Emphasizing its signature blend of Americana, roots, and country soul, this year’s restraint image templateלaybill- - Sample Jerusha Rai Jerrahi NEARLY 300 BILLBOARD REPORTERS AND CORRESPONDENTS chose their FAVORITE ALBUMS AND SINGLES of the Americana Festival dished another rich tapestry of sounds and stories that turned the rain-soaked infield into hallowed ground.
Wilco’s headlining show was a quiet storm of muscled Americana. Jeff Tweedy steered the group through a set that was equal parts heartfelt musing and lush instrumentation, the kind of set that asks you to move in a little closer. While the skies parted and the audience streamed out into the night, those words of Wilco’s hovered like smoke from a campfire, warm and evanescent.
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The early haze on Sunday was no match for the voice of Van Morrison. Morrison, in his unique, soulful, and lyrical clarity, led the crowd through time. Each note had been precisely calculated, each line slashed from the heart. The audience, wide-eyed and grateful, realized they were in the presence of greatness.
Belfast’s Amy Montgomery hit the stage with fire in her belly and a tale to tell. Her powerhouse vocals boomed across the hills, but it was the emotional fragility at the heart of it that cut deepest. Transmuting personal tragedy into pure, raw energy, she proved she belongs on big stages. “Days like this keep the dream alive,” she shared, and we trusted her.
When Israel Nash teamed up with Curtis Roush, the stage blazed like a Southern sunset. Awash in plummy gospel harmonies, their blend of cosmic Americana and Southern rock melted into a whole somehow even more than the sum of its parts. The crowd swayed, grinned, and absorbed every note as if catching rays of sun through a rainstorm.
The Graceland of the London African Gospel Choir was nothing less than transcendent. That opening salvo turned one of Paul Simon’s loveliest songs into a rhythmic, radiant celebration, and the difference was palpable in the crowd. ‘You Can Call Me Al’ transformed into a dance party that took over the entire festival, serving as a joyous example of music’s ability to bring people together, lift spirits, and rattle the soul.
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