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Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass

Tag Archives: Tennessee


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IBMA Bluegrass Live, Late Night at Barrelhouse offering single-day tickets for Oct. 23-24 in Chattanooga, Tennessee

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) World of Bluegrass is just three weeks away, and single-day tickets for IBMA Bluegrass Live! and Late Night at Barrelhouse are available for purchase.

Whether you can only make it Friday, Oct. 23, or Saturday, Oct. 24, you can now pick the day that works best for you and still experience the music and community IBMA World of Bluegrass has to offer.

The lineup for IBMA Bluegrass Live!, presented by Chattanooga Tourism Co., in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, includes performances from Sierra Ferrell, Leftover Salmon, Larry Sparks, Michael Cleveland & Friends, Lindsay Lou presents Bluegrass Women, Lonesome River Band, Della Mae, Jason Carter Band, Special Consensus, Randy Steele & High Cold Wind, Barefoot Nellie & Co. and many more.

IBMA Bluegrass Live! takes on a new shape in 2026, offering fans two unique ways to experience the festival: the ticketed IBMA Bluegrass Live! experience and the free outdoor celebration, Pickin’ in the Park.

IBMA Bluegrass Live! 2026 will feature can’t-miss performances from the artists listed above across The Signal, the Chattanooga Convention Center and Barrelhouse Ballroom. The new format brings fans closer to artists and creates a more consistent experience, rain or shine.

With more intimate venues and a more focused festival experience, tickets will be limited. Fans are encouraged to secure their spot early when tickets go on sale to experience this special weekend of bluegrass music.

This year, attendees can choose between a GA Weekend Pass and a new VIP Weekend Pass designed for fans who want an elevated festival experience. The VIP Weekend Pass includes premium seating at the Chattanooga Convention Center, mezzanine seating at The Signal, access to a dedicated front-section standing area at The Signal, and a dedicated VIP entrance to bypass the line at The Signal, along with pre-sale access for Late Night at Barrelhouse and limited, first come, first served seating.

VIP ticket holders will also receive access to two exclusive Happy Hour receptions held ahead of the evening performances at The Signal, featuring live music, complimentary wine, beer, and whiskey tastings, and light snacks. These VIP-only events will include performances by Randy Steele & High Cold Wind on Friday, October 23, at Stratus Rooftop at Caption and Barefoot Nellie & Co. on Saturday, October 24, at 50/50 Wine + Martini Bar.

The festival will also feature Late Night at Barrelhouse performances at Barrelhouse Ballroom, with appearances from Lonesome River Band and Jason Carter Band. VIP and GA Weekend Pass holders who wish to attend Late Night at Barrelhouse will need to purchase a separate ticket, which will be available soon.

The 2026 festival will also introduce Pickin’ in the Park, in partnership with River City Co., a free outdoor community celebration formerly known as Streetfest. Located in the heart of downtown Chattanooga at Miller Park and Miller Plaza, Pickin’ in the Park will offer two days of live bluegrass music featuring college bands, Kids on Bluegrass participants, and local Chattanooga talent.

The free event will take place Saturday, Oct. 24, and will also include arts and crafts vendors, food, and plenty of space for fans and community members to gather, relax, and enjoy the music. No tickets are required for Pickin’ in the Park, making it an open celebration for bluegrass fans and the Chattanooga community.

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25th anniversary of Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion set for Sept. 11-13

Three Days. Two States. One Reunion in Historic Downtown Bristol, TN‑VA.

 SEPTEMBER 11-13, 2026

Celebrating the legacy of the 1927 Bristol Sessions in the Birthplace of Country Music!

2026 Tickets

Learn more at https://bristolrhythm.com/


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Bonnaro Music & Arts Festival 2026 lineup to feature Skrillex, The Strokes, Rüfüs Du Sol, Noah Kahan, Kesha, and many, many more

Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 5, at 10 a.m. CST

Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival has announced its headliners for the 2026 version of the Tennessee festival set for June 11-14 and they include  The Strokes, Skrillex, Rüfüs Du Sol and Noah Kahan, among others.

A pair of special performances are also set for the Saturday night: a performance led and curated by Kesha dubbed “Superjâm Esoteríca: The Alchemy of Pop” and a “Weird Al” Yankovic show titled Bigger & Weirder Roovue. Others on the bill include Geese, Turnstile, Four Tet, Modest Mouse, Clipse, Alabama Shakes, Teddy Swims, the Neighbourhood, Role Model, Vince Staples, and Blood Orange. The festival is held at the Bonnaroo Farm in Manchester, Tennessee.

Also on the bill are Griz, Japanese Breakfast, Wednesday, Wet Leg, Smino, Zack Fox, the Dare, Rachel Chinouriri, Passion Pit, Amyl and the Sniffers, Osees, Snow Strippers, Freddie Gibbs & the Alchemist, Major Lazer, Yungblud, Fcukers, Holly Humberstone, Boys Noize, Confidence Man, Lil Jon, Mt. Joy, and Yungblud, among others.

To learn more and buy tickets, visit https://www.bonnaroo.com/.


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Moe Bandy honors 45th anniversary of George Jones’ classic with new single ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Country music legend Moe Bandy honors George Jones for the 45th anniversary of “He Stopped Loving Her Today” by releasing his version as the latest single from his upcoming album, “Songs I Missed.”

Written by Bobby Braddock and Curley Putman, the song became a No. 1 hit for Jones in 1980 and was ranked among Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” The single premiered on Feb. 28 on the Dillon Weldon & Drifting Cowboy Podcast and is now available on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Spotify.

Produced by Jimmy Capps, “Songs I Missed” is a collection of Bandy’s renditions of timeless country classics and will be released on May 2, 2025, via StarVista Music.

“Every country singer, if they’re being completely honest, would probably admit they wish they had recorded ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today,’” said Bandy in a press release. “That being said, no one could have delivered it the way George Jones did. The heart and emotion he poured into every note made it truly his own. We can all wish, but that song found its rightful owner. I loved George and wanted to honor him with this tribute.”

One of America’s all-time leading classic country music artists, Bandy’s long string of hits includes “Bandy The Rodeo Clown,” “Hank Williams, You Wrote My Life,” “Till I’m Too Old To Die Young,” “Americana,” “It’s A Cheatin’ Situation,” “Just Good Ol’ Boys,” “Barstool Mountain,” “I Cheated Me Right Out of You,” “I Just Started Hatin’ Cheatin’ Songs Today,” “Rodeo Romeo,” “You Haven’t Heard the Last of Me,” “Holding The Bag” and dozens of other chart-toppers.

Whether writing, recording new songs, or traveling the world performing, Moe has one of the busiest schedules in show business. He has amassed 10 #1 hits, 40 Top Ten hits, and 5 Gold Albums. He has also won the ACM Song of the Year award, the ACM Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year award, the American Video of the Year award, and the ACM and CMA Duet of the Year awards.

Fans can catch up with Bandy on tour in the coming weeks:

MAR 06 – Grand Ole Opry / Nashville, Tenn.
MAR 07 – The Liberty Showcase Theater / Liberty, N.C.
MAR 08 – Old Dominion Barn Dance / Hopewell, Va. (with Joe Stampley)
MAR 09 – Tuck’s Bar / Minor Hill, Tenn.
MAR 13 – Main Street Crossing / Tomball, Texas
MAR 14 – Granbury Live / Granbury, Texas
MAR 15 – Brady Civic Center / Brady, Texas
MAR 22 – Jackson Street Jams / Burnet, Texas
APR 12 – Texas Pride / Adkins, Texas
APR 26 – Smithville Jamboree / Smithville, Texas (with Joe Stampley)
MAY 02 – Blackhawk Creek Grill / Whitehouse, Texas
MAY 03 – Downtown San Saba / San Saba, Texas                
JUN 06 – The Pines Theater / Lufkin, Texas
JUN 07 – 11th Street Cowboy Bar / Bandera, Texas
JUL 18 – Spencer Theater / Alto, N.M.
AUG 22 – Private Event / Kingsport, Tenn.
OCT 09 – Clay Cooper Theater / Branson, Mo.


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Win free tickets to Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival 2025 featuring Luke Combs, Tyler the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, Hozier and many more

Tickets are on sale now for the 2025 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival on June 12-15 at Bonnaroo Manchester Farm in Manchester, Tennessee. The event will feature North Carolina native Luke Combs, Tyler the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, Hozier and many more.

There’s a chance to win free tickets on the VividSeats app at this link.

To purchase tickets and learn more about the festival, visit https://www.bonnaroo.com/


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IBMA announces move to Chattanooga in 2025, Raleigh to host Wide Open Bluegrass Festival

The popular International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) World of Bluegrass annual conference and music festival has announced it is moving to Chattanooga, Tennessee, after a decade in downtown Raleigh thanks to a $25 million incentive from The Volunteer State after this fall.

But that doesn’t mean the Oak City is going to stop hosting a bluegrass festival. Instead, Pinecone announced last fall it would partner with the City of Raleigh to introduce the Raleigh Wide Open Bluegrass Festival, which will debut in downtown Raleigh on Oct. 3-4, 2025.

PineCone, the Raleigh music organization that has coordinated much of the free music at IBMA’s event, plans to resurrect the branding of a previous street festival with the help of the City of Raleigh, the Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau and the State Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The new name is a tribute to a 2005 Raleigh festival that was launched to bring life to downtown at the time, PineCone says.

The goal, organizers say, is that festivalgoers won’t feel like Raleigh Wide Open is a completely new festival. The plan includes a mix of performances along Fayetteville Street and other downtown areas, with sights on keeping it a primarily free event. The festival will focus on bluegrass but will also include genres like Americana, alt-country and other folk music, especially those with North Carolina ties.

For more information, visit https://pinecone.org/


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New release by Annabelle’s Curse reflects our current reality

I don’t know about you, but I turn to art — music, literature, poetry — when I need to escape and my need for escapism is strong at the moment.

If there was ever a song that addresses what’s happening now — nearly 200,000 deaths as a result of the global pandemic and its subsequent destruction of the world economy — it’s a new tune by one of my favorite bands, Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia-based Annabelle’s Curse, staples at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, frequent performers at Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival and a runner-up at FloydFest’s On the Rise Competition, just to name a few.

The band is releasing “Bailout” today. In their words, the song has multiple meanings:  “It addresses the isolation, division and distraction of the current era through a metaphor of a sinking ship and a struggling relationship. It also has political statements laced throughout the final verses.”

The crazy thing about “Bailout” is that it was written long before any of us had heard of COVID-19, coronavirus, “social distancing” or the “new normal” — two phrases I personally hope will soon disappear from our collective vocabularies. 

I talked to Zack Edwards, one of the band’s co-founders, earlier this week and he said at the heart of this complex song, written by another band co-founder Tim Kilbourne, is the double entendre of “dealing with political bailouts as well as dealing with relationships and maintaining them despite going through troubles. We were talking about how weird it is that everyone is getting stimulus checks when the song is being released.”

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OCMS’s Ketch Secor will debut children’s book, ‘Lorraine: The Girl Who Sang the Storm Away,’ on Oct. 2, 2018

You may recognize Ketch Secor as the frontman and founding member of Grand Ole Opry and festival-favorite Old Crow Medicine Show. But did you know that the Grammy-award winner is also an author?

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Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion 2018 celebrates 18 years with OCMS, Railroad Earth, The SteelDrivers, Annabelle’s Curse, and many more Sept. 21-23

Some 45,000 music lovers from all over the world will gather on State Street in historic Downtown Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia for the 18th annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival on Sept. 21-23. The event honors the twin cities’ unique history as the place where the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions were recorded.

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