Exploring the 2026 Blissfest Lineup, Part II
The Bluegrass-Inspired Highlights
We continue our deep dive into the 2026 Blissfest lineup with a highlight of the Blissfest Bluegrass bands and the bands inspired by the genre. We love a good stringband, and this year we don't just have one, but up to five that scratch that itch and then some.
Leading the charge of the Bluegrass groups is headliner The Infamous Stringdusters. Celebrating 20 years as a band and a return to Blissfest, the "Dusters" were brought together by the bluegrass genre but have stuck together through the exploration and pushing of the genre beyond the straight-ahead style, and they’ve been a strong leader in the jam-grass scene with big production, rock n’ roll energy, and still centered on instruments with strings.
Mason Via became a familiar face performing with Old Crow Medicine Show, at least that’s where he first caught our eye! At The Ann Arbor Folk Festival in 2024, he commanded attention on the stage with fantastic guitar solos, harmony, and that “circus-style showmanship” Old Crow has become known for. The very next year, he debuted his first solo record, and we knew we had to listen. Clearly carrying on a lineage of great bluegrass pickers, Mason exhibits this extra spice. He comes out of the gate with very strong songwriting, melodies, and a memorable voice. We’re excited to catch him this early in his solo career!
Another player who embarked on a solo career is Grand Rapids-based Dobro-slinging firecracker Mark Lavengood, whogot his start with Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys. Together, they had a 10-year run performing standards and originals all around the world and truly elevating songs with Lindsay’s voice and band members like Mark adding spunk. Since then, Mark has deepened his wild-man persona and hits the stage with more energy than the energizer bunny. Mark brings a light to the stage that feels like “bliss.”
We’re always amazed by the talent that comes out of Michigan, especially the number of bluegrass players who have honed their craft here. It makes you wonder… is it the water? Or something deeper? “Bluegrass may not have originated in Michigan, but places like Flint tell an important part of the story. During the auto industry boom, families from Kentucky, Tennessee, and southern Ohio migrated north for work, bringing their instruments, songs, and traditions with them. That cultural shift most likely planted the roots of a thriving bluegrass scene across the state.” Our friend Tim Freeman of Sol of the Lost Tamarack Festival reflects on that legacy in a recent conversation, sharing his perspective on Michigan’s bluegrass community and highlighting one of his current favorite bands,The Outfit, a Flint-based group that has graced his stages and will make their Blissfest debut in 2026.
Bluegrass has found its way not just to Michigan, but to many corners of the country and the world as a gathering place. All starting from a common songbook of tunes in Kentucky that evolved from the Old-Time tradition of Appalachia, bluegrass musicians can quickly find community in jams at festivals and camps.
Bluegrass as a community builder is a theme. Once a week, over in Ann Arbor, you can find The Pontiac Trailblazers hosting their weekly show at The North Star Lounge. Weekly residencies are how players work on arrangements, become more synchronized, and take their instrumental solos to new and interesting places. Billy Strings would tell you that his residency with Don Julin at Traverse City’s Lil Bo’s did just that and gave them a crowd who could depend on them for great entertainment each week. You know it's good when people get up out of their houses to see you and their friends every week!
Dust off your guitar, banjo, fiddle, whatever it is, and come to Blissfest. Maybe you’ll find a jam!