A Drive-By Trucker tops Kentuck Festival of the Artsâ 2023 music lineup

You can see a Drive-By Trucker at Kentuck this October, among many other talented musicians hitting the Brother Ben Music Stage at the annual festival in Northport.

Mike Cooley headlines the music lineup at the 52nd annual Kentuck Festival of the Arts happening Saturday, Oct. 14 and Sunday, Oct. 15.

Cooley cofounded Drive-By Truckers with fellow singer/guitarist and Shoals native Patterson Hood circa 1996 in Athens, Ga. From AL.com’s Matt Wake: “Over the years, The Truckers’ sound evolved from side-eyed trash-twang into Southern-rock’s smartest band, releasing now classic albums including 2001′s ‘Southern Rock Opera,’ 2003′s ‘Decoration Day’ and 2004′s ‘The Dirty South.’ And in 2020, more than a quarter century into existence, Drive-By Truckers released not one but two compelling studio albums, ‘The Unraveling’ and ‘The New OK.’”

Also on tap Saturday and Sunday: Diablo Sandwich and the Dr. Peppers, Thad and Company, Kaydee Mulvehill, Caleb Elliot and Gary Nichols.

Nichols, a native of Muscle Shoals, performed with The SteelDrivers for several years after Chris Stapleton left the group for a solo career, with whom he won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album (for “The Muscle Shoals Recordings”).

The festival will feature great music, plus more than 270 artists, spoken word, activities for children, folk and contemporary craft demonstrations, food trucks, and local craft brews.

“Kentuck has a rich 52-year history as a nationally known crossroads of creativity and community,” the festival website says. “Featured in numerous publications, Kentuck Festival of the Arts was most recently recognized by Alabama Department of Tourism as one of the top-ten events to attend in Alabama in 2018 and by Alabama Magazine as one of the ‘Best of Bama 2022.’”

The festival is located at Kentuck Park, 3401 5th Street in Northport. Saturday’s hours are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., while Sunday also begins at 9 a.m. but closes at 4 p.m.

Tickets cost $15 for a single-day pass and $25 for weekend pass. You can purchase online. Free admission for children ages 12 and under. The site says pets are not allowed.

Parking for the festival is free. If the lot is full, you can park in downtown Northport and ride a complimentary shuttle service to the festival.

Learn more at the festival’s FAQ page.

The full live music lineup is below. (Check the site for times)

Saturday, Oct. 14

Druid Ukes

Diablo Sandwich and the Dr. Peppers

Caleb Elliot

Thad and Company

Mike Cooley

Sunday, Oct. 15

Max-Planck Gymnasium Big Band

Patrick O’Sullivan