Americana One – We’ve spent a lot of time on music-based cruises over the past decade, but the Cayamo cruise remains one of the most consistent and adventurous. They’ve just opened reservations to the general public with a line-up that includes Jeff Tweedy, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Neko Case, Shovels & Rope Andrew Bird and Trampled By Turtles,
This year’s cruise runs from Feb. 10-17 and includes stops at St. Maarten and Tortola, BVI.
It tends to happen with any music festival that’s been
around for a few years – some fans want a new lineup every year, others want to
stick to the tried and true. Cayamo, the
festival-at-sea that’s about to embark on its 13th voyage, is no
exception. There’s always a vigorous debate between those who love the old
favorites and those ready for new blood.
The winners of this year’s Soundcheck competition, in which
fans and passengers vote on artists to be added to the lineup, are string-based
quartet Della Mae, singer-songwriter Emily Scott Robinson and genre-mixing
band Them Coulee Boys. The full Cayamo
2020 lineup can be found here.
In addition to regular sets by each artist, this year’s
Cayamo schedule includes such “special” shows as “Cayamo Is for Lovers,”
featuring four husband-and-wife acts; a question-and-answer session with Brian
Wilson and fellow Beach Boys founder Al Jardine; “Buddy Miller’s Musical
Chairs,” featuring the Americana icon and, presumably, a stellar group of
guests; “The Art of Memoir,” with Rodney Crowell (Chinaberry Sidewalks)
and Allison Moorer (Blood), and “Sunset in Laurel Canyon: A Celebration
of the ’60s and ’70s.” Also to be expected are numerous guest appearances by
artists at other artists’ shows.
Ports of call for Cayamo 2020 include St. Croix, in the U.S.
Virgin Islands, and Antigua, a former British colony in the eastern
Caribbean.