I’m With Her, photo by Erika Goldring.

On Saturday night, the Americana Music Association united an all-star cast of the genre’s foremost performers to celebrate one of its foundational figures with the Americanafest Pre-Grammy Salute To The Songs Of Neil Young. Onstage at Los Angeles’ famed Troubadour, a litany of singer-songwriters paid tribute to Young’s songbook in an intimate evening of covers benefitting Musicares.

The expansive program began with an introduction to the stacked house band, featuring fiddler and vocalist Sara Watkins, keyboardist Philip Kronengold, guitarist Jim Oblon, bassist Daniel Rhine, drummer Mark Stepro and vocalist Molly Jenson, who set opened with 1972 Harvest essential “Are You Ready for the Country.” The backing sextet was quickly joined by Evangeline for “Field Of Opportunity” and Alex Amen and Hayley Davis for “On the Way Home” before storied folk firebrand Rhiannon Giddens stepped up, alongside her What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow collaborators Justin Harrington and Justin Robinson, for the classic “Comes a Time.”

Saturday’s show went on with appearances including indie folk duo The Milk Carton Kids on “Heart of Gold,” mandolin master Sierra Hull on “Look Out for My Love,” Old Crow Medicine Show frontman Ketch Secor on “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere,” outlaw country torchebeaer Margo Price on “Love Is A Rose” and a stirring duet of Secor and progressive bluegrass pioneer Molly Tuttle on “Helpless.” Shortly after country-soul vocalist Maggie Rose led an epic “Down By the River” and Americana rising star Katie Pruitt delivered a chilling and pertinent treatment of “Ohio,” the show moved into its final passage with Jesse Welles’ rendition of “After The Gold Rush” and esteemed trio I’m With Her – who took home the Grammy for Best Folk Album on Sunday night – lending their talents to “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” and “Harvest Moon,” the latter of which was also backed by the Milk Carton Kids.

For the evening’s penultimate track, celebrated rock and Americana singer-songwriter Grace Potter emerged to helm “Cinammon Girl,” with additional backing from Leif Vollebeck. To cap off an enthralling showcase of Americana’s best and brightest, the full company returned to the stage to join in a joyous, roaring finale of “Rockin’ In The Free World.”

Get an inside look at Americanafest’s Pre-Grammy Salute To The Songs Of Neil Young in the gallery below by photographer Erika Goldring, courtesy of the Americana Music Association. Learn which of the performers won their categories at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards here.

Read on for the full setlist from Saturday night.

Americanafest’s Pre-Grammy Salute To The Songs Of Neil Young
The Troubadour – Los Angeles
1/31/26

Set: Are You Ready For The Country? (Philip Krohnengold with Molly Jenson, Daniel Rhine, Mark Stepro, Jim Oblon and Sara Watkins), Field Of Opportunity (Evangeline), On The Way Home (Alex Amen with Hayley Davis), Comes A Time (Rhiannon Giddens with Justin Harrington and Justin Robinson), Heart Of Gold (The Milk Carton Kids), Look Out For My Love (Sierra Hull), Powderfinger (Leif Vollebekk), Lotta Love (Molly Jensen), Southern Man (Chris Pierce), Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Ketch Secor), Love Is A Rose (Margo Price), Helpless (Molly Tuttle with Ketch Secor), Down By The River (Maggie Rose), Ohio (Katie Pruitt), Old Man (Young The Giant with Sara Watkins and Molly Jensen), My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue) (Gold Star), After The Gold Rush (Jesse Welles), Only Love Can Break Your Heart (I’m With Her), Harvest Moon (I’m With Her with Milk Carton Kids), Cinnamon Girl (Grace Potter with Leif Vollebekk), Rockin’ In The Free World (Full Ensemble)