Before each Memorial Day weekend in the Appalachian foothills of western Maryland, a unique phenomenon occurs. Tens of thousands of like-minded bluegrass-obsessed musical adventure seekers migrate to the welcoming confines of the Allegany County Fairgrounds in Cumberland, Maryland, for a four-day experience that stands as the epitome of what a music festival should be: DelFest.
Dating back to the festival’s inaugural event in 2008, DelFest, named after bluegrass legend Del McCoury, has continually showcased a lineup of some of the nation’s most prominent bluegrass and Americana groups, while also shining a spotlight on regional up-and-coming talent. Throw in dozens of local artisanal crafts and food vendors, along with non-musical activities such as the Kids Zone and tubing along the lazy North Branch Potomac River, and you start to see what all the fuss is about. Simply put, DelFest is a bluegrass utopia.
Celebrating its eighteenth year in existence, the 2025 iteration of DelFest once again exceeded even the loftiest of expectations. Featuring a diverse and eclectic lineup that ran the musical gamut with acts such as Sierra Ferrell, Leftover Salmon, Larkin Poe, and The Wood Brothers, there continues to be no question that DelFest is the nation’s preeminent bluegrass festival.
Join us as we take a look back at some of the best acts from this past weekend, May 22-25, at DelFest with Glide’s 4th annual “Best of DelFest” recap:
Dan Tyminski Band – Making his DelFest debut, the Vermont native led his talented sextet through a fiery traditional bluegrass-infused set on the Grandstand Stage Thursday evening. Despite the chilly and overcast weather conditions, Tyminski and his musical cohorts kept spirits high throughout his ninety-minute set, sprinkling in a healthy mix of original material, including hard-charging takes on “G.O.A.T.” and “Whiskey Drinking Man”, in addition to some well-received covers, most notably “Hey Brother”, a song he recorded with Avicii in 2013, as well as “Man of Constant Sorrow”, which catapulted Tyminski to international fame in 2000 when he recorded the vocals for a performance in the film, “O Brother, Where Art Thou”.
The Wood Brothers – From the opening strains of “River Takes the Town” to the closing notes of “Postcards From Hell”, this enigmatic trio enthralled the packed Grandstand Stage audience for the entirety of their Thursday evening headlining set. Incorporating the group’s wildly unique sound, which masterfully blends elements of jazz, folk, rockabilly, and blues, The Wood Brothers delivered one of the weekend’s more memorable sets. They made the most out of their third overall DelFest appearance and first since 2018.
Kitchen Dwellers – About twelve or so hours after delivering a legendary late night set that nearly stretched until two in the morning, the Montana-based quartet Kitchen Dwellers offered up another memorable performance on the Grandstand stage Friday afternoon. Returning to the grounds of the first ever music festival the group played back in 2014, Kitchen Dwellers, led by the ferociously talented frontman Torrin Daniels, delivered a blistering set teeming with the jaw dropping progressive-infused jams that has cemented the band’s status as one of the most intriguing and explosive acts on the modern bluegrass circuit.
Clay Street Unit – Combining a contagious blend of country, rockabilly and progressive-bluegrass, the Denver-area sextet wowed audiences on Friday & Saturday afternoons with captivating performances on the Potomac Stage and inside the Music Hall. Helmed by a powerful and soulful vocal presence from lead singer and guitarist Sam Walker, Clay Street Unit showcased their impressive catalog of remarkably accessible original material in addition to some entertaining covers, including a Saturday afternoon show-closing medley that cleverly combined Shorty Medlocke’s “Train, Train” and KC and the Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight”.
Leftover Salmon – Making their eighth DelFest appearance since 2009, Leftover Salmon brought their unique brand of “polyethnic cajun slamgrass” to the Grandstand Stage on Friday evening. In addition to performing several tracks from the sextet’s most recent studio effort, Let’s Party About It, as well as a swampy rendition of the Grateful Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie”, Salmon brought out some very special guests, including Steve Poltz and Del McCoury, the latter of whom contributed to the traditional strains of “High Country”.
Sierra Ferrell – Despite a late-season Nor’Easter’s best efforts to dampen the mood with some less-than-ideal weather on Friday evening, headliner Sierra Ferrell warmed the noticeably packed Grandstand Stage field with her unique blend of traditional bluegrass, folk, blues, and old-time music. Throughout her ninety-minute set, the adept songstress blended a perfectly-curated mix of some of her most beloved originals, including “In Dreams” and a goosebump-inducing solo performance of “Rosemary” in addition to a handful of covers such as John Anderson’s “Years” and Kris Kristofferson’s infamous “Me & Bobby McGee”, both of which resulted in a full-throated sing-along from the sizeable crowd.
Mountain Grass Unit – After an explosive rise in their popularity in 2024, thanks in part to appearances at DelFest and Billy Strings’ Renewal festival, Mountain Grass Unit was one of the most highly discussed and anticipated performances throughout the weekend. The fresh-faced Alabama-bred quartet did not disappoint as they showcased their wildly impressive progressive-fueled instrumental chops throughout three separate sets – the most of any artist this weekend – including a stealth/unannounced Saturday afternoon affair that saw the band perform a handful of songs to approximately one hundred in-the-know attendees in a supremely intimate campground setting.
Railroad Earth – Excluding the Del McCoury Band and The Travelin’ McCourys, no other artist has performed at DelFest more than Railroad Earth, with 2025 marking the New Jersey septet’s twelfth appearance since their 2008 debut at the festival’s inaugural event. Not long after delivering a memorable late night set in the relatively intimate confines of the Music Hall on Friday night, the group returned to the Grandstand Stage on Saturday afternoon for an engaging performance that focused on some of their most popular material, including “Bird in a House”, “Mighty River” and an extended take on “Seven Story Mountain”.
The Wilson Springs Hotel – DelFest has never been shy about showcasing some of the nation’s finest up-and-coming artists, with 2025 being no exception. Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, this octane-fueled rockabilly quintet made a lasting impression on the DelFest faithful with a pair of remarkably entertaining sets on Saturday (Potomac Stage) and Sunday (Music Hall) afternoons. Thanks to lead singer and guitarist Jacob Ritter’s infectious stage presence, combined with a hard-charging and professional-caliber sound that belies the group’s collectively young ages, The Wilson Springs Hotel promises to become the next “must-see” act in the country’s burgeoning progressive bluegrass scene.
Matteo Mancuso – Easily the biggest surprise of the weekend, and perhaps in recent DelFest history, came courtesy of guitar virtuoso Matteo Mancuso. A native of Palermo, Italy, Mancuso employs a unique right-hand strumming technique that enables his fingers to move at lightning speed, resulting in a truly stunning sound that redefines the limits of what a guitar is capable of. Mancuso, alongside his equally impressive bandmates, Riccardo Oliva (bass/keys) and Gianluca Pellerito (drums), seamlessly switched between Steve Vai-inspired heavy-metal prog riffs and some of the most complex jazz runs you will ever hear, with an ultra-smooth tone that would make Steve Kimock weep, all with jaw-dropping precision.
What began as a relatively meager crowd at the Potomac stage on Sunday afternoon, when the trio’s set commenced, rapidly grew in size as the guitarist’s prodigious strains filled the air throughout the festival grounds. Working through material from his most recent studio effort, Journey, the trio stunned the wildly appreciative audience, delivering originals like “Drop D” and “Open Field” in addition to tackling some of Jaco Pastorius’s most challenging material without breaking a sweat. Only 29 years old and currently undertaking his first-ever U.S. tour, there is no question that Mancuso is on a trajectory to become one of the most influential international musicians of this generation.
Honorable Mention:
Bluegrass Chicken Man – Aside from Del & Ronnie McCoury, it can be argued that the next most recognizable face at DelFest each year is Johnny Kehoe. Kehoe, a.k.a. “The Bluegrass Chicken Man”, who makes the thirteen or so hour drive from Milwaukee, WI to Cumberland, MD every year, has been a fixture at DelFest since first donning the infamous bright yellow costume over twelve years ago in an attempt to dry out after a rainy night in a tent. Since then, “Chicken Man” has become something of a regional celebrity, appearing on the cover of the Cumberland Times and curating art-installations at DelFest and other music festivals nationwide.
2 Responses
I understand that musical tastes differ, but you omitted some bands that played tremendous sets: Blue Highway; Sister Sadie; Darrell Scott String Band; Tophouse; and The Steeldrivers.
Loved the wood brothers. Larkin Poe rocked the joint!