Let the twang begin! Twangfest 17 lineup and ticket sales are here

Photo by Jarred Gastreich.

What do you get when you mix some of the greatest living songwriters with the greatest living western swing band, and throw in some of the brightest rising stars in American music?

You get Twangfest. As in #17. Get ready: This one will knock your boots off and swing and rock you to your soul.

Twangfest 17 presents: Todd Snider · Asleep at the Wheel · Ray Wylie Hubbard · Marshall Crenshaw and the Bottle Rockets · Joe Pug · Motel Mirrors · Eilen Jewell · Dolly Varden · Shivering Timbers · Stickley & Canan · Half Knots · Scarlet Tanager

Wednesday, June 5: Twangfest 17 kicks off at Plush with the ever-provocative, always-entertaining songwriting and storytelling of Todd Snider, performing in a combo that features drums and violin. The poet laureate of Texas grit ‘n’ groove Ray Wylie Hubbard also shares the stage — we are thrilled to have Ray Wylie back for his second Twangfest appearance. Opening it all up on June 5 at Plush is local roots trio Stickley & Canan.

Thursday, June 6: Twangfest moves to the Blueberry Hill Duck Room for a quadruple bill of rising artists, including the brilliant songwriter Joe Pug of Chicago and Motel Mirrors, a new collaboration between Amy LaVere, John Paul Keith and Shawn Zorn from Memphis. Also joining the bill are moody folk-rock band Shivering Timbers from Akron, Ohio and Scarlet Tanager from St. Louis.

Friday, June 7: Twangfest is proud to present an extremely-rare club performance by Asleep at the Wheel. Still led by its founder Ray Benson and featuring the gorgeous vocals of Elizabeth McQueen, the sprawling ensemble will transform the Duck Room into a Texas-style dancehall. Rounding out Friday’s lineup are country/swing/rockabilly artist Eilen Jewell, making her second appearance at Twangfest, and the local folk-rock veterans of Half Knots.

Saturday, June 8: One of the finest and most eclectic of American songwriters joins forces with one of the most fearless of American rock bands: Marshall Crenshaw and the Bottle Rockets. The Brox will back Crenshaw for his headlining set and also perform their own set on Saturday. Opening up the final night is Chicago band Dolly Varden, who has just released its sixth album, “For a While.”

Single-night tickets: Wednesday $20, Thursday $18, Friday $28 and Saturday $20. Tickets for Duck Room shows will go on sale Friday, April 19 at 5 p.m. through Ticketmaster. Wednesday night tickets at Plush will be sold through Brown Paper Tickets, also on sale Friday, April 19 at 5 p.m.

Four-night VIP “Friends of Twangfest” passes: $125 and available now through Twangfest.com. The VIP package includes guaranteed access to all four nights of Twangfest, an official t-shirt, poster, baseball cap and an invitation to an opening reception at Plush on June 5.

But wait there’s more: Friends of Twangfest will get access to an exclusive house concert with Marshall Crenshaw and the Bottle Rockets on the afternoon of Saturday, June 8. This deluxe package is limited to the first 50 purchases. Get yours today!

Buy Friends of Twangfest Four-Night VIP Package

Twangfest 17
June 5-8, 2013

Wednesday, June 5 at Plush
Todd Snider
Ray Wylie Hubbard
Stickley & Canan

Thursday, June 6 at the Blueberry Hill Duck Room
Joe Pug
Motel Mirrors (featuring Amy LaVere, John Paul Keith and Shawn Zorn)
Shivering Timbers
Scarlet Tanager

Friday, June 7 at the Blueberry Hill Duck Room
Asleep at the Wheel
Eilen Jewell
Half Knots

Saturday, June 8 at the Blueberry Hill Duck Room
Marshall Crenshaw and the Bottle Rockets
The Bottle Rockets
Dolly Varden