Beth Gibbons, the enigmatic, emotionally compelling voice of trip-hop pioneers Portishead, will make her North American solo debut, and a new collaboration between Julien Baker & TORRES are just two of the exciting surprises topping the second wave of artist announces for Knoxville’s shapeshifting, multi-dimensional, and always unpredictable BIG EARS FESTIVAL, returning to Downtown Knoxville the weekend of March 27 – 30 for its 12th edition.
Other highlights include psychedelic country-soul blackgrass legend Swamp Dogg; GIFT, Eiko Ishibashi’s extraordinary collaboration with filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi; “26 Little Deaths,” composed and performed by Carla Kihlstedt (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum) and Present Music, in honor of the Centennial of the celebrated illustrator Edward Gorey; and much more.
Edsel Axle, more eaze, Thor Harris, Darian Donovan Thomas, Lia Kohl, along with William Tyler, Laraaji, Tucker Zimmerman, Merce Lemon, Mivos Quartet, Wendy Eisenberg, Arushi Jain, ganavya, Kramer, One Leg One Eye, Tall Tall Trees, round out this week’s announcement, some of whom were previously revealed in the festival’s twice-weekly newsletter.
The full line up of artists and programs can be found at bigearsfestival.org with new additions and details found each week in the festival’s newsletter.
Festival passes are on-sale now, and stay tuned for the December 3rd announcement of single-day lineups and passes.
Full Lineup (Alphabetical)
Adam Rudolph’s Sunrise Quartet * Adam Rudolph’s Hu Vibrational * [Ahmed] * Alabaster DePlume * Alan Sparhawk * Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves * Amaro Freitas * Ambrose Akinmusire: Honey from a Winter Stone * Ambrose Akinmusure (Solo) * ANOHNI and the Johnsons * Anoushka Shankar * Antipop Consortium * Arooj Aftab * Arushi Jain * Asha Puthli * Astrid Sonne * Axiom 5 * Barry Altschul’s 3 Dom Factor * Beak> * Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonio Sánchez Trio * Beth Gibbons * Bia Ferreira * Bill Frisell: In My Dreams * Brìghde Chaimbeul * Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino * Carla Kihlstedt & Present Music: Into the Wild * Carlos Niño & Friends * Cassandra Jenkins * Chanel Beads * Chuck Johnson * Claire Chase * Clarice Jensen * clipping. * Cowboy Sadness * DakhaBrakha * Dan Weiss Even Odds Trio * Darian Donovan Thomas * David Grubbs * Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn * Dedicated Men of Zion * Edsel Axle * Eiko Ishibashi * EMEL * esperanza spalding * eucademix (Yuka Honda) * Explosions In The Sky * Fay Victor: Herbie Nichols SUNG * Fieldwork (Vijay Iyer / Steve Lehman / Tyshawn Sorey) * Flore Laurentienne * Free Form Funky Freqs (Jamaaladeen Tacuma / Vernon Reid / Calvin Weston) * ganavya * Helado Negro * Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti & Frank Rosaly MESTIZX * Immanuel Wilkins’ Blues Blood * Jeff Parker ETA IVtet * Jenny Scheinman: All Species Parade * Jessica Pratt * Joan as Police Woman * Joe Lovano’s Paramount Quartet with Julian Lage, Santi Debriano, and Will Calhoun * Joel Harrison’s Free Country * Joseph Keckler * Josh Johnson * Joy Guidry: AMEN * Jules Reidy * Julia Holter * June McDoom * Kahil El’Zabar Ethnic Heritage Ensemble * Kalia Vandever * Kelly Moran * Knoxville Opera Gospel Choir * Kokayi * Kramer * Kris Davis Trio featuring Robert Hurst & Jonathan Blake * Lankum * Lara Somogyi * Laraaji * Les Claypool’s Bastard Jazz * Lia Kohl * Luke Stewart Silt Trio * Mabe Fratti * Macie Stewart * Magic Tuber Stringband * Maria Chavez + Victoria Shen + Mariam Rezaei * Marisa Anderson * Marissa Nadler * Mark Guiliana * Maruja * Mary Lattimore * Merce Lemon * Meshell Ndegeocello: No More Water – The Gospel of James Baldwin * Michael Hurley * Mike Reed’s Separatist Party featuring Ben LaMar Gay, Bitchin Bajas & Marvin Tate * Mivos Quartet * ML Buch * Modney * more eaze * múm * Nanocluster (Immersion | SUSS) * Nels Cline: Concentrik Quartet * The Nels Cline Singers * One Leg One Eye * Peni Candra Rini * Phantom Orchard * Phil Cook * R.B. Morris & William Wright: The Mockingbird * Rachika Nayar * Rich Ruth * Rufus Wainwright * Sam Bush Band * Shelley Hirsch * SML * Squanderers * Steve Coleman and Five Elements * Steve Lehman Trio + Mark Turner: The Music of Anthony Braxton * Steven Schick * Steve Roach * Still House Plants * Sun Ra Arkestra * Sun Ra Arkestra & Yo La Tengo * Sunny War * Susan Alcorn * Swamp Dogg * Sylvie Courvoisier Chimaera * Tall Tall Trees * Taj Mahal * Tara Clerkin Trio * Tarta Relena * Tessa Lark, Joshua Roman & Edgar Meyer * Thor Harris * Tigran Hamasyan: The Bird of a Thousand Voices * Tilt * Tindersticks * Tortoise * Tucker Zimmerman * Tyshawn Sorey, King Britt & Friends featuring Melz & Meshell Ndegeocello * Tyshawn Sorey Trio * Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith * Water Damage * Wayne White’s Username Password * Waxahatchee * Wendy Eisenberg * William Basinski * William Tyler * Yaya Bey * Yo La Tengo * Zakir Hussain and Masters of Percussion * Zeena Parkins
Special Programming (Alphabetical)
Across the Horizon: Ambient & Americana Soundscapes
Curated by Bob Holmes & SUSS
Blacktronika: Afrofuturism in Electronic Music
Curated by King Britt
Jonny Greenwood’s 133 Years of Reverb (North American Premiere)
Performed by James McVinnie & Eliza McCarthy
Kate Soper’s Ipsa Dixit
Performed by Wet Ink Ensemble
Michael Rother: The Music of NEU! & Harmonia
Philip Glass Music in Twelve Parts (50th Anniversary)
Performed by the Philip Glass Ensemble
Tyshawn Sorey: Monochromatic Light (Afterlife)
Wadada Leo Smith: CREATE
RedKoral Quartet • Wadada Leo Smith Quartet • Orange Wave Electric • Revolutionary Love & More
