Saturday, May 17: 1-5pm
Sunday, May 18: 1-5pm
Bourbon & Bluegrass, the Cottage’s biggest, most rollicking fundraising of the year, is back and better than ever for its tenth anniversary weekend festival! With your support, it has become the little festival that could, beating out much bigger festivals for the coveted title of Best Music Festival in DC!
TICKETS ARE ON SALE FOR MEMBERS ONLY. Not a member? Become one HERE!
About the artists:
Swamp Dogg (Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18)
Swamp Dogg (born Jerry Williams, Jr.) is an American soul and R&B singer, musician, songwriter and record producer described as “one of the great cult figures of 20th century American music.” After recording as Little Jerry and Little Jerry Williams in the 1950s and 1960s, he reinvented himself as Swamp Dogg, releasing a series of satirical, offbeat, and eccentric recordings, as well as continuing to write and produce for other musicians. He debuted his new sound on the Total Destruction To Your Mind album in 1970. In the 1980s, he helped to develop Alonzo Williams’ World Class Wreckin’ CRU, which produced Dr. Dre among others. He continues to make music, releasing Love, Loss & Autotune on Joyful Noise Recordings in 2018.
The New York Times praised his “salty, earthy Southern-soul storytelling;” Rolling Stone hailed his catalog full of “classics that have influenced generations of younger musicians;” The Independent dubbed him a “psychedelic soul original;” The Fader declared him a “legend;” Pitchfork called him “one of pop’s great cult acts;” and Vice crowned him “the unsung king of soul music.”
His recent venture into Bluegrass music, Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th St., was produced by Ryan Olson (Bon Iver, Poliça) and recorded with an all-star band including Noam Pikelny, Sierra Hull, Jerry Douglas, Chris Scruggs, Billy Contreras, and Kenny Vaughan. The collection is a riotous blend of past and present, mixing the sacred and the profane in typical Swamp Dogg fashion as it blurs the lines between folk, roots, country, blues, and soul. It was hailed by NPR as on.e of 2024’s finest country albums.
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Goldbug Revival (Saturday, May 18)
Goldbug Revival is a Washington D.C. based Americana band bursting at the seams with love for great songwriting and original music.
Members have performed with Grammy-nominated and Hall-of-Fame artists, toured internationally and played many local DMV venues including the AMP at Strathmore, Hank Dietles, Lucketts, Earps Ordinary and New Deal Cafe.
Dori Freeman (Saturday, May 18)
Dori Freeman has sharpened her vision of Appalachian Americana over five studio albums. From the country traditionalism of her self-titled debut to the amplified folk of Ten Thousand Roses, it’s a sound that nods to her mountain-town roots even as it reaches beyond them. Freeman continues creating her own musical geography with Do You Recall, the songwriter’s most eclectic — and electric — record yet.
Like a counterpart to Ten Thousand Roses — the 2021 release that found Freeman trading the acoustic textures of her earlier work for a more expansive, electrified version of American roots music — Do You Recall nods to the full range of Freeman’s influences and abilities. She still sings with the unforced vibrato of a classic folksinger, but she’s more of a modern trailblazer than a throwback traditionalist, funneling her Blue Ridge roots into a contemporary sound that’s both broad and bold.
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Hubby Jenkins (Sunday, May 18)
Hubby Jenkins is a talented multi-instrumentalist who endeavors to share his love and knowledge of old-time American music. Born and raised in Brooklyn he delved into his Southern roots, following the thread of African American history that wove itself through country blues, ragtime, fiddle and banjo, and traditional jazz. Hubby got his higher musical education started as a busker. He developed his guitar and vocal craft on the sidewalks and subway platforms of New York City, performing material by those venerable artists whose work he was quickly absorbing. An ambitiously itinerant musician, he took his show on the road, playing the streets, coffee shops, bars, and house parties of cities around the U.S.
After years of busking around the country and making a name for himself, Hubby became acquainted with the Carolina Chocolate Drops. He was an integral part of the Grammy award winning Carolina Chocolate Drops (2010 – 2016), as well as a member of Rhiannon Giddens band. Today he spreads his knowledge and love of old-time American music and history through his dynamic solo performances.
Martha Spencer & the Wonderland Band (Sunday, May 18)
Martha Spencer is a singer-songwriter, mountain musician and dancer from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She grew up in the musical Spencer family and learned to play several instruments (guitar, fiddle, banjo, bass, dulcimer, mandolin) and flatfoot/clog at a young age. She performs and has recorded with various groups and has been involved with several roots music projects. She has played shows, festivals and led workshops across the US, Australia, UK, Canada, and Europe. Martha’s first solo album 2018 and latest release “Wonderland” in 2022 have been featured in articles in Rolling Stone Country, No Depression, Holler, Wide Open Country, Bluegrass Situation, Americana Highways, PopMatters and more. She also has been included in articles in the NY Times, Austin Chronicle and Billboard and was a part of the Fiddlin’ documentary movie.
SPECIAL THANKS
In-kind and organizational partners:
The Armed Forces Retirement Home
For sponsorship opportunities email [email protected].
