Lucinda Williams to Headline Amplify Decatur Music Fest

Grammy-winning Lucinda Williams will headline the second annual outdoor Amplify Decatur Music Fest in Paste’s hometown of Decatur, Ga., on April 22.

Williams, who is sometimes referred to as “America’s Best Songwriter,” has won three Grammy awards and has been nominated for 12. She’s been busy this year, touring in support of her latest album The Ghosts of Highway 20—which, by the way, Paste gave a whopping 9.3 in our review. In the album, Williams uses her storytelling powers to take a deep look into those who spend their lives traveling on the stretch from South Carolina to Texas. On a personal note, she uses Highway 20 as both a literal and figurative background to her life.

Other notable musicians performing at Amplify include Noah Gundersen, John Moreland, Harold Holloway & Co., Packway Handle Band and Kristen Englenz. Food will be available for festival-goers from The Pinewood, Taqueria Del Sol, Universal Joint and The Iberian Pig—not to endorse anyone, but we speak from experience when we say Taqueria Del Sol makes a mean fried chicken taco. As for drinks, you can wash down your local cuisine with a cold beer from Three Taverns Craft Brewery or Creature Comforts Brewing Co. Whatever you choose to consume, your hard-earned dollars are going to a good cause.

All funds raised at Amplify will go directly to Decatur Cooperative Ministry, an organization dedicated to preventing and alleviating homelessness in Decatur and DeKalb County at large. Since the festival’s start in 2011, it has raised and donated more than $110,000 to DCM, with last year’s fest raising about $30,000. Tickets start at $40, and can be purchased here. You can learn more about Decatur Cooperative Ministry on their website, and find Paste Cloud audio from a 1998 Williams performance below.