St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow and in honor of the holiday, we’re featuring a great tune by Four Leaf Peat, East Tennessee’s premier Traditional Irish Band! The group, made up of Chad Beauchaine, Gil Draper, Rick Hall, and Jason Herrera, has been playing together for more than ten years.

Music in the traditional Irish style includes lively dance tunes and soulful ballads. Four Leaf Peat’s shows combine tradition with the culture and influences of East Tennessee. In fact, the band’s unique sound comes from its members and their wide range of musical backgrounds. Four Leaf Peat is our featured performer on the Blue Plate Special this Thursday, March 17th. Plus, they’ll also be playing Thursday night in a St. Patricks’ Day Celebration at The Square Room.

We hope you enjoy this spirited performance of Welcome Poor Paddy Home (recorded live at Rhythm N’ Blooms in 2014). Video courtesy of LiveandBreathing.

And in the meantime, we also hope you enjoy this week’s spirited beverage recipe, which incorporates the luck of the Irish.

This is the latest in our blog series, A Song & A Sip, which is brought to you in part from our friends at Sugarlands Distilling Company.

Each week, they share a great drink recipe as part of their #WhatToDrinkWednesday, and we thought it would be fun to pair the drinks with an amazing music performance.

Nobody knows for sure when the word “bluegrass” was first used to describe the old time mountain hillbilly music of our region. Most believe that this music was first called bluegrass in the 1950s, and probably had everything to do with Bill Monroe, whose band the Blue Grass Boys made it popular. Monroe, who named his band in honor of his home state of Kentucky (the Bluegrass State), is known as the father of bluegrass.

Lots of musicians have followed in Monroe’s footsteps and embraced bluegrass music, but two of the most acclaimed modern bluegrass bands are The Gibson Brothers and the Lonesome River Band.

These incredible performers are some of the most respected names in bluegrass. The Gibson Brothers were voted Entertainers of the Year at the IBMA World of Bluegrass awards show in 2012 and 2013. It wasn’t long before they signed to Rounder Records and released their acclaimed “Brotherhood” album.

The Lonesome River Band is led by five-time International Bluegrass Music Association Banjo Player of the Year and Virginia County Music Hall of Famer Sammy Shelor. The band’s most recent release “Turn on a Dime” was nominated for the 2016 SPBGMA awards.

Both incredible groups will take the stage at our World Class Bluegrass series, Friday, March 11th at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the Tennessee Theatre box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at KnoxBijou.com and by phone at 865-684-1200. The World Class Bluegrass series is a production of WDVX and the Knoxville Americana Music Foundation.

What is it about the way our favorite music makes us feel? Science has shown that when we listen to our favorite songs, all sorts of things happen to change our biological make-up, even our skin’s ability to conduct electricity.

If you don’t believe us, just attend Friday’s World Class Bluegrass show. Try not to feel something when these amazing musicians take the stage.

And in the meantime, enjoy this week’s spirited beverage recipe, which also happens to be electric in its own right.

This is the latest in our new blog series, A Song & A Sip, which is brought to you in part from our friends at Sugarlands Distilling Company.

Each week, they share a great drink recipe as part of their #WhatToDrinkWednesday, and we thought it would be fun to pair the drinks with an amazing music performance.

The music of Alcoa, Tennessee native Scott McMahan has been called honest and direct. His songs are about longing, loss, and the hope of redemption. His warm, gritty baritone is at times weary and emotion-laced, bringing to mind artists like Otis Redding and Van Morrison.

We’re excited to welcome Scott to the WDVX stage for our March 2016 First Friday show. Join us at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 4th. Below, you can get an early listen to one of the songs on Scott’s new album, “Songs For My Muse” set to release in Spring 2016.

There’s nothing like listening to some great music, while enjoying a spirited beverage.

We’re excited to share the latest in our new blog series, A Song & A Sip, which is brought to you in part from our friends at Sugarlands Distilling Company. Each week, they share a great drink recipe as part of their #WhatToDrinkWednesday, and we thought it would be fun to pair the drinks with an amazing music performance.

Just like the music of Scott McMahan, this week’s drink recipe incorporates something familiar with a new twist.

Thyme in the Clouds

1 oz Silver Cloud Moonshine

1 oz Old Fashioned Lemonade Moonshine

1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

2 Sprigs of Thyme

3 oz of Soda

6 oz Lemon Lime Soda

Place first 4 ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake well, don’t strain but pour in highball. Add more ice. Top with sodas and garnish with a lemon squeeze and sprig of thyme.

Knoxville’s own newfangled string band Red Shoes & Rosin takes inspiration from old-time, traditional and folk music as well as old houses, home-cooked food, odd jobs and weird neighbors. This performance, from Rhythm & Blooms 2013, features the groups’s “Don’t Throw Sticks.”

These southern ladies might look sweet, but they are tough as nails. You can hear their tunes on WDVX, and look for them to perform at the upcoming Meadow Lark Music Festival, June 25, 2016.

There’s nothing like listening to some incredible music, while enjoying a spirited beverage.

We’re excited to share this new blog series, A Song & A Sip, which is brought to you in part from our friends at Sugarlands Distilling Company. Each week, they share a great drink recipe as part of their #WhatToDrinkWednesday, and we thought it would be fun to pair the drinks with an amazing music performance.

Just like the ladies of Red Shoes & Rosin, this week’s drink recipe is sweet, but strong.

The Shirley Tom

1.25 oz Jim Toms Unaged Rye
.75 oz Triple Sec
5 oz Cherry Soda

Build ingredients over ice. Garnish with an orange twist and maraschino cherry. Enjoy!