NASHVILLE, Tenn. Even under skies that wept and wind that whispered through tents and trees, the 2022 AmericanaFest proved that true music rises from it. This year’s festival, a celebration of roots, country soul, and pure Americana spirit, reminded us why we gather in muddy fields, huddle around melodies, and let songs stitch our stories together.
The weekend’s crown jewel was Wilco. As night fell, Jeff Tweedy and company took the stage not with bombast, but with quiet intensity. Their headlining set wasn’t a roar, it was a gentle pull. From the first chord, they invited us in, offering heartfelt musing layered over lush arrangements that shimmered beneath the darkening sky. By the time the final note faded, it felt like the entire crowd had shared a secret, one that would linger like woodsmoke in memory.
Sunday brought the unmistakable presence of Van Morrison, a masterclass in poise and precision. His voice cut through the morning mist with the clarity of a church bell, every line deliberate, every lyric a carving in oak. Morrison’s set didn’t just entertain; it transported, turning the festival lawn into a living room where time slowed, and every soul leaned in closer.
From Belfast, Amy Montgomery arrived like a thunderclap. Her vocal firepower was undeniable, but it was the vulnerability laced through each note that truly stunned. Channeling heartbreak into sonic defiance, Montgomery made pain feel triumphant. “Days like this keep the dream alive,” she confessed, and for a moment, we all thought it too.
Later, Israel Nash and Curtis Roush spun a cosmic sermon of gospel harmony and Southern-tinged Americana. Their collaboration felt less like a performance and more like a shared vision, one that was swirling with light, color, and a reverence for the wild unknown. It was warmth after the storm, a revival under open skies.
But perhaps no set embodied unity like the London African Gospel Choir’s take on Graceland. From the first pulsing rhythm, they turned Paul Simon’s classic into something even more communal, a jubilant burst of joy that transcended genre and geography. When they launched into “You Can Call Me Al,” the crowd soared.
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