News Category: Radio Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn.-Va. (April 8, 2024) – WBCM Radio Bristol‘s Farm and Fun Time live variety show returns to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Historic Downtown Bristol, Tenn.-Va. with the exceptional talents of Pony Bradshaw and Shay Martin Lovette. The event will take place at 7 p.m. ET, April 11.

“Bradshow and Lovette are true masters in the craft of songwriting,” said Radio Bristol Program Director and show host Kris Truelsen. “This is going to be one great night of amazing stories set to music.”

Pony Bradshaw, known for his haunting and literary songwriting style, draws inspiration from his extensive reading, crafting narratives rich in detail and emotion. His latest album, “North Georgia Rounder,” is a love letter to the place he calls home and the woods, rivers, and mountains of Appalachia.

Shay Martin Lovette, a wayfaring songwriter deeply connected to the natural world, brings his unique perspective and musical voice to songs that have garnered praise from esteemed publications such as American Songwriter, The Bluegrass Situation, and No Depression, among others. His latest EP, “The True as They Come,” is slated for release April 26.

Tickets to Farm and Fun Time are $40 and may be purchased online through the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.

Farm and Fun Time is made possible by Eastman Credit Union, Toyota of Bristol, Virginia Tourism Corporation, and the City of Bristol, Tenn. The program broadcasts live on WBCM Radio Bristol at 100.1 FM in the Bristol area with streaming available on the station’s Facebook page, at ListenRadioBristol.org and through the station’s free mobile app. The program will record live for later broadcast on Blue Ridge PBS, East Tennessee PBS, and PBS North Carolina.

BRISTOL, Tenn.-Va. (Nov.17, 2023) – Two-time GRAMMY legend and Blues Hall of Famer Bobby Rush headlines WBCM Radio Bristol‘s Farm and Fun Time at 7 p.m. ET, Dec. 14, at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Historic Downtown Bristol. Country rock outfit Cole Ritter & The Night Owls will also perform at what is destined to become an historic event in the history of the program.

“Bobby Rush is a blues icon and it is such a privilege to host him for the first time in Bristol,” said Kris Truelsen, Radio Bristol program director and host of Farm and Fun Time. “Many will recognize Cole Ritter from his appearance on American Idol. His band is top notch and they are rising quickly on the Americana scene. We predict this show will sell out quickly, so don’t hesitate to order tickets.”

At 90 years young, Bobby Rush continues to be an electrifying performer, songwriter, and composer with a long pedigree that took him from the juke joints of the deep south to blues clubs of Chicago where he perfected his craft alongside his friends Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Little Walter, Jimmy Reed, Etta James and Howlin’ Wolf. Rush was 83 years old when he received his first GRAMMY. He just released an album of new music entitled “All My Love for You,” made a cameo appearance as himself in the Eddie Murphy film “Dolemite Is My Name,” and released a critically acclaimed autobiography “I Ain’t Studdin’ You: My American Blues Story.” Rush has been featured in two documentaries about the blues including the Martin Scorcese production “The Road to Memphis” and “Take Me to the River,” where he appeared with Terrence Howard, Snoop Dogg and Mavis Staples. He’s currently co-writing “Slippin’ Through the Cracks,” a Broadway musical that’s still in development, with playwright Stephen Lloyd Helper who co-wrote “Smokey Joe’s Cafe.” Among his many successes and accolades, Rush is also an inductee of the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame and the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

Founded in 2019, Cole Ritter & The Night Owls have since been pioneering new sonic spaces and finding their very own home-grown sound that is completely new, yet nostalgic. The award-winning band is helmed by Cole Ritter, a Nashville native who has devoted his life to music. Cole was featured on season 20 of American Idol and was chosen as Hunter Girl’s duet partner. His songwriting draws inspiration from many genres including country, rock, folk, and the blues. The Night Owls features a lineup of some of Nashville’s best up-and-coming instrumentalists and musicians. Ritter and the Night Owls were chosen as the inner of Belmont University’s Country Showcase in 2020.

Farm and Fun Time house band Bill and the Belles, led by Truelsen, leads the program with musical segues and original underwriter messages, weaving in humor, a Farm Report and a homespun heirloom recipe segment that’s fun for the whole family. Tickets are on sale now for $40 to be part of the live studio audience; to purchase and more information visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.

Farm and Fun Time broadcasts live on WBCM Radio Bristol at 100.1 FM in the Bristol area with streaming available on the station’s Facebook page, at ListenRadioBristol.org and through the station’s free mobile app. The program will record live for later broadcast on Blue Ridge PBS, East Tennessee PBS, and PBS North Carolina.

BRISTOL, Tenn.-Va. (Oct. 24, 2023) – Twangy, good-time Canadian export Boy Golden and The Resonant Rogues, an Appalachian folk duo based in North Carolina, will perform on WBCM Radio Bristol‘s Farm and Fun Time variety show at 7 p.m. ET, Nov. 9, at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Historic Downtown Bristol. The program will record live for later broadcast on Blue Ridge PBS, East Tennessee PBS, and PBS North Carolina.

“Boy Golden puts on an amazing live show and rarely tours in the United States,” said Kris Truelsen, program host and Radio Bristol program director. “To say this is a rare opportunity is an understatement. Don’t miss it!”

Everything becomes fluid when you can pass through time and space like a ghost, a story, a melody. Boy Golden manifests all three on his latest album “For Jimmy.” From classic country to psych-folk, alternative to roadhouse pop to Appalachian bluegrass, Boy Golden’s abilities lies in the songwriting of Liam Duncan – the songs your friends tell you about, the stories you hear from your neighbors, your community. Since releasing the band’s debut album “Church of Better Daze” in 2021, their single “KD & Lunchmeat” charted #1 on Canadian alternative radio, they have toured more than 60 venues and festivals across North America and Duncan has produced several albums with friends. Farm and Fun Time will be Boy Golden’s Bristol debut.

The Resonant Rogues are fronted by the songwriting duo Sparrow and Keith Josiah Smith, who share a passion for movement and sound. Before meeting, falling in love, and forming the band in 2013, both traveled extensively throughout the U.S. – Keith by hopping freight trains, Sparrow with a circus troupe. In addition to their North Carolina holler homestead, New Orleans and Nashville are their other musical homes and the influence of both can be felt on their self-titled, fourth album which offers sounds of Appalachian old-time, classic country, and vintage soul.

Farm and Fun Time house band Bill and the Belles, led by Truelsen, leads the program with musical segues and original underwriter messages, weaving in humor, a Farm Report and a homespun heirloom recipe segment that’s fun for the whole family. Tickets are on sale now for $40 to be part of the live studio audience; to purchase and more information visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.

Farm and Fun Time broadcasts live on WBCM Radio Bristol at 100.1 FM in the Bristol area with streaming available on the station’s Facebook page, at ListenRadioBristol.org and through the station’s free mobile app.

BRISTOL, Tenn.-Va. (Sept. 28, 2023) – Multi-GRAMMY Award-winning “songwriter’s songwriter” and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Rodney Crowell headlines WBCM Radio Bristol‘s Farm and Fun Time show on the historic stage of Paramount Bristol at 7 p.m. ET, Oct. 19, with special guests Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, the duo Vintage Guitar magazine heralds as an “acoustic firestorm.” Doors open at 6 p.m.

“Crowell is such an iconic songwriter whose influence extends way beyond country music,” said Farm and Fun Time show host and Radio Bristol Program Director Kris Truelsen. “Combine that with the virtuosic talents of Ickes and Hensley and you’ve got a really powerful combination fans won’t want to miss.”

The show was previously scheduled for July, but had to be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. Tickets previously purchased are still valid for admission to the October date. Tickets are still available at the Paramount box office and online at ParamountBristol.org.

Truelsen’s house band Bill and the Belles, a lively, internationally touring string band known for signature harmonies, candid songwriting, and pop sensibilities, leads the celebration of Appalachian music and culture with homespun humor and and heartwarming performances the entire family will enjoy.

Farm and Fun Time is recorded for television syndication on Blue Ridge PBS, East Tennessee PBS, and PBS North Carolina; check local listings for air time. Folks may also tune in to the broadcast on WBCM in the Bristol area at 100.1 FM and through the station’s free mobile app. For more information, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.