I'm not sure that making light sculptures with their smartphones is the most Americana-ish photo shoot move ever - seems kind of power pop to me - but Girls, Guns and Glory (left) are among the top billed bands at this year's fourth New England Americana Festival, Feb. 25-27, at Church, located at 69 Kilmarnock Street, Boston. Other top acts include Kingsley Flood (below) - posing in a dumpster is good, but tea? - Jimmy Ryan and Hayride! with Duke Levine, Billy Beard, and Andrew Mazzone, Brown Bird, Highway Ghosts and Three Day Threshold. The announcement describes various acts as "whiskey-soaked," "chamber folk" or "Kinks-influenced," and while I'd like to hold out for a band that's all three, it's a pretty good lineup, even if the photo ops ain't exackly Hank Williams. At least they're not Hank Jr., right?
The NEAF, formerly called the Alt Country Extravaganza, was founded by Mike MacDonald and the Widowmakers in 2007, but it was renamed this year by current hosts the Autumn Hollow Band. The NEAF will raise funds for Coalition for Courage (http://coalitionforcourage.org), which supports children in sub-Saharan Africa.
Concerts are 21+ and start times vary each night. Admission is $8 for February 25 and $10 for February 26-27. A combined three-day pass can be pre-purchased for $20 at www.churchofboston.com and www.newenglandamericanafestival.com. Complete schedule after the jump.
Thursday, February 25
The Accident that Led Me to the World - 6:50 p.m.
Jeff Bird and the Dirty Finch - 7:30 p.m.
Odessa Rose - 8:10 p.m.
Bryan Pero and the Tired Horses - 8:50
Brown Bird - 9:30 p.m.
Bean Pickers Union - 10:10 p.m.
Movers and Shakers - 10:50 p.m.
Kingsley Flood - 11:30 p.m.
Second stage performers/announcers: Avi Jacob, Brendan Murphy, and Kier Byrnes
Friday, February 26
They Will Hate Us - 7:10 p.m.
Route .44 - 7:50 p.m.
John Colvert - 8:30 p.m.
Golden West Motor Lodge - 9:10 p.m.
The Rationales - 9:50 p.m.
Coyote Kolb - 10:30 p.m.
Girls, Guns, and Glory - 11:10 p.m.
Highway Ghosts -12:15 p.m.
Second stage performers/announcers: Ian Fitzgerald, Eric Royer with Dan Fram
Saturday, February 27
Dave Sammarco Band - 6:30 p.m.
Bees Knees - 7:20 p.m.
That Old Feelin - 8:00 p.m.
Big East - 8:45 p.m.
Sam Reid and the Riot Act - 9:30 p.m.
Autumn Hollow - 10:20 p.m.
Jimmy Ryan and Hayride! - 11:10 p.m.
Three Day Threshold - 12:10 p.m.
Second stage performers/announcers: Katie McD Trio, Eric Royer and his guitar machine
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