For the ninth year, the Freight celebrates incredible talent with the Berkeley Bluegrass Festival, May 2-4, 2025. With concerts programmed by Grammy-award winner Laurie Lewis, plus curated instructional workshops, Berkeley Bluegrass Festival brings together leaders of the genre, up-and-coming artists, and music fans for three days of concerts, jams, workshops (free for ticket holders!), and good old-fashioned merriment to kick off the summer music festival season.
Schedule
Friday, May 2, 2025
John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band, Tray Wellington, Fog Holler
Lobby: Jesse Appelman’s West Coast Stringband Project
J2B2 (John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band)
J2B2 is an all-star bluegrass supergroup featuring four legendary, award-winning musicians – John Jorgenson on acoustic guitar, mandolin and vocals; Herb Pedersen on banjo, acoustic guitar and vocals; Mark Fain on bass; and Patrick Sauber on acoustic guitar and vocals – delivering bluegrass like no one has ever heard it before. The band’s undeniable live shows have received stellar reviews and have the bluegrass world buzzing. The four combine forces to form a spot-on union of impeccable musicianship, incomparable songwriting, incredible harmony vocals (a fresh twist combining bluegrass with elements of West Coast folk rock) and seasoned showmanship. This is the “high lonesome sound” of American roots music at its finest.
Tray Wellington
Banjo player Tray Wellington’s approach to the quintessential American instrument is all about looking forward. An International Bluegrass Music Association Award winner, Wellington is critically acclaimed not only for his technical prowess, but also for leveraging his unique point of view to craft a one-of-a-kind voice on the instrument. It’s a feat that’s all too rare in these roots genres that seem to value emulation and regurgitation over all else. Instead, Wellington has time and time again reasserted that his playing style, and all of the many varied and disparate parts that combine within it, is wholly his own – and it’s unconcerned with tradition.
Fog Holler
Fog Holler is a bluegrass band with an edge. What gives them that edge is a topic of hot debate. For some, it’s musicianship - these bluegrass cats shred. For others, it’s the songwriting, traditional in style but topical in substance. Sometimes, they undeniably snare people with the squad factor - folks see 4 grown adults in matching monochrome, and they get curious. The secret, according to Fog Holler, is simply that they write and play bluegrass in 2025, with similar intention but very different context from the genre’s originators. Inspired by a range of influences from The Stanley Brothers to Buck Owens to Meshuggah, Fog Holler breathes fresh life into well worn forms like the murder ballad and the power waltz.
Jesse Appelman’s West Coast Stringband Project
This new collective unites three standout musicians from the California bluegrass scene, crafting a sound defined by strong melodies, rich vocal harmonies, and solid groove. The core trio features Jesse Appelman (mandolin), Yoseff Tucker (guitar), and Christine Wilhoyte (banjo), joined by bassist Mark Schatz and fiddler Brandon Godman for this show. Their repertoire spans original compositions and classics from bluegrass legends. Deeply informed by tradition while exploring new textures, the group represents the future of California's vibrant roots music scene.
Advance Tickets: $64.00 (includes all fees); Day of Show Tickets: $69.00 (includes all fees)
Doors: 6:00PM; Show: 7:00PM
Additional Dates:
