On Sept. 19-22, the biggest music festival in Kentucky returns to Louisville: with more than 120 acts over 4 days along with dozens of bourbon-related events and unique experiences pairing music and culinary artists, Bourbon & Beyond is a force to be reckoned with. Headliners include objectively great bands who most of us are at least peripherally familiar with, including Sting, Beck, Dave Matthews Band, Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers and My Morning Jacket; here, we take a look at a handful of also great but lesser-known acts who are also performing during the weekend.
At the time of press, Saturday day passes had sold out but weekend passes and day passes for all other days were still available at this link.
ARLO PARKS
Thursday, Sept. 19 • 1:35 p.m. • Barrel Stage
A British singer-songwriter with a bedroom-pop sensibility colored by tinges of R&B and electronic music, Arlo Parks is a decidedly different presence than many of the acts on the Bourbon & Beyond lineup, which leans heavily into the Americana territory. Her songs are poetic, calculated and flat-out gorgeous, and at just 24 years old, she's a prolific artist whose songwriting prowess earned her a Best New Artist award in the 2021 BRIT awards. Without exaggeration I can say that this is one of my most anticipated performances of the weekend.
ANDY FRASCO & THE U.N.
Thursday, Sept. 19 • 3:45 p.m. • Yonder Stage
Anyone who's encountered an Andy Frasco show will tell you that it's good-time rock-and-roll party experience like none other. Humor, antics and absolutely relentless fun are at the center of his no-holds-barred, feel-good approach to creating music, with live performances are designed to push boundaries while at the same time bringing audiences together with hi-jinks that often include crowd-surfing, passing around a bottle of Jameson or imploring the entire audience to join in and dance the hora with him. While the songs are catchy and fun in their own right, it's the unparalleled energy of the live performance that must be experienced to truly understand what Frasco & his band are all about.
NEW DANGERFIELD
Friday, Sept 20 • 6 p.m. • Bluegrass Situation Stage
New Dangerfield is literally new to the scene, debuting at this summer's IBMA Awards and having just released their first single earlier this summer. But this isn't the first rodeo for this Black roots quartet, which was originally conceptualized by award-winning banjoist Tray Wellington who enlisted three other acclaimed string musicians: multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Kaïa Kater (an award-winning solo artist who is also performing at the festival earlier that day, at 4 p.m.), bassist Nelson Williams (Chris Jones & the Night Drivers), and fiddler / singer Jake Blount (also a formidable solo artist in his own right). Infused with technical skill, soul and innovation, they bring an energetic contemporary take on bluegrass music to the table that's worth keeping an eye on.
Big Richard
Saturday, Sept. 21 • 6:10 p.m. • Bluegrass Situation Stage
Still relatively new to the bluegrass scene, Big Richard is an energetic, all-female acoustic quartet of musicians described as being driven by "sisterhood, harmony and humor...along with the shared desire to rage fiddle tunes and smash the patriarchy." Charismatic and talented, the group weaves traditional fiddle tunes, original songs and fun, contemporary covers into their performances, which often feature four-part harmonies and showcase the undeniable chemistry between the musicians. They've been hot out the gate, attracting attention from big-name bluegrass players and selling out club shows during one of their very first years touring, and their Bourbon & Beyond appearance will be a great chance for new audiences to catch this fiery bluegrass band on the rise.
Neal Francis
Sunday, Sept. 22 • 12:55 p.m. • Oak Stage
While one might surmise that singer/songwriter and pianist Neal Francis takes cues from Dr. John, Elton John, Leon Russell and New Orleans boogie-woogie rhythm and blues, his songs don't sound particularly derivative of any of those influences. With a seemingly equal appeal to fans of indie rock and jam bands, Francis brings a fresh and unique presence to the B&B lineup — be sure to hit this set to get your fix of groovy and energetic, retro-vibed piano rock.