If you are a fan of roots, rock, country, bluegrass, blues, old-time, folk and Americana music, then you are already a fan of the annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion held on State Street in Historic Downtown Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia, that celebrates the twin cities’ history as the birthplace of country music. This year’s  17th annual three-day music cornucopia that features 100 live acts across 20 stages is set for Friday, Sept. 15, through Sunday, Sept. 17. 

Headliners include Dwight Yoakam, Judah & the Lion, Jerry Douglas Presents: Earls of Leicester, Son Volt, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Deer Tick and The Infamous Stringdusters.

Why Bristol? Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion pays homage to the important legacy of the 1927 Bristol Sessions and their vast influence every year, but in 2017 a special tribute to the 90th anniversary of the 1927 Bristol Sessions will be included in the schedule, according to a press release.

In 1927 producer Ralph Peer traveled to Bristol to record music from the region for the Victor Talking Machine Company. From July 25 through August 5 of that year, Peer recorded 19 performers and 76 songs. Those now-legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions included the first recordings of The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, along with recordings by Ernest Stoneman, El Watson, Alfred Karnes, Blind Alfred Reed, Ernest Phipps, the Tennessee Mountaineers, and many others. These sessions became known as the “big bang” of country music. Though there were other country music recordings being made at that time, the Bristol Sessions brought country to the mainstream like never before. Besides being a huge commercial success, the 1927 Bristol Sessions were recorded with state-of-the-art “orthophonic” sound technology that also made them stand out from other recordings of that era.

For the 90th anniversary tribute performance, a number of Festival artists will be part of a long set led by Cruz Contreras (The Black Lillies); Jerry Douglas, Elizabeth Cook, Langhorne Slim, Mandolin Orange, Robert Ellis, War & Treaty, Nora Jane Struthers, BJ Barham, Josh Oliver, Christian Lopez, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Annabelle’s Curse and Bill & the Belles will all take part in this once-in-a-lifetime celebration of Bristol’s important music heritage. The 90th Anniversary of the 1927 Bristol Sessions takes place on the State Street Stage on Sunday at 5 p.m.  

During BRRR, Radio Bristol will present Farm & Fun Time featuring Jerry Douglas’s The Earls of Leicester, The Cactus Blossoms and Bill & The Belles.

Click here for a full lineup, schedule, events, shuttle information, tickets and more. 

Following are my 17 reasons (in addition to the amazing lineup of headliners) you shouldn’t miss this year’s event:

1. The 90th Anniversary Tribute to the 1927 Bristol Sessions
2. The SteelDrivers
3. Mandolin Orange
4. Hiss Golden Messenger
5. The Black Lillies
6. Amanda Shires
7. Southern Culture on the Skids
8. The Whiskey Gentry
9. Zach Deputy
10. American Aquarium
11. Billy Strings
12. Front Country
13. Love Canon
14. Annabelle’s Curse
15. 10 String Symphony
16. Tyler Childers
17. Whiskey Shivers

Would love to hear your reasons for attending!