The Bridge City Sinners

On July 2, 2026, The Bridge City Sinners will perform at SPOT/De Oosterpoort in Groningen. The band from Portland, Oregon pushes traditional folk up against punk while keeping it acoustic: banjo, fiddle, double bass and horns form the driving force. Around singer Libby Lux the collective blends old folk, bluegrass and street jazz into a dark atmosphere they themselves call “death folk.” Their narrative lyrics invert religious motifs, follow marginal characters and flirt with macabre imagery, often with a streak of deadpan humor.

On stage The Bridge City Sinners engage the audience directly, with the loose, mobile feel of a street fanfare and the edge of the punk scene. The set draws from their whole catalogue: from the self-titled debut (2016) and Here’s to the Devil (2019) to Unholy Hymns (2021) and In the Age of Doubt (2023). Tensions between old melodies and raw energy keep things moving: fiddle runs, banjo picks and a pulsing bass, with horns that add color around the edges. Rugged stories, acoustic intensity and group vocals that come just as often from the crowd as from the stage.