From BLACK SWAMP ARTS FESTIVAL
Having featured Amy Helm the daughter of rock royalty Levon Helm in 2024, this year’s Black Swamp Arts Festival will bring in Duane Betts and Palmetto Motel as the Saturday night closer. Betts is son of Allman Brothers co-founder Dickey Betts.
Also,rock legend Alejandro Escovedo will make return appearance at the festival as a Saturday night headliner.
Betts and Escovedo are two of 15 Main Stage acts booked for the Black Swamp Arts Festival that runs in downtown Bowling Green starting at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, continuing through 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7. (See full Main Stage schedule below.)
The lineup includes local, regional, national, and international perfomers. All events are free.
Headliners are: AJ Lee & Blue Summit and Shadowgrass on Friday; Alejandro Escovedo who is returning to the festival where he appeared in 2007 and Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel on Saturday; and LADAMA, a female singing quartet celebrating the music of the Americas, Sunday.
Cole Christensen, BSAF Performing Arts chair said of this year’s show: “The 2025 Main Stage music lineup reflects a bridge of the past, present, and future, showcasing legends like Alejandro Escovedo with emerging stars like AJ Lee & Blue Summit.
“Each year we focus on finding a diverse musical palate that appeals to a wide audience, while raising the bar on musicianship. For our 32nd year we continue the Black Swamp Arts Festival’s commitment to original music, with sounds and styles from around the world including bluegrass, rock, soul, funk, punk, blues, jazz, jam band, Latin, and African music.”
BSAF Main Stage music starts at 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5 with Toledo rockers Leadfoot Granny. Leadfoot Granny is on a rapid rise, gaining attention from national record producers for their recent self-titled debut album and live show. The New York-based neo-funk, R&B, and soul quintet Telula performs at 6:30 p..m, taking inspiration from modern masters like Vulfpeck, while incorporating their own pop and jazz influences.
Americana quintet AJ Lee & Blue Summit co-headline at 8 p.m. Led by Lee’s dynamic vocal strength, the band features multiple lead singers, soloists, and songwriters. The group’s technical chops and showmanship, coupled with Lee’s viral collaborations with groups like The Brothers Comatose, have landed prominent spots at festivals including Bourbon and Beyond, Grey Fox, and MerleFest, as well as a headliner show at the Ryman Auditorium this summer.
Co-headlining and closing out Friday night at 10 p.m. is Shadowgrass. Building on the exploding fan base for jamgrass music, attributed to practitioners like Billy Strings, Shadowgrass finds equal footing in traditional bluegrass music and extended instrumentals at home with rock and jam bands. Shadowgrass is featured on multiple festivals in 2025 including Bristol Rhythm and Roots, Mountain Music Festival, and Grand Targhee.
Main Stage music kicks off at noon ET on Saturday, Sept. 6 with the Malawian musician Sam Shaba who is known for his compelling fusion of traditional African rhythms and contemporary jazz. The 6-piece Toledo-based cosmic Americana and psychedelic folk rock band Chloe & the Steel Strings performs at 1:30 p.m. (Click for related story.) The Buffalo-based southern soul band Miller & The Other Sinners bring their blend of gut bucket delta grit, Memphis soul, gospel spirit, and funky rhythm and blues to the festival stage at 3 p.m. (Click for related story.)
Paul McDonald and the Mourning Doves bring their retro-folk rock style to the Main Stage at 4:30 p.m. McDonald’s voice has been compared to legends like Rod Stewart and Bob Dylan. He found fame in the early 2010s on national television, but stepped away from the limelight to return to his Alabama roots as a visual artist, songwriter, performer, and a powerful vocalist.
Virginia’s Kendall Street Company returns to the festival l Main Stage after its 2024 show at 6:15 p.m. The genre-fluid, eclectic rock ensemble has drawn varied comparisons to the dynamic jams of Umphrey’s McGee and Widespread Panic, songwriting prowess of John Prine, experimental psychedelia of Pink Floyd, progressive jazz-infused rock of Frank Zappa, and humor of Ween and They Might Be Giants.
Legendary rocker Alejandro Escovedo also returns to the Black Swamp Arts festival, co-headlining Saturday at 8 p.m.. Called “…one of the great songwriters of our time.” by Time Out Philadelphia, Escovedo played an important role in punk (the Nuns), roots rock (the True Believers), and alt-country (Rank & File) before launching a solo career that’s seen him work with everyone from Tony Visconti, to John Cale, to Bruce Springsteen. His acclaimed 2024 album Echo Dancing secured a #1 spot in Top 5 Country Albums for Classic Rock Magazine.
Closing out Saturday at 10 p.m. is co-headliner Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel. Duane cut his teeth with Backbone69 and Whitestarr, then spent a decade playing alongside his father, Allman Brothers co-founder Dickey Betts, as a member of Dickey Betts & Great Southern. Duane co-founded The Allman Betts Band with Devon Allman, releasing records in 2019 and 2020 before releasing an acclaimed solo album Wild & Precious Life in 2023. Backed by Palmetto Motel, Betts delivers a dynamic live show of roots rock, blues, and improvisational jamming.
The BSAF Main Stage continues on Sunday, September 7 at 11 a.m. ET with EMP Group, a regional ensemble founded by drummer Evan Palermo, featuring bebop, fusion, rock, Latin, and soul jazz influences. “Detroit’s Prince Of The Blues” Chris Canas hits the Main Stage at 12:30 p.m. Canas was mentored by the legendary Thornetta Davis and was an International Blues Challenge finalist in 2020.
Roots musician Cristina Vane performs at 2 p.m. Her sound reflects an amalgam of experiences, a product of a merging of numerous worlds including classic rock, 90s indie, prewar blues, old time fiddle banjo music, country, and bluegrass.
The 2025 Black Swamp Arts Festival closes at 3:30 with LADAMA, an ensemble of women musicians from across the Americas who, as well as performing as a touring band, strive to engage youth in their respective communities in the process of music-making, composition and audio production. With rhythm and percussion driving their original compositions sung in Spanish, Portuguese and English they combine disparate, traditional roots music with pop.
2025 Black Swamp Arts Festival Main Stage – Full Lineup Friday, September 5
- 5 p.m.: Leadfoot Granny
- 6:30 p.m.: Telula
- 8 p.m.: AJ Lee & Blue Summit
- 10 p.m.: Shadowgrass
Saturday, September 6
- Noon: Sam Shaba
- 1:30 p.m.: Chloe & the Steel Strings (Click to view video)
- 3 p.m.: Miller & the Other Sinners
- 4:30 p.m.: Paul McDonald and the Mourning Doves
- 6:15 p.m.: Kendall Street Company
- 8 p.m.: Alejandro Escovedo
- 10 p.m. : Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel
Sunday, September 7
- 11 p.m.: EMP Group
- 12:30 p.m.: Chris Canas
- 2 p.m.: Cristina Vane
- 3:30 : LADAMA
About the Black Swamp Arts Festival
The Black Swamp Arts Festival is a three-day, free live music and arts festival committed to providing quality art and music experiences. The 2025 Black Swamp Arts Festival is September 5-7 in downtown Bowling Green, Ohio and includes three music stages, two fine art shows, Youth Arts, Chalk Walk, and more. For more information and to connect to the festival, visit www.blackswampfest.org, Black Swamp Arts Festival on Facebook, and @blackswampfest on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.
