Grammy-winning, blues Americana artist
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Keb’ Mo’, Lee Ann Womack, Ryan Bingham, Turnpike Troubadours, Lucero, Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis and MORE to take Stage at 5th Annual Red Ants Pants Music Festival
The Red Ants Pants Music Festival team announced another powerhouse line-up of musicians for the 2015 festival, July 23-26 in White Sulphur Springs.
Three-time Grammy winner, blues-Americana master Keb’ Mo’ joins the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Ryan Bingham and country music icon Lee Ann Womack as headline acts. The Turnpike Troubadours, Bruce Robison, Kelly Willis, singer-songwriter Holly Williams (granddaughter of Hank Williams Sr.) will also take the stage, along with New York-based Americana-roots trio Red Molly, Lucero, Parsonsfield, the Shook Twins, Del Barber, The Lil’ Smokies and the Easy Leaves.
As the 2014 winners of the Red Ants Pants Music Festival Emerging Artist Competition, Minnesota folk-rock-bluegrass band, The Last Revel, earned a well-deserved spot on the main stage this year. T
The Bus Driver Tour will kick off the weekend performing at a free street dance in downtown White Sulpur Springs on Thursday, July 23.
“We’re thrilled with the depth, talent and extraordinary heart of this year’s line-up,” said Sarah Calhoun, Red Ants Pants Music Festival founder and producer. “It’s humbling to imagine the star power and emerging music icons bringing people together in a Smith River Valley sweet clover pasture. I can think of no better way to spend the end of July than celebrating music and Montana with good hard-working folks.”
This is the fifth year of the music festival, which benefits the Red Ants Pants Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports women’s leadership, working farms and ranches, and rural communities. Held in a cow pasture on the Jackson Ranches, and surrounded by the Big Belt, Little Belt, and Castle Mountain ranges, the festival will bring in more than two-dozen different artists performing on separate stages.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is a cornerstone of country music, known for multiple Top 10 hits such as “Fishin’ in the Dark”; their recording of “Mr. Bojangles” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2010. Keb’ Mo’ is widely respected as a master of American roots music, whose songs have been recorded by legends including B.B. King, Buddy Guy, the Dixie Chicks and Joe Cocker.
Lee Ann Womack has received five Academy of Country Music Awards, five CMA awards and a Grammy; her 2000 “I Hope You Dance” reached no. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart. Ryan Bingham has been featured in Rolling Stone, Esquire and the Washington Post. In 2010 Bingham’s song “The Weary Kind” for the “Crazy Heart” soundtrack earned him a Grammy, Oscar, Golden Globe and the title of Americana Artist of the Year Award.
For the first time ever, the Red Ants Pants Music Festival will be offer 50 VIP weekend passes for $500 each. VIP ticket holders will enjoy an outstanding view of the main stage, shaded seating, complimentary refreshments, beer and wine.
A three-day weekend pass is $125 in advance and $140 at the gate. One-day passes are $50 in advance and $55 at the gate. Camping is $20 per person for the weekend; camping passes are available only at the gate, but there will be plenty of room for everyone. Kids 12 and under are free for festival and camping when accompanied by an adult.
The weekend-long, grassroots, honky-tonkin’ music festival brings in millions of dollars to the rural economy.
Local food and craft vendors will be on site, as well as beer and wine. Additional activities include the agricultural and work-skill demonstration area, the Side Stage featuring a dozen bands from across the region, a kids’ tent, and, back by popular demand this year: the Montana Beard and Mustache State Finals!
For more information and to buy tickets, head to redantspantsmusicfestival.com.