The entertainment lineup for the 18th annual River City Roots Festival will be headlined by The High Hawks on Saturday night and the Band of Heathens on Friday night. Roots Fest will take place September 6-7, 2024 in the streets of Downtown Missoula.
The High Hawks are an all-star band that features Vince Herman, a founding member of the band Leftover Salmon; Tim Carbone, fiddle player for Railroad Earth; Adam Greuel from Horseshoes & Handgrenades; and Herman’s son, Silas. Others in the band include Chad Staehly, Brian Adams, and Will Trask. The High Hawks released their first album in 2021 and will release their second album later this year. The Vince Herman Band will also take a shift on the Roots Fest Stage. Vince Herman performed at Roots Fest in 2008 and 2009. For more information visit www.thehighhawks.com and www.vinceherman.com.
The Band of Heathens is a “good ol’ rock & roll band” from Austin, Texas. Comprised of Ed Jurdi, Gordy Quist, Trevor Nealon, Richard Millsap, and Jesse Wilson. Together for more than two decades and eight albums, the Band of Heathens released album #9 Simple Things in 2023. The Band of Heathen made its first appearance at Roots Fest in 2017. For more information visit www.bandofheathens.com.
River City Roots Festival is the annual celebration of the city we love. Admission-free and accessible for all, Roots Fest features live music and art from 30+ artists on Main Street. The festival also includes a 4-mile run in partnership with Run Wild Missoula; a multi-truck Food Court on Ryman Street, and the Family Fun Fest in Caras Park on Saturday. Roots Fest was moved from Aug. 23-24 to Sept. 6-7 due to the Tyler Childers Concert slated for August 24 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
Sol Driven Train features American pop and folk music from is five-piece band based out of Charleston, S.C. Sol Driven Train will be making its 5th appearance on the Roots Stage, having performed in 2010, 2012, 2016, and 2021. For more information, visit www.soldriventrain.com
Rapidgrass is a high-energy bluegrass band from Colorado that embodies the notion that nature and mountains bring out the best in art and music. The quintet features Mark Morris, Coleman Smith, Alex Johnstone, Carl Meinecke and Billy Cardine. Rapidgrass will make its third appearance on the Roots Fest Stage, having previously performed in 2018 and 2021. For more information visit www.rapidgrass.com.
Ashleigh Flynn & the Riveters is an all-female Americana, country and rock band from Portland, Ore. The band is a musical homage to “Rose the Riveter”, whose brand inspired a social movement for women to work in America. The Riveters played Roots Fest in 2019 and 2022. For more details, visit www.ashleighflynnandtheriveters.com.
New to the Roots Fest Main Stage in 2024 includes War Pony and The Spills. War Pony (www.warponymusic.com) is a local soul and funk band led by singer/songwriter Cara Schulz who played at the Under the Big Sky Festival in 2023. They will open the festival on Friday afternoon at 2:30pm.
Missoula’s own Cowboy Andy & the Salamanders continue the tradition of opening Roots Fest for the kids on Saturday at 12:30pm. Comprised of Cowboy Andy, Oscar Hunt, Russ Gay, Ian Smith and Matthew Bainton, the Salamanders focus on family-friendly music that makes kids want to dance. Learn more at www.cowboyandy.com.
River City Roots Fest is a production of the Missoula Downtown Association (MDA) with significant support from Missoula-area businesses. This year’s Title Sponsor is Dick Anderson Construction, which is has had a significant impact on quality development throughout the valley. Long-standing Main Stage Sponsors include Big Sky Brewery, Blackfoot Communications, HDR Engineering, and MariMint.
“River City Roots Festival really speaks to who we are as a community,” said Ellen Buchanan, Committee Chair and MDA Board Member. “As an admission-free festival accessible to all, we are incredibly grateful to all the businesses who sponsor Roots Fest. We have a great lineup of amazing bands this year, many who love Missoula,” she said, “and this year’s lineup will be a great showcase of Americana music by experts and newcomers. Moving the festival into September this year will help spread the business and impact throughout the community.”
For more information on the 18th annual Roots Fest, visit www.rivercityrootsfestival.com or contact the Downtown Missoula Partnership via phone (406-543-4238) or email (info@missouladowntown.com).
