Top 5 moments from the 2026 High Water Festival

After nearly a decade of scheduling conflicts and near misses, 2026 marked the Stages team’s first time at the High Water Festival in North Charleston, S.C.’s Riverfront Park — and it won’t be our last. 

Run with military precision that ironically made the whole thing super relaxing, the two days of high quality music were a pleasure to experience and the waterside setting added welcome layer of natural beauty. Against sizzling heat on April 18 and downright chilly temps the following night, a compelling mix of established and rising stars captivated attendees from a pair of stages, and here’s what stood out to us:

Peach Pit kicks out the jams

Closing out Night Two on the secondary Edisto Stage right after Sheryl Crow wrapped up on the larger Stono, the Vancouver rockers made a magnificent case that they, not Caamp, should have been the final act on the premier space. No matter — the quintet entertained a raucous crowd that produced some of the most passionate and sustained cheers of the weekend. 

Chris Vanderkooy’s rollicking guitar solos, frequently accompanied by high leg kicks as he pinwheeled across the boards, made such reactions second nature. But it was the band’s overall high energy in tandem with Neil Smith’s confident, catchy vocals that kept everyone rapt for the full 75-minute set.

My Morning Jacket (Photo by Micah Rogers)

My Morning Jacket stresses quality over quantity

Festival MMJ is the best MMJ, and as with its focused set at the Hopscotch Music Festival in September, Jim James & Co. proved yet again that a sub-two-hour performance is their sweet spot that still allows for plenty of room to show off their prodigious powers.

Dreams of Brittany Howard joining the band for background vocals on a track or two from The Waterfall went unfulfilled, though that magical pairing would have merely been a bonus on an already impressive block of music. From the surprising opening choice of James’ hypnotic solo piece “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)” to the crescendos of “Wordless Chorus,” the group showed fans and fellow artists alike what “short” sets can accomplish if you know how to work them properly.

Alabama Shakes (Photo by Micah Rogers)

Alabama Shakes make a triumphant return

Playing a truncated, encore-free version of the set that they performed the night before at Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville, Brittany Howard and her band appeared firmly in sync after reuniting for regular shows in 2025 following a near eight-year hiatus. As such, they played about what one would expect for a group with two albums to its name, and perhaps lacked the spontaneity and looseness of an outfit with their experience.

All that to say it was still a world-class display of music, anchored by one of the most charismatic and presence-rich figures in the industry. With recent single “Time” hinting at more music to come, the Shakes’ set lists could become far less predictable very soon — an exciting prospect indeed.

Sheryl Crow (Photo by Micah Rogers)

Sheryl Crow adjusts her crown

The singer/songwriter probably has another great album or four in her, but 30-plus years into her illustrious career she’s more than earned the right to simply play the hits — which is what most folks want from a festival set anyway. 

And so, over the course of a criminally short 75-minute showcase, Crow reminded the assembled just how good her songbook is, inciting some of the most heartfelt singalongs of the weekend. Alongside such “expected” inclusions as “Strong Enough” and “Soak Up the Sun,” the inclusion of “Real Gone” from the 20-year-old Cars soundtrack was a pleasant surprise (and instantly lit up the Rogers’ four-year-old son, Theo, who’d recognize a song from his favorite movie anywhere).

After “Every Day is a Winding Road” closed things out and the masses shifted to Edisto, Peach Pit vocalist Neil Smith used their first song-break to note that his band sang along to “If It Makes You Happy” from across the park and called it one of the all-time great songs. No argument here.

Jesse Welles (Photo by Micah Rogers)

Jesse Welles earns the spotlight

A new-to-us but exciting voice in modern music, there was nevertheless some doubt in our camp that someone known for Tiktok and YouTube protest songs had enough material for a set on The Big Stage.

We were happy to be proven wrong. The fiery, long-haired ginger delivered a tremendous full-band sound, elevated by impressive solo guitar rips from Welles himself and intelligent covers of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” and CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” It will be a pleasure to welcome him and his bandmates to Asheville Yards on July 25.

Watchhouse (Photo by Micah Rogers)

Honorable Mention

• Watchhouse — Strange as it was seeing the visually static Chapel Hill string band dwarfed by the GIANT Stono stage, Emily Frantz, Andrew Marlin & Co. proved early and often that they sonically belong in such an environment. It might have been the most crisp-sounding set of the entire weekend.

• Penny & Sparrow and hey, nothing — High Water doesn’t publicize itself as a comedy festival, but if it keeps booking delightfully cheeky musical acts, it might want to reconsider. During consecutive early afternoon slots on Sunday, these two groups’ banter kept attendees howling and made Day Two feel extra special.

• Lake Street Dive — A practically ideal pick for late afternoon Saturday, the soul rockers delivered a quick, hour-long party of a set with the magnetic Rachael Price’s high-energy vocals matched by a passionate horn section.

• Bruce Hornsby — Fresh off the release of his critically acclaimed new album Indigo Park, the piano man and his gifted ensemble expertly melded work from across his career, blurring timelines to the point that “The Way It Is” sounded as fresh as ever.

(Peach Pit photo by Micah Rogers)