A Song & A Sip – Smiley and the Lovedawg

Mark your calendar for the 2016 Bob Dylan Birthday Bash, June 3rd at 5 p.m. on Knoxville’s Market Square. One performance you won’t want to miss is Smiley and the Lovedawg!

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Smiley and the Lovedawg is made up of band members Chris Durman, Leslie Gengozian, and Steve White. Steve and Chris have been playing together for 35 years now, but say they feel like that time has flown by. They both hail from Morristown, Tennessee, and started playing around campfires at parties and down by the lake when Chris was in high school and Steve had recently graduated.

The guys started calling themselves Smiley and the Lovedawg about 17 years ago. Leslie Gengozian started playing with them about 12 years ago and they consider her a great fit and complement to their sound and their group.

Steve and Chris first played at WDVX when the station was still in the camper and they have been back many times over the years!

All members of Smiley and the Lovedawg are also in the band Exit 65. Chris says they’re fine-tuning the songs for a new CD at present and hope to record during it during Exit 65’s thirtieth year.

This week’s Song, “Breakfast,” comes from their first CD, Chris Durman and Steve White “Smiley and the Lovedawg.” Through quirky lyrics and a catchy melody, this tune offers everything you love about this local fan favorite.

This is the latest in our blog series, A Song & A Sip, 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 Smiley and the Lovedawg, this week’s Sip is a fan favorite recipe as well, often enjoyed at music festivals.
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Blackberry Sunset:
3 oz Blockader’s Blackberry Moonshine
3 oz Pineapple Juice
2 oz Club Soda
Dash of Cayenne Pepper
Pineapple to garnish
Blackberry to garnish
Build ingredients over ice. Add garnish and top with a dash of Cayene Pepper.

Win 2 Tickets to Christopher Paul Stelling Secret Show from WDVX & Knoxville Music Warehouse

Last Friday WDVX (along with Knoxville Music Warehouse) gave our email subscribers the chance to win 2 tickets to the Christopher Paul Stelling Secret Show May 15th. Congratulations to Ken S. for winning!

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For those who weren’t signed up before now, don’t despair!

You STILL have a chance to win a pair of tickets from WDVX and Knoxville Music Warehouse to the Christopher Paul Stelling Secret Show on May 15th in Knoxville.

Enter below for your chance to win!

Want to be in the know about future giveaways like this for tickets, merchandise and other cool prizes?

Make sure you are signed up for WDVX’s email newsletter and don’t forget to check your email each week to find out about the latest giveaways and other exciting news. We’ll never spam you or fill up your inbox with junk, we promise!

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Bullet Backstory – Steve Horton

Image via Bill Foster Photography – billfosterphotos.com

Bullet Backstory is a new series we’ve started here on the WDVX blog. It shares bullet point facts to provide some backstory about a person in his or her own words. For this edition of “Bullet Backstory” we sat down with Steve Horton, founder of the Bob Dylan’s Birthday Bash.

  • When did the Birthday Bash become a fundraiser for WDVX? Bob Dylan’s Birthday Bash hooked up with WDVX in 2009, the fifth year of the event.  I spoke with Roger Harb and asked if the station might be interested.  He talked with Tony Lawson and they agreed to move forward.
  • What made you want to get involved with the radio station? Why do you like supporting it? WDVX is the only station in the area that explores roots music…folk, bluegrass, blues, Americana.  They are unique.
  • What are your biggest musical influences? I was lit up by “folk music.”  As a friend of mine says, “the folk scare” of the sixties made me aware of music beyond the Perry Como and Tennessee Ernie Ford albums my parents listened to. Folk music introduced me to blues, bluegrass, mountain music, Cajun…the core of what makes up Americana today.
  • What advice do you have for young musicians who are trying to hone their craft? 
    Practice? Sure. But don’t forget to have Fun! And listen to Everything!
  • What’s your favorite thing to do in Knoxville? Go out and hear live music.  if you can’t stay out late, there’s always the Blue Plate Special at lunchtime.
  • What’s different about this year’s Bash? They are the youngest artists we’ve had in the lineup.  I think they’re 14.  Getting young artists involved has been a consideration from the beginning.  At the first Dylan’s BD Bash in 2007 at the Laurel Theater, Dana Paul brought his sons with him…the youngest was 18.  At the second Dylan’s Bash at the ET History Center, my son, Will played with Cooper Hardison when they were both 17.  And the Black Cadillacs played the 3rd Bash, also at the History Center.
  • Any last words about the Bob Dylan’s Birthday Bash?  It’s Friday, it’s Free! And it’s a Great Party!

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An Extra Helping of the Blue Plate Special – Reagan Boggs

Reagan Boggs recently stopped by the Blue Plate stage and shared some tunes from her new album, including this one…the title track from “Empty Glasses.” She feels that the music on Empty Glasses reflects her diverse musical stylings.

“When people ask me what kind of music I do, I draw a blank – because I have such a hard time with that. I can’t seem to classify it. It’s very country based, with some other influences running through it. I just love music….of all kinds.”

Reagan lists artists such as Jason Isbell, Patty Loveless, Ryan Adams and Patty Griffin among her influences. She says that growing up in Pound, Virginia, where there was little to do and no cable, music was king – and that’s where she gained her biggest inspiration. Learn more about Reagan Boggs at http://reaganboggs.com/blog/home/

Backing Reagan on the Blue Plate stage are Hunter Deacon on drums, Vince Ilagan on bass, and Dave Coleman on guitar. Dave is also the producer on “Empty Glasses”.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special is a live performance radio show held at noon, Monday through Saturday, at the WDVX studio inside the Knoxville Visitor’s Center. Come and play your part as an audience member in the radio show that’s popular worldwide! Listen live at http://wdvx.com/

A Song & A Sip – Roochie Toochie and the Ragtime Shepherd Kings

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AARON JONAH LEWIS · JOY PATTERSON · TIM FINDLEN · LINDSAY MCCAW · MATT BELL

This Friday (May 6th), we’re excited to have Roochie Toochie and the Ragtime Shepherd Kings on the Blue Plate Special, along with Matt Kinman. You can come down to our studio in the Knoxville Visitors Center and watch the show or listen live on the radio or at http://wdvx.com/listen-live/.

They’ll also take the stage at 5:30 p.m. Saturday for Stomp on the Square, part of the Knoxville Stomp – the Festival of Lost Music happening May 5-8, 2016.

Band members of Roochie Toochie and the Ragtime Shepherd Kings profess to share a love of “antiquated pop tunes” such as those recorded in Knoxville in 1929 and 1930 and the reason for The Knoxville Stomp.

The band recently took on the challenge of recording their songs in the medium available in that bygone era and one that they feel does them justice: wax cylinder. While the songs may be old, they help tell the stories of an era most of us have never experienced. They might seem a little silly, but it’s important to remember that everything old was once new.

Roochie Toochie says they try to find the zaniest and most obscure songs from the early 20th century and record them for a new audience. Check out this tune, which is this week’s featured song.

You can visit http://roochie.com/videos/ for parts 2 & 3 of the tune.

In music, everything new gets old, but everything old eventually becomes new again. Same goes for food. You might think there’s nothing new about a fruit cup, but this week’s Sip begs to differ.

This is the latest in our blog series, A Song & A Sip, 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.

Not only can you drink this week’s What to Drink Wednesday but you can eat it too! The Rye Pear Fizz makes a refreshing summer cocktail and a delicious adult fruit cup.

RyePearFizz_FB
Rye Pear Fizz:

1.5 oz of Mark and Diggers Rye Apple
2 oz of Pear Juice
1.5 oz of Cranberry Juice
2 oz of Cava or Prosecco

Combine first 3 ingredients in mixing tin with ice. Strain into champagne flute and top with your choice of Cava or Prosecco. Garnish with pear spear. You can also pour this over your choice of mixed fruit to make adult fruit cups!

An Extra Helping of the Blue Plate Special – Wild Ponies

Wild Ponies is Doug and Telisha Williams, now living in East Nashville (“The Knoxville side of Nashville”, according to Doug). Doug and Telisha are well known in Knoxville, and are veterans of the Blue Plate stage. When they visited recently, they treated the full house to some previews from their new album, “Radiant,” due to be released May 13, 2016. This tune from the new album, “The Night We Never Met”, was co-written with fellow Nashville artist and Grammy nominated songwriter Sally Barris. Helping Doug and Telisha on stage are Knoxville musicians Greg Horne on guitars and Nate Barrett on drums. Learn more about Wild Ponies at http://www.wildponies.net/

The WDVX Blue Plate Special is a live performance radio show held at noon, Monday through Saturday, at the WDVX studio inside the Knoxville Visitor’s Center. Come and play your part as an audience member in the radio show that’s popular worldwide! Listen live at http://wdvx.com/

An Extra Helping of the Blue Plate Special – Irene Kelly & Nate Lee

WDVX listeners are no strangers to Nashville singer-songwriter Irene Kelley, and the her fans packed the house when she joined us for “1st Friday Live”. In the spirit of “firsts” she treated the audience to a first time public performance of the title track from her upcoming album “These Hills”, which is scheduled for a summer 2016 release. We can’t wait to hear more!

Irene is joined on stage by 2015 IBMA Instrumentalist Of The Year Momentum Award winner Nate Lee.

WDVX 1st Friday Live is a free, live performance radio show held at 7 P.M. on the first Friday of each month at the WDVX studio inside the Knoxville Visitor’s Center. Come and join us! You can always listen live at http://wdvx.com/

An Extra Helping of the Blue Plate Special – The Cactus Blossoms “Change Your Ways or Die”

Brothers Jack and Page pick a scary one for the Blue Plate audience – a tune called “Change Your Ways Or Die” (The Buffalo Song) from their latest release, “You’re Dreaming”. By the way, if you think there is a family resemblance, you’re right! That’s their big brother Tyler on guitar.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special is a live performance radio show held at noon, Monday through Saturday, at the WDVX studio inside the Knoxville Visitor’s Center. Come and play your part as an audience member in the radio show that’s popular worldwide! Listen live at http://wdvx.com/

Friday Flashback – Memories of Merlefest

Merlefest is going on now, through this weekend (April 30th & May 1st). WDVX is there, doing interviews and sessions with festival musicians. This is always a great event and one we look forward to throughout the year.

In honor of today’s Friday Flashback, we’re sharing some tunes from previous years at Merlefest, including Mike Farris, Larry Keel and Donna the Buffalo. We hope you enjoy!

 

 

An Extra Helping of the Blue Plate Special – Eli Fox

Grenade Tossing Monkey? A good songwriter sees opportunity in everything! Based on a news article, Eli Fox performed what he described as “the weird one” from his debut album “Nothing to Say” for the Blue Plate Special audience as part of his CD release show. Helping him out on stage are Lewell Molen on bass guitar and Matt Ledbetter on resonator guitar. You can find out more about Eli and his new album at http://www.elifoxmusic.com/

The WDVX Blue Plate Special is a live performance radio show held at noon, Monday through Saturday, at the WDVX studio inside the Knoxville Visitor’s Center. Come and play your part as an audience member in the radio show that’s popular worldwide! Listen live at http://wdvx.com/

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