OUTlaw Country Queer Roots Inspires at AmericanaFest

9.11.2025.QueerCountryCMA.LipstickLounge-3571.jpg — Cindy Emch at The Lipstick Lounge for OUTlaw Country Queer Roots Day 1 during AmericanaFest, 9/11/2025
Photo: Angelina Castillo

Thursday afternoon, The Lipstick Lounge’s purple walls positively vibrated with the sound of music as AmericanaFest revelers swayed with the melodies during Day 1 of the OUTlaw Country Queer Roots party. Nine artists were on Thursday’s lineup — including Nashvillians like Lizzie No, Mercy Bell and Melody Walker — and they greeted guests with warm smiles and raw talent.

We arrived to see Iris Marlowe open the showcase with her high-energy 2024 single “Crooked Crow.” A Chicago-area alt-country songsmith who calls herself The Brimstone Cowboy, Marlowe is here for anyone who’s eagerly awaiting spooky season. She also played “Dead by Dawn,” the titular song from her forthcoming album that will be out on Halloween.

Marlowe’s fellow Chicagoan Andrew Sa was up next and provided a smooth, soft-spoken contrast. All eyes were glued to Sa as he calmly swung back and forth behind the mic, singing his siren song. Sa is a singer, but he could easily start a career as a hypnotist.

OUTlaw is more than a gathering of people in one or more rad bars (more on that in a second). It's a safe space organized by people like Cindy Emch, a Bay Area musician who has curated the lineup since 2023. This year, just the existence of this space serves as a form of protest, Emch said from the stage. “As the [Trump] administration has been trying to actually outlaw more trans people and medical care for trans people's rights,” Emch noted, “marriage is on the chopping block and everything again.”

We had to dip out shortly after this — see our slideshow for more pics from the event. But there’s more to hear from queer Americana artists. An event called Alt-Mericana featuring Mya Byrne, Julia Cannon and more is set for 7 p.m. tonight, Sept. 12, at Lipstick. And after a day off, the OUTlaw party picks up Saturday at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge in Madison: Running from noon to 5 p.m., the lineup for that event includes the aforementioned Byrne as well as Emch’s band Secret Emchy Society.