Brennan Wedl, Katie Pruitt and More Kick Out the Jams at AmericanaFest

From country twang to folk-punk-rock fusions, the wide breadth of Americana was on full display at The Blue Room at Third Man Records Friday night.

Nashville’s Brennan Wedl kicked off the evening with a full band, playing songs like “High Priestess” and “Scorpio” from her self-titled record released in August. Of course, it wouldn’t be AmericanaFest without some pedal steel, but Wedl also weaved in both acoustic and grungy electric guitar parts into the set. Through it all, she exuded confidence, making for an instantly charming stage presence. She performed both heartfelt and quirky songs — including “Fake Cowboy,” a nod to Nashville singles’ propensity for cowpoke cosplay — and even dedicated one to her pharmacist, who was in the crowd. 

Wedl perfectly set the stage for a lively night. Norwich, U.K.’s Brown Horse followed with a high-energy set of country-rock, followed by a fuzzier take on rocking country from Nashville alt-country artist Ovven. King Lazy Eye concluded the night with his high-octane folk-rock, but teeing him up was one more Nashvillian. Singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt let this set serve as a release party for her third album Fools for the Fleeting, released via Rounder on Friday. 

With backup vocals from fellow Music City songsmith Hadley Kennary, Pruitt and her full band put on a touching, emotional set that the crowd was ready to sway to. She entranced the audience with new songs like “Little Boxes,” a meditation on being addicted to your phone and social media and not a cover of Melvina Reynolds’ classic about suburban sprawl and conformity — though they share some of the same concerns. Pruitt isn’t shying away from her back catalog either, and played “Out of the Blue” from her 2020 debut Expectations. 

Near the end of her set, she shared thoughts on the need to intentionally cultivate diversity in Americana music. 

“We need more lesbians in folk-Americana,” Pruitt said, introducing her early standout song “Loving Her.” “We need more Black people in folk-Americana. We need all demographics. ... This song is about loving whoever the fuck you want to love. It’s 2026.”

Cover Stories

AmericanaFest 2026: The Whimsical World of Brennan Wedl

• Annie Parnell

The Spin

Mary Gauthier, Jaimee Harris and Others Go Deep at Queer Roots

• Grace Braswell

The Spin

Americana Awards Feature Brandi Carlile, Molly Tuttle, More

• Annie Parnell