The Savannah Music Festival has just released the lineup for the 17-day fest in 2018. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, 11/10. The new season was announced tonight with a free show by Sammy Miller and The Congregation at the North Garden Assembly Room at the Ships of the Sea Museum.
In addition to the lineup of world-class talent in a variety of traditional genres, the 2018 SMF will feature two new venues, including The Yamacraw Center for the Performing Arts at the arts-focused Garrison Elementary.
And the Savannah Music Festival is introducing an exciting new feature for 2018 — an all-day, general admission event on 4/14 utilizing new spaces at Trustees’ Garden. The day will feature 12 acts on three stages, including Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Gillian Welch, Marc Broussard, Brent Cobb, Brett Dennen, Septeto Santiaguero, Mipso, Sammy Miller & The Congregation, Betsayda Machado y Parranda El Clavo, Velvet Caravan with Jessica Ann Best, and Stringband Spectacular, the culmination of the SMF’s amazing Acoustic Music Seminar.
You can obviously see the lineup on your own, but a few shows really jump out at me that might be of special interest to readers of this site, including:
- Benedetto Guitars 50th Anniversary celebration at the Lucas on 3/29
- Paul Thorn and the Blind Boys of Alabama at the Lucas on 3/30
- Margaret Glaspy & Juana Molina in a double bill at Ships of the Sea on 3/30
- Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn at the Lucas on 3/31
- Etienne Charles and Ranky Tanky in a double bill of Gullah-inspired work at the Morris Center on 4/1
- Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives at Ships on 4/5
- Audra McDonald at Trustees Theater on 4/7
- Lee Fields & The Expressions/The James Hunter Six at Ships on 4/7
- Daniel Hope & Friends: Balkan Roots at Temple Mickve Israel on 4/8
- Rosanne Cash with John Leventhal at the Lucas on 4/10
- Toumani and Sidiki Diabaté/Mike Marshall and Jovino Santos Neto at the Lucas on 4/12 (seriously, this will be great)
- Rhiannon Giddens at the Lucas on 4/13
In some years, the festival also adds some rock/pop dates closer to the festival, so we’ll stay tuned for any news like that.
There are lots more promising shows in other genres, including classical and jazz — far more than I can detail here. So check out the lineup and get your tickets early.