Live Music

Benmont Tench steps forward as a singer-songwriter after decades as the foundational keyboardist of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. His organ and piano playing has also shaped recordings by Stevie […]

L. Shankar brings a lifetime of Carnatic mastery and boundary-crossing collaboration to the Freight. Trained in voice, violin and mridangam from childhood, he became a major figure in Indian classical music before helping form Shakti with John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain and T. H. “Vikku” Vinayakram—an ensemble that reshaped the possibilities of global fusion. In performance, […]

Singer-songwriter and pianist Jon McLaughlin brings The Scenarios Tour to The Freight, drawing on a catalog shaped by personal experience, family life, and emotionally direct storytelling. Since his 2007 debut Indiana, he has developed both his piano-driven sound and impassioned vocal style across six full-length albums.McLaughlin has toured with Billy Joel, Kelly Clarkson, and Adele, […]

Sister Sadie brings the chemistry, vocal blend, and instrumental fire that turned a one-off jam at Nashville’s Station Inn into a leading bluegrass ensemble. The six-member band combines deep respect for tradition with bold contemporary arrangements and an electrifying live presence.Across three acclaimed albums, Sister Sadie has earned a Grammy nomination, three consecutive International Bluegrass […]

Quebec guitarist, singer, composer, and bandleader Christine Tassan leads Les Imposteures in a performance rooted in gypsy jazz and swing. One of the relatively rare women to establish an international profile as a jazz-guitar soloist, Tassan has guided the ensemble through more than 600 appearances across Canada, Europe, the United States, and China.Founded in 2003, […]

Altan celebrates 40 years at the forefront of traditional Irish music with a concert rooted in the songs and fiddle style of Donegal. From its beginnings in the duets of Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Frankie Kennedy, the band has carried regional music to the world stage while preserving its melodic character and emotional directness. The […]

Bedouine, the project of singer-songwriter Azniv Korkejian, brings the intimate folk-pop of Neon Summer Skin to The Freight with Other Delights. Written after a visit with family in Saudi Arabia, the album considers upbringing, safety, memory, and the difficult end of childhood through vivid, closely observed imagery.Korkejian is known for gentle fingerpicked melodies that gather […]

California guitarist, singer, and bandleader Tommy Castro brings four decades of blues, rock, R&B, and soul to The Freight with his fiercely responsive Painkillers. Across 17 albums, Castro has built a reputation for soul-drenched vocals, searing guitar work, and high-energy performances.His latest Alligator Records release, Closer to the Bone, returns to raw, direct blues under […]

Los Vega brings two decades of commitment to son jarocho, balancing Veracruz-rooted family tradition with polished musicianship and expansive stage experience. The ensemble has represented the form at festivals and cultural events across Mexico, China, the United States, Canada, and Colombia, while releasing five albums.The group’s recording of “La Bruja” appeared in the film Frida, […]

John Gorka brings a lifetime of sharply observed folk songwriting to The Freight. His path began at Godfrey Daniels, the venerable Pennsylvania listening room where he worked as emcee and sound engineer, absorbing the example of touring writers including Stan Rogers, Eric Andersen, Tom Paxton, and Claudia Schmidt.Gorka later found a wider community in Jack […]

Ukrainian singer and bandura player Maryna Krut brings the sound and story of her homeland to the Freight. The bandura—a many-stringed instrument with qualities of both lute and zither—anchors her music, carrying traditional melodies into arrangements shaped by jazz and her powerful, expressive voice. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Krut’s role has expanded from performer […]

CelloGayageum unites Austrian cellist Sol Daniel Kim and Korean gayageum player and composer Dayoung Yoon in music that crosses continents and centuries. Founded in 2016 after the musicians met in Berlin, the duo connects the resonance of Western classical cello with the plucked sonority of Korean gugak.Their original compositions begin with Korean folk melodies and […]

Wake the Dead returns for its annual Day of the Dead Bash, combining Irish traditional music with the songbook of the Grateful Dead and the wider Summer of Love. Jigs, reels, soaring harmonies, and adventurous instrumental playing meet psychedelic-era songs in a danceable hybrid beloved by Celtic-music listeners and Deadheads alike.The septet features Danny Carnahan, […]

Dirk and Amelia Powell bring the intertwined musical histories of Louisiana and Appalachia to the stage as a father-daughter duo. Amelia grew up inside the Cajun tradition of her grandfather, fiddler and cultural ambassador Dewey Balfa, while learning old-time Appalachian music with Dirk, whose own banjo, fiddle and guitar playing traces back to family roots […]

Solas celebrates 30 years of transforming Irish-American music with a milestone concert of driving tunes, soaring melody and emotionally charged song. Formed in New York in 1995, the band helped redefine the Celtic sound by weaving traditional Irish music with folk, bluegrass, Americana and contemporary songwriting. Founding members return alongside longtime collaborators for a performance […]

Jeffrey Foucault brings more than two decades of road-tested American songwriting to The Freight. His spare, emotionally powerful music is rooted in the open landscapes of his Midwestern upbringing, with literate lyrics and a worn, direct vocal style that have earned an international following.Foucault’s album The Universal Fire was recorded live in one room after […]

Tuba Skinny brings the streets of New Orleans to the Freight through traditional jazz, country blues, jug-band music, spirituals, ragtime and early R&B. The ensemble approaches the broad genealogy of American roots music with deep historical knowledge and an exuberance that makes songs from the 1920s and ’30s feel fully present. After years interpreting overlooked […]

Chris Smither brings more than 50 years of folk-blues songwriting and guitar playing to The Freight. Drawing on American folk music, the blues, poetry, and philosophy, he has developed a spare, unmistakable sound carried by intricate acoustic guitar, a weathered voice, and songs that face mortality without losing wit or motion.Smither’s work has been interpreted […]

The California Bluegrass Reunion celebrates the state’s deep bluegrass tradition with musicians who have shaped the genre through performance, teaching, composition, and collaboration. The lineup includes banjoist Bill Evans, guitarist Jim Nunally, fiddler Chad Manning, bassist and mandolinist Sharon Gilchrist, dobro player Mike Witcher, vocalist Nell Robinson, and bassist Max Schwartz.After decades of crossing paths […]