Music Festival Guide 2016

Soul’d Out Music Festival

Portland, OR

April 13th – 17th

This music festival features soul music and its many different parts, bringing together a well-rounded lineup of artists to the Portland area.

Highlights:

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Bonnie Raitt, Gary Clark Jr., George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Thundercat

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Indio, CA

April 15th – 24th

Big name reunions are the story at Coachella this year, featuring both LCD Soundsystem and Guns N’ Roses as headliners. The festival takes place over two weekends, with an eclectic blend of rock, electronic, indie, hip-hop, blues, and more.

Highlights:

LCD Soundsystem, Guns N’ Roses, Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding, Sufjan Stevens, Rancid, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Of Monsters and Men, Cold War Kids, Courtney Barnett, Gary Clark Jr., Deerhunter, Anderson .Paak, Deafheaven, BADBADNOTGOOD, Moon Taxi

Festival International de Louisiane

LaFayette, LA

April 20th – 24th

TrueFire artist and slide-guitar virtuoso Sonny Landreth plays alongside a cast of musicians from all around the world, creating a festival that’s uniquely Louisiana.

Highlights:

Sonny Landreth, Alpha Blondy and the Solar System, A-WA, Burundi Drummers, The Wifs, Rocky Dawuni

Terrapin Hill Festival

Harrodsburg, KY

April 22nd – 24th

Catch TrueFire artist Freekbass along with a cozy cast of bluegrass and folk musicians.

Highlights:

Rumpke Mountain Boys, Freekbass, Trout Steak Revival, Restless Leg String Band

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

New Orleans, LA

April 22nd – May 1st

Occuring over two weekends in April, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival includes one of the broadest groups of musicians of any festival, with eclectic headliners from Stevie Wonder to Steely Dan. See TrueFire artists Keith Carlock and Jon Herington play with Steely Dan, with Sonny Landreth playing a set as well.

Highlights:

Beck, Gov’t Mule, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Wonder, Pearl Jam, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Steely Dan (with Keith Carlock and Jon Herington), Van Morrison, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, My Morning Jacket, Gary Clark Jr., Dr. John & The Nite Trippers, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald, Buddy Guy, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Grace Potter, Snarky Puppy, The Black Lillies, Sonny Landreth

Malibu Guitar Festival

Malibu, CA

April 28th – May 1st

Featuring an all-star cast of guitar greats, TrueFire Artist Laurence Juber joins Kenny Wayne Shpherd, Robert Randolph, and many, many others in celebrating the guitar.

Highlights:

Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robert Randolph, The Empty Hearts, Vintage Trouble, Albert Lee, Dale Watson, Randy Jackson, Laurence Juber, Zepparella, Fabrizio Sotti

MerleFest

Wilkesboro, NC

April 28th – May 1st

MerleFest celebrates “traditional plus” music, meaning traditional Appalachian music plus what goes along with it, in memory of Eddy Merle Watson. Folk music and all of its constituents are on display here, also featuring TrueFire artist Tommy Emmanuel.

Highlights:

John Prine, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jason Isbell, John Oates, Dave Rawlings Machine, Brandi Carlile, The WOod Brothers, Steep Canyon Rangers, Tim O’Brien, Tommy Emmanuel, Donna the Buffalo

Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival

Belfast, UK

April 28th – May 8th

A local festival in Belfast, catch TrueFire artist Daniel Champagne as well as a performance by reggae visionary Lee “Scratch” Perry.

Highlights:

Lee “Scratch” Perry, Daniel Champagne

Beale Street Music Festival

Memphis, TN

April 29th – May 1st

A music festival celebrating the legendary street in Memphis, Beale Street Music Festival brings a little bit of everything – Neil Young headlining with new outfit Promise of the Real, Lucinda Williams entering the sixth decade of her career, and Paul Simon taking one of the top spots too.

Highlights:

Neil Young & Promise of the Real, Beck, Paul Simon, Weezer, Train, Jason Derulo, Modest Mouse, Grace Potter, Young The Giant, Cold War Kids, The Arcs, Violent Femmes, Courtney Barnett, Trampled By Turtles, Moon Taxi, Lucinda Williams

Dallas International Guitar Festival

Dallas, TX

April 29th – May 1st

A showcase for all things guitar, make sure to see performances by TrueFire artists Robben Ford, Sonny Landreth, and Johnny Hiland in between browsing the showroom.

Highlights:

Robben Ford, Ruthie Foster, Whitford/St. Holmes, Eric Gales, Gary Hoey, Sonny Landreth, Johnny Hiland

Levitation

Austin, TX

April 29th – May 1st

Previously known as Austin Psychfest, Levitation’s big story is the 50th anniversary of The Beach Boys’ seminal record, Pet Sounds, being performed in its entirety by Brian Wilson. Newcomers Courtney Barnett, Dungen, and others perform alongside veterans like Ween and Thurston Moore to flesh out the psychedellic weekend in Austin.

Highlights:

Brian Wilson, Ween, Animal Collective, Courtney Barnett, Sleep, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Ty Segall, Super Furry Animals, Thurston Moore Band, Parquet Courts, Dungen, Woods

Stagecoach Music Festival

Indio, CA

April 29th – May 1st

Stagecoach Music Festival takes place in the Indio Valley in California, the same venue as Coachella, starting the weekend after. Stagecoach has become a who’s who of country music – with artists from then and now playing over the three day event.

Highlights:

Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Chris Young, Sam Hunt, The Band Perry, Joe Nichols, Little Big Town, Dustin Lynch, Emmylou Harris, John Fogerty, Chris Stapleton, The Doobie Brothers, Lucero, Langhorne Slim and the Law, Jerry Douglas