Director of Communications
Amanda.Murphy@tn.gov
615-741-9010
Senior Communications Manager
Jill.Kilgore@tn.gov
615-927-1320
Communications Manager
Chelsea.Trott@tn.gov
629-395-8941
BRISTOL, TN/VA – The Birthplace of Country Music have announced the lineup for the 17th annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival, slated for Sept. 15-17:
Dwight Yoakam, the multi-Grammy Award-winning honky tonk hero, actor, and entrepreneur, stands at the head of the class for 2017’s festival, while Nashville's Judah & The Lion, a band that has charted across folk, bluegrass, and pop charts, veeps the Bristol Rhythm roster of talent. The well-dressed master musicianship of Jerry Douglas Presents Earls of Leicester brings the bluegrass, and Son Volt's thundering alt-country wears shades of grunge.
Several returning bands to Bristol Rhythm will please fans, including Deer Tick, The Infamous Stringdusters, The SteelDrivers, Langhorne Slim, Mandolin Orange, and The Black Lillies.
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion commemorates the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions, which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year; there will be more news to come on what BCM has in store to mark this important milestone for the recordings Johnny Cash touted as "the single most important event in the history of country music."
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is heralded for its assembly of great headliners, established touring acts, up-and-coming artists, and some of the Appalachian region's finest across a wide variety of genres.
A mainstay of Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is the annual festival poster— a collector’s item and in-demand event souvenir. Knoxville graphic designer Justin Helton, owner of Status Serigraph, was contracted to design this year’s artwork. The individually hand-pressed poster is in Helton’s signature vintage style and is now available online and at The Museum Store at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
Organized by BCM, also the parent nonprofit of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and Radio Bristol, the festival hosts an estimated 40,000 attendees across 20 outdoor stages and indoor venues with more than 120 acts of live music over the course of the three-day weekend.
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion has also achieved a multitude of awards over the years including the most recent Bronze Grand Pinnacle from the International Festivals & Events Association. The festival also earned Top 20 Event/Best Festival from the Southeast Tourism Society and the Pinnacle for Special Events from the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association for its economic impact; the festival brings a return of $16 million to the region.
Weekend wristbands, good for the entire festival, are currently $75.
For the full artist lineup and to purchase weekend wristbands, visit www.BristolRhythm.com.
About Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
Presented by the nonprofit Birthplace of Country Music, the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival is an annual event held on and around State Street in Historic Downtown Bristol, Virginia/Tennessee. Celebrating Bristol's heritage as the birthplace of country music, home to the 1927 Bristol Sessions, the festival boast 20 stages of live music and more than 100 acts over the course of three days. From Americana, alternative country, and folk-rock to traditional bluegrass, old-time, blues, and Celtic music, Bristol Rhythm offers a diverse range of authentic roots music. For more information, visit www.BristolRhythm.com.
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Director of Communications
Amanda.Murphy@tn.gov
615-741-9010
Senior Communications Manager
Jill.Kilgore@tn.gov
615-927-1320
Communications Manager
Chelsea.Trott@tn.gov
629-395-8941