Bluegrass coming to Cotton Eyed Joe in Knoxville

Bluegrass fans in east Tennessee will have a new nightspot in Knoxville bringing in top acts monthly.

The Cotton Eyed Joe is a large, country-themed nightclub that hosts touring country acts and dance events in town. They can seat as many as 2200 people for concerts, with a large stage, built-in theatrical lighting, and the ability to park tour buses on site. They will also be bringing in an experienced, bluegrass audio engineer for these shows.

The club has recently been sold, and Knoxville grasser Phil Leadbetter tells us that the new owner is excited to give bluegrass a try, starting with the last Thursday of each month. Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle will be the debut performer on bluegrass night, January 25 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. A full food menu is available, offering traditional bar food (appetizers, salads, burgers, wraps) along with a selection of plated entrees.

Leadbetter will be sitting in on reso-guitar with Steve and the guys, and will be in charge of booking in the acts for the last Thursday concerts. Since the venue is just off I-40 in Knoxville, touring artists heading to or from Nashville will be able to pick up a nice date along the way.

Phil says that any performers interested in Cotton Eyed Joe should contact him by email.

“My hope is to find top touring bands that might be passing through town to get to other engagements. This place will be an excellent pickup spot to add a show leading into a weekend. Thats why we will be doing them on Thursday. This place has a ton of potential, and is a different class of any pickup gigs that I have ever played. I feel like it will be a huge success.

We really need to try to get some of these big bands that are already doing places like The Mountaineer Opry, The Station Inn, Meadowgreen Park, and Everette’s Music Barn, to add The Cotton Eyed Joe to their list. People will be surprised what a nice facility this place it. World class! It will help put bluegrass in a different light.”

The Joe already has a good crowd of regulars, and if bluegrass fans will support these monthly shows, it should develop into a fine spot to showcase the best in our music.

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.