East Tennessee's Own WDVX

Secret City Radio Show - 12/8 - Grove Theatre
2023-12-08 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Grove Theater, 123 Randolph Rd., Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, United States
East Tennessee’s Own WDVX and Oak Ridge Periodic Tables present the The Secret City Radio Show featuring Tim O’Brien with Jan Fabricius, Four Leaf Peat, and host Chad Beauchaine at the Grove Theatre in Oak Ridge with a live broadcast on December 8th. These shows will continue in 2024 with quarterly broadcasts.
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!
Multi-Grammy award winner Tim O’Brien and his wife Jan Fabricius have performed together nationally and internationally either as a duo or as part of the Tim O’Brien Band since 2015. In a duet setting with a guitar, a mandolin, and their two voices, they bring an intimate and warm acoustic music roots repertoire that’s at once both original and traditional.
Singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist O’Brien, born in Wheeling WV in 1954, grew up singing and playing guitar in church and in school. After seeing Doc Watson on TV, he became a lifelong devotee of old time and bluegrass music. Co-founder of Colorado’s Hot Rize, he toured the world with that band from 1978 until he started his solo career in 1990. His songs have been covered by Kathy Mattea, Garth Brooks, and the Dixie Chicks, and his collaborators onstage and in the recording studio include Darrell Scott, Dirk Powell, Mark Knopfler, and Sturgill Simpson. Awarded Grammy’s in both the Folk and Bluegrass categories, he is a member of both the West Virginia and the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. He lives with Jan Fabricius in Nashville TN.
Jan Fabricius grew up in WaKeeney, Ks. and sang from an early age in church and school, taking up clarinet and then mandolin. A registered nurse and mother of two, she kept her hand in music through local jams and regional bluegrass festivals while raising her family.
Jan’s music with O’Brien started informally around their home as he wrote or learned new songs, and she soon found herself singing and playing mandolin in the studio and onstage. O’Brien’s 2021 release “He Walked On”, and his upcoming release “Cup of Sugar” feature original songs co written by Tim and Jan.

Four Leaf Peat is Tennessee’s premier Traditional Irish Band and has been performing locally and regionally since 2004! Traditional Irish music ranges from vibrant dance tunes to soulful songs, and Four Leaf Peat’s performances are always marked by a keen sense of the tradition, mixed with just the right amount of influence from the rich musical history of East Tennessee. Four Leaf Peat’s unique sound is a result of its members’ various musical backgrounds, and their continued passion for traditional Irish music. By taking all of their years of musical training, and building on Irish influences like The Bothy Band, Planxty, Flying Cloud & Silly Wizard, to more modern twists on Traditional music such as Dervish, Open the Door for Three & Lunasa; Four Leaf Peat has built its own brand of Irish music which celebrates the musical bridge that spans the Atlantic.

Kidstuff Live - 12/9 - Will Carter
2023-12-09 10:00 - 11:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
A multi-instrumentalist, singer songwriter and record producer, Will Carter is a busy man – performing as a sideman with other musicians (including Jackson Brown, NEEDTOBREATHE, and Ashley Campbell), performing and releasing his own music, and recording projects for other people. But amidst everything else, he has found time over the years to play music for kids at the Boys and Girls Club and in local Knoxville schools.
He’ll bring his many talents back to the Kidstuff stage on Dec. 9. And if you’re getting in the Christmas spirit, you’re in for a treat. Will loves to arrange and perform Christmas songs.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/9 - Lazybirds
2023-12-09 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
The band Lazybirds began twenty years ago, when Jay Brown and James T Browne, who had played acoustic blues and folk together in high-school in Birmingham Alabama, moved up to Boone NC where they became immersed in the rich musical heritage of the Appalachians, while at the same time delving deeper into blues and jazz. Lazybirds was formed with Mitch Johnston on bass and Andy Christopher on tenor guitar and tenor banjo, later adding the great Alfred Michels on guitar and fiddle. More recently, the line-up has changed somewhat, with Asheville musicians Cas Sochacki on upright bass and steel guitar, Brad Pope on tenor guitar and mandolin, and upright bass.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/11 - Nancy Brennan Strange
2023-12-11 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
East Tennessee’s Own Nancy Brennan Strange takes the stage today on The WDVX Blue Plate Special!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/12 - Trisha Gene Brady
2023-12-12 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
With her former band TGB followed a rigorous road schedule and had many adventures!! Trisha Gene Brady is a roots musician from Knoxville, TN known best for her seven year run as the female vocalist (guitar, mandolin, percussion) of the nationally touring act, The Black Lillies. Her split from the well known Americana outfit seems to be an open door to the next step in her career.
She has been featured in publications including Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Billboard, Wall Street Journal, Consequence of Sound, Garden & Gun, Huffington Post, Relix Magazine, USA Today, PASTE Magazine, No Depression & Country Weekly, NPR’s Mountain Stage (twice) and five separate PBS concert specials, a GAC featurette, Texas Music Scene and a CMT television episode airing nationally.
Trisha Gene is one of the only independent artists invited to play the Grand Ole Opry more than thirty times (debuted June, 2011).
She has performed at festivals including Bonnaroo Music + Arts, SXSW, Americana Music Association’s Americana Fest, 30-A Songwriter’s Festival, Country Music Association’s CMA Festival & Fan Fair, Rochester International Jazz Festival, Pickathon, Strawberry Music Festival, Four Corners Folk Festival, MerleFest, Old Settler’s Festival, The Luck Reunion, and more.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/13 - Les Kerr / The Luv Muffins
2023-12-13 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Les Kerr is a songwriter, recording artist and performer who brings blues, New Orleans music, Zydeco, rock and bluegrass together to create his “Hillbilly Blues Caribbean Rock & Roll.” A Nashville resident since 1987, Kerr was born in Louisiana and raised in Mississippi.
Les has recorded eleven albums, including his latest, Part of the Show. About Les’ music, national music publication No Depression’s Lee Zimmerman wrote, “Nashville’s Les Kerr creates a sound that’s both jovial and cerebral all at the same time…Kerr takes his stylistic additives from a variety of genres — reggae, country, folk, blues and rock ‘n’ roll — and meshes them into a hybrid that’s philosophical [and] sunny.”
Les has performed at many festivals and has headlined annual Mardi Gras celebrations at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Café since 1992. Among the venues and events where he has performed are Nashville’s Official Independence Day Celebration, the Grand Ole Opry House, the Country Music Hall of Fame, Southern Festival of Books and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Nashville (formerly the Country Music Marathon).
Regional performances include shows at the Maple Leaf Bar and Louisiana Music Factory (New Orleans, LA); Decatur, Alabama’s Historic Princess Theatre; The Listening Room (Mobile, AL); The Railyard (Decatur, AL); Hal and Mal’s (Jackson, MS); Atlanta Dogwood Festival; Knoxville (TN) Dogwood Festival; Southern Festival of Books (Nashville and Memphis) and Cookeville, Tennessee’s city-wide “Cooking on the Square” event.
The title song of his 2015 Contributor album was inspired by Nashville’s street newspaper and the premier event of the video raised money for the newspaper, The Contributor. The video for Contributor was seen worldwide and was included on CMT.com.
Mackinac Blues, from Les’ New Orleans Set CD, was included in NPR’s All Songs Considered and the New Orleans-based OffBEAT magazine declared, “Kerr’s musical stylings aptly cover the gamut from rockabilly to boogie to Caribbean beats with ease.”
Les was a three-time award nominee of the former Music City Blues Society and was featured in the TV documentary Civil War Songs and Stories broadcast on PBS stations across the U.S.
Lyrics of several of Les’ songs have appeared in three volumes of Maple Leaf Rag, a New Orleans Poetry Anthology. He is also the co-author of The All-American Truck Stop Cookbook (Harper Collins) and Tennessee (Graphic Arts Press).

East Tennessee’s Own The Luv Muffins joins us this day for the WDVX Blue Plate Special!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/14 - The Runout / Luke Israel & The Allstar Specials
2023-12-14 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
The Runout is an earnest alt-country/Americana band based out of Columbia, SC. Jeff and Kelley Gregory represent the band for duo appearances with Chris Compton, Moses Andrews, and Mike Scarboro joining for full band shows.

South Carolina Song writer, Luke Israel, brings a haunting new experience to old school country sound. Branding the title “Southern Folk and Honest Tunes” bringing the experience to a Honky Tonk near you.

The WDVX Big Plate - 12/15 - Memphis & The Misfits
2023-12-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Memphis & The Misfits
…..i never had a dream in my head to front a band. I’ve been a bass player happy to be in a supportive role for all of my years playing music. I did have a lot of thoughts in my head and things i wanted to say about where i grew up in the Delta, the place i call home, the people around me then and the music , culture and influences that my young years incubated in. From my perspective life in our small town growing up was like scenes from popular movies of the time-part Cool Hand Luke, part Blues Brothers, and part Every Which Way But Loose and part Walking Tall. With plenty of real life characters to cast from. There was always music around-and musical influences. Every time you sat down for lunch at one of the local cafes you had someone in the place that used to tour with someone. We had guys that had backed blues legends. Farmers that drove a tractor every day that used to be in Jimmy Buffet’s band-they came home to work the family farm while others from our area continue on the road with Jimmy until his recent passing. Soul acts. Southern gospel. Black gospel music that was so good it would give you chills. From “Dewey & the Biscuithounds” to the “ Y. S. O.-aka the Yarbro Symphony Orchestra-a prog rock band dedicated to covering Yes, Rush and their own prog originals everything was covered musically within our community.
Within an hour i could be on Beale St or in any one of the hundreds of clubs and juke joints surrounding us in NE Arkansas, Memphis or NW Mississippi. I was both attending blues acts at various places around our region by the age of 16 and playing in them as well with a variety of bands.
Experience gives a person the ability to look back and appreciate what could have been taken for granted. I didn’t realize it at the time but i was being given a rich glimpse of our musical heritage without even appreciating it in the moment. My hope as i continue writing music is to rely heavily on those influences and experiences as a tribute to them. The music of the blues should always be a history lesson. It should always lead you to someone a little further back. It should always tell a little bit of a story that causes one to be curious. I can’t tell the story of the blues because it isn’t my story to tell and to try and do so would make me an imposter. But i can share my experiences and weave those experiences into my own music as we’ve done here. Halfway to Number Nine is my thank you to my beginnings and those strong people and influences that shaped me. The song itself references an old country store with a pot bellied stove, moonshine and dice rolling farmhands just like it says. Walk That Line pays tribute to the working men that ventured North in the Depression to survive and left the one they loved back home. Muddy Waters was one of them…..Simple Life is a look back from today and is asking the big questions we’re all asking…….simple, honest, authentic and original music. That tells our story, tells the old stories of the blues and entertains. That’s all we want. Join us.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/16 - Christopher Wright / Dale J Gordon
2023-12-16 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
From the Piney Woods of East Texas, Christopher Wright Music was borne out of strong conservative Christian values and a steady diet of Merle Haggard and Hank Williams, Jr.
By eleven Christopher was playing guitar and writing music. His art offered a much-needed distraction from his fractured family. In 1986, Christopher, his mother, and sister moved north of Dallas to McKinney, Texas. After some scuffles with the locals, they relocated to Allen, Texas where Christopher firmly planted his boots in the ground.
Around this time urban hip-hop and Seattle grunge were shaping the musical landscape. Christopher’s love for the art of music was fire-roasted by the likes of Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Dr. Dre. For Christopher, these artists complemented his respect for music of The Outlaws of Country Music.
High school and college were hastened by good times and trouble. Those days flew by like a Ford Mercury fresh off the line. Christopher was a bit of a hell-raiser in his younger days. Had a few run-ins with the law.​
“I got sidetracked with fast living, illegal shit, and shortcuts. Addiction made my straight lines into circles. Life was all fun and games until it wasn’t. I never shot anybody’s dog or anything, but I surely danced with the devil. After a few cold nights in county, I woke the hell up. Then it was the warm light of God”s word that guided me back to the light. In my desperation I found a deeper appreciation for everything I was losing.”​
In 2016 Christopher was diagnosed with acute liver failure. “That shit brought me to my knees. “Christopher credits his faith to getting him sober. And music for saving his life.
Christopher’s voice is deep, direct, and steady like a locomotive. His music will no doubt resonate with folks who are seeking light in the dark.
https://youtu.be/fDWpG5og7SA?si=eQ-RrroXBkfh2dk2
Dale J. Gordon is a Nashville-based songwriter and performer. His theatrical one-man band show utilizes guitar, a stompbox, and projected videos. His musical style blends elements of John Prine, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Frank Zappa, and The Butthole Surfers. He has toured the U.S. for the past twenty years and performed at festivals such as Punk Island (NY), Skatopia (OH), Audiofeed (IL), Art All Night (NJ), and Killa Tomato Fest (TN). Dale has shared the stage with notable international music and comedy
acts like: Mishka Shubaly, Sierra Ferrell, Joe Jack Talcum (Dead Milkmen), Dusty Slay, J.T. Habersaat, Josh McLane, Kristin Lytie, Mack Lindsay, Jay Whitecotton, Kyle Pogue, Chad Riden, Ceschi, Matt Pless, Spoken Nerd, The Plurals, HEELS, Jared Grabb, Fate McAfee, Rent Strike, Qwel, Punk with a Camera, LaBaq, Papisa, and FingerFingerrr. Though Dale has seven full-length releases and three singles available on all streaming services; his highest achievement is having one of his songs be barely audible during an interview with Henry Rollins in the Amazon Prime film Riot on the Dance Floor.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/18 - Beth Snapp / Conrad Moore
2023-12-18 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
The pandemic turned the entire musical community upside down, and Beth Snapp’s story was no different… for the most part. 2019 saw her participating in various Folk and Americana festivals and songwriting competitions (including Kerrville’s New Folk Competition, LEAF’s New Song Music, Songwriter Serenade Winner, TN Dept of Tourism’s Songwriter’s Week Winner). She had enjoyed a Folk Alliance Chart top 10 spot from her 2018 EP “Don’t Apologize.” Press and accolades were building. Then, cue 2020.
While lucky to cling to a day job as a healthcare worker in Northeast TN, Beth soon found herself working in the throes of her local COVID unit. This, she reports, took her song away for a while. Some asked if it gave her songwriting fodder. Instead, there were no words, or music, for months. Some moments are too much for words.
As the pandemic halt began to fade and music began to emerge (although in ways no one in 2019 would have imagined), she then found herself in surgery for a nerve injury in her arm that could have proven to completely revoke her of guitar playing. However, it didn’t.
Now, in 2023, Beth is finishing up her full-length project with Barry Bales at the production helm (Alison Krauss and Union Station, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, cowriter with Chris Stapleton, Grammy/IBMA/CMA Song of the Year winner). Album is set to be released by end of fall to early winter. She also has released a folk-pop single “Try Them On,” a positive affirmation of identity which implores the listener to try on whoever they have dreamed of being. 2023 is gaining momentum, and she’s more than ready for it.​
You can also hear Beth’s guest vocal spots with bluegrass super group Blue Highway, Grammy and IBMA winner Tim Stafford, and ‘The Voice’ Contestant Carson Peters.
https://vimeo.com/612033143
Conrad Moore is a North Georgia native singer/songwriter.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/19 - Big Creek Bluegrass
2023-12-19 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Big Creek Bluegrass plays mostly Bluegrass but throw in some Country, Gospel, and a little Classic Rock.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/20 - Sleepy Eyed John Band
2023-12-20 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Sleepy-Eyed John’s Music and Clogging Locally owned and operated by John & Alicia Alvis since 2010, Sleepy-Eyed John’s offers a variety of Music Lessons & Instruction School. 2830 Andersonville Hwy, Clinton, TN, United States, Tennessee (865) 414-5825.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/21 - Jay Mac & Stevie
2023-12-21 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Jay Mac & Stevie. Rocking Radio Mama & Freedom Fighting Warrior Princess Bride Of The Most High.

The WDVX Big Plate - 12/22 - Todd Steed & The Christmas Suns
2023-12-22 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
An annual holiday tradition as Todd Steed & The Christmas Suns join us today for the WDVX Blue Plate Special.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 1/8 - Pistol Creek Catch of the Day
2024-01-08 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
East Tennessee’s Own Pistol Creek Catch of the Day brings Guitar, fiddle, bass and vocals on the upbeat to the stage today!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 1/9 - The Alternates
2024-01-09 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
The Alternates will join us on this day.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 1/10 - Tim Fast / Hailey Joy
2024-01-10 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Hailey Joy is an 18 year old singer-songwriter based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Ever since she was young she has been intrigued with music. She loves to write and express her emotions with the hope that someone can relate to the lyrics she’s singing. Hailey Joy is full of life and is always seeking adventure or a good conversation with anybody! She hopes to communicate through her country, singer-songwriter music that there can be JOY found, not just in the good moments of life, but also amidst the pain! She also just put out her first EP that’s on all music platforms called “From The Heart.”

Tim Fast could be a character in one of the gems-of-a-song he writes and sings. He’s a dust-covered man who has traveled the roads in search of whatever song is over the next rise. That sense of adventure has given him a catalog of great original songs that have touched audiences from coast to coast and all the way from his native Minnesota down to the Texas Gulf Coast.
“I know how to write a good song and know when it works but in the end, the audience lets me know,” Tim says as his hands cradle a cup of coffee. A line like that might sound boastful coming from most people, but Tim is too disarming to come off that way.
Tim taught himself to play guitar at a young age (he still doesn’t read music) and his first guitar was a Silvertone his parents bought him after he tried building his own guitar after seeing the Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show” when he was 8. He counts the late Chicago singer-songwriter Steve Goodman as one of his biggest early influences. After seeing Goodman perform in Minneapolis in 1975, Tim decided, “That’s what I wanted to do the rest of my life.” From then on, his life was about music.
In pursuit of that dream, he traveled roads that gave him a breadth of experience and would serve him well when he decided to become a full-time troubadour. He worked on crab boats out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, fabricated sheet metal, inspector for the Department of Food and Agriculture of California and worked as a stonemason. Woody Guthrie once advised, “All you can write is what you see,” and Tim let the characters he met and the roads he ambled tell the stories in his songs. “Many of my songs are about life’s experiences because the best songs come from what you know best,” he said. He’s told those stories on four well-received albums — the self-titled Tim Fast in 2003, followed by Starlite Drive-In in 2007, Crooked Door, released in 2011 and long time coming 2023 new release Under Your Moon. It’s no surprise he has 14 award winning songs amongst his collection. Tim has a dazzling repertoire of original songs that leave people humming and thinking — and ready to join him on his journey to see what’s over the next rise.
https://youtu.be/dy3xNs2uaIM?si=oa0TqL2LQgjZn-0h

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 1/11 - Michael DeLisle / Bernadette Pendleton
2024-01-11 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Michael deLisle is a Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist, Bassist and Writer.

Bernadette Pendleton will join us as well.

The WDVX Big Plate - 1/12 - Blue Ridge Gathering
2024-01-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Blue Ridge Gathering is an Old Time band from Knoxville, TN featuring Cody Bauer, Jessica Watson, and Duck Ryan.

Kidstuff Live - 1-13 - Sarah Pirkle
2024-01-13 10:00 - 11:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
East Tennessee’s Own Sarah Pirkle is a fiddler, singer, songwriter and teacher.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 1/13 - Long Prairie / Jacc Moran
2024-01-13 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Long Prairie has been serenading venues since the 1990’s getting her start performing at karaoke nights and open-mics. Now frequently playing music around the Texas Hill Country. She has a dynamic and soulful vocal and is a solid rhythm guitarist and has been a devoted songwriter most of her adult life. She has three full-length albums under her belt and is about to start recording her fourth. Born and raised in the Northwoods of Minnesota (hence the name Long Prairie.) Coming from a household that always had music playing (mostly oldies music) she gravitated towards traditional acoustic instruments and fell in love with songwriting. She has been compared to Patty Loveless, Gillian Welch, and Natalie Merchant (to name a few.) She remembers freestyle songwriting as a small child and it just came natural to her, she thought it was fun and still does. She has undeniable talent and enjoys sharing her music. Catch her in coffeehouses, distilleries, bars, wineries, private events, or on the back of flatbed pickup truck.

Jacc Moran will also be joining us.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 1/24 - Reed Fields / Tony Slaughter
2024-01-24 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Reed Fields is an Americana/County singer/songwriter from the rolling hills of Eastern Kentucky.

Tony Slaughter is a Singer/Songwriter born in Georgia, and now resides at the foothills of the Carolina mountains.
He’s no stranger to the music scene at all! Tony cut his teeth on the music scene performing with well-known rock bands such as Socket, Quarterfly, and After August.​
Following the passing of his father, in August 2019, Tony began writing his life stories down in songs. Finding his voice and sound through the lyrics of his songs, Tony Slaughter not only found his form of therapy, but also his songs and stories resonated with so many other people. Two words sum it all up…Outlaw Country!​
With songs from his first album titled Alton Douglas, (His Father’s name) Tony brought us into his life unknowingly. Tracks like Footprint, Sinner or Saint, and Jesus and Tattoos create an image of Tony’s upbringing and what he holds closets to his heart…family and life! But don’t let that fool you either! Tony’s track “Walk of Shame” shows his fun and creative side, while poking fun at one of the local music scene front men Greg Payne from The Piedmont Boys. Don’t worry though…Greg gets the last line in the song to show his approval!
Tony is currently recording new singles with Andrew Crawford, who by himself is a well-rounded musician, as well as no stranger to the Nashville scene! Keep a look out for the new Single “Happy Trails” coming October 2022, as well as many amazing shows lined up this fall with several national and local artists.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 1/25 - The Country Gentleman Show
2024-01-25 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
2005 is when the idea of The Country Gentlemen Tribute Band was first born, when Bill Yates, 20+ year member of the Country Gentlemen, Darren Beachley and David Propst met at Cabin Fever Picking Party in Hampton, VA and sang some old and new Country Gentlemen songs. Later, after further deliberation, they decided to go through in creating a project in tribute to the Country Gentlemen. After a search produced the addition of 4 more members, Including the Lead Vocals of Mike Phipps in August of 2005 the Bill Yates and Friends: A Tribute to the Country Gentlemen project was initially started and later was completed and released in December 2006 on the MasterShield Records label located out of Bridgewater, VA. It became an instant hit with fans, friends and fellow musicians alike, so much so that the band started touring. Bill Yates toured with and fronted the band for 9 years until he did tragically pass away the night of Monday, January 26, 2015, from complications due to cancer. He leaves behind a historic legacy of music, having the honor of previously performing with many bluegrass greats down through the years, such as Red Allen, Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, but most importantly the Country Gentlemen.
The current lineup that will be continuing to perform on stage will include: Mike Phipps on guitar and vocals, David Propst on mandolin and vocals, Lynwood Lunsford on banjo and vocals, Kyle Windbeck on upright bass and Darren Beachley on dobro and vocals. This ensemble vows to continue to put its heart and soul into each performance, trying to help satisfy that musical hunger for the multitude of Country Gentlemen fans that still fill this country; especially the ones that truly do miss Charlie Waller & Bill Yates. We will continue to move forward and perform in tribute as closely as possible the tunes from yester-year thought to be long lost for the ages, as they attempt to re-create each tune, vocally and musically as best they can as it was previously originally presented and performed.

The WDVX Big Plate - 1/26 - Dave Eggar
2024-01-26 12:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Over the past two and a half decades, Dave Eggar‘s earned rock star status in pop music world as first-call cellist and string arranger for superstars like Coldplay, Evanescence, John Legend, Lewis Capaldi and Bebe Rexha and Foreigner. Yet for the multi-talented veteran musician, the piano has always been the ultimate place of solace since his childhood days as a classical prodigy.
In his youth, those keys were a sacred space where he found a home immersed in the lyrical glories of Chopin ballades and solo pieces by Satie, Gabriel Faure and Toru Takemitsu. Throughout his career, even as the four-time Grammy nominee has amassed hundreds of string credits, the piano compositions on his solo albums – from his 1998 debut Serenity to his prodigious latest release Dragonfly – reveal a truer artistry that comes alive in a space where he connects with people more deeply and emotionally.
Co-written and produced, like Eggar’s 2021 album Awakening, by drummer, percussionist and songwriter Chuck Palmer, Dragonfly is a thematically expansive yet musically intimate collection which, true to the title’s mythological implications, finds Eggar exploring the concepts of metamorphosis, self-realization and the insight of clear vision. It’s all with an eye towards helping us meet the great challenges of a post pandemic world, rise above the darkness and discover exciting new possibilities.
While most of the pianist’s previous solo albums bear titles reflecting the healing music space (including 2002’s Angelic Embrace), the symbolism of the Dragonfly – brilliantly embodied by the colorful, intricate cover illustration and artwork – made perfect sense as a reflection of a hopeful embrace of a new era. In essence, it’s a tribute as well to Gomeo, a Native American philosopher and fan of Eggar’s music who always called the artist “Dragonflyboy” in reference to the combination of courage and fragility he observed in Eggar. Eggar in turn dedicates the graceful, reflective title track to Gomeo.
“The pandemic and resulting lockdown freed us from our usual distractions and made us all stop and think about the meaning of our lives,” says Eggar, who is releasing Dragonfly in the wake of the two 2023 Grammy nominations earned for his work with clarinetist Tasha Warren on the album Ourself Behind Ourself, Concealed, featuring compositions by Paquito D’Rivera and Pascal Le Boeuf. “I look at these realizations and the re-entry into new phases of life as a metamorphosis, much like the one a dragonfly undergoes from larva to adult. As we re-enter society, it begs the question: How can we do better and find the beauty within ourselves?
“On Awakening,” he adds, “the songs were vehicles for me to think through and solve issues related to that difficult time. With Dragonfly, they’re about being more courageous and enlivening. Now that we’re moving into the next chapter of our existence, how do we strike out in the world? On a personal level, the darkness where the album begins and ends reflects my working through pain, looking metaphorically over these past few years as I’ve experienced the transformation from a darkness into a place of light.”
Much of the darkness Eggar refers to is rooted in his sorrow over the loss of many special people in his life over the past year. In the album’s credits, he dedicates Dragonfly to the aforementioned Gomeo as well as Andrew, Mark and Ronnie. Losing so many in such a short span inspired him to think about his many vectors as a musician. Following the stark, elegant “Prelude,” he taps into “The Darkness,” a graceful hypnotic piece with classical overtones (and the added heartrending texture of his cello harmony) for Andrew, a close friend who took his own life.
The equally soulful, haunting tune “Sorrow Returns” is for “Ronnie” – a nickname for Rosalyn Freundlich, a therapist who transformed his lie at an early age, helping him from his teens through his early 30s. This included the later period of a troubled childhood, which ran from the highs of being a child prodigy playing the Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall to running away from home. “Ronnie was more than a therapist for me,” he says. “She was also a very powerful philosopher. Her passing had a significant impact on the recording of Dragonfly.”
Complementing the gorgeous, introspective piano pieces – which include “Embark,” “Encircled,” “Soliloquy” and “Shards of Light” – are the stately, dramatic and hopeful “Lullaby of Kingston” (a piano rendition of the title track from his 2010 album Kingston Morning) and two tracks Eggar performs with Bristol Lightning, the Americana quartet he formed during the quarantine period with talented bluegrass musicians he met and vibed with upon his pandemic-era move from NYC to Bristol, TN. The group’s Blake Collins (mandolin) and Phil Faconti (guitar) appear with Eggar on the uniquely experimental, atmosphere-rich, mood swinging “Memories of New York” and are joined by singer Ashton Davison (providing ethereal wordless vocals) on the trippy and tension filled, densely percussive classical/bluegrass fusion jam “Road Trip.”
At first, Eggar thought these two Bristol Lightning tracks were too much of a departure from the piano-centric flow of the rest of Dragonfly – but ultimately he loved how everything worked together to capture where he’s coming from in a meditative space while expanding his repertoire, taking risks and tackling new adventures in his life. “You can go on a road trip to explore new possibilities and also remember New York as it was and find new life there,” he says. “These songs relate all the possibilities that await us after a long time of struggle. Through all the meditation, we can find a time for action.”
Though it is the closing track, the piano piece “Onwards” flows like an unfinished folk song, promising more magic to come. Ending with such simplicity harkens back to “Appalachian Spring,” an enduring work by famed composer Aaron Copland, who in his later years lived in Eggar’s hometown of Croton-on-Hudson NY and was Eggar’s piano teacher when he was six. It is also a way of acknowledging the pianist’s mellower but still quite vibrant life now in Appalachia, considered by some to be the birthplace of country music.
While Eggar’s fascinating history as a prodigy usually takes precedence in his official biographies, it’s the way music helped the Julliard trained musician cop with the struggles of that childhood that tell the deeper story of his evolving genius. In addition to being in great demand with jazz and pop music royalty (Michael Brecker, David Foster, Taylor Swift, Tony Bennett, Andrea Bocelli and Esperanza Spalding, among scores of others), he has collaborated with the New York City Ballet, the Jose Limon Company, Attack Theatre, Pendulum Aerial Arts, Shen Wei Dance, San Francisco Ballet and Complexions Contemporary Ballet.
Eggar has also appeared as a featured soloist with the Thailand Philharmonic, The Sydney Symphony, the Melbourne Symphony, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. Over the past few years, he has collaborated on live events with yoga artist Christiane Sabo, which allowed him to explore the idea of how emotion and meditation work in tandem.
“I like the way the music on Dragonfly isn’t just about processing sorrow and loss in a meditative space, but also opens up a journey from there into once again embracing the world with courage and confidence,” says Eggar. “I am grateful for the many years I have been with Domo Records, whose leadership always believed in my unique voice as an artist, even when I wasn’t sure of myself. With each album, it’s been wonderfully gratifying to see a substantial increase in people listening. With this little seed planted so long ago, we’ve built a beautiful world of possibilities.”

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 1/27 - HiDAZE
2024-01-27 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Introducing HiDAZE, an electrifying all-girl alternative band hailing from the enchanting hills of East Tennessee. With a dynamic blend of raw emotion and captivating melodies, HiDAZE stands at the forefront of the music scene.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 1/29 - One Lone Goat
2024-01-29 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
One Lone Goat is from Knoxville Tennessee.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 1/30 - Zack Miles / The Montvales
2024-01-30 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
From their early days busking in their hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, folk-country duo The Montvales have fine tuned the art of meeting listeners exactly where they are. And with their upcoming album Born Strangers, the pair—Sally Buice and Molly Rochelson—have taken that concept to universal levels, creating a reaffirming collection of songs for these uncertain times as told through the wide-eyed existentialism of their stories and the questions raised by their lyrics. And while staying true to the folk traditions like a strong sense of home or enacting change through art, The Montvales offer up their mantras through the fresh, honest perspective of young, female artists in the 2020s.
Due out on February 2nd, Born Strangers takes a step into new territory with a full band of Nashville musicians; a departure from Heartbreak Summer Camp, The Montvales’ 2019 album that reunited the duo after Buice and Rochelson moved away for some time to seek their fortunes separately.
The new direction was aided by producer Mike Eli LoPinto (guitarist for Chris Stapleton and co-writer and producer of Emily Nenni’s “On the Ranch”) who assembled an A-list roster of session players at sound engineer Sean Sullivan’s Tractor Shed Studio for Born Strangers. The result is The Montvales’ sound elevated and amplified. Buice and Rochelson’s voices intertwine jubilantly throughout the album—a sound developed over a lifetime of singing together—and listeners are compelled to join in harmony on a dynamic journey through the gritty, determined, and sometimes absurd world of The Montvales.

Zack Miles is a Singer/songwriter with folk, americana, and bluegrass influence. Coffee-core.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 1/31 - Bruce & Pat / Fish Fisher & EmiSunshine
2024-01-31 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Rolling Stone named EmiSunshine among “10 new country artists you need to know,” but she is much more than country. With a musical style described as “old-timey,” the East Tennessee native performs her own unique contemporary blend of roots music that is equal parts Americana, Bluegrass, Gospel, Blues and Jazz.
Known for her powerful voice and masterful ukulele-playing, the 19-year-old singer/songwriter has been attracting national attention since she was 9 years old, with appearances on Today, NBC’s Little Big Shots, Pickler & Ben, Song of the Mountains, WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour the Grand Ole Opry and elsewhere. In 2018, she was featured in the Grammy-nominated Elvis Presley documentary film The King, for which she wrote and performed two original songs—“Johnny, June and Jesus” and “Danny Ray.” In 2019, she received the prestigious ASCAP Foundation Desmond Child Anthem Award for musical excellence.
With 10 albums released under own name and guest appearances on other projects, EmiSunshine’s evolution as a singer, songwriter and musician is on full display. Her latest album, SIDESHOW (to be released on October 6, 2023), explores themes of lost love, diversity, independence and more.
Likewise, her 2022 album, DIAMONDS, explores themes of love, loss, self-esteem and misogyny. In a review, No Depression described the album as filtering “traditional sounds of roots music through pop…into a bluegrass state of mind.” American Songwriter called it “an ambitious offering from an artist whose talent and ambition reside well beyond her years.”
Emi’s 2019 album, FAMILY WARS, which was produced by 4-time Grammy-winner Tony Brown in Nashville, also received outstanding reviews in leading music publications. No Depression wrote that the album “establishes EmiSunshine as a strong creative force… someone bold and talented enough to tackle today’s issues while honoring yesterday’s folk traditions.” Country Standard Time called it, simply, “a superb album.”
Emi has opened for, or shared the stage with the likes of Loretta Lynn, Rhonda Vincent, Vince Gill, Tanya Tucker and more. A true prodigy, she began writing songs at the age of 5 with help from her mother, Alisha Hamilton, with whom she still regularly writes. Many of her songs deal with serious themes like domestic violence and addiction, but she is equally drawn to uplifting stories that celebrate equality and offer encouragement to anyone facing challenges in life. Her ideas come from many sources, including watching the news and sometimes even listening to other people’s conversations. “I don’t intentionally eavesdrop, but sometimes it just happens,” she admits.
Emi regularly co-writes with other acclaimed songwriters, including Jim Lauderdale, Vicky McGehee, Leslie Satcher and more. In 2020, she collaborated with Grammy-winning funk music legend Bootsy Collins on the song “Stars” to benefit the Recording Academy’s MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Fish Fisher is an award winning songwriter, singer & producer based out of both Gatlinburg TN & Toledo Oh. He regularly plays his special hybrid of original music across the country but is especially fond of touring all of southern Appalachia.
Fish has co-written with hundreds of other songwriters and in all genres. Many artists have cut his songs from his catalog of approximately 1,800 works. He literally has over 200 released songs available on spotify & other popular streaming platforms written & recorded by himself or other artists & bands, .
Fish’s signature sound is always gruff, rootsy and down-home, but genre-hopping is his specialty. Call his style whatever you want, he’s just happy you’re listening.
Fisher was born & raised by a southern family of West Virginia roots in a poor but hard working northern neighborhood in Toledo, a blue collar city within the shadow of Detroit. He’s an anomaly of a country music singer who has never claimed to be raised on a farm, worn a cowboy boot on a dirt road or lived in a small town. This may explain his proclivity for more urban subject matters, aggressive rhythms and howling vocal deliveries to working-class stories and lyrics.
He currently lives in Gatlinburg TN and still maintains a home in Toledo to be near his family whenever he gets a break. For over 10 years he simply continues to travel various highways and stages back & forth to both “homes” while also keeping regular presence in Nashville too.
Having cultivated a loyal following by touring the Great Lakes region and southern Appalachia nonstop for over a decade, Fisher offers something for outlaw-country fans everywhere. His live performances encapsulate his unique blend of where “the Rust Belt meets the Coal Belt.”
NASHVILLAIN is Fisher’s seventh full-length solo album, with numerous other endeavors released with other bands and side projects within the Southern rock, country and alt-folk genres. It will drop on November 10 through most digital music outlets, with CDs available at live shows and at FishFisher.net.
Fish performs & records as a solo artist but is also found in several other bands & projects like:
EmiSunshine – Guitarist for EmiSunshine; a renowned singer in the Americana, Bluegrass & Country music market. At 19 years old she has already spent over 10 years touring the nation & beyond, released 10 full length albums and performed multiple times on shows like the Grand Ole Opry. EmiSunshine & Fish also tour periodically as a duo.
Wilkins/Fisher – Nashville-based touring Country music duo featuring Alexis Wilkins & Fish Fisher. Alexis is a powerhouse Country music singer.
Sam Hatmaker Project – Sam is a popular Nashville based singer-songwriter. Fish co-wrote & Produced her newest album Trailer Park Traitor. They tour as a duo, primarily the songwriter rounds circuit.
S.C.U.M. (Sevier County United Musicians) – East Tennessee’s local super-group featuring many of Gatlinburg’s top solo frontmen assembled Avengers-style. Band consits of Hendry Bombat, Luke Walker, Danny 10Beers, Nick Martineau & Fish Fisher with occasional other special guests from the local scene.
STRONG ARMED ROBBERS – Outlaw-Country music team-up with EmiSunshine, Big Diddy & Fish Fisher plus surprise new members announced soon. Based out of east TN.
S.U.S. – Hard Rock band from Toledo OH with Fisher as the frontman featuring over 10 albums worth of songs released.
Brother John – Guitarist for Brother John; Americana and alt-Folk singer out of Maryland.
Distinguished Bastards of the Foothills – Singer for this Detroit based band with that garage-Rock sound with 2 full length albums released on all major music platforms.
Fish Fisher & The Hired Guns – Fish tours special shows feature this full band ensemble.

Bruce Forman and Pat Bergeson . A hectic touring schedule; twenty-one recordings as a leader, countless sideman recordings including Ray Brown, Bobby Hutcherson, Roger Kellaway; soundtrack performances on three of Clint Eastwood’s distinguished films—most notably Academy Award-winning Million Dollar Baby; raconteur, arranger, acclaimed educator, in residence at USC’s Studio/Jazz Guitar Dept., when does Bruce Forman rest?
Deep immersion in American culture inspires Forman to contribute to the traditions that he draws from. Reunion! (the newest project) revisits the famed Poll Winners sessions with cohorts John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton, playing instruments owned by Barney Kessel, Ray Brown and Shelly Manne; Formanism (his trio project); original works like The Red Guitar; his high-rated podcast, GuitarWank; Cow Bop and the “road challenges” down historic byways like Route 66; JazzMasters Workshop; Junkyard Duo; GrumpsTV (a fifty episode YouTube variety show during the lockdown), the popular ‘first chorus of the day’ series on Instagram…these are only the latest answers to the endless question that underlies Bruce Forman’s creativity. His music and life reflect every step of his journey, and demonstrate the awareness of an artist who’s very much at home in the world, and at the top of his form.
The Red Guitar is serious one-man theater, incorporating great musical virtuosity and storytelling skills to explore the obsessive demands that music places on its truest followers. Junkyard Duo, scavenging music from the edge of sound, uses an unusual sonic landscape to create a rich and exciting musical palette…hobo chic at it’s most utmost. And though he can shred bebop at blistering tempos with the best of ‘em, he is no urban snob. Cow Bop, Forman’s unique “western bebop” band, hit four separate charts with its CDs, Swingin’ Out West, Route 66, Too Hick for the Room and Cowlifornia Swing. Having won the Route 66 Challenge three times with Cow Bop, he created a linear music festival in 2013, establishing a new paradigm for touring and the use of social media, which included a collaborative mentoring model for young musicians.
Bruce Forman’s life and musical journey provide an American saga that is still in full swing. His Texas origins, his early career in San Francisco and New York, and his years on the road, all contribute to the unique and highly personal vision that he demonstrates today.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 2/1 - Four Shillings Short / The Wandering Hearts
2024-02-01 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Four Shillings Short is rooted in Celtic and American folk, inspired by Indian Raga and Ethnic idioms; a diverse and inventive Traditonal Music Experience.
The husband/wife duo of Aodh Og O’Tuama from Cork, Ireland and Christy Martin from California, have been performing together since 1995. They tour in the US and Ireland, are independent folk-artists with 12 recordings, perform 150 concerts a year and live as the Troubadours of old traveling from town to town performing at music festivals, theatres & performing arts centers, folk & historic societies, libraries, museums and schools.

The Wandering Hearts join us as well on this day.

The WDVX Big Plate - 2/2 - Tune Junkie Weekend
2024-02-02 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Tune Junkie Weekend is Feb 2nd, 3rd & 4th 2024.
