Dan Crary

One of the world’s leading acoustic guitarists, he is rooted deep in bluegrass and is peerless in his field.

Mike Ireland & Dan Mesh

Mike Ireland doesn’t look like a country music star. He doesn’t wear cowboy hats or rhinestones but he is the possessor of a voice that sings country as though he was born to it. He incorporates the swagger and swing of Ernest Tubb and Buck Owens topped off with the sweet sound of countrypolitan.

The Gourds

from Austin Texas are backwoods acoustic roots rockers with mandolin, guitars, accordion, electric bass and minimalist percussion who play songs from the heart and mind. They move effortlessly between straight country, rock, zydeco, gospel, swing and jazz. Their songs invoke images of Texan heat, drinkin’ beer and cowboy aesthetics.

Calexico

Calexico are well known as the rhythm section of desert-rockers Giant Sand and OP8. Their latest album The Black Light follows a young man’s journey from his dead-end job through the dark desert night, through sand and fire to a Mexican circus…who knows where the journey will end? Calexico’s music is like the hearing the magic of […]

Rodney Crowell

Rodney Crowell may well be one of the most talented country artists of his generation. His breakthrough album Diamonds & Dirt resulted in five consecutive No. 1 singles and also earned him a Grammy. He has played with Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band, Bob Seger and Waylon and Willie,  amongst others. Once married to Roseanne Cash, he is one […]

Kinky Friedman

Musician, author and cigar smoker. He says he’s the only non-land-owning, cigar-smoking, mystery-writing, cat-loving, Irish whiskey-drinking, country musician, and Jewish sex symbol from Palestine (Palestine, Texas, that is).  A hit whenever he performs, it’s a genuine treat to see him on one of  his rare public appearances.

Travis T. Merle

A hit at the Edinburgh Festival, Travis T. Merle brings his warped show to Kilkenny. It’s authentic sounding psycho-babble which delves into the dark corners of depravity, takes a swipe at reactionary Southern attitudes, political correctness, academia and Travis T. Merle himself. And you thought country music was wholesome for-all-the-family fare?

Peter Mulvey

Singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey is set apart from the crowd by the boldness of his music, his tightly crafted lyrics and the imagery that permeates through his music.

Sonny George

Country/rockabilly legend Sonny makes a welcome return to Kilkenny. His latest album was recorded at the Tennessee State Penitentiary For Women, with all the mayhem that entailed.  It’s goodtime hillbilly music from the Stetsoned Son of Satan himself.