AmericanaFest 2025 – Day 1
AmericanaFest is about, first and foremost, getting more of our favorite young bands in the public eye. But it’s also become a place for me to learn more about the history of our brand of country music. Tuesday – Day 1 – gave me two great opportunities to do just that.
Poets and Dreamers: My Life in Americana Music at Grimey’s
Author/producer Tamara Saviano has a lifetime of stories to tell, and she does just that in her memoir, Poets and Dreamers: My Life in Americana Music, released earlier this year. She shared some of those stories at Grimey’s New and Pre-Loved Music on Tuesday afternoon. The former president of the Americana Music Association worked for Kris Kristofferson for a number of years, and the stories she told at Grimey’s centered largely around him, from witnessing him nearly getting hit by a train to standing in as his “muscle” at an event. Their enduring friendship anchors the book, but it really does explore the entire history of the AMA, as well as how Saviano got to that position in the first place. The readings were prefaced by a lovely performance from Laurel Lewis, a Nashville-based artist, who sang three Kristofferson songs, including “Help Me Make It Through the Night.”
BMI Presents Rooftop on the Row
This official kick-off party, held by the venerable music rights organization, is a fun, boozy table-setter for the week. It also happens to have a crystal ball of sorts for the next big thing. Last year, the event caught Wyatt Flores on his way up. On this night, Texas duo Briscoe would be the headliner. Before that, I arrived just in time to catch Ken Pomeroy perform her hit “Flannel Cowboy” – honestly, one of the best (and smartest) songs of the year. Next up were The Droptines, a Texas Hill Country band fond of rock ‘n’ roll with a healthy dose of pedal steel and tempo changes. They debuted a couple of new songs, including the standout “Tombstone” (by the way – BIG fan of dropping new tunes live at AFest – all the best ears are gathered in one place!). Briscoe, with a new album out next week, took advantage of the timely spotlight to play a good chunk of the new material, including upcoming single “Saving Grace.” Frontmen Truett Heintzelman and Philip Lupton, backed by an ace band, gave the crowd some nice falsetto harmonies and proved why they’re deserving of this prime slot.
3rd & Lindsley
After descending back to street level, it was time to head over to the popular bar/restaurant/performance space to get a dose of past and present. Darrell Scott, who’s set to be honored at the Americana Music Association on Wednesday evening, played largely a solo set, spanning from his wry “The Ballad of Martha White” to a Guy Clark co-write, “Out in the Parking Lot,” before bringing up his three brothers, Don, David and Dale (in town for the Awards – how cool is that?) to sing his all-timer, “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive,” which was, unbelievably, featured on his debut album. So much country music history, all in less than an hour.
Wrapping the evening was an acoustic performance from Charles Wesley Godwin. The prolific West Virginia native performed brand-new songs, including “I Caught the Sunrise” and “Better That Way,” but saved the best for last – a rendition of his life-changing song. “All Again,” with a story how he was sure it was “the one” – written during a lightning delay while waiting to open for Zach Bryan in Richmond, Virginia. Now, that same man is headlining Red Rocks. Sometimes, you just know.
Check out the lineup more here on their website: https://americanamusic.org/americanafest/
Enjoy our previous coverage here: AmericanaFest 2025 Preview & Must-Sees
AmericanaFest 2025 – Day 1