Surging Bluegrass Band Mountain Grass Unit Announces Early 2026 Dates
Every once in a while it’s imperative to put out the all points bulletin about an artist or band on the meteoric rise that you should see in intimate spaces while that opportunity is still available. When it comes to the enterprising and excruciatingly talented bluegrass outfit Mountain Grass Unit, that bulletin is being disseminated right here, right now.
Lead guitar player Luke Black, mandolin player Drury Anderson, Sam Wilson on bass, and Josiah Nelson on fiddle are the future of bluegrass assembled under one name. They’ve been making major waves in bluegrass and beyond throughout 2025, including landmark appearances at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and this year’s World of Bluegrass where guitar player Luke Black finally got to share the stage with Billy Strings.
Along with a few shows supporting the Infamous Stringdusters and the Kitchen Dwellers, Mountain Grass Unit has just released their initial tour dates for 2026. It won’t be long before they’re touring with their own sets of openers. They’re already selling out many of their live dates, including their upcoming show at The Basement East in Nashville November 5th as the buzz about them continues to grow.
Strangely, 2025 hasn’t seen that many breakout artists, in country, or really in music in general. Mountain Grass Unit is one of the exceptions, with guitarist Luke Black feeling like one of the next great American pickers.
For more info and to purchase tickets, visit mountaingrassunit.com .
TOUR DATES:
January 15 – Lexington, KY – The Burl
January 16 – Louisville, KY – Zanzabar
January 17 – Peoria, IL – Kenny’s Westside Pub
January 19 – Des Moines, IA – xBK
January 20 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown – Front Room
January 24 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom @
January 26 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
January 28 – Cleveland, OH – Globe Iron !
January 29 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre !
January 30 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall !
January 31 – Bloomington, IN – The Bluebird
April 10 – Columbia, SC – The Senate
April 11 – Wilmington, NC – Greenfield Lake Amphitheater
April 12 – Norfolk, VA – The Annex
April 14 – Savannah, GA – Victory North
April 15 – Gainesville, FL – Heartwood Soundstage
April 17 – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL – Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
April 18 – Orlando, FL – The Abbey
April 19 – West Palm Beach, FL – Respectable Street
April 21 – Tampa Bay, FL – The Orpheum
April 23 – Mobile, AL – Soul Kitchen
April 24 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company
! supporting The Infamous Stringdusters
@ supporting Kitchen Dwellers
October 14, 2025 @ 6:47 pm
A few other names in bluegrass that are surging also come to mind. Authentic Unlimited has blown up in a short time, though they are kind of a supergroup as they are former members of Russell Moore and Third Time Out and Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. These guys have been winning ACM awards like crazy in the last couple years and I’m seeing them pop up everywhere. And their song Fall in Tennessee was a number 1 hit on the bluegrass charts.
Wyatt Ellis is a mandolin prodigy who’s blowing up. Marty Stuarts even recorded with him, and Wyatts been on The Opry a lot. His first album is an instrumental album, which may be a turn-off to some, but its excellent picking and very traditional. His young band is smoking hot and they are going places. Wyatt got to sit in with Del McCoury Band and Eric Clapton at the last Crossroads Guitar Festival. This young man has also played with Billy Strings.
Sister Sadie is definitely surging, getting mainstage appearances at numerous bluegrass fests including Del Fest and Earl Scruggs Fest. I’d say 2025 has been a terrific year for them.
Hopefully I will catch Mountain Grass Unit next year. Had a chance to see them at DelFest and didn’t.
October 14, 2025 @ 7:16 pm
Bluegrass is definitely hot right now, and launching numerous franchise-level acts.
October 15, 2025 @ 5:11 am
Reckon you could make up a list of the best up and coming bluegrass talent or even some that have been around but not as well known as they ought to be. I love bluegrass but Apple Music doesn’t have a bluegrass genre that’s easy to look up so without names it’s harder to find new talent.
October 15, 2025 @ 1:54 pm
East Nash Grass is really good, you have Shelby Means and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes spinning out of the late lamented Golden Highway, The Fretliners are a pretty good song-oriented group. Pitney Meyer sounds good. Clay Street Unit is following Town Mountain in doing a grass/indie country hybrid approach with steel and banjo; more on the country side but very good. Fireside Collective is easing its way out of bluegrass into jam rock but they still have some nice pickin’. There’s a group called Floodgate Operators that has started using a 12-string guitar, which is a nice twist. (Somebody tell Shaboozy, he spoke it into existence…) There’s a group from California called Crying Uncle; they’re teenaged and last I heard their vocals were still growing but if they get solid there look out, because the mandolin kid seems like a budding David Grisman!
October 15, 2025 @ 4:39 pm
Hot damn man I appreciate it!
October 15, 2025 @ 5:36 am
“2025 hasn’t seen that many breakout artists, in country, or really in music in general. ”
I completely agree. Any guesses why?
I mean, this is a stark contrast to last year, where new faces and promising voices were constantly emerging, especially in country music.
The artists I would consider as the “class of ’24” fortunately continue on building their careers, but there aren’t many breakout artists coming up this year.
October 15, 2025 @ 7:14 am
I’m not 100% sure why this is, but it’s been the talk across music. A cynical take could be that labels are investing in AI as opposed to actual new artists and promoting them. But it could also just be an anomaly of the market, and next year things will rebound. But now that it’s October and we’re heading into the Christmas music season already, it’s unlikely we get that breakout star this year.
October 15, 2025 @ 6:01 am
I was really excited yesterday when I saw the tour announcement come out and it included a stop in my town. Buying my ticket this morning and I can’t wait! I had this same thought last night – this would probably be my last chance to see them in a venue that size. And it’s the day after my birthday – HBD to me!
October 15, 2025 @ 10:02 am
Shadowgrass is another bluegrass band thats needs to mentioned in the same breath as Mountain Grass Unit.
October 15, 2025 @ 12:12 pm
No stops in PA. I’ll have to bring these boys to Ragamuffin Hall.
October 15, 2025 @ 12:35 pm
Thalia Hall is like the Ryman, without seats, but if you could buy alcoholic punch drinks in the basement.