The last day of AmericanaFest 2026 began with a Colorado favorite and ended just like a week of great music should – loudly.
Appalachian Afternoons
Oh Boy Records artist Emily Scott Robinson hosted this event at East Nashville’s Music Makers Stage at Delgado Guitars, a beautifully designed listening space that, with wood paneled walls and handmade string instruments hanging all around, even smelled amazing. The first artist of the afternoon was Amy Martin, a Coloradan by way of western Virginia. Her latest record, Bones, is an exploration of grief, nostalgia, unhealthy religious obsession and, well, a red truck (remember – this is, at its heart, a country music festival). Martin also tossed in my favorite song of hers, 2023’s “Travelin’ On (42).” Songs like Martin’s show that Appalachian heartache is universal.
While at Music Makers, I also caught a set from Grace Givertz. Originally from Florida, the Boston-based artist is a gifted banjo player whose latest album, Midnight Feature, is populated solely with marginalized musicians. Her song “Pennies and Fishes” ends with one of the best lines I’ve heard this year – “I remembered about all our pictures/They all faded/But I still remember why/We wanted to take them.” Givertz stated that she’d recently lost her tech job – hopefully, her full focus on music will be to her (and our) benefit.
The Blue Room – Nathan Evans Fox/Jess Williamson/Swamp Dogg
I spent nearly as much awake time at Jack White’s venue as I did at my Airbnb during the week, and the final evening’s visit proved to be a perfect mix of styles. Nathan Evans Fox (accompanied by songwriter Liv Greene) performed an acoustic set drawn largely from his latest record, Heirloom, including the title track, sung with Noah Gundersen. I was particularly impressed by a couple of deeper cuts – “Bottleneck,” about the emotional logjam that comes with becoming a father as you’re losing your own, and “Cigarettes and Moonpies,” about nothing more than a man just trying to do his best. Fox also spoke out for United Musicians and Allied Workers, a non-profit seeking better pay and more protections for those in the industry. He’s conducting a survey of AFest participants and attendees, and I’m hoping will be able to bring you more information on this in the near future
Texan Jess Williamson has straddled the line between country and indie over her several albums, but her upcoming A Mile South of Heaven definitely resides on the twangier side of that divide. “High Heels and Blue Jeans” best nailed that aesthetic, while “Hum of the City” spotlighted her excellent voice. She also shouted out her band for the week, which she termed “Nashville Rippers,” twice, mentioning that drummer Taylor Floreth had played 14 shows at the festival (Taylor might want to speak to Nathan Evans Fox). Bonus – Nashville legend Luke Schneider was manning pedal steel.
Swamp Dogg (Jerry Williams Jr) was a man about town all week, showing up everywhere from the BMI rooftop to his very own showcase at The Blue Room. Celebrating 72(!) years of recording music, Swamp jammed seven people up on stage and practically dared us not to move with his music.
The 5 Spot – August Ponthier/Laney Jones and the Spirits
I’d been fortunate enough to witness August Pontheir owning the Red Rocks stage last year opening for Brandi Carlile, so I wanted to catch part of their show at the East Nashville hotspot. Ponthier had already proved they can play any sized stage, but the more intimate setting benefitted their storytelling, relating the tale behind “Bowie Without Drugs” and the dive-bar origins of “Karaoke Queen.”
Laney Jones and the Spirits‘ self-titled album was my favorite rock record of 2025, and seeing them live for the first time backed up that choice. A four-piece that makes a lot of noise with a delightfully off-kilter front person, it was just the way to end the week. Jones cut her finger, but a little blood wasn’t going to keep her and her band from bumping up against the midnight curfew – a rock band to the very last.
Keep track of the happenings here: http://www.americanamusic.org
Check out some of our previous coverage here: AmericanaFest 2026 Day 4