festival and Kerrville Folk Festival, with OSMF getting the nod. Trailing in the online poll were Fun Fun Fun Fest, Austin Reggae Festival and others.

Old Settler's 2010 runs April 15-18 at the Salt Lick Pavilion in Driftwood TX, about 10 miles from Austin. For full information.