Mile 0 Fest 2025: Ground Zero for Big Moments


What happens at Mile 0 Fest in Key West doesn’t stay in Key West. It resonates throughout the Texas/ Red Dirt world, into Americana, and throughout independent country for the rest of the year. This is due to Mile 0 Fest being one of the first major events every year. This is also due to the artists and bands who perform, who attends the festival, and what ultimately unfolds. There are bigger festivals. The are older, more legendary festivals. But Mile 0 Fest is where major things happen.

This has been true for all eight installments of Mile 0 Fest since 2017. But this point has been underscored over the last couple of years. In 2024, it was Mike and the Moonpies shocking the world by announcing their name change to Silverada at Mile 0 Fest. This year it was legendary Red Dirt band Cross Canadian Ragweed taking the stage for the first time in 15 years.

These are the kind of big, headline-grabbing moments that seem to transpire at Mile 0 Fest each year. But there are plenty of other moments that make Mile 0 Fest important to performers. Texas songwriter Courtney Patton chose to release her new album Carry You With Me during this year’s festival, including doing a signing and meet-and-greet with fans. Surging up-and-comer Ty Myers also appeared the same day of his debut album release, The Select.

Ty Myers

Why do artist choose to use Mile 0 Fest as a forum for these major events in their career? Because to get to Key West and stay there is not easy. The people who attend Mile 0 Fest are superfans. These are the folks who see music as their primary passion in life. They don’t just listen to music, they support it in any and every capacity. They buy the vinyl copies of albums, and a T-shirt. They go to the local show whenever performers come through town. The proselytize online to their friends and family about their favorite artists.

Mile 0 Fest puts these superfans all in one place. The results of this are seen in the meteoric rise of some of the performers who come to the festival. It can act like a springboard for careers. Tyler Childers, Whiskey Myers, the Turnpike Troubadours, Cody Jinks, and more all have performed at Mile 0 Fest previously, even if they’ve now outgrown the roughly 3,000-capacity event.

The first place people started buzzing about The Red Clay Strays was at Mile 0 Fest. The Red Clay Strays are carrying forward the dreams of every roots band that doesn’t really fit anywhere intuitively, and they’re carrying those dreams all the way to the top of popular music. And they’re also doing it their way, with integrity, while being unapologetically themselves.

Brandon Coleman of The Red Clay Strays

In truth, The Red Clay Strays had no business playing Mile 0 Fest in 2025. They’ve grown multipliers bigger than that at this point. They might be playing arenas by the end of the year. But Mile 0 Fest took a chance on them when nobody else did. And now that Red Clay is coming out on top, they returned the favor by headlining Friday night in Key West.

That’s how independent, grassroots music works. Promoters look to develop talent from the ground floor, and then when that talent gets big, the favor is reciprocated. Maybe this is the last time The Red Clay Strays play Mile 0 Fest. Maybe they play Mile 0 Fest every year. After all, it’s a good excuse to be in Key West. But make no mistake, no matter where The Red Clay Strays go, they won’t forget where they’re from, or who they are. You hear that in their music, and feel it in their performances.

The Red Clay Strays are a big Mile 0 success story, but there are others. Songwriter Ken Pomeroy started performing at Mile 0 Fest when she was 13. She returned in 2025 now signed to Rounder Records. Zane Williams was one of Mile 0 Fest’s early artists. Now along with his supergroup The Wilder Blue, they’ve been out opening shows for Luke Combs in stadiums.

Zane Williams and Sean Rodriguez of The Wilder Blue

Mile 0 Fest focuses mostly on Red Dirt and Texas country music, but 2025 had a heavy Alabama component as well, crowned by the marquee performance by The Red Clay Strays, but also represented by Them Dirty Roses, Adam Hood, and Taylor Hunnicutt. With Taylor Hunnicutt, the question is not “if” but “when.” When will she be selling out venues coast to coast? When will the world wake up to her talent, and realize she this generation’s Wynonna or Janis Joplin? When will the people seeing her now be able to brag they saw her when she was coming up?

Hunnicutt killed even more than normal when she made her debut on the main stage of Mile 0 Fest Friday evening. When she takes the stage, it’s like she communes with all the souls of deceased country, blues, and soul artists from the South, bringing all of their power, and prowess, and passion into the present tense.

Taylor Hunnicutt


Along with Cross Canadian Ragweed’s big return, the 2025 Mile 0 Fest will also be remembered for being the coldest one on record. Though the temps were downright balmy compared to the rest of the United States—which suffered a deep freeze for much of the third week of January—the temps in the upper 50’s felt much colder with the gale force breezes coming off the ocean. There have been cold days in Key West before, but it wasn’t until Saturday that Mile 0 Fest 2025 experienced a mostly warm and sunny one.

The festival also debuted a new stage at Truman Waterfront Park as sort of a second major stage. They were also forced to move from the fan favorite Smokin’ Tuna to Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville for some of the day shows due to the Smokin’ Tuna’s current limbo status. Tanner Usrey drew a line two blocks down of people trying to get into Buffett’s place.

Another feature of 2025 were the supergroups and landmark collaborations that took place. Steve Earle performed backed by Reckless Kelly. The aforementioned The Wilder Blue were a big part of the fest playing two big shows. And Hayes Carll and The Band of Heathens combined to reprise songs from their new Hayes and the Heathens album.

Just as much as Mile 0 Fest is a festival to see big names and re-connect with fan favorites, it’s like a songwriting festival as well, and gives patrons plenty of opportunities at discovery. From legends like James McMurtry, to up-and-comers like Blaine Bailey, intimate acoustic sets in cool venues make for memorable experiences. Or, you can take in a full band show on Key West’s legendary Sunset Pier where the cruise ships come in, or on the beach near the southernmost point of the United States.

James McMurtry performing at the San Carlos Theater

What will be the next eye-popping revelation, legendary reunification, career launching, or generally badass moment Mile 0 Fest will facilitate in 2026? We’ll just have to see. It has some mighty shoes to fill. But what we know for sure is something important and impactful will happen. And whether you’re there in person or not, it will likely affect the music you love, and in a positive manner.

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All photos by Kyle “Trigger” Coroneos. For more photos and coverage from Mile 0 Fest and other live events, follow Saving Country Music on Instagram. Apologies to all artists not mentioned or pictured. So many great artists, so little time.

Tuesday night headliner Wade Bowen secured his place as the “King of Mile ) Fest” making his 8th headline appearance, along with inviting on stage Willy Braun of Reckless Kelly, Zane Williams of The Wilder Blue, and capping the night off with BJ Barham singing the Boss’s “Born To Run.”
Willy Braun with Wade Bowen
The White Buffalo brought a change of pace to Friday night
Sunny Sweeney dropped some hints about a new album on the way during her set.
The Queen of Texas Country Summer Dean made her Mile 0 Fest debut, and on the main stage no less.
The legendary Steve Earle was backed by Reckless Kelly for his Mile 0 Fest Debut during the worst weather of the festival. Reckless was supposed to play first, but they just went ahead and brought Earle out and made it one big set.
Steve Earle with Reckless Kelly
Thursday night headliners Shane Smith and the Saints
Kaitlin Butts signed up to play a country music set in Sunny Key West, and someone ordered up the weather for catching snow crab off the coast of Alaska. Kaitlin’s skirt was so short, it barely covered her Butts, but she fought through the elements to deliver a killer set. The wind howled, and Kaitlin howled back.
Saturday night headliner The Randy Rogers Band
Randy Rogers
A floating Tiki bar taking in music at the Sunset Pier
The Wilder Blue performing flanked by the blue ocean
BJ Barham of American Aquarium
American Aquarium always bring the breakneck energy
American Aquarium’s Shane Boeker
The “Queen of Mile 0 Fest” Jamie Lin Wilson was supposed to take the year off, but flew to Key West just to sing “17” as part of the Cross Canadian Ragweed tribute.
There are few things more titillating than word coming down that two of your favorite performers teaming up. Hayes Carll and the Band of Heathens banding together reignited their creative juices, and resulted in something greater than the sum of their parts.
Hayes Carll
Gordy Quist of Band of Heathens
Ed Jurdi of Band of Heathens
Band of Heathens playing their own set on the new Truman Waterfront stage
Courtney Patton playing her album release show on the Truman Waterfront Stage
Courtney Patton meeting and greeting fans
Far and away the greatest discovery of Mile 0 Fest 2025 for many people was Johnny Mullenax. He self-describes his music as a “Funky country bluegrass good time for working folks.” Whatever you call it, it’s WILD live, with a mix of blazing instrumentation, flourishes of jazz improvisations, served through a racing redneck heart.
The music of Ellis Bullard immediately puts you bare assed on a bearskin run in front of a raging fire, engaging in heavy petting, then dry humping, and leading into full-blown premarital raw dog sex, with the aftermath filled with post-coital pulls from long Pall Malls.
After the previous caption for Ellis Bullard was shared on Instagram, Uncle Bekah of Uncle Bekah’s Inappropriate Trucker hats printed it on a hat for Ellis Bullard.
Uncle Bekah and her Inappropriate Trucker hats is a mainstay of Mile 0 Fest
Yet another Red Twerk spotting
Stephen Wilson Jr. was yet another fast-rising performer on the 2025 lineup.
Red Dirt Godfather Mike McClure who was all over Mile 0 Fest in 2025, including sitting in with Cody Canada and the Departed.
Crow and Gazelle featuring Mike McClure and his wife Chrislyn
The hero of Tulsa John Fullbright
Maggie Antone is revitalizing attitude in country songs
Kat Hasty has a unique gift for making really good songs relatable and fun, even when they’re inspired by heartbreak.
Blaine Bailey became one of the biggest discoveries of 2024 with his excellent album entitled “Home.” From Oklahoma, unlike many of the state’s Red Dirt artists, Blaine Bailey is full-blooded Native American, and brings his experience and perspective to elevated songwriting emboldened by a country rock sound.
It’s only appropriate that on the week, and at the festival that Cross Canadian Ragweed officially reunited on stage, JD Graham would be there too. After all, he grew up with the Ragweed guys and played music with them at times. He also happens to be a great songwriter all on his own.
Blaine Bailey performed in a resort courtyard by the pool.
Josh Grider and fellow Topo Chico Cowboy Drew Kennedy hosted a ’90s night at the main amphitheater that was a hoot.
Drew Kennedy in character for ’90s night.
Ken Pomeroy making her return to Mile 0 Fest for an acoustic set at Hanks.
The voice of 49 Winchester’s Isaac Gibson is so powerful, so soulful, so emotive, it can confer healing powers against whatever might be afflicting you, mentally or physically.
The boys from Russell County, Virginia
Onomatopoeia was this year’s Mile 0 Fest theme
Adam Hood hosted a songwriter showcase highlighting many of the songs he’s written for or with others at the San Gabriel Theater
Lucas Jagneaux
Ben Danaher
Jason Eady
Adam Hood, Jason Eady, Taylor Hunnicutt
Courtney Patton
The San Carlos Theater
James Ford of Them Dirty Roses
Andrew Davis of Them Dirty Roses
Low Water Bridge Band
Bri Bagwell with Josh Grider
Festival owner Kyle Carter
Taylor Hunnicutt
Guitarist Kevin Skrla pulled double duty playing for Summer Dean.
Proud papa Cody Canada admiring son Dierks
Tanner Usrey performing at the afterparty hosted by Max and Heather Stalling.
Until next year Mile 0 Fest

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