A Bluegrass Bash in the Heart of Ocala
Ocala’s third annual Brick City Bluegrass Festival delivered an afternoon of stellar music, sunshine, and good vibes in the heart of Central Florida. Set beneath blue skies at Citizens’ Circle, the festival blended big-name talent with rising acts, a relaxed crowd, and plenty of great food and drink — the kind of easy-going experience that makes bluegrass feel like a big backyard party. Families, longtime bluegrass fans, and casual listeners packed lawn chairs and blankets under the trees, chatting over food from local trucks and grabbing cold drinks between sets. The crowd genuinely seemed to enjoy the music together.
The festival’s lineup felt curated for bluegrass lovers of all stripes — traditionalists, pickers, and festival newcomers alike.
The Flattlanders kicked things off with a lively set of originals and traditional bluegrass covers and, as always in their sets, several fine gospel numbers. The homegrown North Florida group includes Brian Andrews (guitar/lead vocals), Andy Kennan (banjo/tenor vocals), Matt Melton (bass), and Joey Lazio (mandolin).
Becky Buller & Ned Luberecki are a great pairing. Becky’s multiple IBMA awards (first woman to win Fiddler of the Year award and the only person to win for both instrumental and vocalist of the year) and Ned’s Banjo Hall of Fame status and award-winning stint as a host on Sirius’s Bluegrass Junction channel have made them great ambassadors for the genre. Their set was a great mix of traditional tunes with some nice surprises. A high point for me was their cover of “Birdhouse in Your Soul” by the ’80s alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants.
Up next was Authentic Unlimited, who turned up the intensity. When the legend Doyle Lawson retired in 2022, three members of his band Quicksilver decided to form a new band, retaining Lawson’s traditional sound: Eli Johnston (banjo), Jerry Cole (bass), and Stephen Burwell (fiddle) plus Colton Baker (guitar) and Jesse Brock (mandolin). The band has become a crowd favorite among traditional fans; they were named vocal group of the year in 2023 by the IBMA and gospel group of the year for three years by SPGMA, the Society for Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America. Mixing gospel roots with dynamic bluegrass chops and wonderful harmonies, their performance was tight, soulful, and full of crowd-pleasing moments. A high point for me was “Fall in Tennessee” featuring Baker’s fantastic vocal.
Lonesome River Band took the mid-afternoon spotlight with their signature blend of traditional bluegrass and rock-tinged drive. Formed in 1982 by bandleader and award-winning banjoist Sammy Shelor, the current lineup includes two stellar lead vocalists, Jesse Smathers (guitar) and Adam Miller (mandolin), and the impressive talents of Mike Hartgrove (fiddle) and Kameron Keller (bass). They ran through much of their extensive catalog (they’ve released 24 albums since their initial 1984 release) in a polished high-energy set that included “My Guitar and Me” and their classic “Long Gone.”
Closing the day, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes brought both her band and her husband Jason Carter to deliver a show that had a little bit of everything. Bronwyn’s Grammy-winning fiddling and Jason’s seasoned chops (he was Del McCoury’s fiddler player for 33 years) were supported by an all-star band including some well-known young pickers: banjoist Frank Evans, mandolinist Tristan Scroggins, and Larry Cook on bass. I was very impressed with guitar player Grant Dresnok, who attacks his fingerboard with aggression. He’s one to watch. Their set was a mix of originals (including Evans’ great “TJ’s Last Ride” and Carter’s “Queen of the Nashville Night”) and some great traditional numbers. Not surprisingly, fiddles were well represented with Jason and Bronwyn doing a duo number of a variety of classic fiddle tunes, including closing with “Orange Blossom Special.” A surprise cover of John Prine’s “In Spite of Ourselves” was fun to watch, as I would have figured it would not be on their Bingo card. A great closing set from some really accomplished musicians.
The 2026 Brick City Bluegrass Festival felt like a true celebration of acoustic music and community. It wasn’t just about the lineup — though the mix of seasoned pros and rising talents was fantastic — it was about the vibe: relaxed, welcoming, musical, and a perfect soundtrack to a Florida winter afternoon. Congratulations to the City of Ocala for putting on a great event; already looking forward to next year’s edition.!
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