2026
Side Effects May Include Community
Watch Our Launch Video
Tour Dates
Celebrating 250 years of progress in small towns and rural communities.
Each night on the Backroads Tour pairs live performance with local storytelling and open dialogue.
Decatur, GA – May 23
Asheville, NC – May 24
Washington, DC – May 26
Lancaster, PA – May 28
Wilkes-Barre, PA – May 29
Newark, OH – May 30
Muskegon, MI – June 5
Richland Center, WI – June 6
Wisconsin Rapids, WI – June 9
Dubuque, IA – June 13
Brookings, SD – June 16
Bozeman, MT – June 20
Seattle, WA – July 4
Additional dates will be announced over the next few weeks. If you want to host a Backroads stop in your town, let us know, and we’ll follow up.
Backroads Artists
Each week over the next few months, we’ll announce new artists anchoring different legs of the tour, representing the full range of America’s rural roots — from country and folk to Americana, gospel, blues, and beyond.
If you’re an artist with strong ties to rural America, or you know someone we should feature on the Backroads Tour, we want to hear from you.
Artists
About theBackroads Tour
“Let's show these fascists what a couple of hillbillies can do!”
-Woody Guthrie, 1944
From May through July 2026, the Backroads Tour will travel coast to coast, hosting intimate community concerts that bring together artists, organizers, and local leaders to celebrate the rebellious joy that built America and the people who are carrying on that tradition today.
Get in Touch
Whether you want to nominate your community to host a Backroads event, suggest an artist we should feature, or share a question or idea, we want to hear from you.