Oct 9

Oct 9 Festival Review- Highlights from AmericanaFest 2023

Lawd a-mighty – AmericanaFest is a giant buffet of good music. Every year, I duck under the sneeze guard and shovel great, heaping handfuls of it in my face.

Three of us from The Amp attended AmericanaFest 2023. Here are some of my favorite moments – we’ll post Melissa’s and Jolene’s soon.

3rd and Lindsley was a magical place to be Wednesday night. Just 90 minutes after Jessi Colter introduced Margo Price during the Americana Honors & Awards at the Ryman Auditorium, Price sat in on Colter’s triumphant set. (Up for three major awards, Price struck out: “I lost three times, but Bonnie Raitt told me I’m cool, so that’s all right.”)

Together they sang “Fine Wine,” a track from Colter’s new album, “Standing on the Edge of Forever,” which is coming out Oct. 27. “It’s about missing someone,” Colter said, noting husband Waylon Jennings “is 20 years gone.”

Oct 27

Oct 27 Into the Circle: Adam Hood Debuts at the Grand Ole Opry

Erik Guthrie

Were it possible to feel history, to taste inspiration, to breath in awe and amazement, all in one simultaneous instant, the place to experience those sensations would be in Nashville’s historic Grand Ole Opry. After 97 years of bringing the best that Country music has to offer to the masses, this well-oiled machine is something to behold. The inviting, warm shimmer of the polished oak and mahogany; the soft gleam of gold and brass; twinkling lights and WSM radio over-head, all welcoming you into the most lasting of memories. These are the marvels and wonders for guests and audiences entering the celebrated building. And while debut artists participate in all this same spectacle, their experience is that much more internal, as they enjoy the opportunity to join Opry history on their first visit to the stage.

Oct 3

Oct 3 AmericanaFest 2022

Melissa Payne, Jolene Horihan, Mandy Mitchell

For those headed to Americanafest, it’s important to remember one thing, you’re never going to be able to see everything or everyone that you want. For some attending, they’re there for the networking and conference sessions. For others, it’s reuniting with old friends or discovering new artists. For me, my main objective is always to photograph and listen to artists that are new to me or that I’ve known about and have yet to see, as they haven’t toured in my part of the country.

This year, the team from the Amp was able to experience Americanafest over five days. At times we divided and conquered showcases, other times we banded together and hit all the same shows in a night. At any rate, there was always a special event or showcase to keep our schedules jam-packed.