All Good Now 2025 — Get a Festival Recap with Live Performances

In episode 47 of the Music Festivals Podcast, I deliver a full recap and documentary on the reimagined All Good Now Music Festival, held in Columbia Maryland at the Merriweather Post Pavilion from June 14th - 15th, 2025.

2025 marked the inaugural year of All Good Now, a reimagined music festival presented by All Good Presents. Led by promoter Tim Walther, 2025 marked the inaugural year of the completely reimagined All Good Festival.

It Was All Good Then

The All Good Festival stands as one of the most iconic gatherings in American jam band history. First launched in 1997 by Tim Walther and creative director Junipa Contento-Süslü, the festival began with just 800 fans at Wilmer’s Park in Maryland but quickly grew into a major force in the live music scene.

With a genre-spanning lineup that celebrated jam bands, bluegrass, rock, funk, and electronic music, All Good featured legendary performances from the Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh & Friends, The Flaming Lips, and Widespread Panic, among many others. Its unique “no overlapping sets” policy and taping-friendly culture helped foster a loyal community, many of whom returned year after year to venues like Marvin’s Mountaintop in West Virginia and Legend Valley in Ohio.

At its peak in the late 2000s and early 2010s, All Good drew over 23,000 attendees annually, with some estimates for 2011 hitting 30,000. The festival’s footprint covered multiple states throughout its run, concluding with a final event at Berry Hill Farm in 2015 after a one-year hiatus. Nominated for Pollstar’s “Music Festival of the Year” in 2012, All Good left a lasting legacy as a trailblazer in the jam festival scene—paving the way for events like Bonnaroo and Summer Camp. With more than 200 artists gracing its stages over 15 editions, the spirit of All Good lives on in the hearts (and bootlegs) of thousands of fans.

It's All Good Now

Held June 14–15, 2025 at the iconic Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, the All Good Now Festival marked a vibrant new chapter in the legacy of All Good Presents. Curated in partnership with I.M.P. Concert Promotions and featuring two jam-packed days of music, the non-camping, venue-based event brought together thousands of neighbors.

Again, with no overlapping sets and a lineup designed to flow smoothly from one act to the next, All Good Now carried forward the original All Good Festival’s spirit of community, hospitality, and musical exploration. Enhanced by Merriweather’s upgraded amenities—like the solar-powered stage, SkyLawn, and The Chrysalis—the experience also featured a Shakedown in Symphony Woods, a historic pinball arcade, sculpture garden, and an amazing crowd of enthusiastic and friendly festival neighbors.

As part of the “Trifesta” series (alongside Dark Star Jubilee and 4848 Festival), this inaugural edition reestablished the familiar "it's all good..." vibe in a refreshed setting, inviting old-school heads and new fans alike to celebrate the music that connects us all.

In the documentary, you'll also catch unforgettable performance highlights from a powerhouse lineup, including The Disco Biscuits, The String Cheese Incident, Molly Tuttle, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD), and Goose—featuring special closing remarks from Goose’s own Peter Anspach.

Watch the full episode on YouTube or grab the audio podcast wherever you listen—and be sure to check out how to win free festival passes on musicfestivalspodcast.com.  And, don't forget to subscribe!

Ticket Package Drawing for the 21st Annual Watermelon Pickers' Festival Opens Next Week

If you love bluegrass, roots music, and good times with great people, you don’t want to miss this.

I’m talking three days of incredible live music, late-night jams, workshops, and fun for the whole family-plus, kids 12 and under get in free!

Entering the ticket drawing is super easy-just follow the link to the official contest page and throw your name in the hat. Imagine kicking back in the Shenandoah Valley, discovering new artists, and making memories you’ll be talking about for years.

Don’t miss your shot to join us for one of the best weekends of the year. Hit that link, enter now, and maybe I’ll see you at Watermelon Pickers’ Fest 2025!

Next Week: Charolette Bluegrass Festival Recap

Next Friday on the Music Festivals Podcast, I’m bringing you inside the 2025 Charlotte Bluegrass Festival that has been running for 53 years at the County Fairgrounds in Charlotte, Michigan.

Among the many things that make this festival special is that it was the first bluegrass festival that Billy Strings was introduced to by his Dad (and accomplished picker) Terry Barber, when he was four years old.

This year marked the first time Billy played at his home festival in 10 years, with the headlining set Thursday night.  A limited number of tickets to the the Thursday show sold out in a flash and fans packed the fairgrounds to see Billy, Royal, Alex, Jarrod and Billy Failing play a single mic evening in one of most intimate venues he's played in over 5 years.

Outside of that, this festival offers multiple days of performances, camping, and friendly community vibes, topped off by some of the best campground bluegrass jams I have ever experienced!

Whether you were there or just wish you were, next week's episode is your all-access pass to see Billy play to a crowd of folks that have watched him since he was a little kid. Make sure to Subscribe on YouTube and join the email list so you don't miss out.  I want to give special thanks to Holly and Joe McName for inviting me to truly once in a lifetime festival experience.

Festival Performance of the Week 

This week's festival performance of the week comes from none other than Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country and blew the green roof right off the Chrysalis Stage at Merriweather on Sunday afternoon. I think ... just maybe ... I am now officially a roadie for Donato and his merry band of pranksters.  These guys are just so high energy and are trail blazing new paths of genre-blending and mind-bending performances that will have you stepping to honky tonk one minute, and bopping to disco the next.

Most people already know that Daniel is a beast on that telecaster, which has helped he and his bandmates quickly rise through the ranks of the festival circuit, but pay attention to everyone else.  Mustang, Bronco and Sugarleg are all cosmic performers in their own right.  The energetic set pulled the audience right into the band's frequency and was one of my favorites from the All Good Now festival.  The song starts with a jam and moves it's way into a 1975 classic by Waylon Jennings entitled Waymore's Blues.