Rhiannon Giddens is primed for this moment. Long before Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter reignited a conversation about the longstanding but often masked role of Black people – particularly Black women – in country music, the banjo player had made a name for herself in the most traditional corners of the genre. As the lead singer, fiddler, and banjoist for the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Giddens wove folk, blues, and country – boundaries she skirted and melded further in her solo career. The two-time Grammy winner played banjo on Beyoncé’s latest album, giving widespread name recognition to a country stalwart. Charly Lowry, a singer of Lumbee/Tuscarora descent dedicated to bringing visibility to Indigenous people, opens. – Abby Johnston
