Big Ears 2022 lineup: Low, Bonny Light Horseman, Yves Tumor, Moses Sumney, Bill Callahan, more
After two years off due to the pandemic, Big Ears Music Festival will be back March 24-27, 2022 in downtown Knoxville, TN. As usual, the lineup features a broad spectrum of forward-thinking artists in just about every genre you can think of, from pop to modern composers, to jazz, hip hop, rock, and beyond. Festival passes go on sale Thursday, September 16 at noon ET
The 2022 lineup includes Moses Sumney, John Zorn, Meredith Monk, Sparks, Animal Collective, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Annette Peacock, Kronos Quartet, Bill Frisell, Sons of Kemet, Jason Moran, Bill Callahan, Low, Marc Ribot, Yves Tumor, Efterklang, Mdou Moctar, Arooj Aftab, Shabaka Hutchings & Knoxville Chamber Orchestra, Bonny Light Horseman, Cassandra Jenkins, Angel Bat Dawid, Mary Lattimore, Fennesz, Lido Pimienta, Tristan Perich, Christian Scott Atunde Ajudah, Andy Shauf, Saul Williams, William Tyler, Dawn Richard, and lots more. Some of the artists are holdovers from 2020 while others are all new.
John Zorn is actually presenting eight shows during Big Ears, including collaborations, and other artists performing his work, including: guitar trio of Bill Frisell, Julian Lage, and Gyan Riley; songs written with lyricist Jesse Harris for Petra Haden; a “heavy metal” Hammond B-3 organ trio fronted by John Medeski; and the New Masada Quartet.
Other special events: Terry Allen, Bill Callahan, Joe Henry, Cassandra Jenkins, Andy Shauf, and Hadestown-creator and Bonny Light Horseman member Anais Mitchell will share their contributions to a new "alternative American Songbook."
Meredith Monk will be collaborating with Bang on a Can All-Stars for the live world-premiere performance of "Memory Games," and she'll also be performing as a duo with John Hollenbeck. Kronos Quartet will feature in two different events, including a collaboration with filmmaker Sam Green titled A Thousand Thoughts.
There is also "NOLA / Haiti and Beyond" which is Big Ears' first-ever Krewe du Kanaval which is being curated by Preservation Hall's Ben Jaffe.
Big Ears 2022 will also feature special programs, films, readings, talks, exhibitions, and more, with more artists still to be announced.
Watch a trailer for Big Ears 2022 and check out the full lineup in the poster below.