We would like to welcome a new correspondent, Tim Carter, who will be sending us reports and photos from this weekend’s Rhythm & Roots Reunion in Bristol, TN/VA. Tim hosts The Saturday Morning Bluegrass Show on WMTN in nearby Morristown, and will be assisting at the bluegrass stage during R&RR.
Starting this Friday, State Street in downtown Bristol, TN/VA will be closed to automotive traffic, but the street will be buzzing with activity as the 13th annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival kicks off at 1:00 p.m. This festival, a 2012 IBMA finalist for Bluegrass Event of the Year, continues to grow with over 50,000 attending the three-day event last year. This year, over 150 acts will be featured at the festival, which runs September 20-22. Although the festival is not a pure bluegrass event, one stage, the Country Mural Stage, has traditionally been the focus for bluegrass acts during the festival.
Bluegrass performers featured in 2013 include:
- Balsam Range
- Breaking Grass
- Carolina Road
- Claire Lynch Band
- Cumberland Gap Connection
- Cumberland River
- Dale Ann Bradley & Steve Gulley
- Dave Adkins & Republik Steele
- Della Mae
- Detour
- Donna Ulisse
- Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
- Jim Lauderdale
- Kenny & Amanda Smith
- Marty Raybon
- Nightflyer
- Quebe Sisters Band
- Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
- The Travelin’ McCourys
- Masters of Bluegrass
More information on Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion can be found on their web site, and a smart phone or tablet app is available for those who plan to attend. This year, thanks to some new technology and the efforts of Bristol Virginia Utilities and Bristol Tennessee Essential Services, live streaming video and Wi-Fi zones will be improved. Expanded coverage of the event will include streams of all of the major outdoor stages, which can be accessed at bvu-optinet.com.
Further details can be found in The Bristol Herald Courier.
