Nathan Zucker
Kentucky’s biggest music festival, Bourbon & Beyond, returns to The Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville this weekend (Sept. 24-27), with more than 100 musical acts and plenty of other perks on the table — from culinary and bourbon experiences to amusement park rides at Kentucky Kingdom.
As always, the lineup is heavy on the heavy-hitters (Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews Band, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves, to name a few), while also diving deep into ‘90s nostalgia territory (Hootie & the Blowfish, Counting Crows, Lisa Loeb, 4 Non Blondes, Live) and a whole bevy of lesser-known rising artists and independent acts. (We’ve outlined a few of our favorite “small-font bands worth leaving the house early for” below.)
As everyone enters crunch time for schedule-planning and last-minute-detail-wrangling, we’ve rounded up a few schedule notes that may not have made it to your radar, as well as other important “need to know” details to help make your weekend as smooth and silky as your favorite bourbon. Visit the festival website or download the app for full schedule, tickets, and other details.
THE FACTS:
- Bourbon & Beyond is presented by Los Angeles-based Danny Wimmer Presents, one of the nation’s largest independent festival producers.
- The festival takes place Sept. 24, 25, 26 and 27 at the Kentucky Expo Center (937 Phillips Lane, Louisville, KY 40209). Gates open at 11 a.m., with music taking place on five stages from noon-11 p.m. each day.
- Festival re-entry is only permitted with an on-site camping pass or hotel and admission package purchased through Jampack.
- Festival ticket holders have access to 18 amusement park rides, as well as select concessions, shopping and air-conditioned indoor dining, at the adjacent Kentucky Kingdom during the festival. (Ride hours run daily from 2-9 p.m., with the Giant Wheel ferris wheel staying open until 10 p.m.)
- The Louisville Downtown Shuttle offers direct roundtrip transportation between downtown Louisville and the festival. Four-day shuttle passes are available for purchase here. On-site parking at the Kentucky Expo Center is $40 per day, cash or card, and is available in Lots E, F, G, B, W and V. Parking opens 90 minutes before gates each day. Overnight parking is not allowed.
SMALL-FONT BANDS WORTH LEAVING THE HOUSE EARLY FOR EACH DAY
S.G. Goodman
Thursday, Sept. 24 • 3:10 p.m. • Revival Stage
The Kentucky acts on the Bourbon & Beyond lineup make up a small but mighty list, with S.G. Goodman poised to be the first act on the lineup to putwith S.G. Goodman poised to be the first of the Commonwealth’s homegrown acts to put Kentucky talent on the map for tens of thousands of unsuspecting out-of-towners who may not be familiar with her. A truly singular artist with a penchant for knock-you-off-your-feet lyrics paired with haunting, gravel-edged vocals, Goodman draws deeply from her rural Western Kentucky upbringing, bringing a decidedly contemporary voice to the Americana-folk scene while still paying homage to traditional Appalachian sensibilities.
Amigo the Devil
Friday, Sept. 25 • 3:10 • Revival Stage
Folk songwriter Danny Kiranos, who performs as Amigo the Devil, will bring a tinge of darkness and irreverence to the festival. Drawing influence from folk, Americana and heavy metal, as well as his Greek and Spanish family backgrounds, his distinctive voice and unconventional approach to folk music blend raw, haunting melodies with brutally honest storytelling that often dips into the macabre.
The Creekers
Saturday, Sept. 26 • 2:30 p.m. • 100 Proof Stage
Coming straight from “the hollers and hideouts of eastern Kentucky,” the six-piece outfit is one of the fastest-rising bands to emerge from the Commonwealth in recent memory. Blending authentic bluegrass with pop and country influences and a raw, unfiltered live energy, the band’s open willingness to embrace “hillbilly music” (their words) has resonated in a big way — they’ll undoubtedly deliver one of the most high-energy, talked-about early-day performances of the weekend.
World Famous Pets
Sunday, Sept. 27 • 3 p.m. • Revival Stage
This new project featuring Edie Brickell (the frontwoman of Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians, a group perhaps best known for its 1988 single “What I Am”) is a little bit funky, a little bit swirly, a little bit rock ’n’ roll — but built on a foundation of improvisation, sonic exploration and full-blown collaboration, they don’t stay in any one lane for too long. Members have collaborated with an impressive and varied roster of acts (from Pearl Jam, Beck and Elton John to Fiona Apple, Sia and Tori Amos); with the band dropping its self-titled debut album just days before its Bourbon & Beyond set, audiences can expect a fun, playful, improv-heavy, genre-blurring set from a group of total pros.