The Birthplace of Country Music

Born in Bristol Film Screenings - Saturday, August 5th
2017-08-05 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York) | VA
Join us for the Bristol Screenings of Born In Bristol
Date: Saturday, August 5, 2017
Times: 11:00 a.m. / 3:00 p.m. / 7:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Film included with Museum Admission
Attendees must purchase museum admission from the link below to reserve a seat at the film. Admission is good for all day; arrive early to tour the museum before the film. Space is limited. Museum members, please contact info@BirthplaceofCountryMusic.org to reserve your seats.
Film Length: 50 minutes
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

About the Film
The Birthplace of Country Music, along with Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Virginia Tourism Corporation, will debut the highly-anticipated film Born in Bristol as part of the 90th anniversary celebration of the 1927 Bristol Sessions. Featuring Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Eric Church, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Marty Stuart, Sheryl Crow, and Doyle Lawson, among others, Born in Bristol is a docudrama that explores the impact of the 1927 Bristol Sessions and it’s lasting influence through artist interviews and visual recreations.
Born in Bristol is a companion piece to the 2015 CD release “Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited,” a re-imagining of the historic 1927 Bristol Sessions by some of the biggest names in the music industry, many of whom appear in the film. “Orthophonic Joy” was produced by multi-Grammy Award-winner Carl Jackson and features an historical narrative by Eddie Stubbs, the voice of the Grand Ole Opry.
Filmed on location in Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia and Nashville, Born in Bristol was produced by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development with support from Virginia Tourism Corporation and directed by Sundance Award-winner Chusy Haney-Jardine of Plan A Films. Born in Bristol received shortlist consideration at the 2016 Cannes International Festival of Creativity.

Trailer for Born in Bristol

Born in Bristol Film Screenings - Sunday, August 6th
2017-08-06 15:00 - 16:00
Join us for the Bristol Screenings of Born In Bristol
Date: Friday, August 4, 2017
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Film included with Museum Admission
Attendees must purchase museum admission from the link below to reserve a seat at the film. Admission is good for all day; arrive early to tour the museum before the film. Space is limited. Museum members, please contact info@BirthplaceofCountryMusic.org to reserve your seats.
Film Length: 50 minutes
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

About the Film
The Birthplace of Country Music, along with Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Virginia Tourism Corporation, will debut the highly-anticipated film Born in Bristol as part of the 90th anniversary celebration of the 1927 Bristol Sessions. Featuring Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Eric Church, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Marty Stuart, Sheryl Crow, and Doyle Lawson, among others, Born in Bristol is a docudrama that explores the impact of the 1927 Bristol Sessions and it’s lasting influence through artist interviews and visual recreations.
Born in Bristol is a companion piece to the 2015 CD release “Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited,” a re-imagining of the historic 1927 Bristol Sessions by some of the biggest names in the music industry, many of whom appear in the film. “Orthophonic Joy” was produced by multi-Grammy Award-winner Carl Jackson and features an historical narrative by Eddie Stubbs, the voice of the Grand Ole Opry.
Filmed on location in Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia and Nashville, Born in Bristol was produced by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development with support from Virginia Tourism Corporation and directed by Sundance Award-winner Chusy Haney-Jardine of Plan A Films. Born in Bristol received shortlist consideration at the 2016 Cannes International Festival of Creativity.
Trailer for Born in Bristol

RTE 23 Music Festival
2017-08-26 17:00 - 22:00
Date: Saturday, August 26, 2017
Time: 5:00 p.m.—10:00 p.m.
Location: University of Virginia’s College at Wise, Wise, VA
FREE EVENT!
The Birthplace of Country Music presents the RTE 23 Music Festival in Wise, Virginia, a free community event with amazing live music, great local food and beverages, and a fun family atmosphere all taking place on the campus of the UVa-Wise. Part of BCM’s mission of music outreach, the RTE 23 Music Festival has grown into one of Southwest Virginia’s favorite community events!
Featuring:
5:30 p.m. – Demon Waffle
7:00 p.m. – The Broadcast
8:30 p.m. – The Marcus King Band

Friends of 1927 Concert Series: Mike Farris
2017-09-07 19:30 - 21:30
Date: Thursday, September 7, 2017
Doors open: 6:30 p.m.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $80 (taxes, fees included)
We predict show will sell out! Don’t wait to buy your tickets!
PURCHASE TICKETS
Thursday, September 7, 2017 the Birthplace of Country Music is proud to present the Friends of 1927 Concert Series featuring the Grammy Award-winning artist Mike Farris.
The Friends of 1927 Concert Series is a unique concert experience where fans have the opportunity to interact with the artists in a relaxed setting over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, all included in the ticket price.
Tickets are made available first to Friends of 1927 for a limited time before opening them up to the public. There is a very limited number of tickets so everyone is encouraged to purchase early.
Ask how you can become a Friend of 1927 and support the Birthplace of Country Music Museum by emailing info@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org or call 423-573-1927.

About Mike Farris
In 2015 Mike Farris became the first artist to receive a Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album for his release Shine for All the People. Known as a powerhouse vocalist with blue-eyed soul, Farris also earned the Americana Music Award and the Dove Award. He has also performed at Bonnaroo, Merlefest, SXSW, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. Artists such as Rodney Crowell, Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin, and Marty Stuart are struck by Mike Farris’ incomparable voice. He has opened for Patti LaBelle, Mavis Staples, Blind Boys of Alabama, Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby. Mike’s spirited soul-gospel fusion also led to an invitation to perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 16th Annual American Music Masters Concert honoring Aretha Franklin. Concert takes place in the Performance Theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

Film Screening - May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers
2017-09-12 19:00 - 21:00
Date: Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Location: Marquee Cinemas – Pinnacle 12
Tickets: $15.00 per person
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

About the Film
Exclusively in theaters for one night only, Oscilloscope Laboratories presents “May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers”
From longtime fans Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio and filmed with extraordinary access over the course of more than two years, “May It Last” is an intimate portrait of the acclaimed North Carolina band The Avett Brothers, charting their decade-and-a-half rise, while chronicling their present-day collaboration with famed producer Rick Rubin on the multi-Grammy-nominated album True Sadness, which was released on American Recordings/Republic Records. With the recording process as a backdrop, the film depicts a lifelong bond and unique creative partnership, as band members undergo marriage, divorce, parenthood, illness, and the challenges of the music business. More than just a music documentary, “May It Last” is a meditation on family, love, and the passage of time.
“May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers” was an Audience Award Winner at the South By Southwest Film Festival in 2017. Visit AvettBrothersFilm.com for more information.

Museum Day Live! at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum
2017-09-23 10:00 - 18:00
DATE: Saturday, September 23, 2017
Time: 10:00 a.m.—6:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
PRINT FREE TICKET
Once again, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum will open its doors free of charge on Saturday, September 23 as part of Smithsonian magazine’s 13th annual Museum Day Live!
With this event, participating museums across the United States emulate the spirit of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington DC-based facilities, which offer free admission every day, and open their doors for free to those who download a Museum Day Live! ticket. Smithsonian recognizes the extraordinary power of museums, and other cultural institutions, to provide visitors with insight and inspiration. The event represents a nationwide commitment to boundless curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge wherever you are. Over 200,000 people downloaded tickets for last year’s event, and this year’s event is expected to attract more museum-goers than ever before.
This year, Museum Day Live! will feature special interactive lesson plans created by Smithsonian in partnership with Microsoft using Minecraft: Education Edition. For this year’s Museum Day Live!, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum will be hosting a variety of fun activities, including:

* Screening the PBS documentary American Experience: Tesla at 1pm in the Performance Theater
* Music performance by Jake Blount and Tatiana Hargreaves at 3pm in the Performance Theater
* Sharing two of the Smithsonian Spark!Lab activity kits in conjunction with our special exhibit Things Come Apart.

Visitors who present the Museum Day Live! ticket at the museum will gain free entrance for two on September 23, 2017 — please note to use Virginia as your state when signing up as that will give you the drop-down menu including the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. One ticket per email address is permitted. For more information about Museum Day Live! 2017 and a full list of participating museums and cultural institutions, please visit here. Tickets will be available for download from August 25, 2017 through September 23, 2017.

Free Film Screening of PBS American Experience: Tesla during Museum Day Live!
2017-09-23 13:00 - 14:15
Date: Saturday, September 23, 2017
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
FREE EVENT! (Please reserve your seat below. You will not be charged.)
RESERVE SEAT
During Museum Day Live! on September 23, 2017, we will offer a free film screening of the PBS documentary American Experience: Tesla at 1:00pm in the museum’s Performance Theater.
Nikola Tesla has come to be seen by many as a tragic figure, a visionary engineer who died impoverished and largely forgotten, eclipsed by names such as Edison and Marconi. A tireless inventor who registered numerous patents and developed many working prototypes, Tesla would become most famous for his dazzling demonstrations of his innovation and creativity. Unfortunately, Tesla the strange wizard and made scientist overtook Tesla the brilliant engineer. That his ideas ricocheted from tangible inventions to projections of a future with head-spinning possibilities only partly explained his ultimate downfall. Yet it was his technology that helped drive the electrical age in the 20th century, and his vision that imagined the wireless world of today. American Experience: Tesla chronicles the life of a man whose ideas revolutionized his time, and ours.
This free film screening is companion programming for our current special exhibit Things Come Apart, which is on display through October 8, 2017. You will need a Museum Day Live! ticket to gain free admission to the museum on September 23; go to our Museum Day Live! event page to download your free ticket for two people.
Film time: Approximately 1 hour

Bluegrass 45 at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum
2017-10-02 19:00 - 21:00
Date: Monday, October 2, 2017
Doors: 6:30 p.m.
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $20
BUY TICKETS
The Birthplace of Country Music is proud to present the internationally celebrated musicianship of Bluegrass 45. More than a band, these six friends from Kobe, Japan have shared 50 years of friendship, musicianship, and a passion for music that has promoted and championed bluegrass as a culture, genre, and lifestyle all over the world.
This is a rare opportunity to see the group in an intimate concert performance at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

About Bluegrass 45
During the late 1800s, music of other countries was celebrated in Japan. Folk songs and dances from around the world were taught to school children and an interest in arts around the globe flourished. But this was before World Wars I & II. This was before the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki. This was before the 2nd Sino Japanese War and the Nanking Massacre. The bomb blasts and violence of war resulted in a great cultural silence. The members of Bluegrass 45 were born into this silence.
Their world was cut off from the imports available to musicians in other countries. Until adopting a more liberal constitution in 1948, American music was illegal. Despite this fact, Josh and Akira Otsuka grew up in a home with a few American LPs. Like the lyrics from “Red River Valley,” one of the first American songs the brothers heard, the war’s prohibition of many imports, including records from other countries, took “away all the sunshine” that had brightened the musical lives of many pre-war Japanese.
Two main factors changed Japanese music in the 1950s: the influx of American G.I.s into the port city of Kobe and the Armed Forces Radio Network. Soldiers from all over the U.S., some who played traditional music, occupied Japan all the way through the 1950’s + 60’s. Access to American pop music opened up a window into popular culture that had previously been closed.
The members of Bluegrass 45 took the music they could now access and became devoted students. This devotion led them to the U.S., their first experiences with bluegrass festivals, and eventually to sharing the stage with Bluegrass + Country names from Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe, and Dr. Ralph Stanley, to Roy Orbison, Merle Haggard, and Roger Miller.
Upon their return to Japan, the members of the band were committed to spreading the message of bluegrass to their own country. Collectively, they are responsible for starting a bluegrass record label, print publication, festival, multiple college bluegrass clubs, and a business employing many musicians and enabling them to tour. The band has not only been playing bluegrass for nearly half a century, but its members are largely responsible for the primary documentation and development of Japanese bluegrass as a whole. A modern embodiment of the much valued sense of Japanese responsibility, each member of Bluegrass 45 has made it his life’s work to pass on a love for bluegrass to future generations of Japanese people in the same way bluegrass songs are passed down through generations of American musicians.

PUSH! Film Festival at the Museum!
2017-10-20 17:00 - 2017-10-22 20:00
This weekend is the PUSH Film Festival here in Historic Downtown Bristol, and the museum is one of the main venues for film screenings! We will be hosting a variety of interesting juried films such as Strange Tales from Appalachia, Calvinist, Albemarle’s Black Classrooms, Forgive–Don’t Forget, Interlude, and several shorts blocks, along with the curated film A Mighty Wind. Other films will be screened at the Paramount Bristol and the Bristol Public Library, and the festival also offers workshops, a party, and late-night events!
Check out the full schedule of screenings, workshops and events, watch trailers, and buy your tickets here: http://www.pushfilmfest.com/.

RTE. 23 Halloween Bash ft. Circus No. 9
2017-10-28 20:00 - 22:00
Dig your roots this Halloween at The Inn at Wise!
Date: Saturday, October 28, 2017
Time: 8:00 p.m. (Doors at 7:00 p.m.)
Location: The Inn at Wise, Wise, Virginia
Tickets: $10 Advance / $15 DOS
BUY TICKETS
The Birthplace of Country Music proudly presents the RTE. 23 Halloween Bash featuring East Tennessee’s own Circus No. 9, one of our region’s finest progressive acoustic acts. Fresh from their stellar performance at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Circus No. 9 showcased at this year’s International Bluegrass Music Association conference and has performed alongside David Grisman, Bryan Sutton, and more. The evening’s festivities will also include a costume party and contest, and great beers and appetizers will be available.
Don your most elaborate costumes and meet us down at The Inn at Wise for the RTE. 23 Halloween Bash in Wise, Virginia October 28!

About Circus No. 9
Based out of East Tennessee, Circus No.9 is a new progressive acoustic group that embraces the influence of bluegrass, jazz, rock, and more. The group has appeared on stage alongside artists including David Grisman, Bryan Sutton, Larry Keel, and more. With awarded musicians Matthew Davis (2016 National Banjo Champion, 2017 Rockygrass Banjo Champion), Thomas Cassell (2016 Rockygrass Mandolin Champion), bassist Vince Ilagan, and guitarist Jed Clark, Circus No.9 is taking the new acoustic scene by force.

Songs Come Apart: A Workshop with Ed Snodderly
2017-11-04 10:00 - 14:00
Date: Saturday, November 4, 2017
Time: 10:00 a.m.―2:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: $50
PURCHASE TICKETS
Join us on Saturday, November 4, 10:00am—2:00pm for Songs Come Apart, a workshop with renowned songwriter Ed Snodderly. Ed will pull apart one of his songs to delve deep into the songwriting craft – looking at the ways lyrics come together, the harmony of the words used, and the way a song changes from inception to final cut. To really get the full benefit of the workshop, participants are encouraged (but not required) to bring their own works in progress, giving you the opportunity to take apart your song and put it back together with Ed’s guidance.
Workshop space is limited to 16 people so register now; the cost of the workshop is $50. If the workshop is full, please email info@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org to be put on a wait list.
About Ed Snodderly
Ed Snodderly is a celebrated musician and songwriter from Johnson City, Tennessee. He uses images from the old and odd Appalachian world and combines them with his own musical backbone to create inspired, original, and beautiful songs. You might think of A. P. Carter with Charles Bukowski meeting up in a diner, and them both falling in love with the same waitress talking with a hillbilly accent and a pierced tongue. Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, and others have recorded Ed’s songs, and he has recorded for Philo, Zu-Zazz, and Sugar Hill Records. The third verse of his song “The Diamond Stream,” is permanently displayed on the wall in the Hall Of Honor at the Country Music Hall Of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. Ed teaches songwriting at East Tennessee State University in the Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country Music Program.

AAME Public Speaker Series: Jack Beck and Wendy Welch
2017-11-07 19:00 - 20:30
The Arts Alliance Mountain Empire’s Public Speaker Series kicks off its fall programming with An Evening of Song and Story with Jack Beck and Wendy Welch on November 7.
Date: Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
FREE EVENT
Scots balladeer Jack Beck (a native of Dunfermline in Scotland) is an honorary life member of the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland and was external examiner in Scots Song for the Degree programme in Scots Music Performance at the prestigious Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow.
Wendy Beck is a storyteller who founded the American Folklore Society’s Storytelling Section and was the former branch secretary of the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland. Her best-selling memoir The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap: A Memoir of Friendship, Community, and the Uncommon Pleasure of a Good Book is now in its fourth printing.
A recent venture for Jack and Wendy is an “infotainment” called “Stranger in This Country” in which Jack and Wendy examine Scots and American versions of the same songs and ballads. This has been performed both in Scotland—twice at the Celtic Connections Festival—and in the United States from South Carolina to New York and all points in between.
The event is free and open to the public; doors open at 6:30 p.m.
The Arts Alliance Mountain Empire (AAME) is a nonprofit arts council serving artists, arts organizations, and other cultural endeavors throughout East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

RTE 23 Listening Room: Matt Martin & Zaq Suarez
2017-12-02 20:00 - 22:00
Presented by the RTE 23 Music Festival, the Listening Room experience is a series of concerts performed in an intimate setting by exciting new talent from the region and beyond.
Date: Saturday, December 2, 2017
Time: 8:00 p.m. (Doors open at 7:00 p.m.)
Location: The Inn at Wise, Wise, Virginia
Tickets: $8 Advance/$10 DOS
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RTE 23 Music Festival presents another stellar Listening Room experience with Matt Martin & Zaq Suarez to The Inn at Wise in beautiful Wise, Virginia.
The Hermit Kings and this mountain have been a consistent presence at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion for the past five years. Matthew Martin (this mountain, Amythyst Kiah & Her Chest of Glass) and Zaq Suarez (Hermit Kings, Tiny Things) seek to finally let you hear their lyrics clearly while carefully avoiding eye contact. Both gentlemen are excited to bring what you’ve heard before, as well as new material, with a more intimate acoustic experience.

PUSH! Film Festival Encore Screening of Forgive–Don’t Forget
2017-12-21 18:00 - 22:00
Join PUSH! Film Festival for an encore screening of the 2017 PUSH! Film Festival Best Feature Film Forgive–Don’t Forget on Thursday, December 21 at 6:00 p.m. at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. The evening will begin with a welcome and cocktails at 6:00 p.m., followed by the film screening at 7:00 p.m. Afterwards filmmaker Brad Bennett will be present for a Q&A and a reception. This event is free and open to the public; however, due to limited seating, an RSVP is required.
Reserve your place here!
About Forgive–Don’t Forget (documentary)
At its core, Forgive–Don’t Forget is about the connection between two very different cultures and the importance of remembrance. When Japan surrendered to the U.S. at the end of World War II, numerous Japanese swords were confiscated and taken back to the States. The Japanese sword, while once a symbol of wartime aggression, is also deeply embedded in Japan’s rich history and spiritual heritage. In order to better understand the past and build a bridge between cultures in the present, an American filmmaker attempts to return one of these surrendered swords to its original owner. Check out the trailer to the film here.
About PUSH! Film Festival
3 Days. 2 States. 1 Film Festival. PUSH! Film Festival, held in Historic Downtown Bristol, TN/VA, is a competitive, 3-day festival and celebration of the cinematic and visual arts. By bringing diverse films to our community and showcasing the best regional filmmakers, PUSH! aims to expand the artistic image of our region, engage new audiences in the world of film, and inspire creativity in all of us. In addition to a diverse variety of curated films, the film festival hosts a competition that devotes categories to Best Tennessee Films and Best Virginia Films (shot in the two states or made by a filmmaker from TN or VA), as well as Best Short and Best Feature (open to all films – local, national, and international) and an Audience Award. Workshops and other educational and networking opportunities for filmmakers and audience members of all ages are also on offer. Films and workshops are held across several venues including the historic, art-deco Paramount Bristol, the Bristol Public Library, and the Smithsonian-affiliated Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

Breaking Up Christmas Concert
2018-01-06 19:00 - 21:00
Join us on Saturday, January 6 at 7pm for a Breaking Up Christmas Concert featuring The New Smokey Valley Boys, The Cabin Creek Boys, and Mountain Park Old Time Band!
Breaking Up Christmas is an old Blue Ridge Mountains tradition where people celebrated the 12 days of Christmas with house parties filled with old-time stringband music and Appalachian cheer. January 6 marks the end of those 12 days, and what better way to say goodbye to the festive season and welcome in the new year than with a night of energetic and entertaining old-time music live in the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Performance Theater and broadcast via Radio Bristol?
This concert program is inspired by the current special exhibit The Luthier’s Craft: Instrument Making Traditions of the Blue Ridge. Several band members are luthiers featured in this exhibit, including Kevin Fore from The New Smokey Valley Boys, Chris Testerman from The Cabin Creek Boys, and Johnny Gentry from the Mountain Park Old Time Band.
Special thanks to Renasant Bank for sponsoring this event.
Tickets for this event are $15 + Virginia admission tax.
Buy your ticket(s) here!
About The New Smokey Valley Boys
The New Smokey Valley Boys are a group of young men who have come together to honor one of-old time music’s greatest string bands: Benton Flippen and the Smokey Valley Boys. The original group based out of Surry County, North Carolina, was led by the late Flippen and Paul Sutphin from the 1970s all the way through to Flippen’s death in 2011. Though various members came and went, the group was known for its hard-driving square dance style and received numerous awards over the decades. Along the way Flippen invited younger folks to be a part of his group, including current members of the New Smokey Valley Boys. Andy Edmonds was a member of the group for 12 years and learned to fiddle directly under the guidance of Flippen. Kevin Fore also played with Flippen for numerous years and provided a solid Round Peak banjo sound for the band. Wes Clifton comes from a long line of musicians, including his legendary grandfather Verlen Clifton; Wes played in the Smokey Valley Boys the last few years of Flippen’s life. Todd Hiatt also comes from a very musical family and adds mandolin to the band in true Surry County fashion. Though these guys have played together for years in various combinations, this group is dedicated to reviving a particular sound that once dominated the old-time scene.
About Mountain Park Old Time Band
Mountain Park Old Time Band was formed 10 years ago as a group of friends who happened to enjoy old-time music getting together to have a good time. Members of the band include Roger Stamper (fiddle & vocals), Dr. Mark Handy (banjo & vocals) Johnny Gentry (guitar, Dobro & vocals) C.T. Janney (Wwashboard & flatfoot dDancer) and Nancy Gentry (bass). The band has been very fortunate to have played at Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, the Carter Fold, the Blue Ridge Music Center, just to name a few. The band plays at the Alleghany Jubilee the second and fifth Saturday of every month, and they have been featured on All Things Considered on NPR for playing at the second longest radio show in the country on WPAQ. They have opened for the bluegrass super group Blue Highway, the Steep Canyon Rangers, and the Carolina Chocolate Drops. They have been the winners of Instrumental Group of the year at the Blue Ridge Uprising in 2013. Mountain Park Old Time Band is known for their dance music whether it be square dance, flat foot, clogging, two step, or waltz. More than anything, they have a great time and it shows in their performances!
About The Cabin Creek Boys
The Cabin Creek Boys play old-time hillbilly music from the mountains of southwest Virginia and northwest North Carolina, performing at area fiddlers conventions, festivals, square dances, and other community events. Led by multi-instrumentalist husband and wife duo Chris and Erika Testerman of Lansing, North Carolina, the band also includes Jackson Cunningham of Grant, Virginia, on guitar; Trish Kilby Fore of Galax, Virginia, on clawhammer banjo; and Jerry Steinberg of Salem, Virginia, on bass.
Chris Testerman was raised in the Whitetop section of Grayson County, Virginia. While attending Mount Rogers Combined School, he became interested in fiddle playing and was a member of the Mount Rogers School String Band. After a lot of hard work, determination, and guidance from mentors Thornton and Emily Spencer, Chris emerged as a strong Whitetop-style fiddler. Chris toured Canada in 2013 and the United Kingdom in 2014 with the Whitetop Mountain Band. Following in the footsteps of another legendary Whitetop fiddler, Albert Hash, Chris also builds fiddles; he learned much of his craft from Audrey Hash Ham and Archie Elmer Powers. Chris also sings harmony for the Cabin Creek Boys in the style of the early Stanley Brothers recordings.
Erika Testerman, originally from Mount Airy, North Carolina, grew up in a musical community and was taught and influenced by well-known Surry County musicians Chester McMillian and Mac and Steve Snow. Erika and Chris teach in the Sparta School’s Junior Appalachian Musicians program and feel it is important to pass on the area’s musical traditions to the younger generation. Many times during the Cabin Creek Boys performances, Erika will lay down her guitar and pick up a fiddle, joining Chris on a few toe-tapping tunes. Erika also brings a real talent for singing to the Cabin Creek Boys.
Jackson Cunningham, from southern Oregon, is no stranger to old-time and bluegrass. He grew up around music and has been playing guitar and singing most of his life. He has toured in many different states and abroad, including England and Australia. Like Chris, Jackson is a luthier and specializes in building guitars and fiddles; he learned most of his techniques from Wayne Henderson, Herb Key, and Audrey Hash Ham. Jackson does most of the lead singing for the Cabin Creek Boys and will happily pull out his mandolin for a tune on occasion.
Born and raised in the Lansing community of Ashe County, Trish Kilby Fore began playing the clawhammer banjo after suffering a knee injury playing softball. Trish was fortunate to be around many good musicians growing up and attended jam sessions and dances with her grandparents. Trish’s banjo playing style was influenced by Emily Spencer, Enoch Rutherford, Harold B. Hausenfluck, and Larry Pennington. In 1997, Trish had the opportunity to tour Germany and France with the old-time band the Farmer’s Daughters. Married to banjo player and maker Kevin Fore, Trish often plays a Round Peak banjo with a Formica checkerboard-design neck that he made for her. Trish also sings a few songs with the Cabin Creek Boys.
Although Jerry Steinberg was not born in Virginia, he got here as quick as he could, and he has made his home in Salem, Virginia, for most of his life. Jerry learned to play the bass in his mid-30s and was lucky to get his start in old time with Kyle Creed and in bluegrass with Ted Lundy. Jerry’s timing is the foundation for the Cabin Creek Boys’ hard-driving, high-energy and danceable beat; Jerry can walk, slap, and chime the bass. A walking encyclopedia of old-time, bluegrass and hillbilly music, Jerry is often sought-out by fellow musicians, academics, and the Bluegrass Unlimited magazine to answer those “hard-to-answer-type” questions.
The Cabin Creek Boys have fun entertaining audiences with their style of traditional music that includes old-time hoedown instrumentals, bluegrass songs, two-step numbers and waltzes, and they love to make people happy with their music.

"SOLD" OUT: An Evening with Jayne Henderson and Wayne Henderson
2018-01-26 19:00 - 21:00
SORRY! THIS FREE EVENT HAS NOW REACHED CAPACITY!
Join us Friday, January 26 at 7pm for an evening of stories and music with luthiers Jayne Henderson and Wayne Henderson. Jayne will give a talk on her road to becoming a luthier, learning from her father Wayne, and the innovations in eco-sustainability she is bringing to the craft. She will also present a brief demonstration showing some of the tools, woods, and techniques she uses. After the talk and demo, Wayne will give a short performance playing some of Jayne’s instruments for the audience.
This program is inspired by the current special exhibit The Luthier’s Craft: Instrument Making Traditions of the Blue Ridge. Both Jayne Henderson and Wayne Henderson are featured in this exhibit.
An Evening with Jayne Henderson and Wayne Henderson is free and open to the public, though there is a suggested donation of $5. Seating is limited so we are asking that people RSVP for the event.
Special thanks to Renasant Bank for sponsoring this event.

RTE 23 Listening Room Concert: Lauren & Jason Morrow of The Whiskey Gentry
2018-02-16 19:00 - 20:30
The Birthplace of Country Music presents the RTE 23 Listening Room with Lauren & Jason Morrow of The Whiskey Gentry!
Date: Friday, February 16, 2018
Time: 7:00 p.m.
(Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $10 Advance/$12 Day of Show
TICKETS
The Birthplace of Country Music proudly presents another exciting edition of the RTE 23 Listening Room Concert Series! Enjoy an incredible night with combined talents of Lauren and Jason Morrow of The Whiskey Gentry—a favorite act of Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion. Lauren and Jason will also be joined by a full band for the special event.
On Friday, February 16 the duo will appear at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Historic Downtown Bristol and they’ll perform at The Inn at Wise in Wise, Virginia on Saturday, February 24th.

About Lauren & Jason Morrow
Formed in 2009 by husband and wife songwriting duo Lauren Staley and Jason Morrow, The Whiskey Gentry sound dwells most generally under the country category, but to stifle them with that label isn’t fair. Lauren Staley’s voice, as thoroughly Americana as any of her folk counterparts, rings as clear as a bell. There’s some honky-tonk in their DNA, a wink at bluegrass, but there’s also a hint of garage rock.
The band’s third studio record, Dead Ringer, was released released in April 2017 on Pitch-A-Tent Records. Recorded at Asheville’s Echo Mountain Studio, the album peaked in the Top 40 of the Americana Music Charts and made many of the year’s “Best Of” lists.

1927 Society Concert: Merlefest on the Road
2018-02-23 18:30 - 21:00
Merlefest on the Road makes a stop at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum for an intimate 1927 Society Concert experience featuring live music from The Way Down Wanderers, The Barefoot Movement, and Andy May. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and adult beverages included.
Date: Friday, February 23, 2018
Doors Open: 6:30 p.m. (Heavy hors d’oeuvres and adult beverages included.)
Concert: Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum (520 Birthplace of Country Music Way, Bristol, VA)
Tickets: $85 (taxes, fees included)

1927 Society Members: Tickets on sale beginning Monday, January 8 – Sunday, January 21. See 1927 Society E-Newsletter for Special Access Code. (E-Newsletter sent on 1/8/2018.)
Public: Tickets on sale to the general public on January 22nd at 10:00 am (EST).

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About Merlefest on the Road
Pre-Festival Shows Give Fans a Sneak Peek of Merlefest 2018
MerleFest, the popular music festival founded by the legendary Doc Watson and presented by Window World, offers music lovers a sneak peek of this spring’s festival when MerleFest On the Road tours throughout the Southeast during March. The tour will feature select artists that will to perform at MerleFest 2018 or have performed previously at the festival: The Way Down Wanderers, The Barefoot Movement and Andy May.

The Way Down Wanderers
Equal parts fast-paced and soulful, 5-piece modern-folk Americana act, The Way Down Wanderers, draw listeners in with energy, originality and soulful generosity. Playing, performing and writing together for just 4 short years, the Wanderers have built an enthusiastic and fast-growing following. Youthful and professionally trained, these young men captivate audiences with soaring instrumentals, foot stomping sing-alongs and a lively stage show and have created a buzz for themselves with their unplugged, off-stage encores. The band’s debut, self-titled album, produced by Mike Marsh of the Avett Brothers and recorded at Sonic Ranch in El Paso TX, is now available wherever music is sold. Front-men and founders, Austin and Collin, met in their hometown of Peoria, IL when they joined the same folk band and embarked on their first tour at the ages of 14 and 18 years old. The two became fast friends and soon began writing music together, ultimately forming The Way Down Wanderers when Collin was 16 and Austin, 20 years old.

The Barefoot Movement
Memorable melodies, lush harmonies, and exciting instrumentation: the music of Nashville, TN’s The Barefoot Movement is made up of all of these things and more. With one shoe-less foot firmly planted in the world of roots music, while the other wanders anywhere from the styles of pop to rock to R&B, their genre busting sound may be hard to define, but it is clearly infectious to anyone who hears it. Centered around the soaring vocals and songwriting of lead singer and fiddler Noah Wall, the band has been touring since 2009, and their most recent release was produced by Chuck Plotkin (Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan) and Hank Linderman (Eagles, America). Heralded by CMT Edge as “one of the most promising bands on the bluegrass scene,” the music remains as down to earth as their intention for members of their audience: sit back, relax, take your shoes off, and stay a while. With crowds teeming with enthusiasm at every performance, and new fans joining the fold across the nation, word is surely spreading and the message is clear: barefoot is better. Won’t you join the movement?

Andy May
Veteran singer/songwriter, mandolinist, and champion guitar picker, Andy May, infuses his songwriting and shows with his trademark creativity, humor, and consummate musicianship. He draws from a deep well of traditional American music and his writing taps into styles from blues to Bluegrass, old-time country to contemporary folk, traditional reels to roots-rock. He often co-writes with his wildlife biologist-Master Gardener-lyricist wife, Lauren, who brings a certain earthiness and wit to their joint efforts.
Andy’s latest album, Room for Roots, has played nationwide on independent Americana and Country Music radio, with multiple original songs charting. The album itself made Roots Music Report’s 2016 Top Americana Country Album Chart.
Also an educator and mentor, Andy has provided performance opportunities for hundreds of young musicians at music festivals for nearly three decades through his beloved Acoustic Kids Showcases. This is his 18th MerleFest.
Johnson added, “We are delighted to showcase some of the finest artists from MerleFest lineups. MerleFest regulars tell us that they can hardly wait for every April to arrive, and now they don’t have to! We believe that the fans who catch a MerleFest On the Road show will be more enthusiastic than ever for the festival in April.”
MerleFest 2018 will take place from April 26 – 29 on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, N.C., where the MerleFest on the Road artists will be joined by Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson, Rodney Crowell, Rhiannon Giddens, Elephant Revival, The Devil Makes Three, a Midnight Jam hosted by Town Mountain and Jim Lauderdale, among many others. The MerleFest website (www.merlefest.org) provides additional information about the festival, including the full released lineup, artists details, and the opportunity to purchase tickets.

RTE 23 Listening Room Concert: Lauren & Jason Morrow of The Whiskey Gentry
2018-02-24 19:00 - 20:30
The Birthplace of Country Music presents the RTE 23 Listening Room with Lauren & Jason Morrow of The Whiskey Gentry at The Inn at Wise in Wise, Virginia.
Date: Saturday, February 24, 2018
Time: 7:00 p.m.
(Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Location: The Inn at Wise, Wise, Virginia
Tickets: $10 Advance/$12 Day of Show
TICKETS
The Birthplace of Country Music proudly presents another exciting edition of the RTE 23 Listening Room Concert Series with the combined talents of Lauren and Jason Morrow of The Whiskey Gentry—a favorite act of Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion. Don’t miss the opportunity to see this amazing couple in a unique and intimate setting! On Saturday, February 24 at 7:00 p.m. the duo will perform at The Inn at Wise in Wise, Virginia.

About Lauren & Jason Morrow
Formed in 2009 by husband and wife songwriting duo Lauren Staley and Jason Morrow, The Whiskey Gentry sound dwells most generally under the country category, but to stifle them with that label isn’t fair. Lauren Staley’s voice, as thoroughly Americana as any of her folk counterparts, rings as clear as a bell. There’s some honky-tonk in their DNA, a wink at bluegrass, but there’s also a hint of garage rock.
The band’s third studio record, Dead Ringer, was released released in April 2017 on Pitch-A-Tent Records. Recorded at Asheville’s Echo Mountain Studio, the album peaked in the Top 40 of the Americana Music Charts and made many of the year’s “Best Of” lists.

Museum Volunteer Training
2018-02-27 15:00 - 18:00
WE WANT YOU TO VOLUNTEER AT THE BIRTHPLACE OF COUNTRY MUSIC MUSEUM!
Volunteers are needed to assist in the galleries on a daily basis, help in archives and collections, provide curatorial research and exhibit assistance, support special events, assist in The Museum Store, and act as docents for guided adult and school tours.
Training is provided at one 3-hour session that provides a detailed introduction to the museum and the volunteer program, including a chance for you to pinpoint your area of interest at the museum and learn more about the ins-and-outs of being a museum volunteer.
We will be holding our next volunteer training session on Tuesday, February 27, 3:00 to 6:00pm.
As a volunteer, you will also have many opportunities for continuing learning and training at the museum. Most of all, you will have fun as part of the volunteer team!
For more information on becoming a museum volunteer and to register your interest in these training sessions, contact us at 423-573-1927.

Call for Entries for Photograph Exhibit
2018-04-05 08:00 - 2018-04-24 17:00
DEADLINE EXTENDED to Tuesday, April 24!
Later this year the Birthplace of Country Music Museum will host a new special exhibit Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Through Your Eyes, and it will feature photographs from Bristol Rhythm fans and festivalgoers. The juried exhibit will be created in-house by the museum’s curatorial team, based on photographs taken at any Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion from its beginnings in 2000 to the most recent festival in 2017.
Photographs can include shots from all aspects of the festival from the performances on stage and buskers on the street to people enjoying the festival atmosphere to the variety of activities on offer such as Children’s Day or jam workshops. All images will be judged by professional photographers Neil Staples, Jay Phyfer, and Billie Wheeler, former Virginia Intermont professors and alumni, all of whom have worked at the festival and other BCM music events. Photographs will be judged and chosen on the basis of quality and content. The chosen images will then be included and credited in the special exhibit on a series of designed panels.
The exhibit is set to open in the Special Exhibits Gallery of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum mid-August 2018 and it will be on display through October 21, 2018.
The museum has created specific guidelines for photograph submissions, and these can be found here or requested via email at info@BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org or phone at 423-573-1927. Anyone is eligible to enter, regardless of amateur or professional status, residence, or age; however, individuals under the age of 18 will be requested to provide written parental/guardian consent should their work be selected.
Entries to the juried photograph show open on March 22, 2018, and all entries must be submitted by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, April 24.

Strong Mountain Women: How Ballads Power People – Songs and Stories from the Appalachian Collections of Cecil Sharp, Maud Karpeles, and Olive Dame Campbell
2018-04-06 19:00 - 20:30
Join us on Friday, April 6 at 7pm in the museum’s Performance Theater for “Strong Mountain Women: How Ballads Power People – Songs and Stories from the Appalachian Collections of Cecil Sharp, Maud Karpeles, and Olive Dame Campbell.”
From 1916 to 1918, English ballad collector Cecil Sharp traveled the Appalachian region to document variants of ballad songs and photographed some of the singers who shared their music. The special exhibit – The Appalachian Photographs of Cecil Sharp, 1916 to 1918 – highlights 26 rare photographs that offer a stunning window into the lives of Appalachian people of the period. This exhibit will be on display at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum from March 17 to May 31, 2018.
This related program will feature a talk by Donald Hughes, exhibit curator, and a performance by eighth-generation North Carolina ballad singer and storyteller Donna Ray Norton. Norton is one of the artists on the 2017 Grammy-nominated recording Big Bend Killing: The Appalachian Ballad Tradition, a two-disc set that features a number of performers, including Roseanne Cash and Sheila Kay Adams.
The Appalachian Photographs of Cecil Sharp, 1916 to 1918 is on loan from the Country Dance and Song Society, with permission of the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
For more information about the exhibit, go to www.cecilsharpinappalachia.org.
The program starts at 7:00pm; doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets for the “Strong Mountain Women: How Ballads Power People” program are $5.
Buy Tickets Here

RTE 23 Listening Room Concert: Folk Soul Revival
2018-04-07 19:30 - 21:00
The Birthplace of Country Music presents the RTE 23 Listening Room with Folk Soul Revival at the Park Avenue Theater in Norton, Virginia.
Date: Saturday, April 7, 2018
Time: 7:30 p.m.
(Doors Open at 7:00 p.m.)
Location: Park Avenue Theater in Norton, VA
Tickets: $15 Advance/$20 Door
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About Folk Soul Revival
FOLK SOUL REVIVAL is one of southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee’s most beloved and sought after acts. Performing original roots-rock, the quintet’s distinct, radio-ready sound and back-porch instrumentation have garnered success with high profile gigs opening for the likes of Travis Tritt, Jason Isbell, Eric Church, Justin Townes Earle, Dr. Ralph Stanley, and more. FSR’s loyal fan base, fondly referred to as “The Congregation,” consistently packs sold out shows across the southeast while singing along with the band word for word.
FSR is a mainstay act at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion which boasts more than 60,000 attendees. The band has also performed at Floydfest and are among the best-selling acts to perform at the legendary Carter Family Fold and The Down Home.

RTE 23 Music Festival
2018-05-01 17:00 - 22:00
The New Respects, Cordovas, and Young Mister slated to perform at the RTE 23 Music Festival coming to the campus of UVa-Wise August 25, 2018.
Date: Saturday, August 25, 2018
Time: 5:00 p.m.—10:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
FREE EVENT
It’s the 5th anniversary of the RTE 23 Music Festival and BCM will once again bring this amazing event to the campus of the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.
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Visit RTE23MusicFestival.com for more information.

Museum Volunteer Training
2018-06-02 09:00 - 12:00
WE WANT YOU TO VOLUNTEER AT THE BIRTHPLACE OF COUNTRY MUSIC MUSEUM!
Volunteers are needed to assist in the galleries on a daily basis, help in archives and collections, provide curatorial research and exhibit assistance, support special events, assist in The Museum Store, and act as docents for guided adult and school tours.
Training is provided at one 3-hour session that provides a detailed introduction to the museum and the volunteer program, including a chance for you to pinpoint your area of interest at the museum and learn more about the ins-and-outs of being a museum volunteer.
We will be holding our next volunteer training session on Saturday, June 2, 9am–12 noon. This Saturday training is open to anyone, but it is also the perfect opportunity for those interested in volunteering who are only free on the weekends!
As a volunteer, you will also have many opportunities for continuing learning and training at the museum. Most of all, you will have fun as part of the volunteer team!
For more information on becoming a museum volunteer and to register your interest in these training sessions, contact us by email at volunteercoordinator@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org or by phone at 423-573-1927.

RTE 23 Listening Room: Saw Black
2018-06-08 20:00 - 22:00
The Birthplace of Country Music presents the RTE 23 Listening Room with Richmond, Virginia’s own Saw Black at Gather in Wise, Virginia!
Date: Friday, June 8, 2018
Time: 8:00 p.m.
(Doors open at 7:30 p.m.)
Location: Gather, 411 East Main Street, Wise, Virginia 24293
Tickets: $10 Advance/$12 Day of Show
TICKETS
The Birthplace of Country Music proudly presents another exciting edition of the RTE 23 Listening Room concert Series! Enjoy a night with Saw Black and get a sneak preview of the band also scheduled to perform at this year’s Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival!

About Saw Black
Saw Black reaches higher with Water Tower, a fitting follow up to his basement gem Azalea Days. Water Tower expands on the self-reflective nature of Azalea Days but brings a bigger band and a higher production value to the table. With 14 songs, this collage of sounds and short pop-structured songs chronicles Saw’s year of touring, songwriting, and learning how to love again. Recorded between three separate studios with three different line-ups, Water Tower comes together as an American record about writing records and music.
What does it mean to be a person who plays guitar and sings songs about life and love? Saw confronts these questions as a common thread on his second effort. An art handler by trade, Saw Black is also producer and co-owner of Crystal Pistol Records. He began playing music when his grandfather, a jazz piano player, gave him an electric guitar at the age of 11. Now 29 and having taken on every role within the recording process, he presses onward and upward. Water Tower is out via WarHen Records in collaboration with Crystal Pistol Records.

Terry Baucom's Dukes of Drive
2018-06-11 19:00 - 20:00
The Birthplace of Country Music proudly hosts Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive as part of The Crooked Road’s Mountains of Music Homecoming!
Date: Monday, June 11, 2018
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Please note the 9:00 p.m. show has been cancelled.

Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $20 Adults, $10 Children 12 and under
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About Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive
A native of Monroe, North Carolina, Terry Baucom has enjoyed a career in music that started in 1970 with Charlie Moore and continued over the years as a founding member of ground breaking bands like Boone Creek (with Ricky Skaggs and Jerry Douglas), Doyle Lawson &
Quicksilver, IIIrd Tyme Out and more. Winner of the 2013 IBMA Recorded Event of the Year for “What’ll I Do,” Baucom currently tours with his own band, Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive.
His single “The Rock” finished 2015 as Bluegrass radio’s most played song on the Bluegrass Today chart. The band’s current Top 10 single “Around The Corner” is recieving heavy national and international airplay. In 2008, Deering Banjos introduced the Terry Baucom Signature model banjo, while the Dunlop company also uses Baucom as an endorser, offering Terry Baucom custom sets of banjo strings. A testament to his influence is evident when you listen to countless younger generation banjo players who use Baucom signature licks and emulate his driving technique. In addition to playing on numerous recording sessions and producing instructional materials, Baucom teaches banjo, both privately and in camp and workshop settings.
The Dukes of Drive consists of Joey Lemons from King, North Carolina, on mandolin and vocals; Will Jones of Cana, Virginia, on guitar and vocals; and Joe Hannabach of Pfafftown, North Carolina on bass.

1927 Society Concert: Paul Thorn - SOLD OUT!
2018-06-23 19:30 - 21:00
Upon great demand, the Birthplace of Country Music proudly presents the return of Paul Thorn for a very special 1927 Society Concert experience.
Date: Saturday, June 23, 2018
Time: 7:30 p.m.
(Doors Open at 6:30 p.m.)
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: Event is SOLD OUT!

About Paul Thorn
Raised in Tupelo, Mississippi, among the same spirits (and some of the actual people) who nurtured the young Elvis generations before, Paul Thorn has rambled down back roads, battled four-time world champion boxer Roberto Duran on national television, signed with and been dropped by a major label, performed on stages with Bonnie Raitt, Mark Knopfler, Sting, and John Prine among many others, and made some of the most emotionally restless yet relatable music of our time. With 20 years of writing, touring, and entertaining under his belt, he shows no sign of slowing down with his new record, Don’t Let the Devil Ride, on the horizon.

Love Canon Album Release Concert - SOLD OUT
2018-07-03 19:30 - 21:30
This event is SOLD OUT!
The Birthplace of Country Music is proud to welcome Love Canon on Tuesday, July 3 at 7:00 p.m. to debut their new album, COVER STORY: A Journey Through Music’s Great Decade, in the Performance Theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
Show begins at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20.00
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS
About Love Cannon
LOVE CANON brings their acoustic-roots sensibilities to the electronic-tinged pop hits of the 80’s and 90’s to create Cover Story, their 4th album, due out on Organic Records in July 2018. With Cover Story, LOVE CANON delivers a fresh set of classics, crossing genres to recount music of decades past from the likes of Peter Gabriel, Billy Joel, Depeche Mode, and Paul Simon. The self-produced album hosts a plethora of special guests including Jerry Douglas, Aoife O’Donovan, Keller Williams, Michael Cleveland, and Eric Krasno, among others.
The band’s diehard fans are music lovers first and are drawn to the charismatic and wide-ranging vocal stylings of lead singer and guitarist Jesse Harper matched with banjo master Adam Larrabee, mandolin pickin’ by Andy Thacker, Darrell Muller holding down the low-end on standup bass, and the slick sounds of resonator guitar king Jay Starling on the Beard MA-6. It’s acoustic rock! Acclaimed fiddler Alex Hargreaves [Turtle Island Quartet, Sarah Jarosz] does all of the fiddling on this record with the exception of two tracks, and he occasionally joins them on tour.
As seasoned virtuoso string players who have been touring the mid-Atlantic since 2010, LOVE CANON stays true to the approach, arrangements, and keen artistry of these nostalgic hits. Cover Story was engineered by Rob Evans at Dave Matthews Band’s Haunted Hollow Studio in LOVE CANON’s hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia and mixed by Wayne Pooley, Bruce Hornsby’s Engineer/Producer. Cover Story is a follow up to the band’s previous efforts, Greatest Hits Volumes 1-3.
Website: http://www.lovecanonmusic.com/

Monthly Community Jam!
2018-07-21 14:00 - 17:00
Calling all musicians! Join us at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum for a full-on community jam session!

Date: Saturday, July 21, 2018
Time: 2:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is now hosting a monthly gathering of local musicians for a full-on community jam session! The jam events have been organized to provide a space for local musicians to gather and pick, collaborate, share their experiences, and—most importantly—to have fun. These free jams are open to all ages and all skill levels; those interested in just coming along to listen to good music are also welcome!
Jams will be scheduled for the third Saturday of each month from 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m., serving as a great warm-up for Saturday night gigs! Musicians are asked to bring their own instruments.
The sessions will be held in the Learning Center at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
For more information call 423-573-1927.
