Normally when we cover festivals for Road Trip Playlists we release a schedule for the sets that we believe are a “can’t miss.” However, this weekend we are at High Water Festival for the two-day and two-stage festival along the Cooper river in Charleston, South Carolina and their schedule makes it so you don’t have to choose between artists and can experience over nine hours of live music. This year’s lineup of High Water Festival is incredibly curated with excellent artists throughout the day. With the format of this festival we wanted to highlight the 5 sets we are most excited to attend at High Water Festival.
1. Noah Kahan
Friend of the podcast, Noah Kahan, is the headliner of High Water Festival (and a number of other festivals this year.) I’ve been fortunate to see and cover several Noah Kahan shows going back to the Busyhead tour, and I couldn’t be more excited about his success since the release of the platinum record ‘Stick Season.’ Kahan is still on a sold-out tour playing that album. Road Trip Playlists had the opportunity to talk to Kahan as he prepared to release Stick Season. I still remember feeling his joy for this project that was getting ready to release.
During the pandemic, Kahan started playing music on Instagram live. The music he played he described had a more folky vibe, which ultimately led to his ‘Cape Elizabeth’ EP. An EP that he said helped him “feel free” and that he “could do whatever I felt,” and that was releasing folk music. Fast forward to now, and Kahan is one of the most popular artists in the world, headlining festivals and selling out arenas. His live sets are always electric. Aside from the strength of his songwriting, Noah puts on a hell of a show. His band is equally impressive. Noah Levine on guitar and banjo has blown my mind during a number of shows. Noah himself will make you laugh between almost every song and then make you cry during ‘Everywhere, Everything.’ If you’re a fan of Noah Kahan, you will find that it will meet and exceed every expectation you have. If you’re someone who doesn’t get the rise of the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, you will after this show.
2. The Dip
One of the first concerts I attended working in music was The Dip. I’ve held the band in high esteem ever since. The six-piece funk, rhythm, and blues band formed while students in Seattle and released three impressive studio albums. Their latest single ‘Love Direction’ is the title track to their upcoming album, Love Direction, set to be released on July 12, 2024. I hope we get a preview of some of the songs on the forthcoming album. In addition to that, The Dip has a robust catalog of songs that will bring incredible vibes to the Edisto Stage at High Water Festival.
If a band has a horn section, the likelihood that I will love their music increases, and The Dip does. I expect their set to be a fan favorite on Saturday at the festival. Take advantage of this if you plan to be at Riverfront Park on Saturday when they go on stage at 4:30.
3. Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes are returning on tour this summer after they had so much fun last summer. “Our shows last summer were by far the best of our career and we can’t wait to do it again in a few months,” Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold said in a press release. On Saturday, the Grammy-nominated folk group will take the Stono stage at 7:15 and I can’t wait to see them perform for the first time. Their latest album release ‘Shore’ was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards and the band continues to tour in support of it.
4. The Walkmen
The Walkmen, the New York City art rock legendary band, reunited in 2023 after disbanding after they released 6 full-length albums together. Fans will see them return and perform live after a decade of hiatus. I expect the band to be well-received as they play Golden Hour on the Edisto stage at Riverfront Park. Seeing the band that has been called the biggest influence on bands like ‘The National’ and whose members have also contributed to music with bands like Fleet Foxes and Vampire Weekend is a ca n’t-miss. The impact these rockers had on music in the 2000s isn’t talked about enough, and I look forward to them getting their flowers from an adorning crowd at High Water Festival.
5. Leyla McCalla
Leyla is my favorite discovery that I’ve had from my preparation to attend High Water Festival. She is an American classical and folk musician who has already won a Grammy as a cellist with the string band Carolina Chocolate Drops before departing to pursue a solo career. I became an instant fan after the first song I listened to, and McCalla has an impressive voice and even more remarkable instrumentation from being a classically trained folk musician. I’m excited to see how her music translates to a festival stage.
I can’t list all of the acts, that would be a boring article. People love lists for whatever reason. However, I don’t want to take away from any artists not named. Shovels and Rope are an amazing band. High Water Festival is put on by them and wouldn’t exist without them. I can’t wait for their set. Courtney Barnett is iconic. I’ve seen Courtney a number of times and loved every performance. I wanted to put Houndmouth on the list. They are a band I love, and I have still somehow never seen them live until Saturday. Olivia Jean has been a standout rocker since being the lead singer and guitarist of the all-female garage-goth rock band the Black Belles. Al Olender starts the festival, and I am a fan of her honest songwriting. I will be early to see her set live.