Culture At Large Launches First Live Music Event in Nashville

All-female roots music jam session to feature Grammy-winning artists

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Renowned journalist and broadcaster Marcus K. Dowling's Culture At Large is launching its first live performance event, R.O.O.T.S.: An All-Female Roots Music Jam Session, on April 7 at Nashville's Anzie Blue. The inaugural event will feature Grammy and International Bluegrass Music Association-winning artists Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Lilli Lewis, and Jaelee Roberts.

Why it matters

The event reflects a broader shift in mainstream music driven by women in bluegrass, blues, Christian, and folk formats, as evidenced by their growing presence among Grammy winners and top-selling artists in recent years.

The details

The R.O.O.T.S. event is designed to become a bi-monthly showcase highlighting female artists in roots music genres. It is sponsored by Chao Nail & Bar and will feature performances by Grammy and IBMA-winning fiddle player Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Folk Alliance International Spirit of Folk award-winning pianist and vocalist Lilli Lewis, and Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist and IBMA Vocalist of the Year Jaelee Roberts.

  • The inaugural R.O.O.T.S. event will take place on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
  • The event is planned to become a bi-monthly occurrence.

The players

Marcus K. Dowling

A renowned journalist and broadcaster who is launching the Culture At Large live performance event.

Bronwyn Keith-Hynes

A Grammy and International Bluegrass Music Association-winning fiddle player performing at the R.O.O.T.S. event.

Lilli Lewis

A Folk Alliance International Spirit of Folk award-winning pianist and vocalist performing at the R.O.O.T.S. event.

Jaelee Roberts

A Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist and International Bluegrass Music Association Vocalist of the Year performing at the R.O.O.T.S. event.

Chao Nail & Bar

The sponsor of the inaugural R.O.O.T.S. event.

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What they’re saying

“Two-thirds of the version of The Carter Family, which introduced country music as a commercial genre in 1927, were women. One hundred years later, Billboard's top-selling pop albums and singles artists are two different women known for their work in country music. Building lasting connections between music, people, and culture requires changing expectations to boost creative innovation. Therefore, events like R.O.O.T.S. emphasize that it's time for country's mainstream pop cultural comeback to expand beyond a single genre and into a broader American and global scene that deepens and expands country music and Western culture's influence.”

— Marcus K. Dowling, Journalist and broadcaster (tntribune.com)

What’s next

The inaugural R.O.O.T.S. event will take place on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, and tickets are now available at AnzieBlue.com.

The takeaway

The R.O.O.T.S. event reflects a growing trend of female artists gaining prominence in roots music genres, challenging the traditional male-dominated landscape of country and Americana music and expanding the mainstream appeal of these genres.