Spring brings a flood of open-air concerts, like Savannah, which take place all over town. Where fall and winter are generally symphony, opera, and ballet seasons, spring and summer welcome the blues, jazz, rap, Americana—the kind of music you can listen to on the beach, on a mountainside. Anywhere there’s the soft kiss of spring air.
Savannah Music Festival
Savannah, Georgia | March 24–April 4
Walk all around Historic Savannah to enjoy the Savannah Music Festival’s impressive lineup of artist collaborations and performances, including the John Jorgenson Quintet at the Trustee’s Garden on March 30 at 8 PM; Philip Dukes playing Brahms and Schumann at the Trinity United Methodist Church on March 31 at 6 PM and All Beethoven on April 1 at 6 PM; Mavis Staples at the Lucas Theatre for the Arts on April 1 at 8 PM; True Blues with Corey Harris, Phil Wiggins and Cedric Watson playing two performances on Saturday, April 2, one at 4 PM and the evening performance at 8 PM; and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Robert Spano, with special guest Avi Avital on the Mandolin. Log onto www.savannahmusicfestival.org for many more performances and all information.
Image courtesy of Winter Wonder Grass Festival
Winter Wonder Grass California
Palisades Tahoe, California | April 1–3
Music, brews, mountains, community, sustainability, integrity, and family. For ten years, that’s been the karma for the best in bluegrass and American roots music, when musicians and brewers come together in some of the most welcoming and majestic mountain communities in Colorado, California, and Vermont. This year the venue is the Palisades Tahoe in Squaw Valley and the lineup includes Billy Strings, The Infamous Stringdusters, The California Honeydrops, Della Mae, Fruition, and many more. Come, camp, and commune with music, nature, and savor small-batch beer produced by a variety of community-minded, independent brewers. For more information, visit www.winterwondergrass.com.
Dreamville Festival
Raleigh, North Carolina | April 2–3
More than 40,000 will flock to the Second Annual Dreamville Festival, presented by Grammy-nominated American rapper J.Cole, a native son of Fayetteville, North Carolina. The two-day lineup includes performances by Blxst, Earthgang, J.I.D., Bas, Lil Baby, Kehalani, and many more rap, hip hop, and R&B musicians. J. Cole gives back to the homestate he credits for molding him as an individual and performer by donating the proceeds from the festival to benefit Cole’s Dreamville Foundation and the Dorothea Dix Park Conservancy, which sustains over 300 acres of public greenspace in Raleigh’s largest city park. For more information, please visit www.dreavillefest.com.
Tampa Bay Blues Festival
St. Petersburg, Florida | April 8–10
For over 25 years, the Tampa Bay Blues festival has been a mecca for blues, jam, and Americana music enthusiasts. Held at Vinoy Waterfront Park, this year’s performers include JJ Grey & Mofro, Jimmie Vaughan, Larkin Poe, Smanatha Fish, the Nick Moss Band, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, and many more. Purchase a 3-day V.I.P. pass to become a member of the Tampa Bay Blues Club for special seating and admission to the kick-off party and aftershows. Please visit www.tampabaybluesfest.com for more information.
Image courtesy of Old Settler’s Music Festival
Old Settler’s Music Festival
Tilmon, Texas | April 21–24
Established in 1987, the Old Settler’s Music Festival is one of the biggest annual Americana, bluegrass, and roots music festivals in the country. Grab your tent and camping gear and spend the weekend on 145 acres of rolling hills, meadows, and tree-covered campgrounds while listening to the tunes of artist-in-residence Del McCoury, J.J. Grey & Mofro, Railroad Earth, Galactic, Leftover Salmon, and many others. For more information, please visit www.oldsettlersmusicfest.com
Charm City Bluegrass Festival
Baltimore, Maryland | April 29-30
Returning for its fifth year, the IBMA award-winning festival will be held in Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park. This year’s lineup features Yonder Mountain String Band, The Lil Smokies, the Larry Keel Experience, Hackensaw Boys, and Dori Freeman, among many others. Rent an RV and kick back for what promises to be an unforgettable show. Please visit www.charmcitybluegrass.com for more information.
Image courtesy of Adele’s Instagram
PERFORMING ARTISTS ON TOUR
On tour this spring are some of music’s most illustrious names and if you can, get tickets. This could be your last chance to see some of these superstars in person.
The Eagles | Arguably Pop’s greatest soft rock band, ever. They are performing 22 concerts—around the country in Milwaukee, Columbus, Buffalo, Greenville SC, Nashville, Houston, Tulsa, Austin and Salt Lake City, their last US concert, on May 25, before heading over to the Netherlands and U.K.
Coldplay | One of Alternative Rock’s most popular bands, Coldplay begins its 33-concert international tour in Mexico on March 29, then comes stateside April 26 in Inglewood, California, then on to Dallas, Houston, Glendale AZ, Santa Clara CA, Chicago, Greater Landover MD, East Rutherford NJ, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Tampa before heading to Europe.
Metallica | The great hard rock/heavy metal band will perform 12 concerts between May 27 and August 14 with only four in the US, kicking off in Cambridge, MA and Napa, CA and ending in Orchard Park, NY and Pittsburgh.
Elton John | The father of soft rock launches a grueling, 101 concert tour in Fargo ND on March 19, playing 20 concerts before heading back to Europe and the UK, then returning to the US July 15 for 17 more gigs, back across the pond to Ireland, and closing what likely is his last grand tour on July 8 in Stockholm, Sweden.
Adele | Adele is scheduled to open March 25 at Caesar’s Palace after her emotional, last-minute cancellation of her “Weekends with Adele” limited Las Vegas residency in January. Performances follow March 26 and on April 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16, then resume, after a two-month hiatus, on July 1 and 2.
Check out Concertful and Music Festival Wizard — great resources for planning your next musical adventure.