Tyler Childers Is Going Bluegrass at 2022 Delfest
If you’ve every wondered what Tyler Childers would sound like with some of the best bluegrass pickers in the world behind him, you’ll have your opportunity at the 14th Annual DelFest in Cumberland, Maryland May 26-29, 2022 as the Kentucky native will take the stage with none other than The Travelin’ McCourys behind him.
DelFest is the personally-curated festival of the bluegrass legend and the man with the best hair in music, Del McCoury. The Travelin’ McCourys are Del’s backing band, just without Del, including his sons Ronnie and Rob McCoury, along with best-in-industry pickers Alan Bartram, Jason Carter, and Cody Kilby. The sound of The Travelin’ McCourys is known for being a bit more expansive than the more traditional Del McCoury band.
No offense to the regular backing band of Tyler Childers known as The Food Stamps who’ve been with Childers for years and are great themselves, but this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the bluegrass-influenced Childers do something a little different—that is, if it’s not part of a greater push by Childers to do more in the bluegrass space moving forward. After all, the only other obligation the quite elusive singer and songwriter these days has on his calendar aside from a solo benefit appearance down in Texas is a date at the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival in June.
Is Tyler going bluegrass, similar to how his producer and mentor Sturgill Simpson did in 2020? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but it is something to keep an eye on, at least as a potential shift in approach and influence in his music moving forward.
Along with Tyler Childers, DelFest has also announced some more new additions to their 2022 lineup, including Tyler Childers friend Robert Earl Keen who will be making his last ever appearance at the fest, the Jerry Douglas Band, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, and the Price Sisters.
They join a bunch of other great artists and bands who will be appearing at DelFest in 2022, including Bela Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart with Michael Cleveland and others, Leftover Salmon, Sierra Hull, Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, and more (see full lineup below).
DelFest is held at the Allegany County Fairgrounds in Cumberland, MD, about 2 1/2 hours from Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The festival originated from the desire to create a family-friendly music festival celebrating the rich legacy of McCoury Music while creating a forum for world-class musical collaborations and to showcase fresh new talent with a down-home feeling.
The Del McCoury Band also just released a new album called Almost Proud. For tickets and more info on Delfest, CLICK HERE.
February 19, 2022 @ 11:39 am
I’d pay top dollar to see Childers and The Travelin’ McCourys and Cumberland is just down the road from me. But, I’m not a multiple day festival guy (who the hell can get time off for a 4-day music festival? – and I’m self-employed). I guess I could get the 4-day pass at $270 a ticket ($540 for 2) and figure out the day Childers is playing or pray nightly Childers is going Bluegrass. I’ll start praying tonight.
February 19, 2022 @ 11:51 am
Not sure on the in’s and out’s of DelFest, but many festivals put single day tickets up closer to the fest date. Not sure which day Childers is playing either at this point.
February 19, 2022 @ 11:57 am
I’ll keep an eye out for single day tickets as the festival nears. Thanks!
February 19, 2022 @ 12:19 pm
I was wondering about single day tickets too. From the festival website:
“3-Day, 2-Day, and Single Day Tickets will be available for purchase at a later date, after the artist daily schedule is announced.”
February 19, 2022 @ 4:06 pm
That is going to be so good it won’t be right. What a collaboration!
February 19, 2022 @ 6:52 pm
I’m just ready for some new music
February 19, 2022 @ 7:59 pm
At some point we need to come to grips with the fact that Chris Knight’s “Little Victories” is one of the best albums of the past 20 years. I would just like to make this small plea that we all acknowledge this. Thanks.
February 19, 2022 @ 10:42 pm
Enough Rope is slightly ahead in my list. But both are in my all-time top 10.
February 20, 2022 @ 12:30 pm
Acknowledged. You’re welcome.
Pretty Good Guy as well.
February 20, 2022 @ 7:17 pm
I work in Cumberland and live about 20 minutes away. Del Fest is a huge deal here. Childers played the festival back in 2019 but I had to miss it because of a wedding. My husband insisted we had to go to the wedding (it was his best friend’s kid). So help me, I will not miss it this year!!!
February 22, 2022 @ 3:11 pm
Sturgill and Tyler form bluegrass supergroup.
They tour on a double header with Billy Strings.
Many tickets are sold.
This is my prophecy.
April 7, 2022 @ 5:52 pm
If anyone knows what day Tyler Childers is playing please comment. I would literally only go to see him. Thank you!