The Music City Summer Fest is back! Presented by Sun Rider 9 Productions.
Join us on Saturday, June 20th, 2026 from 1:00pm to 10:00 PM at The Vortex at CAA Park for an unforgettable day of music, food, and fun!
There is plenty of delicious food from the food trucks at the event and beverages including adult beverages. So grab a lawn chair and blanket and come out and enjoy this event at The Vortex!
Doors open at 12:00pm. Rain or Shine. No Outside Coolers. No pets allowed.
🎶 Lineup 🎶
STAGE ONE
The Stews
Easy Honey
Pressing Strings
The Players Band
STAGE TWO
The Takes
Mallow Hill
Runner and Bobby
Experience
**ONE MORE SURPRISE BAND TO BE ANNOUNCED END OF MARCH**
🌟 Exciting News About Tickets! 🌟
🎟 Ticket Details 🎟
Early Bird General Admission Advance Tickets:$25 (no fees) Available until February 28th
General Admission Advance Tickets:$30 (no fees)
Tickets at the Door: $35
Children 12 and Under:FREE
Event Highlights
Delicious food trucks
Refreshing beverages, including adult options
Two Stages
Art vendors
A stunning 12-acre venue with lush greenery, nestled in the heart of the Catonsville Arts & Entertainment District
Conveniently located just 6 miles from BWI Airport and 10 minutes from downtown Baltimore
Important Information:
Rain or Shine event
No outside coolers, pets, tents, beach umbrellas, or backpacks allowed. Service pets only are allowed.
Bring your lawn chairs and blankets for a comfortable experience
Celebrate Catonsville’s first 12-acre outdoor music and event venue, a space designed for live entertainment and community gatherings. Explore local shops and restaurants within walking distance, and kick off your day at one of Catonsville’s finest taverns or eateries.
Come and enjoy our second annual presentation of The Music City Summer Fest!
Thank you, Music City Maryland Association
VIP TENT! 10 TICKETS, 10X15 POP UP TENT & 10 CHAIRS PROVIDED. INCLUDES COOLER OF SODAS & WATERS & 3 DRINK TOKENS PER PERSON. DRINK TOKENS FOR 21 AND OVER, TENTS ARE LIMITED
Camp Meade is ONLY AVAILABLE to people with current Dept of Defense IDs
THE STEWS
After releasing debut album “What Was” in April of 2022, The Stews have been a non-stop touring machine, playing packed-out shows across the country. Forming at Auburn University, the band ultimately decided to leave school to meet the massive demand for their live shows. With sellout crowds from Nashville to New York, Charleston to Dallas, and several in between, it is clear that The Stews have graduated from their former “college band” label. A Stews concert is a perfect blend of upbeat, singalong indie tunes and downright headbanging hard rock.
It is impossible to accurately capture the experience of The Stews live show using just words. The band works very hard to give fans from around the world a taste of the live experience through both social media and Youtube. Their most recent production is a live performance of the songs Waste of Time and Fireline, off of their debut album What Was. Performed at ShowerCap in Athens, GA, this performance is just a taste of the electric environment enjoyed by all at a Stews show.
Charleston alternative act Easy Honey’s particular style of pop-rock whimsy always sounds a bit effortless. And the band’s new EP Ooooo, which will drop July 7, leans into Oasis-style Brit rock swagger and Beatles-esque soft-psych with that same laid back self-confidence.
According to singer-songwriter and guitarist Selby Austin, who founded the group with co-frontman Darby McGlone, much of Easy Honey’s vibe results from the band forming at a small liberal arts college in Tennessee called Sewanee: the University of the South.
“It’s such a small school that has such a thirst for live music and live bands,” Austin said. “So we were able to really play [and write]. We’ve evolved since then, but the roots of what Easy Honey is about, from a songwriting perspective and a feel perspective, came from there.”
in Tennessee called Sewanee: the University of the South.
“It’s such a small school that has such a thirst for live music and live bands,” Austin said. “So we were able to really play [and write]. We’ve evolved since then, but the roots of what Easy Honey is about, from a songwriting perspective and a feel perspective, came from there.”
The two frontmen started out playing together before recruiting ace drummer Charlie Holt from another band at the college. Easy Honey rotated through a few bass players in its earlier recordings, before recruiting Austin’s younger brother, Webster, in early 2022 to complete the current lineup.
And while the band’s self-titled debut record was produced during a stint in Nashville, Selby Austin said Charleston felt like a natural home scene to subsequently seek out in 2019.
“It felt like something cool was going on with the music scene,” he said, citing the success of local groups such as Susto, Stop Light Observations and indie rock icon Band of Horses as a big draw, along with getting out of the “oversaturated market” in Nashville.
Easy Honey has stayed busy creatively since taking up residence in the Holy City, dropping various EPs and singles before and after its 2021 album Peach Fuzz as the band worked with Charleston producers Matt Zutell at Coast Records and Wolfgang Zimmerman at The Space.
For the new EP Ooooo, the band worked with Zimmerman again, but took a more leisurely approach rather than doing a lot of pre-production before hitting the studio.
The end effect is an EP that accentuates Easy Honey’s free-spirited but well-honed style, from the pulsating, electric rocker “…The More I Think About It” and the Vampire Weekend-esque romp “Orbiter.”
The band has a knack for shiny vocal harmonies and folding lyrics with distinct word choice into the playful slacker rock songs heard on Ooooo. The mellow “Alright, Alright” opens with “Toss me up like a hand grenade / Stoke the fire with the flume you made.” Then comes the more muted acoustic ballad “Daddy Daughter” that sings, “Walk in the club brushing your hair / Eating a veggie melt without a care.”
“This EP was kind of symbolic of how far we’ve come from where we started,” Webster Austin said. “It’s not even necessarily our favorite songs. But it’s just like, ‘Here’s a good story.’ ”
At the intersection of rock riffs and folk songwriting, you find The Takes, a new folk rock group hailing from Portland, Oregon. The band – composed of Sumner Rahr (guitar/vocals), Guido Rahr (guitar), and Phoebe Webb (bass)– weaves emotion and escapism through their songs, all while sticking to the roots of rock. On their 2024 EP “Lay Hold,” The Takes delve further into their country/blues rock tendencies, led by Sumner’s raw lead vocal and backdropped by a classic four-piece arrangement of guitar, drums and bass. Drawing from their early psychedelic influences and the band’s formation, their lyrical themes are organic: the changing of the leaves, flickering lights, relationships that drift apart. Shaped by the Pacific Northwest and its innate, unbound rock traditions, The Takes feel most at home in the outdoors, forging songs to soundtrack scenic road trips or nights spent around campfires. Their most recent single “Take My Time” is out now.
Hailing from Annapolis, Maryland, Pressing Strings is a powerhouse trio–led by guitarist and vocalist Jordan Sokel–has earned a loyal following with their genre bending blend of blues, rock, and folk, wrapped in soul-stirring storytelling and toe tapping grooves. Their music resonates with the emotional grit of blues, the laid back swagger of folk, and the urgency of modern rock.
Whether delivering heartfelt ballads or energetic anthems, Pressing Strings weaves lyrical introspection and high-caliber musicianship that feels both fresh and familiar. Sokel’s smokey voice and intricate guitar work is complimented masterfully by a star rhythm section. Held down tightly by drummer Justin Kruger–an energetic and charismatic performer whose style mirrors his outside the box personality and unique approach to the instrument, along with bassist Nick Welker–a solid and stoic figure who picks melodic lines and chordal voicings that makes the trio sound full and lush. All three members sing, adding harmonies reminiscent of southern California in the 70’s. Together they push the limits of what a trio can do and provide an immersive, feel-good vibe that hits the audience’s heart as hard as it does the ears.
Recently the band has been touring the US coast to coast headlining clubs and delighting festival audiences at such festivals as Palisade Roots and Bluegrass Festival, FloydFest, Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival, Firefly, Sweetwater 420Fest, Cavefest etc while sharing the stage alongside major artists like Gov’t Mule, Toad The Wet Sprocket, JJ Grey and Neil Francis.
Runner and Bobby is a three-piece indie rock trio from Chicago, Illinois. Originally meeting during auditions for a punk-rock cover band, drummer Mick Smith and Bassist Lula Burke expanded upon lead guitarist Parker Bailey’s original works to create something undeniably fun, lively, and vulnerable. Their self-titled 2024 EP integrates themes that could resonate with any situation, with Cali’s Song as the cure for apathy and Wray as the best friend you didn’t know you needed.
Mallow Hill sparks a bright light into modern-day blues and rock & roll. The Baltimorebased band creates music that fuses together a mesmerizing symphony of raw emotion, pulsating rhythms, and electrifying melodies. The band channels an eclectic mix of musical inspiration, drawing from the likes of Gary Clark Jr, The Black Pumas, Marcus King Band, Led Zeppelin, and The Black Keys, among others, to shape their unique sonic identity.
The Baltimore quintet – Mikayla Joseph, (vocals) Danny Gwinn, (guitar) Mac Dignam, (keys) John Menefee, (drums) and Chris Reynolds, (bass, vocals, harmonica) exudes an unbreakable bond of chemistry and musicianship, fortified through many years of friendship.
As Mallow Hill embarked on their debut album in 2023, their evolution in the music scene became palpable, bringing a fresh, distinctive sound to life, captivating audiences with both live performances and studio recordings. Guided by the soulful vocal stylings of Mikayla Joseph and the adept guitar work of Danny Gwinn, Mallow Hill is forging a vibrant and expanding fanbase in Baltimore and Beyond.
Mallow Hill is a name borrowed from a street in Baltimore that pays homage to the groups roots and origin story. The street “Mallow Hill” has always served a purpose as a “headquarters” for music creation and collaboration, with an “open door” policy that has been established by band leader and founder, Danny Gwinn. It was this framework that led to Gwinn’s introduction to Mikayla in May, 2020, which progressively emerged to become the band that is Mallow Hill.
Since meeting, Gwinn & Mikayla’s shared goals and artistic vision has given the group a more defined direction to their creativity and original music. The two being heavily influenced by blues and soul music from all decades, have found a way to combine elements of a vintage feel with a modern production. Alongside the help of producer, Dex Green (Margo Price, Elvis Costello, Devon Gilfillian), the debut record “Soul Candy” offers a wide range of listening experiences.
Among the album’s highlights is “Thinkin Bout My Baby,” featuring an assertive bass line and weaving a timeless narrative of personal growth amidst the tumult of toxic relationships, individuals, and habits. The resonant tones in the track “Smoke” deeply convey the song’s thematic essence, delving into the profound anguish and challenges faced by all parties entangled in the throes of substance abuse. In “Cryin” the contemporary blues production takes center stage, showcasing Mikayla’s soulful vocals alongside an electrifying, almost psychedelic guitar solo. Closing out the record, “Fake Your Smile” casts a brooding, almost sinister atmosphere that leaves you yearning for more.
The record features some of Nashville’s best session players, including Jack Lawrence on bass (The Raconteurs, Dead Weather, Jack White), Meg Coleman on drums (Alison Russell, Brandi Carlisle, Jenny Lewis), Ray Jacildo (The Black Keys), Laura Mayo (backup vocals), Maureen Murphy (Zac Brown Band, Marcus King). Engineered by Joe Costa (Ben Folds) and produced by Dex Green.
Gwinn and Joseph were fortunate to have found their calling early on, allowing them to develop their skills and talents with their respective instruments. Building this foundation has shaped their musical journeys and influenced the direction of their careers.
Mikayla – “I can play/strum a couple of chords on guitar and piano, but I am a singer through and through. I have always been naturally drawn to music and singing since I was a kid. However, I do have to credit my grandmother for throwing me on stage at a young age. Because of her, I’ve never really suffered from any stage fright. Performing feels super natural for me, like I’ve always been meant to do it. So after I started, I never looked back. Like many singers, I learned a lot in churches and choirs, then I went on to an arts high school to further that experience. I spent years in several choirs, musical theater, and eventually went on to take private classical lessons. One thing I was never taught how to do was sing the blues but here I am, loving every minute of it. I feel so lucky to have had my grandmother, countless instructors, teachers, and friends that are all a part of my journey and made me the musician that I am today!”
Danny – “I first picked up a guitar in 6th grade. It was some dusty piece of junk that someone left behind in a house that my grandmother was selling. My grandmother, being a musician herself, promptly brought the guitar to me and just sort of left it in my eyesight. It was only a matter of days until I was banging on it, trying to learn chords and make sounds. Soon after, I began taking guitar lessons from my neighbor who studied at Berkeley. He was a huge influence to me learning how to play and also for me, just observing what a lifetime of honing a craft can become to someone. Since those first guitar lessons, I have been hooked on the idea of always becoming a better guitar player one day at a time, but also always trying to create something with the tools that I have in front of me.”
“As I entered high school and beyond, I built-out a jam space first in my parents garage, and then in the basement. I took the advice of my first guitar teacher, Craig, who told me “You build it and they will come” referring to a rehearsal space. That has pretty much been my motto for everything that I do now. It took about 15 years for things to start coming together, but eventually things did happen, and I credit that mindset to the formation of Mallow Hill.”
On the heels of the mid-90’s ska revival, The Players Band (TPB) was founded in 1999, drawn in by the infectious rhythms and horn-heavy ska sounds originating in Jamaica in the late 1950s. 25 years later, TPB has played over 550 shows, delivering sweet Jamaican ska and reggae across the Mid-Atlantic. TPB includes current members of The Pietasters, Jah Works, Bumpin Uglies, Scotch Bonnets, Rude Girl Revue, Loving Paupers, Left Alone, and The All Mighty Senators. The band has opened for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Isley Brothers and Joe Strummer, Grammy winning Toots & the Maytals and Rebirth Brass Band as well as The B-52s, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The English Beat, The Skatalites, and more. TPB was featured at the 2021 Supernova International Ska Festival, headlined Baltimore’s New Year’s Eve Spectacular, and Maryland’s Olympic Tribute with Michael Phelps at Fort McHenry, performing at venues such as 9:30 Club, Capital One Arena, Fillmore Silver Spring, Pier 6, Knitting Factory, Trocadero Theatre, Chance Theater, Seacrets, Bottle & Cork, Rams Head Live!, 8×10, Ottobar, and many others.
Rock, Blues, and Psychedelic Shenanigans featuring Aaron Donahue, Aidan Brown, Dylan Kendall, Jason Kendall, and Nick Young. A mix of 70’s style hard rock, blues and psychedelic rock this group from East Baltimore puts on one hell of a show.
