Internationally and nationally acclaimed musicians are coming to perform at the Momentary, including Run the Jewels, Big Boi, Kraftwerk, Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, Brittney Spencer, Old Crow Medicine Show, Emmylou Harris and the Red Dirt Boys, Dispatch (Acoustic) and Amos Lee. From Old Crow and Spencer kicking off the season to Harris, Lee and Dispatch co-headlining the celebrated FreshGrass | Bentonville Festival and Lovett and Hiatt (and more to be announced) delivering big energy and sound into fall, the contemporary art space will create dozens of opportunities for guests to experience music alongside other art forms throughout the year.

“We’re thrilled to bring more music experiences to Bentonville and look forward to continuing to reconnect audiences to live performances, a vital part of our culture,” says Argeo Ascani, programmer of music and festivals at the Momentary. “From internationally and nationally acclaimed artists to homegrown musicians, music is back and here to stay at the Momentary.”

FreshGrass | Bentonville Festival, May 20-21, 2022

FreshGrass | Bentonville, the Momentary’s two-day festival of bluegrass and progressive roots music, announces for it’s highly anticipated return this spring that along with Emmylou Harris and the Red Dirt Boys – Harris being one of the most influential country musicians in the world and a 12-time Grammy award winner – the indie-roots five-piece Dispatch (Acoustic) and lauded singer-songwriter Amos Lee will headline the festival.

The festival’s lineup also features national and local stars such as Grammy-nominated Best New Artist Margo Price, Grammy award-winning mandolin player Sam Bush, The Jerry Douglas Band, Amythyst Kiah, Hayes Carll, Balsam Range, Bombino, Alison Brown, Arkansauce, Red Baraat, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Willi Carlisle, Son Rompe Pera, Ozark High Ballers, The Gravel Yard, and more than 20 bands in all.

“Having FreshGrass return to the Momentary helps expand our mission of preserving, promoting, and creating innovative grassroots music,” says Chris Wadsworth, founder and president of the FreshGrass Foundation. “This year’s lineup, featuring the phenomenal talents of Emmylou Harris and the Red Dirt Boys, Dispatch, Margo Price, and Amos Lee, displays the breadth of roots music that FreshGrass is known for, and we’re ecstatic that we can also continue to support the development of innovative new artists in the field with the help of The House of Songs and The Black Legacy Project.”

Having debuted in October of 2021 with thousands of attendees, FreshGrass | Bentonville is a family-friendly festival celebrating today’s bluegrass and progressive roots music across two stages and platforms throughout the Momentary’s campus. Festival programming also includes FreshScores, a silent film original live music with Alison Brown, Lost Bayou Ramblers, and Mamie Minch; special performances by The House of Songs and The Black Legacy Project; local Bentonville food and spirits vendors; and pop-up performances and retail.

FreshGrass | Bentonville is presented by the Momentary in collaboration with the FreshGrass Foundation and No Depression.

FreshGrass | Bentonville 2022 is sponsored by Cox Communications, Visit Bentonville, and Bentonville Brewing Company.

More Big Stars Live on the Momentary Green

As summer brings people out under the open sky, the Momentary brings together the most impactful musical acts of the past several decades on its outdoor greenspace, the Momentary Green. Two-time Grammy award-winning group Old Crow Medicine Show will kick off the season with rising country star Brittney Spencer on May 12, co-presented with the Heartland Summit.

Taking the stage under the venue’s iconic canopy on June 26, German Electro pioneers and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Kraftwerk will present their revolutionary soundscapes with an immersive live 3-D, multi-sensory experience.

Bringing huge hip hop and rap star power to Momentary on July 16, super duo Run the Jewels (rapper and producer El-P and rapper Killer Mike) and Grammy award-winning artist Big Boi (one-half of Outkast) will perform as part of a weekend-long celebration of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art’s current exhibition The Dirty South: Contemporary Art, Material Culture, and the Sonic Impulse. This will be one of many experiences that will span the Momentary and Crystal Bridges over the Dirty South’s celebration weekend (July 15-17).

Looking ahead, one of the most recognizable and beloved names in country music, Lyle Lovett, is set to keep the Momentary’s music schedule live and well into the fall, performing October 8 on a bill with celebrated singer-songwriter John Hiatt.

Free Music Opportunities

While serving up big names for ticketed events, there are many rising stars and notable acts coming to the Momentary’s outdoor spaces for free, beginning in July. Guests can spread out blankets on the Momentary Green or prop up a chair in the Arvest Bank Courtyard to enjoy a vast range of musical entertainment. Completing the picnic/patio feel, the Momentary Food Truck and RØDE Bar will be open with refreshments just steps away.

“Our free concert series will amplify the existing cultural offerings of Northwest Arkansas and uplift less regionally common genres, cultures and perspectives,” Ascani added.

Tickets

FreshGrass | Bentonville 2-day tickets are now on sale for adults ($135) and children ages 7-16 ($35). Admission is free for children 6 and under. A VIP Freshpass ($500) is also available for purchase and includes entrance to both days of the festival, access to FreshPass VIP Lounge with complimentary food and non-alcoholic beverages, expedited entrance to the festival, reserved viewing area near the main stage, a swag bag of commemorative merchandise, and more.

Tickets for Old Crow Medicine Show with Brittney Spencer and Kraftwerk are on sale to Momentary members as of today, Tuesday, March 22. Tickets will go on sale to the public Tuesday, March 29 at 10 a.m. CT. Student and premium tickets, featuring reserved standing and/or seating zones, are available for select shows in addition to general admission.

Tickets for Run the Jewels and Big Boi are on sale to Momentary and Crystal Bridges members as of today, Tuesday, March 22. Tickets will go on sale to the public Tuesday, March 29 at 10 a.m. CT. Premium tickets featuring reserved standing zones are available in addition to general admission. Ticket holders for Run the Jewels and Big Boi must be age 18+ to attend.

Tickets for Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt will go on sale later this spring. Music enthusiasts can sign up for the Momentary’s eNewsletter to be the first to know when tickets go on sale for this concert.

Momentary members receive up to 20% discount on ticket prices, as well as early notification and access to ticketed shows, events, and festivals. More information about the Momentary membership program can be found here.

Tickets can be purchased online at theMomentary.org or by calling Guest Services at (479) 657-2335. Ticket prices subject to change. All outdoor festivals and concerts are held rain or shine.

Health and Safety Guidelines

To prioritize safety and well-being of artists, staff and guests, the Momentary continues to monitor local COVID-19 trends and government health guidance. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination, testing, and masking are not currently required to attend the outdoor music events at the Momentary. By purchasing tickets to events at the Momentary, visitors agree to abide by safety protocols in effect at the time of the event, which may include wearing face coverings, providing proof of COVID-19 vaccination status and/or proof of negative COVID-19 test.

Protocols are subject to change.

To stay current on the Momentary, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. Find more updates on the Momentary blog. 

About the Momentary

Opened in February of 2020, the Momentary is a contemporary art space in downtown Bentonville, Arkansas, for visual, performing, and culinary arts. The mission of the Momentary is to champion contemporary art’s role in everyday life and explore the unfolding story of contemporary American arts in an international context by actively commissioning and exhibiting outstanding works that explore new ideas and inspire action. The Momentary was founded by the Walton family, based on the vision of Tom, Olivia, and Steuart Walton. The Walton Family Foundation is supporting this project as a way to enhance the quality of life in Northwest Arkansas. The Momentary is a satellite to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, founded by Alice Walton. The Momentary welcomes all with free general admission. Additional offerings include an artist-in-residence program, culinary experiences including an Onyx Coffee Lab and the sky-high Tower Bar, indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, an outdoor festival space, and a gift store. For more information, visit theMomentary.org. The Momentary is located at 507 SE E Street, Bentonville, Arkansas 72712. The Momentary’s Founding Funders are Walton Family Foundation, Walmart, RØDE Microphones, The Coca-Cola Company, Tyson Family Foundation, and Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation.

About FreshGrass Foundation

FreshGrass believes that the simple acts of making and sharing authentic creations are among the most effective ways to spread joy and love, to improve lives and communities, and to make a profoundly positive impact on the world. To achieve our mission, we produce FreshGrass Festivals in North Adams, MA and Bentonville, AR; we offer a variety of grants, commissions, and awards to musicians and writers for new works; we produce and publish No Depression, the quarterly journal of roots music; we produce, publish and stream Folk Alley, the 24-hour online listening for roots music; we are a founding partner of Artists At Work, a program that provides living wages for living artists; we administer the Steve Martin Banjo Prize, a prestigious award founded by Steve Martin (actor/comedian) that recognizes an individual or group for outstanding accomplishment in banjo; and we operate and manage Studio 9 in North Adams, MA, a state-of-the-art recording studio and venue. Through a cutting-edge, multidisciplinary and collaborative approach, Freshgrass continually strives to help promote new artists and create new art through each of its entities. FreshGrass is committed to making our organization completely sustainable and carbon neutral. Learn more about our green pledge by reading our FreshGrass Manifesto.

About Heartland Forward

Heartland Summit is the flagship event of Heartland Forward with mission to help change the narrative about the middle of the country and kick-start economic growth. We showcase the exciting innovation happening between the coasts, spark frank conversations about the challenges the region is facing and build networks to sustain economic growth and power problem solving across the country. By bringing together leading thinkers, innovators and investors, we create powerful networks to forge paths of progress and turn great ideas into action.

Heartland Forward is a 501 (c) (3) nonpartisan, nonprofit “think and do tank.” Heartland Forward’s mission is to improve economic performance in the center of the United States by advocating for fact-based solutions to foster job creation, knowledge-based and inclusive growth, and improved health outcomes.