The 2011 XPonential Music Festival officially came to a close with the last performance by the legendary Emmylou Harris. Playing to a packed house, the country music queen played a long and fulfilling set, with older songs as well as newer ones from her latest, Hard Bargain. With perfect weather – the rain stopped and [...]

There couldn’t have been a better act to close out the Marina stage for this year’s XPoNential Festival. Susan Werner brought her distinct, powerful vocals and can’t-miss brand of contemporary folk to Wiggins Park after another bit of a downpour, and she got a well-deserved standing ovation. Along with her superb backing band (that was [...]

Welcoming in the evening, Ben Folds certainly gave fans reason to cheer. Playing some of his older staples, along with new songs from his album Lonely Avenue, Ben Folds delighted the audience with his thoughtful lyrics, spirited piano, and huge stage presence. Telling jokes and playing improvisations in between every song, Ben Folds proved once [...]

The second to the last act on the Marina stage today was Carbon Leaf, a five-piece folk-rock outfit with Celtic influences. Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, Carbon Leaf has also incorporated a fair share of Americana into its sound–they’ve got some great beats. Pennywhistle in hand, lead singer Barry Privett led dancing XPoNential goers through bluegrass-laced [...]

The Queen of Blues, Shemekia Copeland, just wrapped up a breathtaking set at the River Stage. Backed by two guitars, bass, and drums, the legendary Copeland tore through her set, with old and new songs from her incredibly deep song catalogue. With her deep, sultry voice taking center stage, the audience was instantly enamored with [...]