Live Wire: Four under-the-radar acts not to miss at Green River Festival

Yahoo

19-06-2025

Like most multi-day festivals with multiple stages, the Green River Festival promises a wide and diverse array of music for fans of all tastes and ages.
This year's Green River Festival (to be held June 20-22 at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield) certainly has plenty of punch simply based on the main acts, including Mt. Joy, Courtney Barnett and Waxahatchee. Well-known local acts such as Winterpills, Mark Mulcahy and Kimaya Diggs will also certainly get plenty of attention.
Of course, many people go mainly to see those headliners and a few other favorite acts, but some of the lesser-known acts who play earlier in the day shouldn't be ignored. Of course, no one can see every artist, but if you're there to spend the entire day enjoying a wide spectrum of music, here are four earlyish acts worth checking out if your schedule allows.
Fueled by the vocals of singer Carly Kraft, Coral Moons formed in Boston but has since transplanted themselves to Rochester, New York. While the combo is generically described as indie pop, their sound can wander into soul, hard rock and add tastes of several other genres). The quartet gained notoriety in 2020 when it was nominated for two Boston Music Awards: Alt/indie Artist of the Year and Video of the Year.
Leyla McCalla offers a true smorgasbord of sonic delicacies. Not only is she a multi-instrumentalist, but she also sings in three languages: English, French and Haitian Creole. Her music also draws on her blended heritage of her native Haiti and adopted home of New Orleans, rendering a mélange of sounds that include everything from rootsy rhythms to delicate melodies to a soulful center.
An alumna of the Grammy award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, McCalla also collaborated with Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, and Allison Russell on 'Songs of Our Native Daughters' in 2019. The album looked at America's history of slavery, racism, and misogyny from a modern Black female perspective
Bowers might be playing an early slot this year, but it's probably a good guess that it won't be long before she's headlining festivals.
While Bowers first grabbed the public's attention via social media videos of her playing guitar during the pandemic, she has skyrocketed since then and recently won Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2024 Americana Music Association Honors & Awards and made her Grand Ole Opry debut on her 18th birthday. She also made her late-night television debut on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' and was featured on 'CBS Mornings' last August and hasn't seemed to stop since.
While originally a fan of Slash of Guns N' Roses, Bowers became mesmerized by B.B. King at age 13 and that changed everything. She brings a combination of rock sensibilities, funky rhythms and soulful hues to her playing.
If you want to get in a groovy mood early on Saturday, you'd better show up for one of the day's first acts: Funky Dawgz Brass Band. Weaving a cheerful tapestry of hip hop and funk into both their original songs and modern hits, Funky Dawgs are a perfect match for the Dean's Bean's Stage as they bring as much energy as the strongest cup of coffee.
The Connecticut-based combo has shared the stage with such musical luminaries as Dispatch, Tower of Power, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, and Galactic, among many others.
For more information about the Green River Festival and to purchase tickets, visit the festival's website at greenriverfestival.com.
Read the original article on MassLive.