Willi Carlisle - The Universal Bubba Tour

Willi Carlisle brings material from *The Universal Bubba*, his first double album and sixth release, to Union Stage with Sparrow Smith & the Resonant Rogues. Produced by Tyler Childers, the album was recorded over two weeks in a makeshift New Orleans studio with Childers and his band, creating a broad, adventurous sound rooted in folk while reaching into Americana, Cajun, old-time, funk, and experimental music.

The songs continue Carlisle’s work as a folksinger documenting the humor, hardship, eccentricity, and resilience of everyday people. The set draws on the album’s surreal characters and DIY spirit, including the road-song “Gas Station,” the harmonica-and-banjo anarchist anthem “The Master’s Hammer,” and the expansive two-part title track, which celebrates self-starters, small-town hellraisers, and people who make their own way.

When: November 12, 2026

Showtimes: Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; the show starts at 8:00 p.m. The page lists the event from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Lineup: Willi Carlisle, with Sparrow Smith & the Resonant Rogues

Music: Folk music colored by Americana, Cajun, old-time, funk, and experimental influences. The album also features synthesizers, double electric guitars, fretless 19th-century-style banjo, harmonica, banjo, and three-part harmonies.

Album: The performance features material from *The Universal Bubba*, produced by Tyler Childers. The 17-track album was created through a collaborative, largely improvised process in which Carlisle and Childers’ band developed songs and recorded them in the studio.

Ages: All ages

Tickets: Price not available

Venue: Union Stage, 740 Water Street SW, Washington, DC 20024