Hello,
One of the significant aspects of attending a musical festival of any size is listening to musical acts that you haven’t heard of before and coming away impressed, finding out more about them, as you listen to more of their discography, and then seeing them at future shows outside the festival.
When you attend the Blue Ox Music Festival, not only do you get one-of-a-kind experiences and activities, and an incredible Main Stage and Saloon Stage lineup this year, but you’ll also get to discover for yourself smaller, talented up-and-coming bluegrass and Americana groups earlier in the afternoon and also see some bigger acts playing in the wee hours of the morning after their large stage sets in a more intimate setting on the Backwoods Stage deeper in the woods near the campgrounds. I love how each act is scheduled to perform for an hour, as that amount of time is truly a showcase for them. The Backwoods stage starts very late Thursday night and ends Sunday morning, serving as the last official musical notes of Blue Ox. All the set times listed below are subject to change.
THURSDAY NIGHT
11:30 pm – 12:30 am
The first band to make an appearance on the Backwoods Stage this year is Texas Toast. They’re a Winona, MN-based band that started jamming together in 2021 and has shared their music with audiences at Boats and Bluegrass festival the past 4 years, Blue Ox Music Festival, People Fest, The Boogiedown, Big Turn Music Festival, and Midwest Music Fest, and via their Big River Killer EP. The group is made up of touring musicians from the bands Jaybone Bell and Restless Light, My Grandma’s Cardigan, The People Brothers Band, Barbaro, and Sleeping Jesus. We’re looking forward to their album release, scheduled for this year, and hearing “Wild and Free” among other songs at the Backwoods Stage starting at 11:30 pm.
1:00 am – 2:00 am
Room3 will follow Texas Toast. They’re a Minneapolis-based jazz fusion collective. A five-piece with RAWTWHYLAH (aka Colin Mitchell) on drums, Beck Anderson on bass, Eli Awada on keyboards, Jovon Williams on tenor and soprano saxophone, and Evan Espinoza Robles on percussion. Earlier this year, in April, they released the album, Bill’s Garden, and I’m looking forward to hearing some jams off of that, particularly “Morning with Monk (feat EA)” as a big Thelonious Monk fan. To us, listening to Room3 sounds like a great way to enjoy music as you wind down your opening night at Blue Ox 2025.
FRIDAY MORNING & AFTERNOON
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Kicking off Friday’s music and also hailing from the Madison area, the Sandhill Strangers are a bluegrass and folk band that features Greg Beaudoin (banjo), Marin Danz (fiddle), Clay Knoll (bass), Alex Weldy (guitar), and Jesse Yang (mandolin). They held their debut album premiere party in late April. We’re looking forward to hearing more about the album, hearing some songs off of it, “Huron River,” and whatever else they want to throw at us. Covers? Yes please.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Next up is Triple Fiddle. A group consisting of not one, not two, but three powerhouse Minnesotan fiddlers — Rachel Calvert, Jackie Rae Daniels, and Maura Dunst. Armed with triple fiddle harmonies and lusciously layered vocals, the trio is backed by guitarist and singer-songwriter Hannah Hendrickson to create some incredible moments via covers and their originals. We’re looking forward to hearing “Wilder Reel” among many other songs live.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Hemlock Chaser is a folk punkish (their self-description) band from central Wisconsin. Featuring Sylas Schaberg (guitar, vocals), Sheilagh Dandy Lyon (fiddle, guitar, vocals),
A. Vuorinen (mandolin, vocals) and Luke Moat (bass, vocals). They’ve been described as “if Sid Vicious and Woody Guthrie had a drunken love child.” As fans of both, and guttergrass, speedgrass, and similar genres, sign me up! We’re looking forward to hearing any of the songs off their 2023 album, Hardluck Stories, and more.
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
The Spine Stealers have risen within the Wisconsin music scene and Midwestern folk scene in the past few years since opening for Dead Horses at Madison’s Majestic Theater during Folk Fest 2023, winning the 2023 Blue Ox Music Festival Virtual Band Competition, and releasing their first-ever EP, River Teeth Tapes, also in 2023. 2024 saw the “spooky folk” duo made up of Kate and Emma release their debut album, If the Sky Falls, Beyond the Sidewalks. We’re looking forward to hearing “Coal” among other songs from that album and whatever else Kate and Emma play in their set.
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
The final Backwoods act of Friday afternoon, Ginstrings is one that we’re looking forward to finding more about and hearing some more songs from. We did like “Searching For Anne Marie.” Here’s what we know so far: they’re a Minnesota-based “… acoustic progressive stringband with roots in bluegrass, folk, and Americana. 37 interchangeable strings and vibrant harmonies,” according to their Instagram. Color us intrigued.
LATE FRIDAY NIGHT
11:30 pm – 12:30 am
One of the best, most captivating live acts you can see in the Midwest in 2025, Pert Near Sandstone, on the small stage before they play the Main Stage at 7 pm on Saturday? Yes, yes, yes. See the hosts of Blue Ox, veterans of many tours, and memorable live moments, in their element.
1:00 am – 2:00 am
I don’t think everyone is quite ready for the energy of Pert Near Sandstone followed by Mae Simpson. But I welcome it. Bring it. The Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter is known to weave elements of funk, soul, pop, rock, and country into the band’s sound. She and her seven-piece band are gaining recognition throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin for the incredible energy they bring to their live shows, as well as her vocals. Pre-game with “Keeping On My Feet.”
SATURDAY MORNING & AFTERNOON
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Kicking off Saturday’s music is Dandelion Delivery Service, a Wisconsin-based project led by Sheilagh Dandy Lyon (guitar, vocals, fiddle) who also is playing in Hemlock Chaser on Friday. The band also consists of Sarah Ludeman (percussion, backing vocals), Benjamin Lila (lead guitar, backing vocals), and Jeremiah Paarman (bass, backing vocals). Their music has been described as “Elven-Cowgirl-SpaceRock, lassoed together by feral harmonies, haunting melodies, and whimsically nightmaresque songwriting.” Intrigued? They released the album Feral Faerie Era this year and their self-titled album in 2024. We’re looking forward to hearing “tWEast” and other songs from their set in person.
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
The next band to play the Backwoods stage is Wheels North, a progressive Newgrass quartet from Northern Illinois’ Fox Valley. The band features Mark Frystak (guitar/vocals), Hayley Skreens (banjo/vocals), Jesse Fuller (bass/vocals), and Chris Grant (violin), and each member adds from their skillset to craft some gorgeous songs. We’re looking forward to hearing their set and hope we get to hear “New Love“.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Moving a bit north in direction, the group Ben Mulwana & the Village is based in Kenosha, though Ben was born and raised in Uganda. He’s able to play in a variety of settings, whether solo, as a duo, or as a full band; the Village. They always bring the soul, energy, and groove, and their music is often described as Afro-soul rock. Two years ago, the band released the album Mr. Mulwana, which includes some great songs, including but not limited to “Candy Floss,” which we hope to hear live during their Backwoods Stage set.
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
The quintet of multi-instrumentalists Katie Senn, Marcy Rosenbaum, Nicole Upchurch, Sarah Driscoll, and Katie Roche that make up Awful Purdies have been not only creating Folk and Americana music in Eastern Iowa, but they’re also known for work they’ve done in the community and beyond, “advocating for human rights, and amplifying women’s voices and stories.” We hope to hear some from each of the band’s albums over the years, but would love if “Something in the Water” was included in their Blue Ox set.
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Milwaukee-based alt country group Ladybird, which is fronted by guitarist/vocalist Peter McDermott and includes guitarist Sam Szymborski, bassist Josh Rardin, drummer Aidan Gouran, and pedal steel player Will Hansen, has two EPs and one debut full-length album under their belts in the past few years. As well as being the Winner of the 2025 Virtual Band Competition for Blue Ox for their song “My Worried Heart” which we’re hoping to hear live as part of their rockin’ Backwoods set
LATE SATURDAY NIGHT
11:30 pm – 12:30 am
Banjoist and singer-songwriter Kyle Tuttle has built up an impressive resume within the bluegrass, jamband, and jamgrass communities in the past decade. First, studying at renowned Berklee College of Music, then moving to Nashville, he’s worked with a who’s who in the scene, not limited to playing in the Jeff Austin Band until Austin’s death in 2019. Tuttle began to focus on solo work and has released three albums since, including 2024’s Labor of Lust. We hope to hear “Not Quite Spring” and others from that album and more during the Kyle Tuttle & Friends set.
1:00 am – 2:00 am
The last group to grace the Backwoods stage and close out Blue Ox 2025 will be Wisconsin-based Armchair Boogie. They’re a band that is gaining fans, both casual and members of the media, quickly based on their unforgettable live performances. The band is made up of Augie Dougherty on banjo, Ben Majeska on acoustic & electric guitars, Eli Frieders on electric bass, and Denzel Connor on drums. The “Liquor Store” is one of their newer songs, and we hope to hear it amongst many classics during Armchair Boogie’s set at the Backwoods Stage.
Check out the rest of Blue Ox’s incredible 2025 lineup here: https://www.blueoxmusicfestival.com/lineup/
Say hi if you see Josh & me at this year’s Blue Ox.
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site: scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions!
Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
