Celebrating 80 years of the Bristol Sessions and highlighting the region’s living musical heritage by showcasing the regularly recurring events and activities in historic downtown.
Downtown Center, Historic Downtown Bristol, State Street
Free admission and begins at 7 p.m. each night:
- Monday Nights: Full Music Jam - country and nostalgia music
- Tuesday Nights: Bluegrass Nights – bluegrass music
- Thursday Nights: Hot Southern Nights - southern country rock music
June 14, June 28, July 12, July 26 and August 2: Concerts in the Park
Enjoy music ranging from bluegrass and gospel quartet to easy rock and country rock. Concerts are performed by a variety of artists throughout the summer at downtown park Cumberland Square. Free admission and begins at 7 p.m.
June 15, July 29 & August 17: Border Bash
An after-hours “meet & greet” block party and concert series. The cities close down part of State Street in the historic downtown area for the evening. Families can enjoy dancing in the street to live music, food, fun, and games for children. Free admission and begins at 6 p.m.
Every Friday June 15 – August 17: Tunes at Noon, Summer Concert Series
Each Friday at noon during the summer at the Paramount Center for the Arts in historic downtown Bristol. This series offers a variety of entertainment and music. Suggested $5 donation at the door.
August 18: World Premier Bristol: The Birthplace of Country Music
A Mountain Stage television special that was recorded at the Paramount Theater in July 2006. The first of four television shows to be produced from Mountain Stage’s visit last year, this hour-long special focuses on Bristol impact on the history of popular music and its designation as the “Big Bang” of country music. The special includes performances by and interviews with Ralph Stanley, Roni Stoneman, Tim O’Brien, Ollabelle, The Yonder Mountain String Band, Odetta, Darrell Scott, local girl Reagan Boggs and the grandson of A.P. Carter, Dale Jett.
Mountain Stage radio show returns to Bristol at the Paramount Center for the Arts to record its weekly radio program featuring artists:
- Dierks Bentley, the 2005 winner of the Country Music Association’s Horizon Award, 2003 Academy of Country Music Top Male Vocalist, and, currently, the youngest member of the Grand Ole Opry.
- Kelly Willis, described as an “alternative country's golden goddess" and her latest album in a seventeen-plus-year recording career features a mixture of rock, pop, and country.
- Vieux Farka Touré, a Malian singer and guitarist, and son of one of the African continent's most internationally renowned musicians.
- Joe Ely, an Austin, Texas honky-tonk/country musician began performing in 1970 as a member of the Flatlanders, whose sound was "akin to a pre-War 78 rpm …except that the lyrics were stunningly contemporary.” Over his genre-crossing career, Ely has performed with Bruce Springsteen, Los Super Seven, and James McMurtry in addition to his early work with The Clash and more recent acoustic tours with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, and Guy Clark.
September 14-16: Bristol’s Rhythm and Roots Reunion
An annual music festival celebrating Bristol’s rich musical heritage. Entering into its seventh year, this popular and growing festival features 100s of artists from across the nation with a variety of musical genres. More information, including schedule at www.bristolrhythm.com.
Every Thursday morning: Jam Session at Star Barber Shop
Come listen as local musicians join in a jam session led by Bristol’s own fiddlin’ barber Gene Boyd.
Various, throughout the year: Paramount Center for the Arts
The Paramount Center for the Arts hosts a wide variety of musical, artistic, cultural, and community events throughout the year. Many of the events include performances by bluegrass and old-time musicians. The Paramount Center for the Arts is located one block from the site of the historic 1927 Bristol Sessions in a restored 1930s Art Deco Theatre that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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