It’s the most anticipated news of the summer, at least for music fans: LouFest‘s big unveiling of who will be playing in Forest Park come fall. This year, people are even more worked up because the news is coming a little later than usual.
Fret no more—here’s a list of the artists that will be performing during this year’s fest:
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Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters
Modest Mouse
The Head and the Heart
Kacey Musgraves
Gary Clark Jr.
Michael McDonald
T-Pain
Brothers Osborne
Moon Taxi
Quinn XCII
Margo Price
Misterwives
Anderson East
Mt. Joy
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
Tank and the Bangas
Jukebox the Ghost
Keyon Harrold
Durand Jones & The Indications
White Reaper
Larkin Poe
Savannah Conley
Walker Lukens
Liz Cooper & The Stampede
The New Respects
Scrub & Ace Ha
Grace Basement
The Knuckles
River Kittens
Dracla
The Burney Sisters
Kevin Bowers’ Nova & Special Guests
Tonina
Mo Egeston All-Stars
Anita Jackson
Ptah Williams Trio
Jesse Gannon
Ben Reece’s Unity Quartet
Owen Ragland Quintent
Bob DeBoo + The Dark Room All-Stars
Daily sets by Robot + Bike and Sick Beats by J. Ill on the LouKidz Stage
Wow, right? That’s quite the impressive list, partly due to its size: with 41 bands on the bill, this makes for the biggest LouFest so far. Headliner Robert Plant is a huge get, and not just because it’s not an overstatement to apply that “living legend” cliche to the guy. Plant has stated in interviews that as he’s aged and felt the pressures of time, he’s become incredibly choosy about what dates he plays—his summer North American Tour is only three weeks long, with just a handful of gigs, many at jazz festivals.
Other headliners folks will be excited to see include Modest Mouse (that’s a request that’s been voiced by fans year after year), The Head and the Heart, Gary Clark, Jr. (who sold out The Pageant a couple of years ago), T-Pain, and Kacey Musgraves.
This LouFest is also the St. Lou-iest so far, with more than a dozen local acts on the bill; the big name is North County native Michael McDonald, who’s experienced a career renaissance of late. His new solo record, Wide Open, has been earning him new, younger fans (his recent collaborations with artists like Solange and Thundercat haven’t hurt in that department, either).
Those with sharp eyes will have noticed a genre shift with the local artists: these are not all Americana or indie rock acts, as has been the case in the past. Thanks to a partnership with the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, there are now several jazz and blues acts on the bill, including Keyon Harrold, Bob DeBoo, Owen Ragland, and Ptah Williams, who will play on their own dedicated stage.
The festival will take place once again on the Upper Muny Parking lot, due to upgrades in Forest Park’s Central Field. LouFest U, which debuted last year, will return for 2018 on September 7, the Friday before the festival weekend proper, but the lineup has yet to be announced.
LouFest happens September 8 and 9 from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Get ticket and event info (or buy your pass) at loufest.com.
