Dear Phish, Billy Strings, Goose, and Esteemed Artists in Our Community,

As influential voices within our culture, your platforms offer a unique opportunity to address some of the most pressing issues facing our society today. With the upcoming election, it is essential to reflect on the broader implications of leadership, particularly in areas where science and policy intersect with our daily lives and future.

Last weekend, Billy Strings delivered two sold-out concerts at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. The weekend was a full-fledged celebration of bluegrass music in the state where it all began decades ago with Bill Monroe.

Never missing the chance to educate the audience on the bluegrass legends that came before him, Strings filled the setlist on Friday night with several traditional bluegrass tunes and covers, many of which referenced the state of Kentucky.

Music City is set to witness a historic reunion as bluegrass virtuosos Bryan Sutton and Billy Strings join forces for a one-night-only event on April 7th. The American Legion Post 82, a venue known for its vibrant atmosphere and commitment to the community, will host this remarkable show, offering fans a rare opportunity to see two of the genre's most influential figures together on stage.

GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Billy Strings will continue his headline tour through this summer including back-to-back nights at Inglewood, CA’s Kia Forum, Bridgeport, CT’s Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater, State College, PA’s Bryce Jordan Center, Worcester, MA’s DCU Center and Berkeley, CA’s Greek Theatre at U.C. Berkeley.

Blackbird Presents and Live Nation Concerts are ecstatic to announce the return of the Outlaw Music Festival Tour in 2024, bringing an unparalleled lineup of legendary artists to stages across 25 cities from June through September.

The International Folk Music Awards – presented by Folk Alliance International (FAI), a 501(c)3 and the foremost global nonprofit for folk music— took place last night as part of the opening of the conference and Best of 2023 awards were won by Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway (Album of the Year); Billy Strings (Artist of the Year); and Iris Dement (Song of the Year). NPR Music and World Cafe live-streamed the awards show.

Folk Alliance International (FAI), a 501(c)3 and the foremost global nonprofit for folk music, will present a convening of some of the music industry's leading authorities and creators to address the ability of folk music to galvanize and catalyze movements to advance our world, at its 36th Annual Conference February 21-25, 2024 in Kansas City, MO. FAI has confirmed the International Folk Music Award (which are part of the conference) upcoming recipients and Best of 2023 nominees as well as the conference keynote presenters.

When banjo extraordinaire Tony Trischka opened his mail one afternoon during the height of the Covid lockdown, he certainly wasn’t expecting to get a visit from his old pal, the late great Earl Scruggs. Of course, it wasn’t Earl at the door, but a mysterious thumb drive full of rare recordings of Scruggs jamming with John Hartford, mostly taken from private gatherings at Earl’s house during the 80s and 90s.

GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Billy Strings will continue his headline tour through this spring including newly confirmed shows at Tampa’s Yuengling Center (two nights), St. Augustine’s St. Augustine Amphitheatre (three nights), Lexington’s Rupp Arena (two nights), Greenwood Village’s Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre (two nights), Minneapolis’ The Armory and Rosemont, IL’s Allstate Arena (two nights) among others. See below for complete itinerary.

Billy Strings performed in Wilkes Barre, PA, on Friday night in the penultimate show of his 2023 Fall Tour. The tour, which began in Buena Vista, CO, at the end of September, covered the West Coast and Midwest, barnstormed through Europe in November, and concluded with several East Coast dates in December.