Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival Wins Again With Daniel Donato, Cris Jacobs, Sam Bush, Leftover Salmon, Dirty Grass Players & More (FESTIVAL REVIEW/PHOTOS)

 It was perhaps one minute into my brief interview with Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival co-founder John Way when the first interruption occurred. An incredibly polite middle-aged woman, adorned in a lime green sequined dress and a psychedelic array of face paint, excitedly approached Mr. Way to express her gratitude for the past two days.

“This is my new favorite festival!! ” Her smile was contagious. She paused briefly to take a deep breath before hurriedly continuing, “I don’t know you, and I’m sorry to interrupt, but this is so amazing. My life is literally better today.” Our anonymous visitor then disappeared as quickly as she arrived, scampering off towards the dual-stage setup, where the progressive strains of bluegrass outfit Kitchen Dwellers were pulsating in the distance.  

By the time our ten-minute conversation had ended, we had been approached a half-dozen more times by people of all ages who had the same message, and on each occasion, Mr. Way took the time to look every single one of them in the eye and thank them with the same level of genuine enthusiasm that he just received. As I walked away to catch the end of the Kitchen Dwellers set, leaving Mr. Way to deal with the gaggle of similarly grateful attendees who had gathered to express their sentiments while we spoke, it suddenly became apparent that this communal enthusiasm, which had been palpable all weekend, was the driving force behind what is rapidly becoming Maryland’s premier live-music event. 

Featuring an eclectic lineup of fourteen regional & national bands that focuses on bluegrass and jam band fare, along with dozens of artisanal vendors and some of the finest local cuisine available, all situated on a picturesque beach that offers up breathtaking views of the Chesapeake Bay, the Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival is a live music lover’s fantasy come to fruition. 

Of course, as is the case with any festival worth its salt, the music only tells half the story, and Baygrass is no exception. As founder of the VA Way, a non-profit that works to improve mental health for veterans, members of the music industry, and their communities, Mr. Way worked tirelessly to ensure that his message of self-care and community conservation was at the forefront throughout the weekend. “After attending this festival, the average person leaves more educated and feeling better. It gives them a chance to connect with the local community in a different way, as opposed to attending a health fair”, Mr. Way explained. “This is what heals you. It’s about making people feel better about themselves and each other. For example, we gave out all 500 Narcan kits we brought with us this weekend. 500 people went home with tools to help save lives. That’s what this is about.”

The festival’s motto bolstered that sentiment, “Every Jam Saves The Bay”, as well as the on-site presence of such non-profit organizations as Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, The Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy, and the Oyster Recovery Partnership, all of whom also received a portion of the weekend’s proceeds. Additionally, a quaint waterside pavilion towards the rear of the festival grounds hosted a series of events throughout the weekend, offering up activities and workshops such as “Beach Yoga”, ”Sober Meet-Ups,” and pro-environmental & mental health seminars, in addition to some intimate storytelling & performance sessions from artists such as Sam Bush. 

After the inaugural event was canceled at the last minute in 2022 due to severe weather, Baygrass has returned to the scenic Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis, MD for the past two years.  Despite being in its embryonic stages, the Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival has already become one of the most highly anticipated end-of-summer events throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, attracting several thousand like-minded music fans from across the country. If my conversation with Mr. Way is any indication, this is just the beginning of what promises to be a long & fruitful relationship between Annapolis, the Chesapeake Bay, and what is truly some of the best live music and community vibes one can be fortunate enough to experience. 

Join us as Glide takes a look at a half-dozen of the best acts from this past weekend’s 2nd annual Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival:

Lil Smokies: Following a sublime festival-opening set from house band Geraldine, The Lil Smokies proceeded to tear up the Every Jam Saves The Bay Stage with over seventy minutes of their high-octane progressive-fueled bluegrass. Offering up headliner-caliber musicianship that belied their early Saturday afternoon time slot, the Montana-based quintet kicked things off with a raucous version of “The City”, showcasing their impressive instrumental chops & saccharine vocal harmonies while incorporating elements of jazz & blues into originals such as “Blood Money” & “California”. The group also mixed in a bevy of well received covers, including Guy Clark’s “Rain in Durango”, a beautiful rendition of Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” as well as a unique bluegrass-infused take on the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It, Black”. 

Sam Bush: Bolstered by a surreal moment on Saturday when the festival was able to witness, in relatively close range, a dramatic military aircraft flyover that was accompanying the nearby Naval Academy’s football game – resulting in an impressive 56-44 upset over the University of Memphis – bluegrass legend Sam Bush treated the noticeably swelled crowd to ninety minutes worth of originals, beloved standards and some of the most formidable mandolin and fiddle chops in the history of the renowned genre. Seamlessly transitioning between traditional bluegrass quintet and straight up rock and roll outfit, Bush led his uber talented ensemble through cherished favorites such as Bill Monroe’s “Roll On Buddy, Roll On”, John Hartford’s “Granny Wontcha Smoke Some Marijuana” and Newgrass Revival’s “Unconditional Love”. Switching back & forth between his Fender mandolin and fiddle, Sam also regaled the crowd with memorable stories about Leon Russell & Doc Watson in addition to eliciting some spirited howls from the sun-soaked attendees during one of his most popular originals, “Howlin’ at the Moon”. 

Leftover Salmon: Wrapping up Saturday’s events on the Every Jam Saves The Bay Stage, Leftover Salmon made their Baygrass debut a memorable one. Appropriately considered among the founding fathers of the now wildly popular jam grass scene, the Colorado-based sextet’s ninety-minute set was bolstered by a wildly impressive guest list, including Bush, Sierra Hull (mandolin) and Festival Artists-At-Large Ron Holloway (saxophone), Natalie Cressman (trombone) and Jennifer Hartswick (trumpet), the latter of whom remained on stage for a majority of the performance. The augmented ensemble tore through a slew of fan favorites, including Conway Twitty’s “Boogie Grass Band” and “The 4:20 Polka” before wrapping things up with a ska-infused version of “Better” and a high-energy set-closing rendition of “High Country”. 

The Dirty Grass Players: Kicking Sunday’s festivities off on the Baygrass Stage with a late morning 11:30 am time slot, Baltimore’s favorite progressive bluegrass quartet treated the impressively sizable crowd to a powerfully emotional and bittersweet affair. While celebrating the recent return of lead guitarist Ben Kolakowski, whose trademark psychedelia-infused guitar licks were sorely missed during his injury-related hiatus, the band also announced that this performance would be the last for banjo-picker Alex Berman as he steps away to spend time with his family & newborn daughter.

The young firebrands then poured everything they had into the remainder of their hour-long set. Tears and hugs were abound on and off the stage as the group tore through a legendary performance with cherished originals such as “Pockets in Retrograde” and “Carlos” as well as some familiar covers, including a brilliant medley combining Lorde’s “Royals” and Johnny Paycheck’s “I’m the Only Hell (Mama Ever Raised). With plans to continue on in the future despite the personnel shakeup, Sunday’s memorable performance leaves little doubt that the Dirty Grass Players’ future continues to remain as bright as ever. 

Cris Jacobs & Friends: Making his second consecutive appearance at Baygrass, Cris Jacobs led his new bluegrass-centric quartet through a remarkable set that focused on material from his critically acclaimed recent studio effort, One of These Days, along with some beloved Cris Jacobs Band originals. Opening things up with the geographically apt “Pimlico’ – the festival grounds were only an hour or so south of the notorious racetrack – Jacobs and his supporting cast brought his unique swampy blues & bluegrass sound to songs like “Poor Davey” and “Queen of the Avenue”. However, the clear highlight of the set, and perhaps the entire festival, came when Jacobs interrupted Daniel Donato’s soundcheck on the adjacent stage to invite him over to perform, leading the two guitarists to trade off on a dizzying series of goosebump-inducing licks. 

Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country: There’s a good reason that a majority of the overheard chatter regarding people’s most anticipated artists of the weekend centered around Daniel Donato. The Nashville-based guitarist/songwriter, along with his wildly talented troupe of psychedelic gunslingers, has been on a meteoric rise thanks to Donato’s innovative songwriting and otherworldly guitar skills that seem to belie his young age of only 29. Sunday afternoon’s performance was no exception, as the quartet brought their unique brand of countrified psychedelia to the Baygrass Stage.

Following along intently to Donato’s chameleon-like guitar work, the band seamlessly transformed from an authentic Country & Western outfit into LSD-soaked musical warlocks without a hitch. An astounding sequence that combined Marty Robbins’ classic “Big Iron” and Donato’s instrumental opus “Ghost Riders in the Sky” stood as the centerpiece of the ninety-minute set, transporting the capacity crowd to the stratosphere on a rocket-fueled steed. The set ended on a high note with the help of the Baygrass Horns, as well as a powerful vocal performance from keyboardist Nathan “Sugar Leg” Aronowitz on Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”. 

All Photos by Gary Jared courtesy of Annapolis Bay Festival