So, in that spirit, here are the sets that made me light up, tear up, or both this year:

Haley Heynderickx & Max García Conover. This duo put out one of my favorite records of 2025, the Woody-Guthrie-inspired-and-yet-completely-contemporary What of Our Nature. The performance was pretty much perfect. Max & Haley’s voices complement each other beautifully, drawing comparisons to another famous Newport duo, Bob Dylan & Joan Baez. Max thoughtfully reflected that 11 days earlier, in his home state of Maine, “on a beautiful day, on a day like this, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, was murdered by ICE.” The songs masterfully weave the urgency of this moment with the joy and love necessary to meet it. I loved Haley’s performance of “In Bulosan’s Words,” a song composed of the Filipino poet and novelist Carlos Bulosan’s work. And the final song, “This Morning I Am Born Again,” was the perfect song to end on, leading the Harbor Stage audience to leap to a standing ovation. 

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings Play the Grateful Dead. From the first words of “Bertha,” the first song they played, I was hooked. The simple set up of two guitars, bass, and snare drum belied the intricacy and magic that was on display. Both Gillian and bassist Paul Kowert took turns on the snare, sometimes while also playing their guitar and bass. Nathaniel Rateliff joined them on the drum and vocals for “Black Peter,” and there was an adorable moment during “Uncle John’s Band,” where the words got confused, and the literal next verse had the line: “Oh, oh, what I want to know is, How does this song go?” It was a great reminder that imperfect moments can be better than flawless ones. 

CMAT and the Very Sexy CMAT Band stole my heart. They had swagger and confidence, “because we’re excellent,” as CMAT said. The band’s choreography added humor to the performance, and CMAT herself is one of the best frontwomen I’ve ever seen. Euro-Country is a brilliant album, and those songs dominated the setlist, but she also brought out Brandi Carlile for a Sapphic love song from her earlier work, “I’d Want U.” Brandi seemed in awe of CMAT, because she’s excellent, because she’s dazzling, and because of her irrepressible energy. I think she spoke for all of us, when she said to CMAT, “You’re amazing.” 

Lauryn Hill. I mean, what more could you ask for than an icon performing iconic songs brilliantly? Her voice is as strong as ever, and her band was so good. It’s a big setup, so there were some technical challenges getting the stage changed over, and her set was delayed by about 45 minutes. But it was worth the wait and then some. 

Snacktime. Speaking of Lauryn Hill, one of the best moments of the set was when Newport-darlings Snacktime joined her on stage. In fact, it’s always the best moment of a set when these guys join in. They might have won the Jim James award this year for most collaborations, and their own set on the Fort stage was a perfect display of their ability to move a crowd from waiting to exuberance in sixty seconds. In 2025, they took a lot of people by surprise, and were many people’s favorite set of the Festival; in 2026, they had a devoted following and I hope they become NFF fixtures for many years to come. 

If Snacktime represents the artists who hype up a crowd, John R. Miller’s set was the best example of how to make people stop and listen. He was the recipient of the John Prine Songwriter’s Fellowship, and it is so well deserved. While his brilliant new record, The Great Unknowing, features a lot of gritty guitar sound, Miller stripped down to an acoustic guitar, with accompaniment from J. Tom Hnatow on lead/slide guitar and Chloe Edmundstone on fiddle. It was the perfect way to highlight his lyricism that is certainly reminiscent of Prine and his beautifully sorrowed voice, which reminds me a lot of Jay Farrar. 

The final set on the Harbor Stage was a bluegrass masterclass, with Peter Rowan joined by a band of stone-cold assassins: Sierra Hull, Sam Grisman, Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, and Max Wareham. Rowan is 84, but damn that voice is there. His harmonies with Sierra and Teresa were so perfect, and I guess if you’ve been singing bluegrass songs for literally sixty years, you’re going to know how to harmonize. After the first couple of songs, Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch snuck on stage to join the band, with mischievous smiles on their faces as they crept up behind the band. They played on “Walls of Time,” which Rowan co-wrote with Bill Monroe, and it was a perfect combination of playfulness and mastery that makes bluegrass such a wonderfully creative style of music. 

There were so many wonderful moments at this Festival, and you’ve probably heard about the big ones, like Dave Matthews as the surprise guest in the last set, or Hayley Williams bringing out guest after guest in her headlining set. But the magic, to me, of this Festival happens on the small stages. Tim Bernardes singing a Portuguese version of “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” to close his achingly gorgeous set. Community Chapstick creating a real community feeling by giving out CC bracelets to eager fans following their debut on the Foundation stage. Sally Rose being supported by fellow Virginians Illiterate Light and Sasha Landon (Palmyra) as they lit up the Bike stage. Chris Pierce bringing his “Songs for the Heavy Hearted” to us on Sunday morning and making us all feel a little less heavy for a little while. Oakland Rising, a group of teenagers from California who had come in as part of the Sea to Shining Sea Project, learned they were playing the Bike stage about two hours before their set, and they made lifelong fans before the end of their first song with their beautiful harmonies and lyrics that are wise beyond their years. And, of course, seeing The Lumineers return to their roots of house concerts by playing the Bike Stage was so fun. For me, when in doubt at Newport, go to the smallest stage available, and you will be rewarded. 

When I sat down to write this review, I had just learned of Glen Hansard’s death. Glen performed on some of the biggest stages in the world, but he was always a busker at heart, playing on the smallest stage there is, with no venue, no tickets, no audience assured, just a belief that a song can reach someone who may not even know they need it. 

I saw Glen twice at Newport, and both times he used his position on the stage to make space for others. In 2016, he invited his friend and photographer Anthony Mulcahy to come out of the photo pit to sing “The Auld Triangle.” Last year, he stepped aside for an up-and-coming Irish songwriter, Josh O’Keefe, to sing his amazing song, “Build a Wall,” to the crowd. Glen embodied the best of Newport–the generosity, spontaneity, and kindness that make this Festival different. I hope there are massive busking tributes to him next year. But I also hope that we can all take lessons from how he lived: be humble, be generous, and, if you’ve only got one song to sing, fuckin go for it. 

Until next time, Newport. 

You couldn’t go wrong with picking any day to head down and check out GMBR. With a whole slew of “publicly mentioned” collabs in the mix with Jordan Tice & Joseph Terrell, Darol Anger & Bruce Molsky, Noam Pikelny & Stuart Duncan…and it goes on and on…surprise and special moments are bound to unearth themselves. But, as the article title says, pro tip: just take the time off now and get down there for the full long weekend. Get after it folks.

It was tiresome and often thankless work being the invisible machine making things happen, but man, the nostalgia itch is one to be scratched to the point of bleeding. I miss that work with some of the best musical pals I have ever had the pleasure of playing and planning alongside. But I digress. NEAF is back and back in a big way for year 2 of the brand and festival’s relaunch and just today they rolled out the initial line up and details. See below for more (and keep an eye here for more coverage as we get closer to the date)…

 “New England Americana Fest is incredibly excited to be back at Bellforge Arts Center. It’s a special place; there’s a real sense of community and support for the arts there that lines up perfectly with what the festival is about. Last year felt like we were building something meaningful, and coming back gives us a chance to deepen that connection and make the experience even better for everyone involved.” — Kier Byrnes 

MORE FROM THE FESTIVAL COORDINATORS: After a successful relaunch last year at Bellforge Arts Center, which drew around 1,000 spectators to the historic open-air grounds in Medfield, this year’s festival goes down on Saturday, June 6 from 1 to 8 p.m. (rain date on Sunday). It’s a free event for all ages. 

NEAF ’26 features 14 bands and artists defining the vibrant local Americana scene right now, including hosts Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners (2025 Boston Music Awards’ Americana Artist of the Year), Nate Perry & Ragged Company (Boston Calling ’25), Other Brother Darryl (2024 BMAs Country Artist of the Year), Elisa Smith (2025 Josie Award winner), Jennifer Tefft & The Strange, Tigerman Woah, berm, Regals, Dirt Road Souls, and more. NEAF was nominated for Music Festival of the Year at last year’s BMAs.  

Just yesterday, while scrolling social media for something positive, something positive indeed presented it self (thank goodness!)

Signature Sounds Presents and Mass Audubon dropped the announcement for the return of the 8th annual Arcadia Folk Festival and its a deep and heavy initial line up, featuring Allison Russell, The Milk Carton Kids, John Craigie, Fantastic Cat, and more to come!

Public tickets are on sale on April 17th.

More from the fest…

Arcadia Folk Festival tickets are now on sale for Mass Audubon members. Love what we do? Top supporters of Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary can buy the Songbird Pass today – no membership required – and receive special perks. See Arcadia Folk Festival for more details.

The beloved outdoor festival features music on 3 stages (including the intimate “In the Woods” stage) and brings the community together around music in the heart of the Pioneer Valley to celebrate and benefit the work of Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary.

In between sets, enjoy food and drink from local food trucks, shop juried art vendors, and explore nature with Arcadia naturalists. Kids’ activities will be available throughout the day as well.

Arcadia is an ecological gem and an environmental education innovator. Since 1944, Arcadia staff have been protecting important habitats, connecting people of all ages to nature, and advocating for sound environmental policies.

Learn about Arcadia Folk Festival’s commitment to sustainability here: https://www.arcadiafolkfest.com/sustainability

I’ve got a sweet spot in my heart for the whole “music festivals taking over a downtown area” thing afer years planning and executing the New England Americana Fest with my buds back in Cambridge and Back Porch Festival is in the same vein. Particularly excited to see I’m With Her and Peter Rowan with Sam Grisman at the top of the bill. But man oh man, is the center of this line up stacked with favorites and pals. Margaret Glaspy, Low Cut Connie, Mark Erelli, The Clement Brothers, Kathleen Parks Band, Ward Hayden & The Outliers, Maya De Vitry and it goes on and on!

Get your tickets while you can and definitely opt for snagging a Ramble Pass. Its $85…yes, ONLY EIGHTY FIVE BUCKS…to catch over 50 artists at 10 different venues downtown in Northampton.

Back Porch Festival is in Northampton, Mass from March 27-29, 2026.

Brad Kolodner, Joe K. Walsh and the wonderful duo Hildaland merely scratch the surface of the wonderful acts you are in store for if you head to Hiram, Maine for a weekend in late July (the 23rd-26th to be exact). Tickets are on sale and we suggest you snag them up while you can.

More about the fest: Ossipee Valley is a music festival in Maine. The festival features five stages, food trucks, craft beer, yoga, barn dances, workshops, kids activities, artisan craft vendors and RV and tent camping. It is dreamily situated on the banks of the Ossipee river, amongst tall pines and goat barns, in southern Maine, under an hour from Portland or North Conway, and 2.5 hrs NW of Boston. The event sells out, so don’t wait to grab your tickets! 

The festival is known for featuring ascendant acts in roots, bluegrass, americana, folk, world, and blues music, but it is about more than just the music: Ossipee Valley is a community where all are welcome. Moon dancers, flatpickers, gangs of kids on bikes, barefoot granolas and retired RV grandmas, wallflowers, instigators, listeners, players, makers and shakers unite under the fresh summer sky. Come join us. 

GMBR just dropped it’s first line up announcement (with Lamplighter, All Star Set and more coming soon I imagine), but the first drop is well…I’ll let you be the judge.

Watchhouse and I’m With Her would be enough to justify a weekend ticket price, but if you look top to bottom on the line up its packed with incredible artists across the board. I had been wishing to see Lindsay Lou on the line up for a number of years now and seeing some past favorites land (such as John Reischman, Eli West, Foghorn Stringband) alongside new additions like the on fire Mountain Grass Unit and mainstays such as Christian Sedelmyer and Jordan Tice...well, truly, I need not say more.

Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots its happening August 13-16 in beautiful Manchester, Vermont. GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY.

From the fest:

Levitate Music Festival 2026 is HERE! We are so stoked on one of wildest lineups in Levitate history – thank you all for your support and we can’t wait to see you all in July! ⁠
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Limited presale Early Bird tickets for the Levitate Community are available now, sign up in the link at bio. Remaining tickets will be released Friday at 12pm EST!

The festival is July 18 and 19th. Get on it folks!

More info.

Green River Festival has announced the first installment of its 2026 lineup: headliners Charley Crockett, Spoon, and Geese will be joined by The Beths, Kurt Vile & the Violators, Wednesday, Lucius, The War And Treaty, Big Freedia, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Kashus Culpepper, PawPaw Rod, Folk Bitch Trio, Ratboys, Etran De L’Aïr, Frente Cumbiero, Sonido Gallo Negro, Southern Avenue, Esther Rose, Derya Yildirim & Grup Şimşek, Swamp Dogg, Greg Freeman, Ken Pomeroy, Sunny War, Angela Autumn, Tré Burt, Tyler Ballgame, Luke Tyler Shelton, Fust, Kam Franklin, Lily Seabirt, and Deloyd Elze across three stages over the three days of the festival. The festival returns to Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield, MA on June 19, 20, and 21 for its 40th year.

Specially-priced “Plan Ahead” tier 3-Day Passes plus VIP Packages and Camping & Parking Add-Ons are on sale now at greenriverfestival.com. The full artist lineup will be announced in early 2026 at which time single and 2-day tickets will also be available for purchase.

Oldtone preserves roots music and traditional folkways through artist and audience participation; connecting neighbors, bridging cultures, and sharing insight and wisdom across generations and the festival kicks off another year on September 4th.

There is something beautiful about that mantra. Everyone from the volunteers to the musicians to the audience coming together to celebrate music, community and the jubilance that fiddle bowing, foot stomping oldtime music brings with it.

The line up includes a slew of excellent musicians. Some that may be old favorites and some that will be new favorites. Foghorn Stringband, Nora Brown, JP Harris and Vermont favs Wild Leek River is just a tiny sampling of the excellent music you can anticipate over the course of the festival.