Rhythm & Roots 2024- The Best Americana Festival in the Northeast

Charlestown, RI - Rhythm and Roots Festival is here again! The 2024 line-up is stacked with roots, rock, zydeco, country, folk, blues and soul. I'll run down my picks herein. Festival information and tickets may be found here.

Friday picks include Yarn and Daniel Donato & Cosmic Country. Yarn, a country outfit, comes highly recommended by Bob O'Donnell, a media pal from New Jersey with impeccable musical taste. Yarn's tune, Heart so Hard demonstrates the band's ability to carry the torch for Outlaw Country lovers with a modern bent. Enjoy this Daniel Donato interview last year. I last caught Daniel on tour with moe about a month ago, and he stole the show. Expectations for Donato's career have been sky high in the industry and he has superseded the bar time and again. Cosmic Country crafts great tunes and executes flawlessly as evidenced by this concert at Red Rocks. Donato is a skilled and inventive guitarist with fresh vocals. The band weaves country and hippy jam band vibes effortlessly!

Saturday's schedule may pose a challenge because there are great acts on every stage all day and night. Co-headliners, Emmylou Harris and Glen David Andrews require one to split time between the Rhythm Stage and Roots Stage, respectively. Emmylou is an American treasure not to be missed. Emmylou doing some Chuck Berry from yesteryear should get your feet tapping. I interviewed Glen David Andrews in advance of the festival. He's touring behind his recording, "Le Treme Carnival". David comes from the deepest of NOLA roots and family that pours out of the man as he gives 110% one stage. Here's David fronting an all-star band in Boston along with Trombone Shorty, G.E. Smith, Woody Giessman, Haley Jane and many other stalwarts. Bring your dancing shoes to see this band! Rounding out Saturday picks...every band on every stage is worth catching. David and I discussed how wonderful Ruthie Foster is as an artist. Catch her and Larkin Poe for sure.

Sunday brings the blues power to the festival with GA-20, Christine Ohlman, Shemekia Copeland and Quinn Sullivan. Quinn and I sat down for a chat a while back. It is important to note that Quinn has been expanding his horizons beyond the blues in recent years. GA-20 guitarist, Matt Stubbs is a Rhode Island resident but his outfit delivers greasy classic Chicago blues. Shemekia Copeland is the reining Queen of the Blues as she carries on the legacy of Koko Taylor and her dad, Johnny Clyde Copeland. This Shemekia video ends with her covering her dad's tune, Ghetto Child.

Don't miss the Dance Stage with Pine Leaf Boys, Steve Riley, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas and Cedric Bijou Creole. Loads of awesome vendors, food trucks, Del's Lemonade and fun dance partners to be met! Get your tickets asap!