Officials with the Riverbend Festival have announced four new additions to the 2016 festival lineup: For King & Country, Umphrey's McGee, ZZ Ward and Granger Smith featuring Earl Dibbles Jr.
For King & Country will headline Faith & Family Night on Tuesday, June 14. The Australian brother duo has been praised for their album Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong. The heartbeat of the album is soaring melodies driving rhythms, theatrical instrumentation and personal themes.
The award-winning rock/pop duo raised expectations tremendously with the release of 2012’s Crave and a win for New Artist of the Year at the 2013 GMA Dove Awards, where they received six nominations. Billboard also named them as one of the New Artists to Watch for 2012 and American Songwriter called them “Australia’s answer to Coldplay.”
Umphrey's McGee will headline the Coke Stage on Thursday, June 16. After 17-plus years of performing more than 100 concerts annually, releasing eight studio albums and selling more than 3.5 million tracks online, Umphrey’s McGee has become a rock band on the cutting edge of music and technology. The legendary rock band is a must see for festival lovers.
Get ready for the artist who will set the stage on fire opening night. ZZ Ward will open the Coke Stage on Friday, June 10. With her powerhouse voice and high-wattage charisma, ZZ Ward is the type of artist The Village Voice has called, “a force of nature.”
After the release of her debut album Til The Casket Drops, The New York Times wrote, “Her energy evokes Tina Turner’s, her chops Aretha Franklin’s, and her soul Etta James’.” All-Music remarked that the album, with its unique blend of blues, rock, hip-hop, R&B, and neo-soul, “...should make her a star if there's any justice in the world,” adding that ZZ “has a wonderfully flexible voice, she can croon like a pop singer, growl like a blues woman, spit attitude like a rocker, and flow like a rapper.”
Granger Smith featuring Earl Dibbles Jr. will headline the Bud Light Stage on Wednesday, June 15. Smith's debut single "Backroad Song" hit #2 on the iTunes Country Chart and sold over 32,000 in its first week. Smith's "country boy" alter ego, Earl Dibbles Jr., attracted 11 million views on his first music video and is consistently tapped for national TV appearances on CBS Sports Network and CMT.
Previously announced acts include Thomas Rhett, Heart, Brett Eldredge, Salt N Pepa, Blackberry Smoke, and Trampled By Turtles.
Admission is available at www.riverbendfestival.com. Eight day admission wristbands are $40. Reserved Star Seating and Club Riverbend are available as well.