Meet the Artists Who Live Out Loud  

Mar 18, 2024

2024 Out & About Festival Lineup  

Wolf Trap’s Out & About Festival is a full-day celebration of music, nature, and Pride! Join the party on Saturday, June 22 to experience tasty food, cool libations, fun activities, and exciting performances, all within the beauty of Wolf Trap National Park.

Headlined by the incredibly talented Brittany Howard, this year’s lineup features rising stars, long-time favorites, and performances you won’t want to miss! Learn more about these phenomenal artists and find out why Wolf Trap’s Programming & Production team selected them for the 2024 Festival.

This Century’s Newest Rock Legend  

Master guitarist and former lead singer of Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard is a five-time Grammy winning musician who has earned multiple No. 1 Billboard hits, performed several times at the White House, and is an all-around virtuoso. In 2019, Howard broke out as a solo artist with her debut EP Jaime, gaining critical acclaim for her complex rhythms, powerful vocals, and intricate compositions. She pulls inspiration from rock, soul, psychedelia, and avant-garde jazz through her visionary, unparalleled performances. Howard holds a special kind of talent that can’t be taught—one that feels deeply inherent within her—and we are lucky to witness it.

Her most recent release, What Now (2024) with Grammy-winning single “Stay High,” received glowing reviews from Pitchfork, NPR Music, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times, who lauded the album as “refreshingly risky.” Amazingly, the entire album was created with analog recording techniques, giving the music both nostalgic warmth and an innovative sound.

Why Howard is Out & About’s perfect headliner: Howard is on the cusp of Prince-level superstardom. Can’t make it to California to see her at Coachella this year? Not to worry, she’ll be in the DMV this June, where you can see her electric energy on stage at Wolf Trap!

Experience her sensational artistry in this performance of “Prove it to You” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon:  

Jenny Lewis Brings Joy to All       

Frontwoman of indie rock bands Rilo Kiley and The Postal Service, TV and film actress, and Harry Styles’ 2021 Love on Tour opening act, Jenny Lewis has done it all. Lewis starred in cult classic films Troop Beverly Hills and The Wizard , wrote music for the soundtrack of Disney’s animated movie Bolt, and released five critically acclaimed solo studio albums. Through her many successful years in the music industry, Lewis struck a chord with her seamless blend of indie rock, folk, and country. Her Grammy-nominated music video starring Anne Hathaway, Kristin Stewart, and Brie Larson in drag for her song “One of the Guys” was named one of MTV’s “Major LGBT Moments in Music” in 2014. Between her sparkling retro fashion, ’70s shag, and unforgettably energetic performances, Lewis is certain to dazzle audiences.

Why she’s fabulous for the Festival: “Back in the early aughts, Jenny Lewis was in Rilo Kiley and beloved by me for their song “Breaking Up”—an anthem for those in the throes of a relationship crisis. Her songwriting has evolved alongside the self-care and mental health awareness movements.” – Diana Ezerins, Wolf Trap’s Director of Programming

Watch Lewis perform “Psychos” from her most recent album, Joy’All (2023), on Jimmy Kimmel Live!  

Soul-Pop Siblings  

Lawrence, made up of siblings Clyde and Gracie Lawrence and their six-piece band, is making waves as leaders in the music industry. Raised on the best in soul like Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Randy Newman (after whom they named their trusty tour van Vandy Newman), Lawrence has curated an impressive repertoire of explosively energetic soul-pop music. They have collaborated with artists like Jacob Collier, Jon Batiste, Michael McDonald, and Tori Kelly, and supported the Jonas Brothers on the North American leg of their 2023 tour. Their break-out 2021 single “Don’t Lose Sight” was featured in a Microsoft commercial, propelling the song onto Billboard’s Top 40 Chart and shooting Lawrence into the mainstream pop canon. They are set to release a new LP, Family Business, later this year.

Why you’ll want to catch them at the Festival: If you like the vibe of Earth, Wind & Fire, the spark of soulful R&B vocalists like Etta James, and retro rock ’n’ roll of groups like The Jackson 5, you’ll love Lawrence. The duo’s masterful riffs and piano playing will have you grooving like no other.

Check out Lawrence’s acoustic performance of “Don’t Lose Sight.” 

A Musical Force

After many successful years with the iconic and influential indie rock band Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon released her debut solo album No Home Record in 2019. Her music is unexpected, dissonant, and dark—a reflection of life and a true collage of Gordon’s inner narrative. Gordon’s current music resonates deeply with young audiences because of its relevance to today’s problems, gaining her an entirely new generation of listeners. Outside the recording studio, you might find her paintings in international galleries and her deeply personal memoirs in indie art bookstores. Gordon recently released her second studio album, The Collective.  

Why she’s the ultimate Out & About artist: “Kim Gordon falls in the line of punk rock icons and in the footsteps right behind Patti Smith, inspiring many femme rockers who have come after. She shreds on guitar and bass in her freeform, post-punk style, and is a role model for all who confront social norms and empower outcasts of all kinds.” – Diana Ezerins

Listen to the live performance of her song “Air BnB” at the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival.

Music with a Purpose  

Quinn Christopherson, indigenous Alaskan, trans singer/songwriter, brings a unique intersectionality to his music. In 2019, Christopherson won the NPR Tiny Desk Contest for his song “Erase Me,” a deeply personal exploration of his emotions and experiences as a trans man. You may have already seen Christopherson at the Filene Center when he supported Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen, and Julien Baker on their Wild Hearts Tour. Shortly after the tour, Christopherson released his debut album Write Your Name In Pink (2022). 

Why he’s a Festival favorite: “Quinn Christopherson came to Wolf Trap back in 2022, and we’ve been fans ever since. His music captures his experience as a transgender man as well as his activism in the climate justice arena, so his voice is great to celebrate Pride and nature together.” – Pauline Ragusa, Wolf Trap’s Manager of Programming

Christopherson’s most recent song is a collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma and drag queen Pattie Gonia called “Won’t Give Up.”  

Serene Strings

An Alexandria, VA native and New York University alum, acoustic fingerstyle guitarist Yasmin Williams has already come a long way from her early instrumental days. Her inspiration to pursue the guitar emerged from the video game Guitar Hero 2, and by high school she had already composed, recorded, and mixed her first EP. Now with two full-length albums under her belt, including her latest Urban Driftwood (2021), Williams is building a reputation for revitalizing acoustic playing with alternate tunings, percussive tap shoes and lap tapping, and other unorthodox techniques—such as playing with a cello bow or attaching a kalimba to the face of her guitar.

Why you can’t miss them at Out & About: Dusted magazine praised Williams as “all the things that finger-picked guitar usually isn’t–young, female, Black, digitally native, unabashed by tradition, and open to all sorts of multicultural influences. She’s a fresh breeze blowing through a sometimes musty corner of music, and let’s just say it again, a little bit of sunshine, too.”

Watch the music video for Williams’ latest single “Dawning” with Aoife O’Donovan, partially filmed right on Wolf Trap’s Woods Stage!

Goddesses with Global Beats  

Okan pulls inspiration from their Afro-Cuban roots, blending folk, jazz, and Latin beats. Made up of Cuban-Canadian wife duo Elizabeth Rodriguez and Magdelys Savigne, the two founded Okan in 2017. Both women are classically trained—Rodriguez a violinist and Savigne a percussionist—and were former members of the Grammy-winning jazz group Jane Bunnett and Maqueque. With lyrics about immigration, courage, and love, their music is a powerful fusion of energetic, global music that makes you want to get up and dance! Okan’s latest album, Okantomi was released in November 2023.   

Why they’re a phenomenal Festival pick: “I’ve been watching this wife and wife duo for a while as they’ve made their way up through the North American festival circuits. Their sound is super unique and moving as they honor Afro-Caribbean musical and spiritual traditions.” – Pauline Ragusa

Okan’s recent single “La Reina Del Norte” is nothing short of electrifying!

The DMV’s Own  

DC’s very own Be Steadwell, is a composer, filmmaker, and storyteller specializing in a genre they call “queer pop,” rooted in folk, jazz, a cappella, and pop. They have released four solo albums, most recently Queer Pop Songs (2019). Steadwell’s current project is a new musical, Dear Ex The Musical, which explores self-love, addiction, life, and death through the lens of a heartbroken, recently single, queer Black woman.

Why they’re perfect for Out & About: Be Steadwell’s self-proclaimed goal as a musician is to make other Black women, introverts, and weirdos feel seen and loved.

“Their musical style is layered and groovy, and we’re honored to include them.” – Diana Ezerins

Check out their recent performance of “Who Have I Become” at the Kennedy Center’s Millenium stage.  

  Grab your tickets and don’t miss the 2024 Out & About Festival on June 22!