Ah, to see some of my favorite artists play live in my old Kentucky home. This was my first Bourbon & Beyond Festival in Louisville, a trip north on I-65 that I made work based on the absolutely dynamite lineup and my ability to shimmy out of Nashville mid-Americanafest to see two of the four days of music. Now nestled in the parking lot of the sprawling Kentucky Exposition Center, this year’s Bourbon & Beyond allowed festival attendees access to the Kentucky Kingdom & Hurricane Bay amusement park. You bet your bottom dollar I took in the view from the Ferris wheel just before sunset on Friday.

On Thursday morning, however, live from WNXP we previewed a small sliver of the festival schedule on Thematic Static, the mixtape we make together. Thanks to Anna, Brendan and Kaylie for their requests. And thanks to the artists who played Bourbon & Beyond but first graced the red carpet at the Americana Honors & Awards show and stopped to talk with me. This Thematic Static show features clips from Americana Lifetime Achievement Award winners The Old 97’s (same quartet since the early ’90s!), Album of the Year winner Nathaniel Rateliff reflecting on recording with his Night Sweats band in Texas to make South of Here, plus West Coast indie rockers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes opining on the Nashville community of songwriters.

Hear the whole show here and the playlist on WNXP’s Spotify, below. Watch highlights from days two and three of Bourbon & Beyond on Instagram @celia_wnxp.

#ThematicStatic Playlist: 9/11/25

Pixies – “Velouria”
Jack White – “That’s How I’m Feeling”
Blind Melon – “Wilt”
Alabama Shakes – “Another Life”
Khruangbin – “Maria También“
Phish – “Chalkdust Torture (Live)”
The Old 97’s – “Timebomb”
Ringo Starr ft. Lucius – “Come Back”
Rilo Kiley – “Breakin’ Up”
Dawes – “All Your Favorite Bands”
Cage the Elephant – “Cold Cold Cold”
The Lumineers – “Stubborn Love”
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – “Heartless”
The Hold Steady – “Your Little Hoodrat Friend”