Mary Gauthier
When AmericanaFest (styled AMERICANAFEST) rolls back into Music City Sept. 17-21, you’ll have a chance to see performances from more than 200 artists with your Festival Pass, and we’ve got a stack of recommendations to help you plot your course. It’s worth noting that a few events are separately ticketed or exclusive for holders of a Silver Pass (formerly “a conference registration”); a Silver Pass also grants access to a slew of insightful panel discussions. Check out the AmericanaFest website or app for the full schedule, additional details and updates, and watch social media for an array of pop-up events around the fest.
Jaimee Harris
Tuesday, Sept. 17
Before you dive into the happenings, you’ll need to pick up your credential. Passes will be available at City Winery beginning at noon on Tuesday. Pickup moves to Embassy Suites Wednesday through Friday (hours vary) and back to City Winery on Saturday.
You won’t have to go far to kick off the fest in style: Change the Conversation — an organization that fights gender inequality in the music business — presents this year’s Stella Prince and Friends event at 5 p.m. in the City Winery Lounge. Rising folkster Prince will be joined by Gina Venier, Bonner Black and others. At 7 p.m., the main room at City Winery will host a tribute to songwriter’s songwriter Mary Gauthier, studded with such stars as Emmylou Harris, Odessa Settles and Aaron Lee Tasjan; at 8, Gauthier and Jaimee Harris will take the stage to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Gauthier’s landmark album Drag Queens and Limousines by playing it in full.
At New Heights Brewing Company, check out a special AmericanaFest edition of Shoes Off Writer’s Night, a weekly event supporting Asian American and Pacific Islander songwriters. Starting at 6 p.m., see talents the likes of Ariel Bui, Old Town Troubadours and more. A jam-packed gathering starts at 7 p.m. at 3rd and Lindsley, opened up by string-band aces Hawktail. Then the group will be joined by songsmith Aoife O’Donovan for tunes from her recent 19th Amendment-inspired LP All My Friends. Someone’s got to follow that, so it’s a good thing Oliver Wood + Band, Shemekia Copeland and Paul Thorn are on deck.
Among other great choices, you can also catch Iron & Wine topping a bill at Mainstage at Cannery Hall at 8 p.m. Also, The Lone Bellow is performing a special separately ticketed set with the Nashville Symphony at the Schermerhorn, kicking off at 7:30.
Swamp Dogg
Wednesday, Sept. 18
As ever, the festival’s keystone Honors & Awards show (a separately ticketed event) is the highlight of Wednesday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Ryman. But there’s much more to sink your teeth into throughout the day.
From noon to 5 p.m., Secretly Distribution and Oh Boy Records celebrate Independents’ Day at Vinyl Tap, with a must-see lineup including Swamp Dogg, Dan Reeder, Styrofoam Winos, Loose Cattle and lots more. The Peach Jam sets up shop at The Basement from 2 to 6 p.m. with country- and folk-leaning folks like Chris Canterbury, Emily Nenni and Kristina Murray. Come back to The Basement at 8 p.m. for aforementioned country champion Gina Venier, blues-schooled singer-songwriter Kashus Culpepper at 11 and more.
If you’re not headed to the awards ceremony but are still down for a big event, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats will be at Ascend Amphitheater at 7:30 p.m. for the first of their two-night doubleheader with My Morning Jacket. (That one is separately ticketed.) Prefer cozier environs? The 5 Spot hosts recently arrived Nashvillian Lizzie No at 8 p.m., with fiddle wizard Bronwyn Keith-Hynes closing it down at 11 and much more in between.
Ahead of AMERICANAFEST, we talk with Emerging Act of the Year nominee Wyatt Flores, run down our favorite shows and more
