The WDVX Big Plate – 10/10 – Different Drum: A Tribute to Linda Ronstadt
2025-10-10 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Join us this day for a Linda Rondstat Tribute from Different Drum: A Tribute to Linda Ronstadt!

Kidstuff Live - 10/11 - Miss Lynn
2025-10-11 10:00 - 11:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Join your host Sarah Pirkle every 2nd Saturday at 10:00 AM for a toe-tapping, family-friendly live music performance made just for kids—and their grownups who love them! From catchy tunes to musical surprises. This day Miss Lynn will be joining us!
Some Very Good Words to Describe Miss Lynn:
IDEALISTIC: On the day 9-year old Lynn Hickernell was selected as captain of a gym class kickball team, she knew just what she would do: the first members chosen for her team would be the classmates who, like her, were usually picked last. As the teams assembled, she ignored the quizzical facial expressions and continued to select smaller, less-coordinated 4th graders, instead of the stronger, faster students who quickly made up the opposing team. She knew that her team might not be obvious victors, but if they worked together, they could show the other team what they could do–which turned out to be lose. Badly. By a score of approximately 25 to 0. And while it wasn’t much fun to lose that spring morning, many years later it made a good story.
UNPRETENTIOUS: Miss Lynn knows we are all still learning (she even wrote a song about it), so she’s not worried about telling stories to try and make herself look cool. The fact that she thinks being cool is overrated is one of the driving forces behind the music she makes and The Good Words Podcast.
ZEALOUS: She loves so many things! Music! Doughnuts! The color yellow! And WORDS! She loves words so much that she created a whole podcast about them. You can find The Good Words Podcast on iTunes, on the Good Words Podcast Website, or many other podcast providers.
TRANSIENT: Even though she’s pretty down to earth, Miss Lynn also spends a lot of time traveling, making concerts with kids and adults all over and working on The Good Words Podcast. You can find some of the places she’ll be by looking at the calendar.
AMBIVALENT: Miss Lynn has very mixed feelings about social media in general and her involvement in particular, but if you are so inclined, you can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
UBIQUITOUS: But even though she can only be in one physical location at a time, you can find her all over the Internet! In addition to all the places mentioned above, find her music on iTunes, and CD Baby!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 10/11 – Rebecca Porter / Robby Hecht
2025-10-11 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Born in Guam and raised in the Shenandoah Valley, Rebecca Porter blends soulful melodies and fearless lyrics with her honey-smooth voice to create her own brand of Appalachian honky tonk. Her 2023 EP, Queen of the Local, earned national acclaim and led to recognition in Rissi Palmer’s Color Me Country Class of 2024, features on Ed Helms’ Good Country, and a debut on NPR’s Mountain Stage. Known for electrifying live performances, Porter captivates audiences with her emotional intensity and grit. Porter’s personal and raw storytelling continues to push boundaries, projecting a cinematic soundscape that balances traditional country’s rugged spirit with an unapologetic journey of perseverance.

Robby Hecht has been captivating audiences as a touring singer-songwriter for over two decades, combining quietly impactful songwriting reminiscent of Tom Waits or Jim Croce with the graceful vocal resonance of James Taylor. With a remarkable blend of insightful lyricism, memorable melodies, and a voice that carries both strength and tenderness, his music resonates with audiences from all walks of life.
Robby’s dedication to the craft and collaborative spirit have solidified his reputation as a versatile and respected artist within the industry. He garnered recognition as a songwriter’s songwriter early in his career, winning a number of revered performing songwriter contests and touring across the US and Europe. His music has been the soundtrack for countless journeys, amassing over 25 million streams to date. And with more than 60 songs recorded by other artists, as well as numerous contributions as a featured vocalist, Robby has added his distinct touch to the work of fellow musicians, reaching music lovers through the voices of others.
Beyond his musical endeavors, Robby is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness. Openly discussing his own journey with bipolar disorder, he shines a light on these issues, breaking the stigma and offering support and inspiration to those who may be facing similar struggles.
Robby’s highly anticipated album, Not a Number, is a powerful reflection on the evocative and turbulent journey of the past few years. Featuring twelve introspective tracks, each with the potential to become a personal favorite, the album weaves together themes of divorce, emotional recovery, nostalgia, the unity of humanity, and the profound significance of individual experiences. It is a musical tapestry that resonates deeply with listeners, meeting them wherever they may be on their own life’s path.
Not a Number was produced by veteran singer-songwriter and sought after guitarist Anthony da Costa, who also contributed much of the arranging and instrumentation on the album. The recording process spanned nearly two years, initially involving remote performances exchanged during isolation until Anthony and Robby were able to complete the project together in person. The album features notable guest vocal performances by acclaimed artists from Nashville and beyond including Caroline Spence, Jess Nolan, Jill Andrews, Katie Pruitt, Lydia Luce, The Sea The Sea, Ruth Moody, and Trousdale.
Robby Hecht’s music is a testament to the power of storytelling and the ability of songs to touch our souls. His insights and captivating melodies create a truly unforgettable musical experience, inviting you to embark on a contemplative journey through the landscapes of the heart and mind.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 10/13 – Roger Dean / Gary Gilleran
2025-10-13 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Roger Dean has been playing music since he put his first band together at just 15 years old.
They travelled all around Central Utah playing top 100 pop hits, country music & rock n roll.
Growing up, he always listened to Country Music , learning from the greats:
Jim Reeves, Ferrin Young, Eddie Arnold, Willie, Waylon, and Haggard.
In his 20s, he played country music in bars and dinner clubs in Cortez , Colorado.
He wrote lots of music and was offered a contract in Nashville, Tennessee.
Later, while living in Southern Utah, he played at rodeos, county fairs and various city events and was chosen as a finalist representing his region for the Country Showdown Contest.
Roger always makes time to play for charity fundraisers, Senior Centers and Assisted Living Homes and is now currently living in Nashville, Tennessee writing and recording his music at Hilltop studio.
Some of the places you can find Roger Dean Playing are:
The Commodore, Troubadour Theatre, Fox and Locke, Tootsie’s, Bobby’s Idle Hour and many more.
On his journey to Nashville he played in Kingman, Tack Shed, Blackridge Brewery and Yuma Az at The Dirty South BBQ at Amarillo Tx Broken Spoke Saloon. Jacksonville Alabama Moose Lodge, Dillard George ..Mtn city theatre.

East Tennessee’s Own Gary Gilleran will be joining us as well this day.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 10/14 – C&V Radio Hour
2025-10-14 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
East Tennessee’s Own C&V Radio Hour joins us today. The “C” is Bill Cabage and the “V” is Griffin Cavender Vann.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 10/15 – Kaine & Kaeliegh Pirkle
2025-10-15 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
East Tennessee’s Own Kaine & Kaeliegh Pirkle will join us this day!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 10/16 – Reed Turchi
2025-10-16 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Reed Turchi is a musician, poet, and producer from Swannanoa, North Carolina, now living in Brooklyn. He has won a Grammy Award and received an Emmy Nomination for his music, and his poetry has been published in Poetry Magazine, The American Poetry Review, Narrative Magazine, and The Los Angeles Review, among others. Turchi is also the owner/operator of Second Take Sound, and co-editor of The Swannanoa Review.

The WDVX Big Plate – 10/17 – Tuatha Dea
2025-10-17 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Combining primal rhythms, melodic and ethereal ballads, screaming guitar riffs with an Appalachian/Celtic vibe this FAMILY born of a family drum circle delivers an authentic tribal and clannish feel that not only draws the audience into the music but into the moment and clan as well.
In 2017 Tuatha Dea became part of The New Bristol Sessions, a collaboration celebrating the historic 1927 Sessions along with folks like Dolly Parton, Virginia Ground, 49 Winchester and more!
Their rhythmic groove and interaction naturally inspires audience participation which has become a staple of their performances. From the beginning the band has embraced its Celtic heritage and meshed the traditional music of Scotland and Ireland with their own bold blend of mainstream rock, mountain drumming and Appalachian blues to produce a truly unique sound that has a universal appeal! Dubbed “The Eclectic Steam-Punk Partridge Family in Kilts and Corsets” and “The Appalachian Fae”, this band is REAL family!!!
In 2014, the band released their 4th CD which is associated with the novels of recognized published Sci-Fi- Fantasy Author for Tor Publishing, Alex Bledsoe. {The band appears as characters in his 3rd book in the series “Long Black Curl”!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 10/18 – Elise Witt / Tim Chandler
2025-10-18 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Elise Witt was born in Switzerland, raised in North Carolina, and since 1977 has made her home in Atlanta. She speaks fluent Italian, French, German, Spanish, and English and sings in over a dozen languages. Her passion for music and languages has led her to take her Global, Local & Homemade Songs™ across the United States and around the globe.
Among her ancestors, Elise claims “Wedding March” composer Felix Mendelssohn and his grandfather, Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn; Protestant cow farmers from northern Germany; Russian chemists; Polish intellectuals; French Bordeaux wine growers; a British painter; and a great great aunt from Cuba.

Good songwriting matters to all of us whether we know it or not. It tells the truth in a way that keeps us all moving towards something better. When songs become laundry lists and trend chasers, they become nothing and so do we.
Tim Chandler is a songwriter dedicated to telling that kind of truth in song in an out of the box way. Combining his influences of bluegrass, country, and folk, his music is drawn from life in work, family, and frustrations with songs that don’t say anything.
Growing up a preacher’s son in Western Kentucky, Tim’s first exposure to music came through the traditional hymns that made up every service. Now, his influences range all over the board, drawn from the places and people he has worked with, roamed with, and written with. From West Coast cover bands to Rocky Mountain forestry crews, swampy Florida factory floors to construction sites in Alabama. Now, he wants to share those stories with you.
Tim currently shares his music on a regular basis and has played everywhere from Florida to California to New Jersey – with multiple features on local radio shows and music festivals – including the award winning “Blue Plate Special” on WDVX. He has a whole catalog of songs to his name and now his self-titled record is available to purchase or stream. You can keep up with him and his bandmates on Facebook, Instagram or wherever you stream music.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 10/20 – David Singley
2025-10-20 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Born and raised in rural central Illinois, David Singley is a singer- songwriter- guitarist living in Saint Paul, Minnesota, whose music is born of the street, the country, and the academy. An experienced veteran with decades of backing world-class artists and performers, he has recently joined the “Great Resignation” and set his sights on his own artistic pursuits. His music evokes the golden era of the singer-songwriter: the late ’60’s and early-to-mid ’70’s; with its chameleonic stylistic twists and turns, as well as its memorable melodies and insightful, poetic lyrics. His music expresses a point-of-view that is at once highly personal and triumphantly global. His voice evokes traces of many of his influences: James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, Jackson Browne, Dan Fogelberg, and many others. His guitar playing is at once highly focused and passionate, impressive yet always absolutely appropriate to the song at hand.
His two singer-songwriter albums, 2021’s The Long, Slow Fuse of Night, and 2024’s Fools & Mystics, have each received substantial airplay on noncommercial radio. David has multiple music videos on YouTube with over 100K views, with some as high as 400+K views. A third album is planned for the Spring of 2026. His solo performances include sharing the stage with artists such as Crys Matthews, Heather Mae, Claudia Nygaard, The Twangtown Paramours, Paul Kamm & Eleanore MacDonald, and Caroline Cotter.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 10/21 – Duck Ryan
2025-10-21 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Duck Ryan will bring us the real, live music this day on the WDVX Blue Plate Special!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 10/22 – Roger Wallace
2025-10-22 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
East Tennessee’s Own Roger Wallace will take the stage this day!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 10/23 – Don Wall / David Easterling
2025-10-23 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Born in Massachusetts in 1953, Don Wall lived in Texas for 40 years before moving to Nashville, Tennessee in 2022 with his wife 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. In 1977, Don took a break from music, moved to New York City and began a 40 year career as a journalist. Don became a producer with ABC News and began writing articles for national publications. He moved to the ABC News Dallas bureau in 1984. When he moved to Texas he started playing drums again, adding country music to his rock and roll chops. In 1988, Don joined WFAA-TV in Dallas as the Fort Worth Bureau Chief, and working as an on air reporter. At the age of 40, Don began playing guitar, eventually writing songs, and playing with the Hot Corn Band, an Americana and bluegrass ensemble. Don has always been a writer. He wrote poems before he wrote songs. He has written for radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and has published three books. In 2025, Don released his first Nashville album called, Love, Texas. He performs regularly on stage in and around Nashville, and co-writes with established songwriters. Songwriting and performing challenge Don in ways he has never experienced. Whether on a stage in Nashville, in a circle, or playing for seniors in memory care, Don considers writing and playing music a privilege, a gift, and a rewarding experience he enjoys sharing. Don has two children and three grandsons.

David Easterling
David Easterling is a Multi-Award Winning Americana, Folk, Roots, and Comedy Singer-Songwriter, Storyteller and Recording Artist who splits his time between Nashville, New Orleans and Oak Ridge, TN when he is not on concert tours!
He is an Award Winning internationally acclaimed prolific artist!
Winner of Josie Music Award for the 2024 Song Of The Year (Country/Female) for co-writing “Losin,” with Alicia Harvey for her debut album.“
Buried Before My Time” spent several weeks on the charts at #1 and “Take Me Back To Tennessee” was voted The 2023 Song of the Year in its category by CMSG.
He owns and guides Hey Bear Music Entertainment (BMI).

The WDVX Big Plate – 10/24 – Steel City Jug Slammers
2025-10-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Authentic American Jug Band from Birmingham, Alabama playing pre WWII jug band and blues classics as well as weaving originals of their own. The Band is Ramblin’ Ricky Tate, Jerrod Atkins, C.W. Medders, & Washtub Jay. The Steel City Jug Slammers were inducted into the Jug Band Hall of Fame in 2017 and featured on NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion in 2015.

Girl Institute - Women’s Equality Summit - 10/24 - 10/26
2025-10-24 17:00 - 2025-10-26 22:00 | World’s Fair Park, 1060 World’s Fair Park Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37916, United States
The non-profit Girl Institute, presentS the inaugural Women’s Equality Summit October 24th through 26th at World’s Fair Park. Thirteen panels and eighteen international speakers, featuring women having conversations for women, about women, and by women on leadership, health, the role of women in the media, child and elder care, women in song featuring WDVX’s very own Red Hickey, and much more. Also, a non-profit village and local artisans selling their wares. The girl institute dot org for registration and more info on the Knoxville Women’s Equality Summit.
A 3-day celebration of women’s voices, power, and possibility. Join 1,200+ women in Knoxville for a bold weekend of connection, creativity, and collective action.
What if we created an event where we advanced Women’s Equality and all you have to do is show up? What if by showing up you helped create an environment where meeting other women, talking about yourself and your ideas was captured in such a way that our community and our lives would be enhanced? What if we then transcend our local space and connect to every woman on the planet and lay the foundation for her life and her community to be improved, also?
And what if you could have fun, celebrate, be entertained, and change the world for women everywhere by spending a late fall weekend in downtown Knoxville at the foothills of the Smoky Mountains?
Well, we at The GIRL Institute think it would be absolutely awesome. We want to sing, clap, dance and talk about YOU and your world. And here at The GIRL Institute we think you are so incredible we want you to talk to us, vibe with us, and help us create dynamic content…for you, by you and about you.
The GIRL Institute is planning 3 days of fun, community, and networking with over 1200 women and the only thing on the agenda is YOU! That’s right YOU! The GIRL Institute has curated a space for Women to be seen and heard. We’ve brought in over 20 nonprofits, our local businesses and speakers from around the world to share ideas and hear from you.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 10/25 – Farmer & Adele / Andy Clark
2025-10-25 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Meet the Farmer & Adele. With the sounds of classic songwriting in their music and the future in their sights, The Farmer & Adele are reimagining the modern cowboy/cowgirl while respecting its beginnings. Based out of Nashville, TN, The Farmer & Adele – led by Grace Adele and Farmer Keenan – leads the pack of a new wave of musicians revitalizing western swing music. From garnering multiple awards to developing a one-of-a-kind live puppet show, The Farmer & Adele are a classic-meets-modern band that is entertaining for all ages.
With two Ameripolitan Awards under their belts (2019 Western Swing Female of the Year and 2020 Western Swing Band of the Year), The Farmer & Adele continue to innovate with each project. After the success of their daily radio show, “On The Trail with The Farmer & Adele,” the group has since released a children’s album, Songs For Lil’ Cowpokes and has plans for another full-length album to be released in 2024 titled Old + New Western Classics.​
And staying true to their multidisciplinary approach to western swing, the group is currently developing a live puppet show – with Nashville Metro Arts – focused on food sustainability, roots music, and celebrating our differences. Co-written with Texas Bix Bender of Riders Radio Theatre fame, the show features a colorful cast of characters including Hank Snowpea, Elvis Parsley, Tater Swift, and many more.

Coming to us from Bristol, Virginia Andy Clark will take the stage this day!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 10/27 – Michael Dinallo / Jon Byrd
2025-10-27 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Michael Dinallo is an award winning Producer, Guitarist, & Songwriter from Boston, Massachusetts.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, JON BYRD lived his formative years in small town America, deep in the piney woods of south Alabama just one county over from the birthplace of legendary country artist Hank Williams. In the 90s Jon became pivotal in Atlanta’s storied Redneck Underground music scene. Always a featured sideman, Jon’s first solo recording didn’t come along until after migrating to Music City nearly 20 years ago. Jon’s fourth solo album DIRTY OL’ RIVER harkens back to the first Byrd’s Auto Parts record: up-tempo country songs, lots of pedal steel, and some really strong country covers. Jon’s originals “I Get Lost” and “If Texas Is So Great” will be heard for years to come.
When Jon Byrd was just eight years old, his dad was diagnosed with TB and began singing the immortal Jimmie Rogers’ song “TB Blues” all around the house. That same year Jon saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and his obsession with the musical tension between country and rock ‘n’ roll was born. Less than two years later he was conscripted into the drum corps of his tiny high school’s marching band and played Booker T. and the MG’s “Green Onions” while the majorettes held the cymbals and danced. There was no turning back.
After touring nationally with jangle-pop purists Tim Lee and the Windbreakers, and Birmingham’s Primitons in the 1980s, the 1990s saw Byrd attempting a Ph.D. in American Studies at Emory University in Atlanta… all while becoming a central figure in Atlanta’s storied Redneck Underground music scene as lead guitarist for the seminal and legendary country band Slim Chance and the Convicts (Letters to Mama, 1993, and Twang Peaks, 1996). He also formed the hard country band the Ratchet Set as a musical outlet for his love of old trucking songs and two chord honky-tonk gems.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 10/28 – Cherokee Hope
2025-10-28 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Cherokee Hope is a Singer songwriter from middle TN.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 10/29 – Sam Varga
2025-10-29 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Kentucky-born songwriter Sam Varga fuses the energy and wit of the emo scene he cut his teeth on as a kid with the craft and sonics of Nashville, bringing forth an alchemic blend of rock/alt-country that’s an addictive kind of hurt. His forthcoming debut album “Shadow Work”, born in the emo diaspora of Nashville, takes the best of both worlds and arrives at something uniquely his own.
(From the movie My Country Heart)

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 10/30 – Jessey Adams
2025-10-30 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Multi-award-winning singer/songwriter, Jessey Adams, showcases a powerful combination sound of outlaw and traditional style country music. Embodying the spirit of a vagabond, her music has taken her across the United States to perform wherever there are neon lights and dusty floorboards. From festivals to dive bars, her music is enjoyed by many. Her original songs encompass the thrill of being on the road while still remembering a simple upbringing with small-town roots. This young Michigan native has been recognized in multiple states for her unique storytelling through songwriting. Jessey has won the overall title in both the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival competition (2024) and the Michigan State Fair Superstars competition (2024). She was also named a semi-finalist in the Tennessee Songwriters Week competition (2024) and a nominee for five Josie Music Awards. Jessey has opened for names such as; Dierks Bentley, Cooper Alan, John Paycheck, Sunny Sweeney, Trey Lewis, and more. With features on multiple radio and news shows and a large variety of events under her belt, this up-and-coming country singer is one to remember.

The WDVX Big Plate – 10/31 – Jeff Cregger Band
2025-10-31 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Knoxville’s own Jeff Cregger Band will join us this day.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 11/1 – 2 Bands from UT Appalachian Strings
2025-11-01 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
About UT Appalachian Strings
UT musicology faculty and local Knoxville musician, Sean McCollough, created the first-ever UT Appalachian string-band ensemble in the spring semester of 2022. By spring of 2023, one student band had grown into two. The two current bands play mostly bluegrass – though one of them includes some modern Americana songs in their repertory. Sean’s hope is that there may be enough interest in the future to also have an old-time band, an Americana band and perhaps even a country band. If you are a UT student and are interested in joining one of the bands, email Sean at sean@utk.edu.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 11/3 – John W Rose / The Webb-Tigert Duo
2025-11-03 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Lisa Webb & Bob Tigert play Americana, R&B, jazz & more on an assortment of ukuleles in amazing ways as The Webb-Tigert Duo.

John W. Rose will also join us this day!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 11/4 – Mike Snodgrass
2025-11-04 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Mike was born on the 11th day of December in Clarksburg, WV. Growing up in Oak Hill, WV, Mike was always involved in music. He started playing drums at a young age and stuck with it all through college. While in college at West Virginia University Institute of Technology, where Mike studied Engineering, He started getting serious about playing his guitar that he picked up late in high school. Although his singing voice was at its beginning stages, it would later become one of the attributes people most comment about his music.
After college, Mike worked at a small Engineering firm in Mt. Hope, WV for a couple of years. In that time he grew and grew in the local music scene with “The Mike-n-Rob Experience”. Mike was laid off from his job and soon decided that music would be his full time career. Two years after his big decision of “Living the Dream”, Mike decided to relocate to Knoxville, TN.
Mike then started developing his unique style that is difficult to describe. Taking influences from people like Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz, Amos Lee, Marc Broussard, Ray LaMontange, and other Singer/Songwriters, Mike has a wide mix of Soul, Funk, Blues, Americana, and Folk displayed in his own music.
Many people have commented on his “unique and powerful voice” as well as his ability to play guitar and harmonica simultaneously so well! However you describe his music, he is sure to keep you entertained and engaged.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/6 - Crawdaddy Jones
2025-11-04 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Crawdaddy Jones is an original blues rockin’ duo from Knoxville Tennessee.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special – 11/5 – Cliff Dorsey
2025-11-05 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Cliff Dorsey is a Nashville-based country artist from High Springs, Florida, known for his rich baritone and a sound rooted in traditional and ‘90s country, blended with modern storytelling. His recent singles “Your Guess” and “When I Think Aldean” both hit the Top 40 on the MusicRow chart, with the latter reaching #1 on the CDX Nashville True Indie Chart and in the Top 40 on MusicRow.
Cliff’s steady charm and respectful ease with people make him every bit the Southern gentleman offstage as he is a powerhouse on it.

Tennessee Shines - 11/5 - East Nash Grass / A.J. Lee & Blue Summit / Alex Leach, Wyatt Ellis / The Po' Ramblin' Boys
2025-11-05 19:00 | Bijou Theatre, 803 South Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
East Tennessee’s Own WDVX presents Tennessee Shines Radio Show Wednesday night, November 5th at 7PM at the historic Bijou Theatre in downtown Knoxville. It’s WDVX’s 28th Birthday Party!, and to celebrate we’re bringing AJ Lee and Blue Summit, East Nash Grass, The Po’ Ramblin Boys, Alex Leach, Wyatt Ellis and your host Jim Lauderdale to the Tennessee Shines stage, for a full night of live Bluegrass at the Bijou on November 5th.
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!
AJ Lee & Blue Summit are an award-winning, energetic, charming, and technically jaw-dropping band — and one of the most exciting and fast-rising Bluegrass / Americana bands on the scene today. Based in the California Bay Area, the group met as teenagers, picking and jamming together as kids at local bluegrass festivals. Currently made up of AJ Lee on mandolin, fiddler Jan Purat, guitarists Scott Gates and Sullivan Tuttle (younger brother of Molly Tuttle), and bassist Sean Newman, the band still carries that youthful, festival-parking-lot energy with them, yet there’s a genuine ease and confidence to their music making. A breakout year for the band, 2024 saw them release their critically acclaimed album, “City of Glass,” their first label release on Signature Sounds recordings, combined with becoming one of the most in-demand bands in the Bluegrass scene. In 2025, the band continues to pack major venues around the country, along with major festival plays, and the release of “Cover to Cover V1,” an EP of cover songs being released throughout the year.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!
East Nash Grass exemplifies the best of what bluegrass has to offer — as being named the 2024 IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) New Artist of the Year would suggest. But their talent as singers, instrumentalists, and composers is just the beginning. The secret to East Nash Grass lies in their unflinching ability to be themselves. It certainly helps that they are a veritable supergroup of award-winners who have been performing longer than some might guess they’ve been alive, with experience working with Dan Tyminski, Tim O’Brien, Sierra Hull, and Rhonda Vincent, as just a start. After hundreds of sets (and countless late-night jams) in Nashville, East Nash Grass has coalesced into the hair-raising ensemble of Harry Clark (mandolin), Cory Walker (banjo), James Kee (guitar), Maddie Denton (fiddle), and Jeff Partin (bass/dobro). Their love of both bluegrass and the absurd can be felt in both their live shows and on their new album “All God’s Children” (Mountain Fever, 2025), which keep listeners on the edge of their seats, marveling at irrefutable mastery and wondering just what might come next.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!
In 10 years as a band, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys have covered a lot of miles. Their love of bluegrass — playing it, sharing it, growing it — has been the fuel for their remarkable journey through every corner of America and into the hearts of fans drawn to their hard-charging, true-blue sound.
“We live what we play and sing about,” says bandleader C.J. Lewandowski. Indeed, the band has weathered their fair share of the highs and lows that bluegrass songs are known for (except for the murders, of course). They’ve been road-weary, longing for home. They’ve felt the heartbreak of band members leaving and embraced the joy of welcoming new ones. They’ve worked hard to see their dreams come true, playing on some of music’s most celebrated stages. And they’ve been nominated for a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album (2019’s Toil, Tears & Trouble) and for the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year award.
Amid all their travels, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys have seen every nook and cranny of the country, met people from all walks of life, and kept a keen eye toward the truth, which rings out loud and clear in the songs they write. “Wanderers Like Me,” the title track from their most recent album and the band’s first No. 1 song on the Bluegrass Unlimited chart, shoots straight from the heart: “Wanderers like me don’t settle down for no one / don’t mind being lonesome, chasing dreams is all I ever need.”
Lately, they’ve been chasing their dreams in a new configuration, one that expands the band’s age span and geographical roots. Guitarist John Gooding from California and fiddle player Max Silverstein from “the great bluegrass state of Maine,” as the band likes to say during onstage introductions, are the newest additions, both in their 20s. They join Lewandowski on mandolin, Jereme Brown on banjo, and Jasper Lorentzen on bass, relative elders in their 30s.
Lewandowski describes this new chapter for the band as one of “expansion and growth.” There’s a new energy to the group onstage, with appreciative glances and the occasional good-natured laugh between them as they play. They’re listening to each other and responding. And audience members feel like part of the conversation.
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys have always been known for barreling bluegrass forward, and as they move into their second decade as a band, they’re maintaining that momentum, both onstage and in the studio. Lewandowski envisions the band’s next project as “kicking it back to the beginning and cutting a record that is solid damn ’grass.” And then, of course, they’ll take it right back on the road, living what they sing about and sharing it with others, just the way they like it.
“We take bluegrass and put it where bluegrass isn’t,” says Lewandowski. “It’s not about putting music that is different into bluegrass music to attract more people.”

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!
Alex Leach and his band are redefining modern roots music and bluegrass, bringing exceptional musicianship and high energy to every stage. Bluegrass Today praises them for their skill and exuberance, marking Alex as a leading figure in the young bluegrass vanguard.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!
Wyatt Ellis has achieved more milestones in his 16 years than most musicians achieve in a lifetime. The teen multi-instrumentalist from East Tennessee is rapidly emerging as one of bluegrass music’s brightest stars. With a fiery passion and a profound respect for the genre’s traditions, he skillfully blends the influences of bluegrass pioneers with youthful energy. Known for his virtuosic mandolin playing, soulful vocals, and original songwriting, Wyatt has built a dedicated fanbase excited to support him as he grows up before their eyes. His band performances, marked by raw energy and tight harmonies, breathe new life into traditional bluegrass, seamlessly fusing the rich traditions of Appalachia with a modern edge.
Wyatt and his bluegrass band are picking up steam as one of the most exciting young acts in bluegrass today. Each member brings their own authentic Appalachian flavor. Performing around a single microphone in the classic Appalachian style, the band’s live shows echo with the sound of high-lonesome harmony, powerful rhythm, and blazing solos. Their stage presence and chemistry evoke the timeless spirit of bluegrass while offering something fresh and compelling. From the Grand Ole Opry to festivals like MerleFest, Gray Fox, and Big Ears, Wyatt Ellis and his bluegrass band are gaining momentum and turning heads at every stop. With a debut band album on the horizon and a growing national fanbase climbing aboard, Wyatt Ellis and his bluegrass band are rolling forward on a track laid by the legends, bringing youthful energy to the heart of tradition.
Wyatt’s talent has earned him notable recognition, including the title of Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year and an unprecedented nomination at age 15 for New Artist at the International Bluegrass Music Association Award Show in 2024. His virtuosity and understanding of the roots of traditional bluegrass have earned collaborations with bluegrass pioneers Peter Rowan, Marty Stuart, and Bobby Osborne. His rise to prominence has been featured in Rolling Stone and The Tennessean, cementing his place in the spotlight. Wyatt’s innovative approach to traditional bluegrass has already begun to influence the next wave of acoustic musicians, furthering his generational impact on the genre.
In 2024, Wyatt made his solo debut at the Newport Folk Festival, and his band became a fan favorite at major festivals such as Gray Fox, MerleFest, and Big Ears. That same year, Wyatt was a guest of Dailey & Vincent at age 13 and became a regular performer on the Grand Ole Opry after making his official Opry debut playing original music with his own band at just 14 years old. Wyatt’s debut album reached number one on Billboard’s bluegrass sales chart in its first month of release, with multiple songs charting as bluegrass airplay number one hits. Ten of his twelve tracks charted in the Top 10, with “Blue Smoke” holding steady there for most of the year, solidifying his status as one of the genre’s most promising emerging talents.
In January of 2025, Wyatt released Winds of Rowan County alongside bluegrass legend Peter Rowan, a collaboration that honors Rowan’s legacy while passing the torch of the “old-school” to bluegrass music’s newest flame-keeper. Currently, Wyatt is preparing to release a debut vocal album, which will feature brand new original material. This album marks a significant milestone in his career and promises to showcase even more of his unique sound and growing artistry. With relentless dedication to his craft, Wyatt is making a lasting impression on the bluegrass world and beyond. As he continues to push boundaries, Wyatt is poised to captivate music lovers around the world. You won’t want to miss the next chapter in this unstoppable young artist’s journey.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!

The WDVX Big Plate – 11/7 – Larry & Joe
2025-11-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Larry & Joe were destined to make music together.
Larry Bellorín hails from Monagas, Venezuela and is a legend of Llanera music. Joe Troop is from North Carolina and is a GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass and oldtime musician. Larry was forced into exile and is an asylum seeker in North Carolina. Joe, after a decade in South America, got stranded back in his stomping grounds in the pandemic. Larry worked construction to make ends meet. Joe’s acclaimed “latingrass” band Che Apalache was forced into hiatus, and he shifted into action working with asylum seeking migrants. Then Larry met Joe.
Currently based in the Triangle of North Carolina, both men are versatile multi-instrumentalists and singer-songwriters on a mission to show that music has no borders. As a duo they perform a fusion of Venezuelan and Appalachian folk music on harp, banjo, cuatro, fiddle, maracas, guitar, upright bass, and whatever else they decide to throw in the van. The program they offer features a distinct blend of their musical inheritances and traditions as well as storytelling about the ways that music and social movements coalesce.
LARRY BELLORÍN
Larry Bellorín grew up in Punta de Mata in the state of Monagas, Venezuela. His mother, a poor farmworker, raised him. By age 6, he became a shoe shiner and built a faithful clientele by singing as he polished, taking requests for the popular Vallenatos of the day. He eventually caught the attention of a local music educator who invited him to study at the city’s premiere music school.
Larry’s first instrument was the cuatro, a 4-string guitar with Spanish roots central to the Venezuelan identity and typically the first instrument a folk musician is taught there. Cuatristas strum out complex polyrhythms at dizzying speeds as accompaniment for vocalists and harpists. Larry quickly excelled and by age 11 was supporting himself through music alone. He soon became proficient on guitar, electric bass, mandolin and maracas as well. By age 13, he was well-versed in the folk music of his region (valse, pasaje, joropo, música oriental) and was honored as first cuatrista for the local Casa de Cultura.
After filling in on cuatro for a friend on a gig at a local pizzeria, Larry met an authentic llanera harpist named Urbino Ruiz, who immediately took him under his wing as an apprentice. After only a month of tutelage, Larry had a repertoire of 40 songs. “I played so much, I would wake up hunched over my harp,” he recalls.
In 1999, Urbano invited Larry to perform with him alongside Venezuelan cultural treasure Renaldo Armas at the Punta de Mata’s Parque Ferial. After playing, Armas, a GRAMMY winner and the country’s most well known champion of Llanera music, introduced him to the crowd of more than 8,000 people as “el maestro Larry Bellorín.” From that point forward, Larry was respected as such.
Larry went on to accompany countless Venezuelan musical luminaries including Cristina Maica, Teo Galindez, and Rumi Olivo. While touring the country as a performer, he and his wife opened Casa Vieja, a school dedicated to teaching Música Llanera. In three years, he taught nearly five hundred students and launched Monagas’ first Musicá Llanera festival.
Inspired by the success of Gustavo Dudamel’s orchestral program El Sistema, the state-funded parallel folk program Alma Llanera aimed to enrich the lives of and promote cultural heritage to children through Venezuela’s folk music. Larry taught harp, cuatro, and vocals to countless students.
In 2012 Venezuela began to collapse, and it became impossible to maintain a music school. Poverty and violence reached unprecedented extremes, and new political realities threatened Larry and his family’s lives. He decided to go to the United States in search of work and asylum for his family. He arrived with only thirty dollars and slept on the floor of an unfurnished room while doing construction day labor. His wife and young daughter eventually joined him. Having faced political persecution, they were able to open a case for asylum. Larry has endured wage theft and several work site injuries but continues to look to the future with hope.
Prior to the pandemic, Larry was beginning to find work as a musician in North Carolina, playing bass in Salsa bands and booking his own Venezuelan folk group across the state. But the pandemic’s restrictions on social gatherings ended those opportunities, and Larry returned to full time construction work.
JOE TROOP
Joe Troop is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter hailing originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The founder of GRAMMY-nominated stringband Che Apalache, Joe’s music is deeply inspired by his decade living in Buenos Aires and traveling throughout Latin America. When the pandemic unexpectedly landed him back in North Carolina, he spent 2020 learning direct action from stalwart organizers. In 2021 he channeled that energy into his homecoming album Borrowed Time. The record was co-produced with Jason Richmond (The Avett Brothers, Branford Marsalis) and features luminaries like Béla Fleck (who produced Che Apalache’s GRAMMY-nominated album), Abigail Washburn, Tim O’Brien, and Charlie Hunter, but the visceral songwriting and fine-crafted instrumentals speak for themselves. Joe’s music reflects both his time spent living abroad as well as his upbringing in the North Carolina Piedmont. Now based in Durham, he leads various ensembles which play his original music.

First Friday Live - 11-7 - Sophie Gault
2025-11-07 18:00 - 19:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Sophie Gault has always been a little unhinged. A Nashville-based Americana rocker with a midnight voice and an eye and ear for last call rock and roll, she writes songs that swagger, stumble, wink, and bleed. With her third full-length album, Unhinged, Gault triples down on the risk-taking drive that has revved her from dive bars to the big tents, crafting a record that feels at once deeply personal and side-eye defiant.
Unhinged is a dare. A fast, reckless, one-eye-open ride through cow-punk Buck Owens, punked-up Robert Johnson, outlaw cruise mischief, shipwreck coins, blackjack tables, and backroom heartbreak. It’s the sound of someone doubling down on 17 when everyone screams “No!”—and winning. It’s the smell of whiskey and Monte Cristos at 2 AM; the taste of cheap red wine mixed with heat lightning, then you cross a forbidden line while laughing to the stars.
Born with a restless streak that fuels musical infernos, Gault quickly found her place among the city’s creative underground. Over the years, her biting songwriting and electric live presence have made her a name to circle on the Americana scene, praised for both her razor-edged honesty and her sly sense of humor. The songs on Unhinged twist between the sly revenge of “Merlot Dodge Dart,” the fingerpicked confession of “Chestnut St,” the cocky sway of the title track, and the tender, water-lit ache of “Is There Anyone Out There,” sung with Gurf Morlix himself.
Tradition gets honored, flipped, and satisfyingly kicked over—from classic Nashville to Robert Johnson to the ballad from Gurf that no one else would think to touch. Across ten tracks, Gault raises a glass to the chaos of life, leans into the messiness of desire and reinvention, and proves that the most outlaw thing you can do is trust your gut and live with the outcome.
Dirty guitars snarl like a late-night confession, and grooves pull you headlong into the storm. Her voice can smolder one moment and cut like a Katana the next—raw yet deliberate, wild yet anchored in a truth that refuses to apologize.
With Unhinged, Sophie Gault has solidified her place as one of Nashville’s most compelling voices, an artist who isn’t afraid to take chances and tell the truth—even when it stings, even when it doesn’t wrap up neatly. It’s the sound of a songwriter who has stopped caring about fitting into boxes, and scoffs at boxes altogether. Above all: life is too short to play it safe. Raise a glass, place your bet, and get a little Unhinged.

Kidstuff Live - 11/8 - Sarah Pirkle
2025-11-08 10:00 - 11:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Join your host Sarah Pirkle every 2nd Saturday at 10:00 AM for a toe-tapping, family-friendly live music performance made just for kids—and their grownups who love them! From catchy tunes to musical surprises.
