Stuart’s Opera House announced the newest additions to the Nelsonville Music Festival lineup with a healthy mix of noisy indie guitar rock and harmony-driven Americana folk.
The Avett Brothers, revealed as Saturday’s headliner in November, will be joined by The Head And The Heart. The other days’ headliners include indie rock band Dinosaur Jr. and country folk artist Jason Isbell.
Brian Koscho, marketing director for Stuart’s Opera House, said there are many good pairings in this year’s lineup, especially the combination of Avett Brothers and The Head And The Heart.
“(The Head And The Heart) are a group I feel fits well with our festival, both with this lineup and with lineups we’ve had in the past,” Koscho said. “Anything in that kind of Americana and folk realm is always good, but I think they are a great example of a band that draws from a lot of influences so it’s perfect for Nelsonville.”
Jason Isbell also falls in that genre but with a country tinge, and might be best known for his work with the band the Drive-By Truckers and the 400 Unit.
Isbell’s solo career recently took a step up with his critically acclaimed album, Southeastern.
“He’s someone who I think is really starting to hit his stride,” Koscho said. “Someone who’s been around for a while but still seems to keep making great music writing.”
But Nelsonville Music Festival has never been exclusively about folk, with groups such as Gogel Bordello, The Flaming Lips and Guided By Voices gracing the stage in past years.
This year is no exception with No BS Brass Band, Charles Walker & The Dynamites, and the indie rock band Dinosaur Jr. joining the ranks this year.
“We never want it to be stale, we want to always get people in that are exciting and represent a wide variety of people,” Koscho said. “Dinosaur Jr. is a personal favorite of mine so I’m excited to have them down.”
The 30-year-old band released its newest full-length album I Bet On Sky in 2012 along with a live album from a performance in 1987, Chocomel Daze.
“We try to have a wide variety of stuff but the thing that ties it all together is that it’s all great music, it’s music for music lovers,” Koscho said. “I always say that every festival it’s the smaller acts that people haven’t heard of that they need to keep an eye on.”
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