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About the Event
In partnership with The Bluegrass Situation, Metro Art presents the debut of Roots and Rails at Union Station, a first-of-its-kind bluegrass experience set in the station’s iconic Ticket Concourse. The free, open-to-all concert will take place Saturday, May 2, 2026 from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM, with doors opening at 6:30 PM. The evening will feature Watkins Family Hour, with supporting sets from Sunny War and Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, bringing a memorable night of live music, storytelling, and community to the heart of downtown Los Angeles.
This event is free for all ages and open to the public. RSVP to learn more. Tickets are not required and seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The first 40 visitors to present their TAP cards at the Metro Art info table will receive free Metro Art swag!
Evening Schedule
- 6:30 PM – Doors Open
- 7:00 PM – Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band
- 7:45 PM – Sunny War
- 8:45 PM – Watkins Family Hour
- 10:00 PM – Event Concludes
Go Metro and see art along the way! Los Angeles Union Station is accessible via Metro Rail, Metro Bus, Metro Bike Share, Metrolink, Amtrak, and several municipal bus lines. Take the Metro A, B, D, or J Line directly to Union Station. Plan your trip using the Transit app, the trip planner at metro.net, or by calling 323.GO.METRO.
Park at Union Station East or West garages, starting at $8.
About the Artists
Watkins Family Hour
Watkins Family Hour is a musical collective led by siblings Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins, born from their long-running residency at Largo. Since its debut in 2002, the project has evolved from an intimate live series into a celebrated recording outfit, with three albums: Watkins Family Hour (2015), Brother Sister (2020), and Vol. II (2022). Recorded at East West Studios, Vol. II features an eclectic lineup of collaborators, including Fiona Apple, Jackson Browne, and Madison Cunningham, highlighting the project’s collaborative spirit and rich musical range. Alongside their work with Nickel Creek and I’m With Her, Watkins Family Hour remains a creative home: an evolving space to experiment, connect, and share in the joy of making music.
Sunny War
Sunny War (Sydney Ward) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist whose music blends folk, punk, blues, and roots. After moving into her late father’s 100-year-old house in Chattanooga, she spent the winter “seeing things and hearing things,” an experience that inspired songs like “Ghosts” on Armageddon in a Summer Dress. Born in Nashville and raised between there and Rochester, Michigan, she picked up the guitar at 13 and eventually relocated to California, adopting the performing name Sunny War. She records demos herself—guitar, bass, drum loops, keyboards—experimenting with textures and crossing musical boundaries. Touring extensively after her 2022 breakthrough Anarchist Gospel, Sunny continues to showcase her evolving style and voice.
Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band
Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band plays a unique mix of bluegrass, Dawg music, jazz, and modern originals. Widely recognized as one of the most exciting young bands in acoustic music, Brothers Miles and Teo Quale, bassist Andrew Osborn, and 2023 National Flat Pick Guitar Champion Ian Ly are all standout musicians of the California bluegrass scene. The band has earned the IBMA’s Momentum Band of the Year award (2023), debuted at the Grand Ole Opry (2024), and performed for the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame’s induction of their hero, David Grisman. They’ve graced the stages of major festivals including Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Strawberry, Delfest, and IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, and have toured internationally in Japan, Korea, Finland, and France. The band has released five albums, most recently I Still Remember June (2024) after signing on with Engelhardt Music Group, and have performed on TEDTalk twice.
About The Bluegrass Situation
BGS (also known as The Bluegrass Situation) is the world’s largest community for American roots music, culture, and lifestyle. Co-founded by lifelong music fan Ed Helms (The Office; The Hangover) and executive director Amy Reitnouer Jacobs in 2012, what began as a blog for like-minded Angelenos pining for bluegrass in Southern California has grown over more than a decade to become an international standard-bearer for every branch and offshoot of the roots music family tree. In 2023, BGS created Good Country, an sister brand and outlet focusing on all strains of contemporary and classic country music.
BGS proudly represents a unique gathering place: supporting and uplifting the rich, diverse, and varied history of these musics – and the artists and fans who keep them alive – while striding forward with a vision to transform these traditions into a 21st century lifestyle open to all. BGS and Good Country are Roots Culture Redefined. www.thebluegrasssituation.com