Acting as if proximity to you or anyone else is irrelevant, and money is no object, what are some of the best experiences you can have listening to music in America?
You will find few things more exciting in the world of equine sports than Indian relay races, and you will find few more entertaining performers in the country music realm than Charley Crockett and Jamey Johnson.
It’s as big as Montana. It’s independently-owned. And it was the first festival that had the cajones to put on a massive festival with independent artists at the top of a poster. It’s Under The Big Sky Festival.
Tyler Childers played a benefit concert of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation on Sunday, August 4th. This is the story of how Childers got involved in the tribe and took up the cause.
It’s not just Zach Top’s music, nor just his history. It’s the cut of his jib. It’s the contours of his character. It’s the full package that assures you that the future of country music is in good hands.
Sierra Ferrell made a grand entrance to the Under The Big Sky Festival in Montana on horseback. Shortly after, she would top her own memorable moment by performing with Billy Strings on “The Bells of Every Chapel.”
The Blackfeet Indian Reservations hasn’t been the victim of any major natural disasters lately. Instead, the benefit appears to be tied to a cause that Tyler Childers regularly champions in his native region of Appalachia: addiction.
In some respects, these are all good problems to have, and speak to the growing pains of an emerging reality where independent artists have just as much pull and agency live as their mainstream counterparts.
The 2024 lineup set to go off on July 12-14 does not disappoint, with Under The Big Sky landing a massive fish in bluegrass maestro Billy Strings, and the Turnpike Troubadours and Miranda Lambert rounding out the headliners.
The quality of talent was never the concern about FairWell Fest, and the weekend was one killer set after another. The concern was always about a big out-of-town promoter coming into local-oriented Central Oregon and taking over.
The appeal for independent country has become so robust, we now have megafestivals sprouting up all across the country to cater to the fans of this music. But the first, and still the biggest of these events is Under The Big Sky Festival.
On Friday night, July 15th, Jason Aldean was playing a show at the Xfinity Theatre, and had to stop the performance down only 20 minutes in due to heat exhaustion. He’s now facing strong criticism.
Colter Wall has released his latest album called Little Songs via LaHonda Records and his new deal with RCA to early critical acclaim. To celebrate the new release, the Saskatchewan, Canada native headed just south of the border.
If you’re heading to Whitefish, Montana or are already there, congratulations, you’re about to experience one of the greatest assemblages of talent in independent country and roots music that happens all year.
We’ve seen the hit TV show series Yellowstone help wing a dozen or so worthy independent country artists into the stratosphere through the show’s soundtrack. Now we’re seeing a reversal of roles as one of the primary cast members of Yellowstone has just signed a major label record deal.
Once again, Under The Big Sky Festival outside of Whitefish, Montana has wowed us all with their lineup announcement, and it underscores once again why this is arguably the premier event in independent country and Americana. With two stages, some 20,000 fans, and a curiously excellent curation of headliners…
There are many festivals out there now catering to independent country and Americana. But in three short seasons and amid a pandemic, Under The Big Sky Fest has quickly made the case for being the biggest and most important of all off the strength of its lineups.
Some are frustrated with Jamey Johnson, wishing he would release new material. After all, his last original album was nearly 12 years ago. But he did play a new song during his stellar set at Under The Big Sky Fest. “I don’t do new songs very often,…”
It’s not that the Turnpike Troubadours were just meandering along and mired in obscurity before their hiatus in May of 2019. But clearly the distance and time away made hearts grow fonder, and has acted like a slingshot for this band from Oklahoma.
Under The Big Sky Fest in Whitefish, Montana this weekend has featured some amazing headliners such as the Turnpike Troubadours, Jamey Johnson, and Lord Huron. But as tends to happen wherever she appears, Sierra Ferrell is the artist many people are buzzing about.
In 2015, we couldn’t imagine artists not supported by mainstream country radio selling out arenas, and minting multiple Platinum singles without the help of Music Row. Here in 2022, Tyler Childers is considered one of the top artists in the entire country music industry, and now we have Zach Bryan.
It’s been a host of video channels that have become significantly instrumental in helping to launch and support a throng of now successful artists that in previous eras we’d all assume would be way too niche to find significant support.
In what is quickly becoming both one of the biggest and most important festivals in independent country and Americana in just its third year, Under The Big Sky Fest in Whitefish, Montana has announced its 2022 lineup for July 15-17, and once again it’s a doozy.
Live music in 2021 saw its return after the worst moments of the pandemic, but only in fits and starts, with multiple postponements and cancellations wrecking many plans, yet a few important moments still going off in the windows when they could.