2026 Performers
Tom Rush “has made his reputation as a soft-spoken, powerful interpreter of traditional songs.”
— The New York Times
Tom Rush
Performing Saturday, April 11
8pm-9:30pm, Plaza Stage
Now celebrating 54+ years of touring, Tom Rush’s impact on the American music scene has been profound. He helped shape the folk revival in the ’60s and the renaissance of the ’80s and ’90s, his music having left its stamp on generations of artists.
As vital and engaging as ever, Rush is still doing what audiences love him for: writing and playing …passionately, tenderly… knitting together the musical traditions and talents of our times. He’s also celebrating a YouTube hit, The Remember Song, for his generation that’s gone viral with over 7 million views.
Rush’s distinctive guitar style, wry humor and warm, expressive voice have made him both a legend and a lure to audiences around the world. His shows are filled with the rib-aching laughter of terrific storytelling, the sweet melancholy of ballads and the passion of gritty blues.
Jerron Paxton & Dennis Lichtman
Performing Saturday, April 11
7pm-7:45pm, Plaza Stage
Jerron Paxton (formerly “Blind Boy” Paxton) and Dennis Lichtman are world-renowned multi-instrumentalists and vocalists whose musical friendship has grown organically in New York City for more than a decade. Paxton and Lichtman were artists-in-residence at Symphony Space in New York City for the 2024-25 season and recently released their first full-length duo recording, Jerron Paxton & Dennis Lichtman. Their mutual love of the history, stories, and significance behind the music they play is apparent as they romp through an energetic and engaging set of acoustic blues, ragtime, Tin Pan Alley pop songs, 1920s jazz, twin fiddle hoe-downs, and original songs and compositions.
Tow’rs
Performing Sunday, April 12
7pm-8:30pm, Plaza Stage
The husband and wife duo, Kyle and Gretta Miller, form the core of the band Tow’rs with their heartfelt songwriting, alternating lead vocals, and delicate harmonies. The music translates their memories, questions, heartbreak, and hope into raw, honest indie-folk-rock songs, driven by an alternative singer-songwriter pulse.
Residing in the mountains of Northern Arizona, the couple was first united as friends while writing and performing together in college. As their friendship grew into a relationship, music was a constant thread in the weaving of their life. After getting married in 2012, The Millers invited their friends into the creative process, which led to the release of their first two albums and a partnership with Stumptown Management.
CW Ayon
Performing Sunday, April 12
5pm-5:45pm, Plaza Stage
CW Ayon may call the Southwestern deserts of New Mexico home but his soul is deeply rooted in the Blues and grooves of the Mississippi Hill Country. With a rather simple kick/snare and tambourine setup he lays down solid beats while picking out some catchy hooks on anything from acoustic to resonator guitars. Sometimes dropping in a bit of harmonica for good measure. All the while building a sound and playing style that is deceptively larger than it seems.
Remi Goode
Performing Sunday, April 12
3pm-3:45pm, Plaza Stage
For Remi (pronounced “RAY-mee”), everything began in Tucson, Arizona, where she grew up listening to artists like Suzanne Vega, Kathleen Edwards, and Sarah Harmer. Those songwriters used folk music as a springboard for a wider sound, and Remi was soon following in their footsteps, combining her academic training — from classical guitar lessons to her vocal performances as a member of the acclaimed Tucson Girls Chorus — with an interest in charting new musical ground.
She found a like-minded musician in fellow guitar student Gabe Lehrer, kickstarting a longtime partnership in music, romance, and life. Years later, when Remi began recording Things I’ve Said Before in studios and bedrooms stretching from Arizona to her adopted hometown of Nashville, Gabe was beside her the entire time, pulling triple-duty as her bandmate, engineer, and mixer.
Rising Sun Daughter
Performing Saturday, April 11
5pm-5:45pm, Plaza Stage
Based in Mesa, AZ, Grace Rolland has a long musical history. Her grandfather was an illustrious pedagogue of classical string playing, and she was raised in a family of musicians and music educators. She trained classically on the cello, learned piano and guitar, and sang Patsy Montana in her family’s cowboy fiddle band. She developed a deep love of music and found in her voice her true companion. Adept at many instruments, Grace writes songs with attention turned to sound. The room, the body of the instrument, the shape of a word: her ear for sound and poeticism brings rich texture to her songwriting.
Mariachi Aztlán de Pueblo High School
Performing Saturday, April 11
12pm-12:45pm, Plaza Stage
The group is compromised of students ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old. These are the hardest working students, they maintain a high level of academic achievement. The group plays mariachi music, arranged and conducted by teacher and director, John Contreras.
Mariachi Aztlán has shared the stage with many of the world’s finest Musicians, Linda Ronstandt, Symphony Orchestras and world renowned artists like Pink Martini, Rufus Wainwright III, Calexico and Rita Moreno.
Admiral Radio
Performing April 10, 11, and 12
Friday, 8:30pm-9pm, Plaza Stage (Songwriting Competition Headliner)
Saturday, 3pm-3:45pm, Plaza Stage
Sunday, 2pm-2:45pm, Wildflower Stage (Family Show)
Admiral Radio, the award-winning folk/Americana act from South Carolina, is the creative partnership of Coty Hoover and Becca Smith. Named after their old wooden radio, this husband-and-wife team blends heartfelt harmonies, storytelling, and raw sincerity. Having met while waiting tables in the Lowcountry, their sound is straightforward yet powerful—rooted in tight vocal interplay, finely picked acoustic instruments, and songs that explore the quiet hustle of ordinary life and the dogged optimism that drives it all. Recently signed by Too Fine Records out of Nashville, this national touring act hopes to leave listeners better than they found them.
The Brothers Reed
Performing Friday April 10 and Saturday April 11
Friday, 6pm-6:30pm, Plaza Stage (Songwriting Competition Headliner)
Saturday, 4pm-4:45pm, Plaza Stage
With their comedic brotherly banter, impeccable harmonic expression, and widely varying influences, a Brothers Reed performance will have you reflecting on lost lives and lovers, laughing hysterically and leaving completely entertained. The bros will soothe your soul with songs that are familiar yet original. Whether they are finger picking their way through a lamentable ballad or bringing you around full-speed with a barn-burning bluegrass number, The Brothers Reed are masters of their craft.
Bruce Phillips Family Show
Performing Saturday, April 11
3pm-3:45pm, Wildflower Stage
Bruce Phillips returns to the Tucson Folk Festival for year 41! A beloved children’s musician, educator, and songwriter, Bruce has spent over 30 years bringing joy to kids—and grown-ups—from coast to coast. With silly songs, imaginative stories, and danceable tunes, he makes music fun for the whole family.
Jam Pak
Performing Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12
Saturday, 12pm-12:45pm & 4pm – 4:30pm, Wildflower Stage
Sunday, 11:30am-12pm & 3pm – 3:30pm, Wildflower Stage
With twenty-eight years performing and teaching in the bluegrass world of Arizona, many folks know the story of Jam Pak. Somehow, some way, enfolded in the love of music, community, food, travel, and love itself, this unique band of all ages, races, and walks of life makes bluegrass music. In the home of Anni Beach of Chandler, they teach each other, gather twice a week, practice, dance, entertain, and at the center, maintain the singular goal to make themselves and others happy with their music. The band is ever grateful for the wonderful venues, the donations of instruments and other needs, and the constant encouragement from the bluegrass community of Arizona.