The WDVX Big Plate - 3/28 - Big Ears - Lonnie Holley / Lee Bains
2025-03-28 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Nestled in Knoxville’s intimate and historic downtown, festival goers are offered nearly 200 performances during the festival—at restored historic theaters, soaring churches, refurbished warehouse spaces, museums, galleries, and clubs—with pop-up events and performances, exhibitions, films, literary readings, workshops, markets and talks taking place in cafes, bars, hotels, restaurants, in alleyways and other nooks and crannies of the city. The festival experience is full of surprises.
A festival pass offers access to all publicly announced performances—enabling festival goers to not only see familiar artists that they know and love, but also to explore the music of artists with whom they are not already familiar.
Big Ears presents extraordinary performances and arts experiences to connect more than 40,000 locals and visitors of all ages throughout the Knoxville community each year.
Founded in 2009, the Big Ears Festival is the flagship event of our organization. It explores the influences that inspire and connect musicians and artists, crossing the boundaries of musical genres as well as artistic disciplines. Every spring, Big Ears presents nearly 200 concerts, talks, workshops, film screenings, residencies, and more in over a dozen venues across downtown Knoxville. With a program budget of $3.5 million and a local annual economic impact of $68.9 million, the Big Ears Festival is one of the highest-profile arts events in the Southeastern U.S., garnering regular national media coverage, hosting numerous world premiere performances, and helping to define the cultural character of the region for many across the country.
Performing will be:
Lonnie Holley was born on February 10, 1950 in Birmingham, Alabama. From the age of five, Holley worked various jobs: picking up trash at a drive-in movie theatre, washing dishes, and cooking. He lived in a whiskey house, on the state fairgrounds, and in several foster homes. His early life was chaotic and Holley was never afforded the pleasure of a real childhood.
Since 1979, Holley has devoted his life to the practice of improvisational creativity. His art and music, born out of struggle, hardship, but perhaps more importantly, out of furious curiosity and biological necessity, has manifested itself in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, performance, and sound. Holley’s sculptures are constructed from found materials in the oldest tradition of African American sculpture. Objects, already imbued with cultural and artistic metaphor, are combined into narrative sculptures that commemorate places, people, and events. His work is now in collections of major museums throughout the country, on permanent display in the United Nations, and been displayed in the White House Rose Garden. In January of 2014, Holley completed a one-month artist-in-residence with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation in Captiva Island, Florida, site of the acclaimed artist’s studio.

Lee Bains will also join us this day!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 3/29 - Big Ears - Magic Tuber Stringband / Gladson Family Band
2025-03-29 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Nestled in Knoxville’s intimate and historic downtown, festival goers are offered nearly 200 performances during the festival—at restored historic theaters, soaring churches, refurbished warehouse spaces, museums, galleries, and clubs—with pop-up events and performances, exhibitions, films, literary readings, workshops, markets and talks taking place in cafes, bars, hotels, restaurants, in alleyways and other nooks and crannies of the city. The festival experience is full of surprises.
A festival pass offers access to all publicly announced performances—enabling festival goers to not only see familiar artists that they know and love, but also to explore the music of artists with whom they are not already familiar.
Big Ears presents extraordinary performances and arts experiences to connect more than 40,000 locals and visitors of all ages throughout the Knoxville community each year.
Founded in 2009, the Big Ears Festival is the flagship event of our organization. It explores the influences that inspire and connect musicians and artists, crossing the boundaries of musical genres as well as artistic disciplines. Every spring, Big Ears presents nearly 200 concerts, talks, workshops, film screenings, residencies, and more in over a dozen venues across downtown Knoxville. With a program budget of $3.5 million and a local annual economic impact of $68.9 million, the Big Ears Festival is one of the highest-profile arts events in the Southeastern U.S., garnering regular national media coverage, hosting numerous world premiere performances, and helping to define the cultural character of the region for many across the country.
Performing will be:
Magic Tuber Stringband is Durham NC- based duo, made up of Evan Morgan and Courtney Werner. Their primary instruments are guitar and fiddle, but they are not married to these particular axes and follow their instincts when they feel other instruments are called for.

The Gladson Family Band will also join us this day as well.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 3/31 - Stevie Jones
2025-03-31 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
East Tennessee’s Own Stevie Jones joins us this day!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/1 - Jay Skaggs / Grassy Creek Bluegrass Band
2025-04-01 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Grassy Creek Bluegrass Band is from Gatlinburg, TN, with David on the guitar, Julia on the bass, Brian on the Mandolin & Ashton on the banjo.

Jay Skaggs will also join us this day!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/2 - Duck Ryan
2025-04-02 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Duck Ryan joins us this day on The WDVX Blue Plate Special!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/3 - Daniel Cain
2025-04-03 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Daniel Cain joins us this day.

The WDVX Big Plate - 4/4 - The Gladson Family Band
2025-04-04 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
The Gladson family resides in Hancock County Tennessee and plays various styles of traditional music, including old-time fiddling, gospel singing, and traditional bluegrass. The family keeps the authentic spirit of the music alive by performing regularly at heritage events, festivals, revivals and funerals. They also help carry on the tradition by teaching traditional music through the Hancock JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians ) program.

First Friday Live - 4/4 - Tinca Tinca
2025-04-04 18:00 - 19:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Tinca Tinca creates upbeat songs for nature-loving city dwellers.
Like Grizzly Bear, Tortoise, Flaming Lips, Andrew Bird, and the Arctic Monkeys, Tinca Tinca creates ambient, melodic indie rock that aims to inspire joy, connection, hope and progress. The band’s name is the Latin classification of a type of fish commonly known as the Tench, the bandleader’s last name.
Since starting in 2021, Tinca Tinca has been featured on WDVX, WUTK, Real Knoxville Music, and performed at an array of venues and festivals including the Tennessee Theatre, the historic Bijou Theatre, Sunset on Central, Dogwood Arts Festival, and live on WATE Channel 6 ABC. In the summer of 2023, Tinca Tinca began a partnership with the Old City Performing Arts Center as an artist on the roster of their performing arts label.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/5 - Dustin Brown / Anthony Wayne
2025-04-05 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
It’s Honest songwriting today from Dustin Brown.

Anthony Wayne joins us today as well!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/7 - Ashton Browne
2025-04-07 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Ashton Browne is a Nashville based FIRE FOLK Singer-Songwriter. Browne’s stylings stun critics and fans alike. Artists ranging from Rickie Lee Jones and Loudon Wainwright to Bruce Hampton and Prince, are the kinds of comparisons made to Ashton’s unique performance style. The future is wide open for the kind of charisma the Browne projects to audiences large and small.
https://youtu.be/USZK5JcFfD4?si=de8qN9V29JsGQoug

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/8 – Jason Passmore / Blesser Heart
2025-04-08 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Jason Passmore grew up in Franklin, NC, stepping on the stage with his dad at the age of 5 years old. Hard work and dedication were the foundation that he was raised on and that translated on and off stage throughout his life. Through his determination to carry on his father’s legacy and put a stamp on the world with his own, he hit the ground, full steam ahead writing and performing his own music. His ability to relate to his fans through his music has driven his popularity in his two home states of Tennessee and North Carolina and his recent releases are pushing his name across the country. A veteran performer and singer-songwriter, he carefully constructs his lyrics to represent his life and the lives of the people that support him! Jason blends country, rock and blues together to present the world with his own unique style of music that has brought him national and global accolades winning awards and nominations as well as an invitation to host including (2024 International Red Carpet Awards Show Host), EP of the Year (2023 Josie Music Awards, Nashville, TN) and Best of Original Country Pop Artist (2023 Fair Play Country Music, International Red Carpet Awards Show, Holland) most recently.

First of all, they’re just funny. Blesser Heart is Ruth Brown, Cindy Hassil, Vicki Heidle and Sarah Motes Ashley and they have been making each other laugh for a long time. Then there’s the sound. Did you know that a group of altos is called a “ganache?” It is for them, anyway; four altos make a pretty rich sound and they just like to roll around in it.
They met as Alto IIs in the Knoxville Choral Society, and now they’re singing some pretty cool songs by Sarah Motes Ashley. An award-winning songwriter, she has songs playing in retail stores and videos and on Texas country radio and who knows where else – “they never really tell me, I just get the checks,” she says.​
What kind of music is it? It’s acoustic kinda pop. It’s folk without the depressing. It’s showtunes without the vibrato. It’s vocal harmony with uke or guitar, sometimes it’s covers or a cappella jazz with their designated grownup Harold Nagge on bass.
Their last gig before COVID was January 31, 2020 at Vienna Coffee in Maryville, and they were really looking forward to performing at the Casual Pint Downtown in April. But, along with a lot of things, that didn’t happen. They spent the pandemic Zooming and singing outside six feet apart.
For their first gig after the pandemic, they sang at the Tennessee Theatre in May 2022. Their recording plans kept on falling through, so they created the “Living Room Sessions” rehearsal videos. To be honest, the rehearsal vids are way more fun than the sanitized studio stuff anyway.​
​The second set of videos is called “Other Songs,” because they’re some of Sarah’s… other songs. Blesser Heart may or may not decide to sing those too.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/9 - Don Wall
2025-04-09 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Born in Massachusetts, Don Wall lived in Texas for 40 years before moving to Nashville, Tennessee in 2021 with his partner Kimberly. Don is a singer/songwriter who writes catchy melodies with a good beat, timeless themes, and poetic lyrics. He calls them “Stories with a Beat.” They are intended for dancing, mostly a two-step. Don started his musical journey as a drummer, after watching The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. He played in rock and roll and blues bands in high school and college. Eventually, Don took a break from music, moved to New York City and began a 40 year career as a journalist, mostly in TV news as a producer and on-air reporter. When Don moved to the Dallas bureau of ABC News in 1984, he started playing drums again and added country to his rock and roll chops. At the age of 40, Don first began playing guitar, eventually writing songs, and playing with experienced bluegrass, country, and Americana musicians. Overall, Don has always been a writer. In addition to writing for radio and television, he has written for newspapers, magazines, has published three books, and several poems. Songwriting challenges Don in new ways, ways he has never experienced. For Don, performing music, whether at a show on stage in Nashville, or playing for seniors is a privilege and rewarding experience he enjoys sharing.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/10 - Angela Easterling & Brandon Turner
2025-04-10 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Angela Easterling brandishes her songwriting chops with rootsy, refreshing, homespun tunes. Her backing band, The Beguilers (bass, drums and lead guitar), master many complex styles, with instrumentation that fleshes out the stories in Angela’s songs, and adds some rocking fun. Their act is not quite country, not quite folk, but all together unique and engaging.
Angela lives with her musical partner, Brandon Turner, and their three young sons on the Greer, SC farm that has been in her family since 1791. She released her 6th album, “Witness” in October, 2022. It went on to be chosen by American Songwriter Magazine in their Top 24 Albums of the Year, was named “Album of The Year” in The Greenville Journal, and was chosen #6 in the Favorite Albums of the Year Reader’s Poll on Americana Highways. It has earned rave reviews in No Depression, Americana UK, Glide Magazine and more. Her 5th album, “Common Law Wife”, went all the way to number 1 on the Roots Music Report Americana Country Airplay Chart, and remained in the top 5 on that chart for nearly 2 months, closing the year out as #12 on the top 100 albums. Her 2nd album, “BlackTop Road”, produced by Will Kimbrough, remained on the Americana top 40 airplay chart for 7 weeks, and was chosen as a top pick in both Oxford American and Country Weekly. She was selected for an official Americana Convention Showcase, official showcases at both NERFA and SERFA (Folk Alliance) and is a four-time Kerrville New Folk Finalist, a Telluride Troubadour and a two-time Wildflower Performing Songwriter Top 10 Finalist. The Boston Herald named her song “The Picture” “Best Political Country Song” in their Year’s best music picks. WNCW chose Angela’s live performance of the title song on “Common Law Wife” for Volume 20 of their popular “Crowd Around the Mic” series. Angela’s music was featured in commercials (Southwestern Bell) and several of her songs were used in the series “Horsepower” on Animal Planet. She has appeared on the WSM-hosted stage at the CMA Music Festival/Fan Fair, on the nationally broadcast public radio program “Michael Feldman’s Whad’Ya Know”, the popular ETV show “Making It Grow”, Sirius XM Outlaw Country’s “Buddy and Jim Show” with Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale, “The Martha Bassett Show”, and was also interviewed by noted NPR journalist Bob Edwards. She was invited to perform at the Smithsonian Institution’s exhibit New Harmonies: Celebrating American Root’s Music, as well as the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival. In 2019, Angela had the distinct honor of performing her song, “Isaac Woodard’s Eyes” at the unveiling ceremony of an historical marker in honor of the late civil rights hero, Sgt. Isaac Woodard.
Angela has toured the U.S., both solo and duo with Brandon, as well as with her crowd-pleasing band The Beguilers. She has played numerous concert series and music festivals, including Six String Concerts (Columbus, OH), Shakori Hills, Fall for Greenville, NC Apple Festival, Strawberry Festival, Albino Skunkfest and more. She has opened for or appeared with The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Jim Lauderdale, Scott Miller, The Steel Wheels, Sarah Jarosz, Elizabeth Cook, Lucinda Williams, Charlie Louvin, Robbie Fulks, Tracy Grammer, Mary Gauthier, Ray Price (at the Birchmere), Suzy Bogguss, Ellis Paul, Tom Brosseau, Eilen Jewell, Radney Foster, Will Kimbrough, The Oak Ridge Boys, and Lori McKenna.

The WDVX Big Plate - 4/11 - Tangled In Blues
2025-04-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Tangled In Blues brings Blues and more Blues from Chicago, Memphis, Texas, The West Coast and beyond!

Kidstuff Live - 4/12 - Sarah Pirkle
2025-04-12 10:00 - 11:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
East Tennessee native Sarah Pirkle is a multi-instrumentalist, music instructor, and songwriter. She has been teaching private lessons to kids of all ages for nearly 30 years.
She is a 2021 recipient of the South Arts Folk & Traditional Arts Master Artist Fellowship, and also was inducted into the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame. She was a songwriting instructor at acclaimed Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Camp in 2022. Sarah is the program director and fiddle instructor for the Smoky Mtn. Affiliate of Junior Appalachian Musicians at the Great Smoky Mtn. Heritage Center in Townsend, TN. She has recorded multiple albums with her husband Jeff Barbra, and on her own.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/12 - Remedy Tree
2025-04-12 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Florida’s Americana ensemble Remedy Tree has achieved notable success, securing second place at the prestigious SPBGMA National Band Championship. Following their signing with Mountain Fever Records in 2024, the band has performed internationally, showcasing their talents at Ireland’s Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival. Remedy Tree has shared the stage with legendary artists such as Peter Rowan, The Steeldrivers, Ricky Skaggs, Town Mountain, Rhonda Vincent, and Della Mae. As a selected 2023 IBMA Ramble Showcase band, they have demonstrated their prowess within the industry. With a new album and larger shows on the horizon, Remedy Tree is poised for a breakout year in 2025. Get ready to join the journey with this rising Americana sensation.
Remedy Tree, founded by Gabriel and Abigail Acevedo in 2015, in its inception had a strong indie-folk sound. As time progressed Remedy Tree added a banjo player and were subsequently thrust into a bluegrass trajectory. Gabriel Acevedo was born in Bayamon Puerto Rico and was raised in rural Umatilla Florida. His Puerto Rican heritage and upbringing provides an outsider’s approach to the genre. Abigail was raised in folk and old-time music circles and traveled with her family band throughout her teen years.
An original music band at heart, Remedy Tree combines the love for bluegrass, an Appalachian old-time spirit, and the folk melodies that started it all, creating a truly unique Americana experience that provides a fresh perspective into where bluegrass is headed in the future. Remedy Tree recently welcomed Isaac Taylor (banjo) and Nathan Beaumont (mandolin) into the band, some of the region’s best players, further blossoming the Remedy Tree sound.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/14 - Juliet Lloyd / Jim Myers
2025-04-14 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
There’s an unmistakable urgency you can feel when a song is written and performed from a place of complete honesty. That feeling permeates singer-songwriter Juliet Lloyd’s new album, Carnival.
“I’ve always been envious of writers who say they write songs because they have to, because they had these things they just had to get out of themselves,” Juliet says. “I had never really felt that way until this album. I’ve become someone who writes because they have to.”
The album is Juliet’s first full-length effort since 2007. Shortly after releasing her sophomore album that year, she walked away from music completely for more than 10 years, feeling burned out and unhappy with her career progression like so many other independent artists. After going through a divorce in 2019 and in the midst of a global pandemic, she found herself pulled back toward the siren call of songwriting and again making the leap to pursue it full time. Carnival is in many ways the culmination of those decisions, and the reintroduction of an artist who now has the wisdom of experience.
“These songs have helped me make sense of emotions and experiences that have happened both recently and those that I’ve buried for 20+ years, to confront truths about myself and about others that I’ve been afraid or unwilling to say out loud,” Juliet says. “I’ve never been a confrontational person. But this is definitely a confrontational album. And I love it.”
Recorded in an unhurried process over nearly 15 months and produced by Todd Wright (Lucy Woodward, Butch Walker, Toby Lightman), Carnival’s nine songs are a study in contrasts. Light and dark, devastating and self-deprecating, apologetic and angry, conversational and conceptual. They are genre-fluid, weaving elements of pop, folk, soul, and rock to create a vibrant and often unexpected platform for Juliet’s unflinching storytelling.
“When you give all your grace away to those who don’t deserve it, there’s no saving grace for yourself,” Lloyd sings on the album’s leadoff single, “Pretty.” It’s a line that takes aim in equal parts at both narrator and subject, a common device throughout Carnival’s lyrics.
The central theme of Carnival and that of its title track is not being too precious about any one experience or decision. Take them for what they are, live in the moment, and move on when they’re done. It acknowledges also that memory can be subjective, and ambiguous—was an experience ultimately a good thing or a bad thing? And whose memory can you rely on to determine the answer to that question?
These questions are on full display in one of the album’s standout tracks, “Sorry Now,” a raw and immediate interrogation of divorce. “Why does it feel like the choices of who gets the knife set, the mattress, the old picture frames are harder than choosing to leave in the first place?” Juliet sings over a sparse keyboard accompaniment before the track kicks in with a lush, R&B-inflected production.

Jim Myers also joins us this day.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/15 - Annie Stokes / Water Tower
2025-04-15 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
One of Annie Stokes’ earliest memories is watching the PBS broadcast of Sondheim’s musical ‘Into the Woods’ and rewinding the scenes to study what the actors did to make the audience laugh or react. “There was a never a version of my life where I wasn’t going to be a performer,” she says. But her connection to a televised musical went a bit deeper than getting praise from an audience: she wanted, from an early age, to collect stories. To see how they all bind us together.
A childhood spent alternately in dance studios, buried in books, or outside on the easternmost seam of the Blue Ridge Mountains shaped Annie’s childhood and teen years, before college allowed her to pursue the study of history and gender (two themes that come up frequently in Annie’s work). After giving a ‘real’ job the (literal) old college try, it became evident to her that her life’s calling was in music and performance, albeit not on Broadway. Annie’s parents got her a Breedlove guitar for her 21st birthday, and she diligently began paying her dues at open mics, bars, street festivals, and anywhere that would let her plug in her mini Fishman amp and set out a tip jar. “If I’d had a clue about the scope of what I was endeavoring to do, I might have been too overwhelmed to try.” While taking the long way certainly has its share of potholes (and cheap motels), Annie greeted 2020 with nearly a decade of hands-on experience in the independent, DIY school of musicianship.
And then the world changed, on a big and small scale. The pandemic coincided with new motherhood, and Annie and her husband (and bandmate and co-writer) Will Berger found themselves hunkered down with a newborn baby and a half-finished album. “When you have a child, you have to squeeze an hour out of 20 minutes, and when the world is locked down, you have to pause. So we just cracked open some moments.” The result was their 2021 album “The One That Gets Away”, which would go on to win the 2022 WAMMIE (Washington Area Music Award) for Best Country/Americana Album. Written and produced by Stokes and Berger, this album finally encapsulated the sound that had been gestating and forming since that 21st birthday Breedlove was unwrapped, and audiences (and the industry) responded accordingly.
Annie teamed up with producer Austin Bello for her 2023 EP “Wild Rose” which brought further acclaim and placements, including being featured on season 6 of The Martha Bassett Show. Currently, she is working with Bello on her upcoming full length LP, due out in early 2025.

“Water Tower is this wonderful band that is made up of “the lost boys”… its like a soup kitchen for those in need of belonging and family who have been through some of the experiences they have over come” -Grand Ole Country Bunker.
Frontman Kenny Feinstein (right) has spent more than 15 years curating the band to what it is today. In 2005 he began performing and recording with the Water Tower Bucket Boys then modified members and style as Water Tower String Band. In 2018 he moved from his Portland Oregon roots to Los Angeles where he began the new iteration of the band as known simply as Water Tower. The core group is made up of three unlikely protégés who came from very different backgrounds to form one great sound of their own. Kenny brings solid string experience (banjo, mandolin, fiddle, guitar) in his favorite genres of Punk Rock, Old Time Music and Bluegrass. Soon after moving to Los Angeles he met Tommy Drinkard , an audio engineer , songwriter and front-man for his own rock band called Tommy Drinkard and the Remedy. Tommy who is already a great electric and acoustic guitar player began taking banjo lessons from Kenny and within a year he won first place intermediate banjo at the highly acclaimed Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Competition. Soon their songwriting collaboration began to take place and songs like “The River Song”, “Fivers” and “AMPM” began to form their sound. Soon after that, they met Jesse Blue Eads a 19 year old jazz bassist who held his own on the banjo. They met while busking at the beach in Southern California. Unbeknownst to Kenny and Tommy at the time Jesse had just received a Jazz Award from Berklee School of Music. Amazing sounds were heard across the beach as the three met and traded styles and licks for hours including what would become the double banjo performance signature sound in songs like “Take me Back” . Together they share their love for Bluegrass, Old Time, Jam Grass while adding their individual infusion of reggae and rock (Tommy Drinkard), Jazz and prog-rock (Jesse Blue Eads) and Punk Rock & Old Time styles (Kenny Feinstein).

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/16 - Cabage and Vann / A Lee Edwards
2025-04-16 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
A. Lee (Alan) Edwards has been making music for 30 years. It’s been an essential element throughout his entire life. That said, his new music represents a rebirth of sorts, one that’s manifest in not one, but two new albums, Interpreting Heart Sounds Vol. I and Interpreting Heart Sounds Vol. II. Produced by Alan Lee Edwards and mixed by the legendary John Wood (the man behind the boards for Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, John Cale, Squeeze, and Richard and Linda Thompson), the new album is a major milestone in a career that has already spawned five albums — three under the aegis of “Lou Ford” and two under the handle of “The Loudermilks.”
Recorded at the famed Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville North Carolina, both albums were engineered by Kenny Harrington, mixed and mastered by the team at Well Made Music in Bristol, TN., and pressed locally at Citizen Vinyl in Asheville. Vol. 1 is a band-oriented effort, while Vol. 2 features a more stripped down sound with the addition of strings.
Vol. 1 also features a guest appearance by Richard Thompson on the track titled “John on the Run.”
The songs are both tender and enticing, from the decidedly down home delivery of “Caroline” and the earnest and engaging “Ride On,” to the reflective sounds of “John on the Run,” “Mom (Always Liked You)” and “How Blue.” They epitomize the approach of an artist solely in control of his craft while inspired by honesty, integrity, creativity and craft.

It’s East Tennessee’s Own Bill Cabage and Griffin Cavender Vann also on todays Plate!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/17 - Wright Gatewood / Dark Waters Project
2025-04-17 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
The Dark Waters Project is a Nashville based band that plays what they like to call, Darkgrass. Their music is a blend of multiple genre’s but is greatly influenced by Bluegrass and Alternative Rock. The band has a long list of previously played venues and positive reviews from all over North America and from countless people in the music industry. Dark Waters is led by vocal duo, Cherish Hamby and Adam Hamby. Cherish and Adam do a vast majority of the bands songwriting, with occasional covers that they love to make their own.
They have won multiple awards for songwriting and performance; including The Smoky Mountain Songwriting Festival, where they finished 1st in the Pop (Dream Again), Blues (Deep Red) and Rock (Sober) Genera’s, 2nd in Bluegrass (Bridges) and won the Grand Prize / Song of the Year with their song, “Deep Red” in 2018. They have also been featured on radio and nationally televised shows, like The Dugger Mountain Music Hall and Jim Parker’s Songwriters Showcase.
Adam and Cherish have had a number of different band members over the last 9 years, from small 3 piece acts to large 7 piece groups. From 2012-14, they had a 5 piece Alternative Rock band often described as The Civil Wars fronting Evanescence. They had their first collaborative album titled, “The Rains”, produced in the Fall of 2014 by Mike Hartnett. Their new album, titled “The Darkgrass Sessions” was released in July 2019 and was their second album together. The Darkgrass Sessions was produced by Lee Groitzsch, with a number of the songs co-produced by Noel Golden.
Adam is one of the founding members of the band and is one of two lead vocals. He has been the lead singer of 3 different bands over the last decade, releasing an EP with 2 of them (The Fifth Seal 2005; Stonesfall 2007) and a solo album titled “Trails,” in 2003. Influenced heavily by his Christian faith, he writes and sings from his soul and it can be heard in both his voice and lyrics. He had a song reach Christian radio in the mid 2000’s called, “Mercedes” with his former band, The Fifth Seal.
Cherish is one of the founding members of Dark Waters and is also one of the lead vocalists. She is often seen as the face of Dark Waters. Her voice is as stirring, beautiful and unique as Stevie Nicks or Jewel, but it’s all her own. She has worked with some of the best that Nashville has to offer. Mark Miller and Garth Brooks paid for and offered some of Garth’s band members to record her first album in 2001 – the entire EP was produced, engineered and paid for by Mark Miller of Forerunner, Jacks Tracks and Allentown Studios (production and engineering credits include Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Kathy Mattea, Chris LeDoux, George Jones). A few of the songs saw radio play all over the Southeast US in the early 2000’s. She has also been produced by George Cocchini (Third Day, DC Talk, Rich Mullins, Sawyer Brown, Steven Curtis Chapman). She released her second self-titled EP “Cherish” in 2001, but is now the heart of the Dark Waters Project.

Wright Gatewood, a southern rascal lost in the heart of Chicago started ruminating on what storytelling might mean to us, five, ten, fifteen years down the road. How might sounds of the past circle back around? The answers lay hidden in the songs. A recent Merlefest Songwriting Competition finalist, Wright Gatewood released his debut EP vol. 1: the city, the first in his Wayward Triptych series, in the winter of 2019. Through generous grant funded support from Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Wright released vol. 2: the land in the spring of 2024. With an emotional palette that plays with your heart strings, Wright strives to bring ideals of the helpless wanderers, the rapscallions of yesteryear, and the dreamers of tomorrow to your ears as he pieces the parts together.

The WDVX Big Plate - 4/18 - JOHNNYSWIM
2025-04-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Abner & Amanda is JOHNNYSWIM.
New album “When The War Is Over” out now!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/19 – Pacer Fisher / Corduroy Brown
2025-04-19 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Corduroy Brown is a feel good, Appalachian Rock performer from Huntington, West Virginia. The Corduroy sound has been described as: “A sound that makes you feel like everything is going to be ok.” The on stage energy and connections to the crowd is what makes this band special. After being revived from life support during Covid, his perspective flipped, and now lyrics of self worth and gratitude pour from every song.
This 3 piece band uses feel good sounds from the 90s and 2000’s blended with its own Appalachian flavor. Catchy, singalong hooks, high energy, and good vibes all around.
“You always leave feelin’ a little better than before when you see a Corduroy show.”
https://youtu.be/yPSDTWrqAuY?si=Q4Z4Sg6lbMfXXlrm
Stop to imagine a dim lit honky tonk with soft neon , or a Saturday night at the local county fair, or perhaps a Sunday backroad drive and you get an unmistakable sound of ” Pacer“. With no gimmicks or pageantry Pacer takes a back too his roots approach to his music , style and sound. Born to a musical family in Central Texas and raised in both Texas and Tennessee Pacer set out to keep the family music legacy alive. In the summer of 2018 he released his first ever EP album ” Beautiful Ride ” and gained nationwide airplay providing him to Ride out on 6 songs through 2019. But 2020 and the pandemic almost closed the already half open door…..Now Pacer is set too release his first full length album ” Appalachian Sunshine ” teamed with producer ( Mike Stephenson ) of famed ” Classic Recording Company ” in Bristol Tennessee. And from the hills of Pacers East Tennessee home will be ringing new music for 2022!
https://youtu.be/fgGWKI0-UDM?si=lc4OzUtu05kppK7Y

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/21 - Tangled In Blues LITE
2025-04-21 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Michael and Jamie from Tangled in Blues are doing a duo show together. Knoxville’s own Tangled In Blues LITE joins us this day!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/22 - Daniel Miller / Ordinary Elephant
2025-04-22 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Mesmerizing folk duo Ordinary Elephant has spent the better part of the last decade on a never-ending tour that’s earned married couple Crystal and Pete Damore widespread critical acclaim and made fans of luminaries like Tom Paxton and Mary Gauthier. In 2017, the pair took home the International Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year on the strength of their breakout album, Before I Go, and two years later, they returned with the similarly lauded Honest, which the Associated Press hailed as “one of the best Americana albums of the year.”
The band’s new stripped-down, self-titled collection is the purest distillation of their sound yet, showcasing the arresting power of the couple’s gorgeous harmonies and intricate fretwork. The songs are timeless, rooted in rich, character-driven storytelling, and the performances are similarly transportive, fueled by delicately intertwined banjo, guitar, and octave mandolin. Though the songs were born out of a period of deep uncertainty, the record itself is a work of profound self-assurance, one delivered by a duo whose personal and professional lives embody the limitless possibility of honest, organic collaboration. Press play on Ordinary Elephant and you’ll hear more than just a husband and wife; you’ll hear the sound of sincerity and commitment, of patience and gratitude, of learning to let go of expectation and revel in the simple beauty of the moment.

Daniel Miller is a singer-songwriter with a penchant for centering his music on locales that inspire him. “I tend to focus on an area or region that strikes me and write songs about that place. My focus isn’t on limiting a record to fit into a specific bin on a store shelf; it’s to tell a story. So while I’ve been labeled a Country, Americana, or Roots Music artist, I try not to let that influence or limit whatever project I’m working on at the moment.”
Born and raised in Knoxville, TN and currently living near Boston, MA, Daniel has been writing songs based off of his experiences on the road for the past twenty years. Daniel’s newest album, his first to be billed under the full band name Daniel Miller & The High Life, is based on his time spent in West Texas. Scheduled for release in April 2025, it will prominently feature his touring band along with some very special artists.
Daniel’s songs can be heard on numerous Country and Americana radio stations across the United States and internationally. He has opened for various national acts including: Jamey Johnson, Chris Knight, American Aquarium, The Old 97’s, The Mavericks, The Black Lillies, Scott Miller, Lukas Nelson & POTR, Sunny Sweeney, Mic Harrison, and Dick Dale; in some of America’s most beloved performance venues.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/23 - John Tirro / falllift
2025-04-23 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Falllift is a Indie-folk duo from Charlotte, NC.
https://youtu.be/ALVGkbk6h2c?si=axComXmhiAs07sEj
John Tirro joins us for today’s show.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/24 – March To August
2025-04-24 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
March to August is an Americana-Roots duo with melodies that merge influences of Folk, Americana, Bluegrass and Celtic music and lyrics that capture the essence of the human experience. With every song, they offer poignant snapshots of life’s diverse emotions and stories, inviting listeners to reflect on the moments that shape us all.
Hailing from diverse musical backgrounds, Derrick and Jodi Mears bring a plethora of influences to their work. Their lyrics often empower the voices of those silenced by circumstance, allowing each character’s narrative to be heard, while their instrumentation draws listeners into those tales with their unique Ozark Mountain sound.
M2A’s performances instill artistry and authenticity that transport you to a bygone era while infusing their own contemporary spin. With each note, this ensemble invites you to join them on a musical journey that resonates with the soul.
https://youtu.be/0m4pzn0ST4Y?si=tmzHlRgRxserwwiq

The WDVX Big Plate - 4/25 - Donny and The Dry Heavers
2025-04-25 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Donny and The Dry Heavers
This 4-piece from Northeast TN brings driving rhythms, expressive solos, groovy riffs, and dynamic songwriting to the culmination of a rousing original sound. With tasteful jam breaks, witty transitions, and pocket-driven flow, this crew aims to provide you with a memorable musical journey!​
Coming to fruition in 2018, the band includes members Chancellor Lawson (guitar/vocals), Cameron Hite (drums/vocals), Andrew Kramer (guitar/vocals), and Magus Vaughn (bass/vocals).
Through all of their struggles, hopes, and accomplishments, one question rings loud in many minds: Where is Donnie?

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/26 - UT Appalachian Strings
2025-04-26 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
UT Appalachian Strings is a University of Tennessee student ensemble directed by Sean McCollough that is made up of multiple bands that play bluegrass, old-time and other Americana music. Two of the bands will be featured on this show.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/28 - Shane Kelley / New Age Phonograph
2025-04-28 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
A captivating Singer, Songwriter and Guitarist, Shane Kelley is a passionate and soulful performer. His lyrics, reflective of his South Texas Roots, embrace the essence of
“Texas Rock”, Blues & Outlaw Country.

New Age Phonograph
Born originally in Colorado, Matt soon moved to the small town of Brewster, Wa, where he first learned how to play guitar at the age of 14, even writing original music a year later. He hopes to reunite people through his music into ONE WORLD TRIBE that all dance to the beat of LOVE and bring back Jimi Hendrix idea of, ELECTRIC CHURCH! His alternate rock roots soon dug deep into 60s & 70s rock, where he then discovered older folk blues leading as far back as the 1930s. From bookings down on the Seattle waterfront to venues across many West Coast college towns, he has been performing covers of folk, classic rock, and blues on the road for many years since, becoming a proficient musician with a emotive voice that lets you know he feels the songs he sings.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 4/29 - Eli Lev
2025-04-29 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
To his Levitators community, Eli Lev is known as a Global Ambassador of Good Vibes, and everyday he honors his greater calling: uplifting open-hearted folks around the world through song.
“To me, music is an act of spirituality and service to others, it’s the reason I wake up in the morning ready to sing and uplift others,” the Silver Spring, Maryland-based artist shares. “Helping people make profound and positive connections through my music is my life’s purpose.”
Today, Eli is sharing one of his most personal and enlightening projects, a three-part music release series in which Eli relates hard-earned wisdom from his outer geographical and inner spiritual expeditions. The trilogy commences with the unflinchingly optimistic folk-pop EP, Present Journey, out June 26th, 2024. Look for the revelatory releases Past Lives and Future Myths to come further on down the dirt road.
Eli is a critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter and internationally-touring musician, an entrepreneur, a mobile lifestyle pioneer, a community leader, a son, and a friend. He is a storytelling songwriter who brings to his work a universal spirituality informed by a variety of belief systems. Eli’s Jewish upbringing, his transformative experiences with Indigenous people, and his study of Buddhism shine through his uplifting songwriting.
