Tickets Here!

Tennessee Shines and WDVX’s 29th Birthday Bash: “The Future of Bluegrass is NOW!”

Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Doors 6:00 PM | Show 7:00 PM
The Bijou Theatre, Knoxville, TN
Reserved Seating

Join us for a very special night as WDVX celebrates 29 years on the air with Tennessee Shines and WDVX’s 29th Birthday Bash, featuring four of the hottest young acts in bluegrass today: Bronwyn, Wyatt Ellis, Carson Peters & Iron Mountain, and Alex Leach and band. Alex Leach will emcee and kick off the night with three brand new songs, backed by a full band.

This concert also kicks off WDVX’s Fall 2026 Fundraiser, so don’t miss your chance to celebrate 29 years of WDVX while supporting the station for years to come!

Want early access to tickets? Sign up for our newsletter, Holler, for a chance at pre-sell info before tickets go on sale to the public.

Bronwyn has long been renowned as a prolific instrumentalist, earning two IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year awards as well as a Grammy for her work with Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway.

As a child, music lessons gradually transitioned into public performances, with a particular emphasis on Irish music after her family relocated to Charlottesville, Virginia. And her lifelong musical education continues to shape her work today. A background in dance makes her a captivating and energetic live performer. An on-stage collaboration with fellow Charlottesville native Dave Matthews taught her how a crowd could feed your energy. And attending Berklee during the early years of its American Roots Music program offered inspiration from classmates like Sierra Hull and Alex Hargreaves—as well as an introduction to Tuttle and most of Bronwyn’s Golden Highway bandmates. “My favorite bluegrass musicians today are the ones who are rooted in traditional music, but don’t really see any boundaries,” she says. “It’s as if they draw from a traditional bluegrass vocabulary, but use it to say what they want to say.”

Now, as her own entry in bluegrass history expands from celebrated instrumentalist to bandleader and frontwoman, Bronwyn isn’t just crafting a career in the image of genre greats like Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas; she’s bringing them along for the ride. Both Bush and Douglas are featured as players on her latest album I Built a World, and they’re not the only of Bronwyn’s musically-inclined pals and heroes to make an appearance.

At just 17, Wyatt Ellis has already built a career that would be remarkable for an artist of any age. Born in Knoxville and raised at the southern end of the Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee, Wyatt is emerging as one of country music’s most distinctive young voices. A virtuosic mandolin and guitar player, expressive vocalist, and prolific songwriter, he brings the spirit of Appalachia into a fresh, youthful sound.

Wyatt’s connection to the mountains is more than geographical. It is where his music comes from. Raised on a family farm in the foothills of the Smokies, he grew up picking his mandolin with the natural beauty of Thunderhead Mountain and its Rocky Top summit visible from his front porch. Vinyl records filled the house, and the sounds, stories, and traditions of East Tennessee became part of his everyday life.

Wyatt began composing Appalachian instrumentals as a child and picked up the mandolin at nine years old to learn to play “Rocky Top.” By 10, he was performing regularly on David West’s Ciderville Farm and Home show. Guided by mentors Bobby Osborne and Paul Brewster, Wyatt developed not only into a remarkable young instrumentalist, but into an artist deeply connected to the music that shaped him. At age 13, he made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry and the airwaves of WIVK.

That foundation has carried Wyatt from those early East Tennessee stages to some of the most important stages in American roots music. Playing original mountain music on the Grand Ole Opry and major festivals including the Crossroads Guitar Festival, Newport Folk Festival, and Big Ears at age 13. Backed by a powerhouse band of Appalachia’s finest, his live show puts the focus on tight mountain harmonies, high lonesome vocals, and blistering instrumental work, creating a sound that is steeped in tradition while remaining unmistakably his own.

Wyatt’s rapid rise has included chart topping originals from his debut instrumental album and becoming one of the youngest regular performers in Grand Ole Opry history. His work earned him the 2024 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award and recognition on Billboard’s 21 Under 21 in 2026. Along the way, he has shared music with and learned from artists who helped define American roots music, including Bernie Leadon, Peter Rowan, and Marty Stuart.

His relationship with the late Bobby Osborne holds particular significance. Wyatt played the lead and harmony mandolin parts on Osborne’s final recording of “Rocky Top,” while their co written instrumental “Fern Branch” was also featured on Osborne’s posthumous album. The recordings represent a remarkable passing of the torch between a legendary voice of Appalachia and a young musician carrying that tradition into the future.

With a debut vocal album of original songs on the way, Wyatt is entering a new chapter, bringing his Appalachian roots, instrumental mastery, and deeply personal songwriting to the forefront. At an age when most artists are just beginning to find their voice, Wyatt Ellis is already helping shape what the next generation of authentic country music can sound like.

Carson Peters and Iron Mountain has quickly become one of the most energetic and hottest bluegrass bands in the business, making numerous trips to the Grand Ole Opry and multiple international appearances. Their traditional bluegrass style and a cappella arrangements are a refreshing reminder that the bluegrass of old is alive and well. The band is made up of Carson Peters (Piney Flats, TN), James McDowell (Hendersonville, NC), Taylor Parks (Bloxom, VA), Henry Burgess (Edmond, OK), and Jake Goforth (Troy, NC). Carson and the band signed with Billy Blue Records in 2023, and are gearing up the release of their 2nd album under the esteemed bluegrass label. The boys give God all the glory for allowing them to accomplish what they have, and trust His plan to guide them through the future.

Multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, and Bluegrass DJ of 27 years, East Tennessee’s own Alex Leach curates a sound like no other. While having an old soul and paying homage to his Appalachian roots, Leach continues breaking new ground with every song he writes and records. “Genre and style are just words,” says Alex, “but music itself and humanity’s creativity behind it is what feelings actually sound like, and my vision is to create what I am feeling and share it with the world.”

Tickets go on sale Friday, October 2 at 10:00 AM at knoxbijou.org and the Tennessee Theatre box office.

Thanks to our sponsors: Tennessee Stone, Old Sevier Market, Modelo Especial, and Corona Extra.