Mountain Grass Unit Talks Band Formation, Past Performances & Fests

Last week, we explored Nashville’s TuneHatch, a startup shaking up the live music industry. This week, I’m thrilled to share my conversation with the talented gentleman of Mountain Grass Unit. We dive into their journey as a band, their musical inspirations, and what’s ahead for them in 2025.

Later in the post, we’ll cover updates you should know on killer fests including the Suwannee Amp Jam, Mountain Jam, and the Tico Time Bluegrass Festival. And, as always, we’ll close out with our festival performance of the week to leave you on a high note.

Let’s jump into it, starting with my chat with the guys from MGU...

Music Festival News

We're picking up steam for 2025 with more announcements hitting the web every day.  Because some of the updates take time, I've separated out the news section from the main podcast that airs on Friday's.  As of next week, you can catch the video version of the news in YouTube Shorts and on the new Music Festival News playlist as of next week.

Likewise, if you are looking for even more news on festival recaps, performances and interviews, I definitely want you to check out MusicFestNews.com.

I met Editor & Chief, Scott Hopkins, at the recent Sunshine Hootenanny Music & Art Festival in Florida (that link goes to his excellent and thorough recap of the inaugural event for this Spring fest...) and I am a huge fan of he and his diligent team's work in a wide variety of festivals. IN all honesty, Scott and his team of writers do a far better and more journalistically sound job of covering festival news than I do. 

It was really enjoyable to rap with Scoot about his background, dead shows, stories about the late and great Phil Lesh, as well as other bands we love.  It's nice to connect with Neighbors who share passion for doing the nitty-gritty work to cover these events each season.  

But, for my own take on Music Festival News for this week, I've picked 3 festivals that I believe you should know about. Aside from great line ups, beautiful venues and all kinds of other activities, these events have some amazing poster art for all you fellow poster collectors. 😎

Here we go...

Suwannee Amp Jam #1 2025

The inaugural Suwannee Amp Jam will take place March 6–8, 2025, at the stunning Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida.

The venue is known locally for its lush surroundings and top-notch performance facilities, and hosting some of Florida's most memorable festivals each year. Annual fests at the venue include Suwannee Hulaween (diverse range of music genres, art installations, and interactive experiences), Suwannee Spring Reunion (traditional and contemporary roots), Suwannee Roots Revival (Americana, folk and bluegrass) and Resonate Suwannee (EDM).

The Amp Jam is one of the newer music festivals to take place against the beautiful backdrop of the historic Suwannee River. the 2025 lineup is impressive and features Gov’t Mule, Lettuce, and Dumpstaphunk as headliners, with special guest performances by John Scofield, Eric Krasno, Jennifer Hartswick, and George Porter Jr..

The festival promises a unique mix of funk, jazz, and soul, capped by collaborative sets celebrating George Porter Jr.’s legendary career. Camping options include RV hookups and tent sites, providing a rustic yet comfortable experience.

Tickets will be on sale soon, so keep an eye out for early bird deals. For updates and ticket details, visit ampjams.com.

Mountain Jam 2025

After a six-year hiatus, Mountain Jam is back from June 20–22, 2025, at the beautiful Belleayre Mountain Ski Resort in Highmount, New York. This festival blends diverse music genres with outdoor adventure, creating a super unique and one-of-a-kind experience. 

This festival has a rich history dating back to 2005 and has featured prominent artists across various genres, including rock, jam bands, blues, and reggae.  So, in it's 20th year, the lineup for next sumnmer's event is stacked with talent, including headliners Khruangbin, Mt. Joy, and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. Other acts include Trampled by Turtles, Michael Franti & Spearhead, moe., Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, and more.

Belleayre Mountain’s scenic backdrop looks to add a lot to the festival’s overall vibe. Whether you’re camping on-site or staying nearby, this is an event you don’t want to miss. For ticket information, visit mountainjamfestival.com.

Tico Time Bluegrass Festival 2025

From May 16–18, 2025, the Tico Time River Resort in Aztec, New Mexico, will host the Tico Time Bluegrass Festival.

Nestled in the Animas River Valley, this festival offers a family-friendly mix of bluegrass music and outdoor activities.  This is also a festival hosted at a standing campground so you can likely enjoy all the regular facilities and comfort that comes with more permanent festival grounds, including RV hook ups, the availability of flush toilets and more permanent facility-based activities like water slides.

Aside from RV's and glamping arrangements and nearby lodging, forest tent camping is also on the grounds which always makes for a great weekend for neighbors that want to be closer to nature. And, just like Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Ohio, the main stage is sits directly adjacent to the beach! Trust me in that that additional venue perk always makes for a fantastic weekend!

Next year's headliners include The Infamous Stringdusters (one of my long-time favorite bands), Leftover Salmon, and Railroad Earth, with support from Tim O’Brien & Jan Fabricius, Peter Rowan, and many, many others. Beyond the music, attendees can enjoy yoga workshops, paddleboarding, hiking, ziplining, and a wide variety of fun, non-musical activities.

Accommodations range from riverside camping and glamping to RV spots with full hookups. Tickets and details can be found at https://ticotimebluegrass.com/.

Up Next Week

That’s it for this week’s post and podcast episode. A big thank you to Luke, Drury, Sam and Josiah from MGU as well as Linsey Thagard for helping to coordinate everything.  I'm grateful for each of you who tune in each week—there are now thousands of you across our platforms, which pretty cool. 😎

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please rate the show wherever you listen. And if this is your first time here, welcome! I’d love to have you join The Neighborhood by subscribing however suits you at musicfestivalspodcast.com.

Next week, I'm talking with GRAMMY®-nominated musician and singer/songwriter and 2023 IBMA Guitar Player of the Year, Trey Hensley. It was a delightful conversation and I also have a lot of respect for Trey for how he balances being a touring musician with his duties as a husband a father.

He's just an all-around good guy, so make sure to tune in for that conversation. You won't be disappointed...

I hope to be your camp neighbor soon!