2024 Under The Big Sky Fest in Words and Pictures


It really is hard to come back to reality after spending three days in picturesque Whitefish, Montana, taking in the music of some of our generation’s very top talents courtesy of the Under The Big Sky Festival on the Big Mountain Ranch. From helping to crown legacies, to breaking up-and-comers, to giving opportunities to those who deserve them, to making plenty of memories for attendees along the way, Under The Big Sky Fest in 2024 had it all, and in ways that feel like they’ll impact the music world well beyond the festival itself.

Under The Big Sky 2024 is perhaps the moment we will point back to that truly broke Zach Top into the public consciousness when he took the stage with headliner Billy Strings and held his own during a epic rendition of “Freeborn Man.” It will be the time when Sierra Ferrell revealed herself as a modern queen of country as she made a regal entrance into the festival on horseback.

When you assemble so much talent and in one place, it’s bound to give rise to moments of magic. This is how Under The Big Sky both started, and ended in 2024. One of the first bands to take the stage on Friday, June 12th was the duo-fronted Muscadine Bloodline out of Alabama. They said that Whitefish was the farthest north they had ever been, and were somewhat starry-eyed to see Canadians in the audience who made the 30 mile trek south from the border to attend.

Charlie Muncaster and Gary Stanton of Muscadine Bloodline

Muscadine also happened to release a new single the same day they performed called “Tickets to Turnpike” featuring fiddle player Kyle Nix of the Turnpike Troubadours. The Turnpike Troubadours were headlining Friday night as well, and Nix was able to sit in with the Muscadine boys for the song.

Muscadine Bloodline with Kyle Nix

Along with Zach Top sitting in with Billy Strings for Sunday evening’s final set, Billy String also sat in during Sierra Ferrell’s set and performed with her on the song “The Bells of Every Chapel.” Then Sierra returned the favor by showing up for the Billy Strings set, singing a rather epic version of Cher’s “Believe.”

Sierra Ferrell with Billy Strings

Speaking of collaborations, Sierra Ferrell also just appeared on the new single from the Hogslop String Band called “Oldsmobile.” It was Hogslop’s fifth year at Under The Big Sky, and they are the only performer who has played every year of the fest. In fact, when the 2024 lineup was announced initially and Hogslop was not on it, a fan revolt ensued and they got invited back anyway. They showed up on stage dressed like a hillbilly version of the Village People, and promptly set Montana ablaze, fueled by Fireball Whiskey.

Gabriel Kelley of the Hogslop String Band shares refreshments with the audience

Something that separates Under The Big Sky Fest from other megafestivals is their strong support for local talent. This came in the form of booking the dynamic bluegrass band The Lil’ Smokies from Missoula once again, local band Badger Hound who also played the pre-party, as well as the new duo called Denim Gold.

Made up on local songwriters Hannah King and Michelle Rivers, both songwriters had performed at Under The Big Sky separately over the last few years, though guesting on each other’s sets. Frequent songwriting partners, they decided to officially launch a side project, and did it in part with a song aptly titled “Under The Big Sky.” Though the song is more about Montana than the festival itself, it feels like the festival now has an official theme song.

Hannah King
Michelle Rivers

Under The Big Sky Festival is independent country music’s original megafestival. But unlike some of the other megafests that have popped up around the United States whose frenetic schedule with three stages saps patrons and spreads the energy too thin, this two-stage, three-day, 25,000-capacity festival is more manageable to attend, though certainly not intimate, while also offering the opportunity to see much of this generation’s top talent all in one place.

Though two stages are easier to manage compared to three or more, there is a massive hill between the two, meaning patrons have to figure out times to switch stages, or you spend most of your day walking back and forth. With the packed nature of the lineup, this resulted in some very difficult decisions.

Flatland Cavalry and the Turnpike Troubadours going toe to toe Friday night with only a 30 minute stagger resulted in some tough decisions being made by fans of both bands. You only had 15 minutes to see Paul Cauthen before Billy Strings started on Sunday, and only 15 minutes to get from the end of Sierra Ferrell to see the start of Charles Wesley Godwin. Flatland Cavalry arguably had the worst of it, but rose to the occasion on Friday night.

Flatland Cavalry Frontman Cleto Cordero

Though some attendees got frustrated at the festival for the tight scheduling, it’s often not just the festival calling these shots, but the bands and their management. Who gets to play when and where is something that gets negotiated months in advance, and before artists and bands commit to performing.

Most of the bands booked at Under The Big Sky come from the country and roots realm, but there are also a few indie rock projects that make the lineup each year. With a name like Richy Mitch and The Coal Miners, you might expect some real hillbilly music from this Colorado-based band. But instead Richy spent most of the time staring at his shoes and his guitar effects pedal. Peeping at their Spotify numbers though, apparently someone is listening.

Conversely, indie rock bands like Mt. Joy and The Revivalists brought the party, and could hold their own among the predominantly country music listening crowd, especially since some of their music comes with roots inflections. When the indie rock bands were booked on one or the other stage parallel with a country band, this is when you heard less complaining from patrons. It made the options easier.

Sax player Rob Ingraham and The Revivalists

Some were worried if Friday Night’s headliner, the Turnpike Troubadours, might cross paths with Saturday Night’s headliner, Miranda Lambert. Let’s just say that the two have a history. No such interaction happened, and frontman Evan Felker dedicated “Diamonds and Gasoline” to his wife who apparently made the trek to Montana.

A lot of how well a Turnpike Troubadours set goes is dependent on Even Felker’s level of enthusiasm, and he was especially animated Friday night in Whitefish. In 2024, they have really been exploring the depth of their catalog at concerts, exposing songs like “The Mercury” (alright, alright) as the hits we all knew they were when we first heard them.

Evan Felker of the Turnpike Troubadours

Miranda Lambert’s Saturday night set was a run through the hits of her career, which when taken in total, really speaks to the depth of her catalog. It was a strong set from Miranda and her band, though in some respects it felt like Under The Big Sky Fest had caught a falling star as opposed to supporting a rising one. Compared to the other headliners, the crowd was less engaged.

“I can see your head is not turned the right way, which is this way,” Lambert said at one point to some folks in the crowd. “If you came to visit, you can do it somewhere else. If you came to sing and hear some country music and drink some beer and raise some hell, then we’re doing that tonight.”

Billboard and Whiskey Riff both ran articles about the moment (even though they were not there) like it was some big altercation, but that really wasn’t the case. What it did speak to is to how portions of the crowd seemed a little inattentive during her set. Unfortunately, Lambert’s peeps put the kibosh on any and all professional photography, and at a time when she could probably use a little buzz. So here is a stock photo of her from a while back.


Everything was topped off by the Billy Strings set Sunday night. Though it was his beyond epic and extended version of John Hartford’s “All Fall Down” that crowned the performance and set the high water mark, it was his collaborations with Sierra Ferrell on “One Loaf of Bread” and Cher’s “Believe” that set the crowd on fire, along with Zach Top’s participation on bluegrass classics “Freeborn Man” and “Big Spike Hammer.”

If anybody “won” the 2024 Under The Big Sky Festival, it was Zach Top. Holding his own with Billy Strings on the main stage during the headliner set with 25,000 people watching on, it validated that he’s not just a cowboy hat, boots, and a polished voice. Zach Top is truly the multi-tool, multi-capacity performer that can do it all: bluegrass flatpicking, Telecaster chickin’ pickin’, while writing and singing songs with the best of them.

Zach Top

The competition in the realm of independent country megafestivals only promises to get worse. C3/LiveNation is already encroaching on Under The Big Sky’s market with their FairWell Fest in Oregon and another event down in Missoula. But Under The Big Sky will always be the first, remains independent, and as it proved in 2024, is still one of the best festival for making lasting memories, and fostering major moments for performers and patrons alike.

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All photos by Kyle “Trigger” Coroneos. Apologies to the artist and bands not pictured or mentioned. Every effort was expended to cover as many artists as possible. For more photos, videos, and media from Under The Big Sky Fest and other live events, follow Saving Country Music on Instagram.


Charles Wesley Godwin and his band The Allegheny High don’t come out on stage as musical performers. They come out as music warriors. Every single fluid ounce of guts, heart, drive, tenacity, blood, sweat, and tears they have to expend is left in puddles and ashes on the stage when they’re done.
The Castellows will break your heart when they walk out on stage, and then they will save your soul when they start singing. The future is bright for these three singing/playing/songwriting sisters, and the future of country music is bright too because of it. The present isn’t bad either, as they try to go from viral sensations to legitimate artists worth being taken seriously beyond the striking visual component to their music.
Lily Balkcom of The Castellows
Eleanor Balkcom of The Castellows
Powell Balkcom of The Castellows
Country legend Tanya Tucker always owns the stage.
Pony Bradshaw is best known for his songwriting. But live he puts on a surprisingly rousing and entertaining set.
Waking through the parking lot Sunday night at the end of the festival, numerous vehicles weren’t blasting headliners Billy Strings or Paul Cauthen as they were driving away. They were playing Kaitlin Butts. It’s happening for Kaitlin. And it’s because she’s making it happen by refusing to compromise or let up.
Andy Dunningan of The Lil’ Smokies is one of the best dobro players around, and the Montana-based band puts on one of the most entertaining shows in bluegrass.
A creek runs right through the Under The Big Sky Fest and in front of the second stage. Folks can listen to music while cooling off.
…or you can wait for this lady to come around. You might be 60 miles from Canada, but the days at Under The Big Sky get hot.
Harper O’Neil impressed many, including with her great song “Dark Bar Daisy.”
It was really cool to see Under The Big Sky Fest in Montana book Sarah Shook and the Disarmers from the punk side of country in 2024. It was even more cool to see them perform on the main stage. The lyrics and music come with an edge, but they have an uncanny skill at melody construction that makes their songs super appealing.
Shovels & Rope
John Osborne of Brothers Osborne getting after it. They always put on a high energy show.
TJ Osborne
Paul Cauthen headlined the 2nd stage Sunday night, and has become a mainstay of the Under The Big Sky lineup, playing 4 of the 5 years, and sometimes multiple sets.
City and Colour
Matt Quinn on Mt. Joy, with the Montana mountains setting the backdrop
Under The Big Sky Fest has one of the best petting zoos you will find
Under The Big Sky also has a rodeo that happens all weekend
Tanner Usrey hanging out after his set on Sunday
Chaparelle
Zella Day of Chaparelle
Tomara
Richy Mitch
Ryan Engleman of the Turnpike Troubadours
R.C. “Rooster” Edwards of the Turnpike Troubadours
Hammerin’ Hank Early of the Turnpike Troubadours
Smokin’ Brett Resnick has been the steel guitar player behind Kelsey Waldon, Luke Bell, Kacey Musgraves, Pam Tillis, and many others. He’s now part of the incredible band helping to take Zach Top to the top.
Kevin Martin of the Hogslop String Band and many other important country projects in Nashville
Pickle of the Hogslop String Band
Daniel Binkley of the Hogslop String Band
Crowd at second stage
Crowd at main stage
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