Railbird Festival: 10 Can’t Miss Acts
The Red Clay Strays performing on Railbird’s Burl Stage in 2024. This year they’ll return for a main stage set on June 1.
Since 2019 Railbird has brought together A-list acts with a bourbon and equine experience that only Central Kentucky can serve up. While names like Hozier, The Raconteurs, Khruangbin, Japanese Breakfast, The Dave Matthews Band and My Morning Jacket have all graced it’s stages in the past, the annual gathering has largely focused on sounds of the country variety.
This year will be no exception for the festival’s third stint at the infield of Lexington’s Red Mile, albeit with a slightly more pop country slant than its predecessors served up with the likes of Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman and Shaboozey all scheduled to perform. However, a taste of the festival’s renegade Appalachian country and red dirt offerings of old remain with rising stars Wyatt Flores, The Red Clay Strays, Ole 60, Sierra Ferrell, Noeline Hofmann and The Castellows all joining the party as well.
Now in it’s third year at the Red Mile, Railbird’s crowds continue to balloon as more and more people grow eager to see their favorite honky tonk heroes in a personalized atmosphere that stands out from other cookie cutter festivals popping up coast to coast. Great music with a touch of bourbon and Ale 8 — talk about the ultimate Kentucky cocktail!
Ahead of the call to post for Railbird once again, I highlight 10 of the festival’s 33 acts I’m most looking forward to seeing, starting with…
Wyatt Flores
Photo by Natalie Rhea
Saturday 3:15-4:15 p.m. on the Limestone Stage
There’s arguably no sub-genre within country music that’s taken off the last few years quite like Oklahoma and Texas-infused red dirt thanks to artists like Turnpike Troubadours, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Zach Bryan and Kaitlin Butts. Next in line and well on their way to becoming a household name is 23-year-old Wyatt Flores, who’s deeply introspective songwriting and incredible band have not only netted him fans around the globe, but earned him spots on shows with his heroes like Turnpike and Bryan along with Post Malone and Jelly Roll, who he’ll join for a run of shows across the U.S. immediately following his appearance in Lexington.
Sierra Ferrell
Photo by Bobbi Rich
Saturday 5:15-6:15 p.m. on the Limestone Stage
Since Ferrell’s maiden Railbird appearance in 2023 the West Virginia born singer’s stock has skyrocketed, resulting in a sweep of the four categories she was nominated in during the 67th annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 2. With a timeless voice and infectious happy-go-lucky sensibility Ferrell sounds like she was plucked out of another era on tunes like “In Dreams,” “Dollar Bill Bar” and “The Garden.”
In addition to her own music, don’t be surprised if you see her on stage with Shaboozey (who she joins on his song “Hail Mary”) or others for a surprise festival collab or two. It’s something she’s frequently done in the past, including last weekend with members of The Travelin’ McCourys in Maryland during Delfest.
Lainey Wilson
Saturday 9:30-11 p.m. on the Limestone Stage
It’s been a whirlwind kind of year for Lainey Wilson, and we’re all just living in it. The Louisiana born singer has been everywhere in recent months doing everything from headlining festivals, hosting award shows and making her acting debut on the hit television series Yellowstone.
Now for the first time she’s bringing her talents to Lexington and Railbird, and likely a few Kentucky friends too. Monticello, Ky. born songwriter Jon Decious helped pen three tracks on Wilson’s album Whirlwind — “Ring Finger,” “Counting Chickens” and it’s chart-topping first single, “4X4XU” — and is likely to make an appearance, one of several surprises potentially in store for Saturday’s headlining set. And who knows, maybe Danville’s Aaron Raitiere — who also contributed to “Ring Finger” and “4X4XU” and had me laughing all through his set a couple weeks ago at Sleeping In The Woods — will stop by as well.
The Castellows
Photo by Ben Christensen
Sunday 1-1:30 p.m. on the Limestone Stage
From collabs with the aforementioned Wyatt Flores and Railbird alumni Flatland Cavalry to their heartwarming originals like “A Little Goes A Long Way” and “Sheltered” that show off their tight harmonies, sisterly trio The Castellows have taken the country music world by storm over the past year. The group’s appearance will also serve as an album celebration, with their latest project Homecoming set to drop two days prior to their Sunday performance on May 30.
Mojo Thunder
Sunday 1:30-2:15 on The Burl Stage
Lexington and Louisville based rockers Mojo Thunder are one of only a few Kentucky bred bands on this year’s Railbird lineup, but pack a punch that will make their high strung bangers impossible to ignore come show time. Led by the silky smooth vocals of Sean Sullivan and goofy antics from bassist Andrew Brockman, the group brings together the best of 80’s hair bands and Skynyrd-esque southern rock for an experience that’ll transport listeners back into the golden age of rock n’roll.
Noeline Hofmann
Photo by Christian Heckle
Sunday 2:45-3:30 p.m. on The Burl Stage
Alberta, Canada cowpoke Noeline Hofmann is no stranger to Kentucky and Railbird, having visited Laurel Cove Music Festival in the past before making her debut performance there last year and even observing Railbird from the crowd during it’s first iteration at the Red Mile in 2023. Now circumstances are coming full circle once again, with the Zach Bryan collaborator set to sing her songs like “Purple Gas” and “Lightning In July (Prairie Fire)” from the festival’s Burl stage for the first (and hopefully not the last) time this Sunday.
Bendigo Fletcher
Photo by Jacq Justice
Sunday 4-4:45 on The Burl Stage
One of the few returning acts to Railbird, Louisville’s Bendigo Fletcher will bring it’s hard-hitting indie rock vibes and the Phish-like wordplay of lead singer Ryan Anderson to the festival’s Burl Stage on Sunday afternoon. The band have been road warriors post-COVID opening up for everyone from The Backseat Lovers to Caamp, Mt. Joy, Madison Cunningham and most recently My Morning Jacket, kicking things off for one of the band’s five hometown shows in Louisville back in April.
Jesse Welles
Sunday 5:15-6 p.m. on The Burl Stage
I’ve never seen The Burl filled with more people than there were stuffed into the building this past March when Jesse Welles made his debut there. Not to be confused with the Lexington-based multi-instrumentalist of the same name who plays with Tyler Childers, the viral and politically charged Arkansas born singer has been coined by many as a modern day Bob Dylan for his plainspoken folk songs ripe with dry humor like “War Isn’t Murder,” “United Health” and “Payola.” Similar to Dylan going electric at Newport, could Welles at Railbird become yet another transformational and stand-out moment for the shy and unassuming songwriter?
Ole 60
Sunday 6:30-7:15 p.m. on The Burl Stage
Western Kentucky country rock band Ole 60 seemingly blew up out of nowhere upon the release of their Three Twenty Four in 2023, which featured cuts like “Smoke & A Light” and “Dust 2 Dust.” Although the band has been in front of massive audiences in recent months opening up shows for names like Zach Bryan and Gavin Adcock, Railbird is poised to be one of the group’s biggest gigs to date, only made better by the fact that it’s taking place back home where the young group of upstarts led by Jacob Young first began.
The Red Clay Strays
Photo by Robby Klein
Sunday 7:15-8:15 on the Limestone Stage
After a mind boggling crowd spilled out from under The Burl Stage’s canopy to see the Alabama band at last year’s Railbird, The Red Clay Strays will see an upgrade to the festival’s main Limestone Stage in 2025. There the Elvis-infused gospel rock ballads concocted by Brandon Coleman and company will surely ring out through the sea of people in attendance and up into the heavens.
While seeing the Strays is always sure to be a euphoric experience, I’m excited to see what comes from their return to Railbird and how it will compare to the two weekends to follow where I’ll see them in Nashville during CMA Fest and in Pineville, Ky. during Laurel Cove Music Festival — where the spontaneous pond jumping their music spurred on last year has quickly become the stuff of legend.
For post-Railbird coverage, stay tuned for my review Monday, June 2 in the Lexington Herald-Leader.
