THROUGH THE LENS: Sunshine and Guitars on Full Blast at MerleFest 2024

MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson, Doc Watson’s son who died in a tractor accident. Doc himself called the festival a celebration of “traditional plus” music: roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, that has more recently expanded to include Americana, country, blues, rock, and some international styles. Held in late April in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, for many artists and fans it signifies the beginning of the outdoor roots music festival season. 

One thing is for sure: Once you go you keep going back because it’s all about the music. No cigarettes, no alcohol, no drugs. You’ll find fans of all ages, including families with toddlers, and in all manner of dress and style. It’s about as laid back as laid back can get.

As I trekked from stage to stage last weekend on the Wilkes Community College campus that hosts MerleFest, the Dwight Yoakam lyric “guitars, Cadillacs and hillbilly music” kept going through my head. And for good reason, as there seemed to be an abundance of electric guitars and country music in this year’s lineup, and in place of Cadillacs there also seemed to be more Americana (a loose label if there ever was one) than before. “Traditional plus” is an especially apt description of this year’s array of artists.

Maybe I was just dreaming, as this was my first MerleFest in over 20 years where there was perfect weather with no spring downpours. (In years past there have been severe thunderstorms, snow, and a tornado watch.) It seemed I was more inclined to get up and around and take in a lot more than usual. 

Or maybe it was because the opening day/night lineup was so strong. With the largest Thursday crowd I can recall seeing, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Dan Tyminski, Steep Canyon Rangers, and Willie Watson played strong sets before Old Crow Medicine Show closed the night. There was no doubt that Tuttle, Golden Highway, and original OCMS member Watson would join them at some point, and they did, along with Jim Lauderdale. They all combined forces for the last tune, The Band’s “The Weight,” sending the audience over the top. I was reminded of Old Crow’s first national tour (over two decades ago, when they were more of a traditional band) opening for Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Those shows’ final encore was likewise a collaborative one, doing the same song. But this time, with Old Crow being the headliner, it was done their way.

The electric guitars and country music seemed to go together during every set. Most notably, Lukas Nelson incorporated some B.B. King licks in his playing, Nick Shoulders often channeled Waylon Jennings, and Larkin Poe offered a highly intoxicating blue-rock extravaganza. Even in the Americana vein, S.G. Goodman had a backing band, clad in all black, whose hard-edged sound bordered on metal. With Goodman’s sense of defiance it worked. No small feat in the hot afternoon sun at the Americana Stage.

However, it was Sunday’s closing act that had every seat filled and everyone pumped: Nickel Creek, the band that made bluegrass acceptable listening to teenagers and adults alike. After Chris Thile announced from the stage, following his patented heel kick, that it had been 20 years since they had last played MerleFest, the band immediately shifted into overdrive. And the audience welcomed them home.

Standout Sets

Adeem the Artist played two sets, first at the Americana Stage, and later at the Hillside Stage following The Waybacks’ Album Hour (in which they covered Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions). Unfortunately, even with that esteemed lead-in, the large crowd had mostly dispersed when Adeem took the stage alone. While Adeem must have been disappointed, it did not show as the songs displayed both great strength and great empathy. By far my fave of the weekend. Adeem’s stories were astute, insightful, and humorous. I liked the one about Adeem getting tattoos of all the performers they have opened for, which they proudly showed the audience.

Kyshona seemed to cradle the audience in her arms during her Americana Stage set. Drawing heavily from her just released album Legacy (ND review), which delves into her Black family history, she had the overwhelmingly white audience feeling as though we were one. It was as though her humility, vulnerability, and grace seeped into us, becoming, hopefully, as much part of us as the blood flowing through our veins. 

Buffalo Nichols is not your normal “blues” artist, so much so that the term paints an incomplete and even inaccurate picture of an introspective singer-songwriter who’s steeped in traditional music. Augmented by a band comprised of fiddle, upright bass, and unobtrusive drumming, the songs I heard were like small whirlpools full of tenderness with a spiritual quality. 

Chatham Rabbits may be well known in North Carolina, but this married duo — Austin and Sarah McCombie — were new to me. Well, almost, as I had seen Sarah at the 2013 MerleFest when she was with the very traditional South Carolina Broadcasters. With a near stoic Austin on guitar and the effervescent Sarah on banjo, their bantering interplay made old-timey music fun again. 

Many thanks to my fellow MerleFest photographers Willa Stein, Jim Gavenus, Rob Laughter, and Misty Case. You will not find a more complete collection of MerelFest 2024 photos anywhere.

Click on any photo below to view the gallery as a full-size slideshow.