Grammy-winning bluegrass band to headline new music festival in Lawrence

photo by: Associated Press

The Travelin' McCourys pose in the press room with the award for best bluegrass album for "The Travelin' McCourys" at the 61st annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Grammy-winning bluegrass band The Travelin’ McCourys will headline the inaugural Kaw River Roots Festival in August in Lawrence.

Organizers on Monday announced 24 participating bands and artists for the two-day festival, Friday, Aug. 28, and Saturday, Aug. 29.

Mike Hannah, one of the co-organizers of the festival along with Lawrence music venue owner Mike Logan, told the Journal-World in January that he hopes to make Lawrence a Midwestern capital of Americana, folk and bluegrass music.

Securing The Travelin’ McCourys as the headliners will help “put this event on the map,” Hannah said Monday, noting the group is “bluegrass royalty.”

The Travelin’ McCourys won “Best Bluegrass Album” at the 61st annual Grammy Awards in 2019. In addition to headlining a Saturday set at Abe & Jake’s Landing, 8 E. Sixth St., the group will also host an “all-star jam” later that night at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St.

Other bands announced as part of the festival include Split Lip Rayfield, The Kitchen Dwellers, Fireside Collective, Opal Agafia, Julian Davis & The Situation, Kyle Tuttle’s All Stars, Kelly Hunt, Circus No. 9, Sky Smeed, One Way Traffic, Short Round String Band, Chain Station, Unfit Wives, Xaris Waltman + Julian Davis, Dewayn Brothers, Spencer & Rains, Lily B Moonflower, Sally and The Hurts, Weda Skirts, Old Fangled, Cowtown Country Club, and artists at-large Kyle Tuttle and Max Paley.

Early bird tickets for the festival will go on sale Friday, and limited presale tickets will be available for email subscribers on Tuesday. For more information, visit kawriverroots.com or email kawriverroots@gmail.com.

photo by: Contributed Graphic

The Kaw River Roots Festival, which will take place at the end of August, announced its lineup on March 2.

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