News Category: Radio Bristol

Bristol, Tenn.-Va. (Jan. 30, 2023) – Legendary newgrass phenom Sam Bush headlines WBCM Radio Bristol‘s Farm and Fun Time live variety show, along with Bristol’s very own alt-folk sensation Annabelle’s Curse, at 7 p.m. EST, March 16, live from the historic stage at Paramount Bristol. Hosted by Radio Bristol’s Kris Truelsen and his house band Bill and the Belles, this is a Farm and Fun Time not to be missed. Tickets are on sale now to the public at the Paramount box office and online.

“With the combination of trailblazer Sam Bush and the vitality of Annabelle’s Curse, we’ve curated what promises to be a fantastic, high-energy show,” said Truelsen. “Dancing in the aisles is not only encouraged, it’s expected!”

There was only one prize-winning teenager carrying stones big enough to say thanks, but no thanks, to Roy Acuff. Only one son of Kentucky finding a light of inspiration from Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys and catching fire from Bob Marley and The Wailers. Only one progressive hippie allying with like-minded conspirators, rolling out the newgrass revolution, and then leaving the genre’s torch-bearing band behind as it reached its commercial peak.

There is only one consensus pick of peers and predecessors, of the traditionalists, the rebels, and the next gen devotees. Music’s ultimate inside outsider. Or is it outside insider? There is only one Sam Bush.

Bush has released seven albums and a live DVD over the past two decades, and in 2009 the Americana Music Association awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist. Punch Brothers, Steep Canyon Rangers, and Greensky Bluegrass are just a few present-day bluegrass vanguards among so many musicians he’s influenced. His performances are annual highlights of the festival circuit, with Bush’s joyous perennial appearances at the town’s famed bluegrass fest earning him the title “King of Telluride.”

Electrified Appalachian folk-rock band Annabelle’s Curse has gathered quite a following in the mid-Atlantic region and beyond with a reputation for captivating audiences with its dynamic and energetic performances. Formed more than a decade ago, the band is a staple at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion and one of our region’s must-see acts. A review published in Huffington Post read: “This five-piece alternative folk band from Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia doesn’t seem to be cursed as much as blessed with talent.”

Farm and Fun Time host band Bill and the Belles is based in Johnson City, Tenn. The band tours internationally and is known for combining a stringband format with their signature harmonies, candid songwriting, and pop sensibilities. Rolling Stone referred to the band as “…committed to helping early country music remain appreciated – not just replicated.”

Farm and Fun Time is recorded before a live audience and syndicated for television on Blue Ridge PBS, East Tennessee PBS, and PBS North Carolina. Tickets to the show range from $43.02 – $85.13 and may be purchased by visiting the Paramount’s website at ParamountBristol.org or by visiting the Paramount box office.

Farm and Fun Time may also be accessed in its entirety live through WBCM Radio Bristol’s Facebook page, on the air at 100.1 FM in the Bristol area, online at ListenRadioBristol.org or via the station’s free mobile app.

Bristol, Tenn.-Va. (Nov. 21, 2022) – The public is invited to a very special BCM Christmas with one of America’s most beloved and longest-running classic country and western acts, Riders in the Sky. Hosted by WBCM Radio Bristol, the event takes place at 6 p.m. EST, Dec. 2, at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. The festive evening includes a sit-down dinner and cash bar prior to the concert.

“Radio Bristol is proud to bring Riders in the Sky to the museum for this very special holiday celebration,” said WBCM Program Director and host Kris Truelsen. “The evening will be filled with lots of laughs and the very best in classic western music.”

For more than 40 years, Riders in the Sky have carried on the tradition of western music with an astonishing 7,200+ appearances, 35 years on the Grand Ole Opry, 40 albums, and tours in each of the 50 states in the U.S. and all over the world.

In addition to two GRAMMY Awards, Riders has received numerous awards from the Western Music Association, including the highest: membership in the Western Music Hall of Fame; numerous Wrangler awards from the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Museum; awards from the Academy of Western Artists; enshrinement in the Walkway of Western Stars, and more. What began as a celebration of classic western music and an evening of hilarity has become a career, and that career has become legend. After more than 40 years, the band shows no signs of slowing down.

Tickets to A BCM Christmas with Riders in the Sky are $100 and on sale now. Visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org. to purchase.

Bristol, Tenn.-Va. (Oct. 27, 2022) – Asheville-based, soul-driven rock outfit Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast and Adam Bolt, an award-winning singer-songwriter based in Abingdon, will perform on WBCM Radio Bristol’s Farm and Fun Time live variety show at 7 p.m. EST, Nov. 10, in the performance theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

“Caitlin Krisko is a killer vocalist in the vein of Joss Stone, Grace Potter and Susan Tedeschi, and Adam Bolt is one of our region’s most gifted and provocative songwriters,” said Farm and Fun Time host and station Program Director Kris Truelsen, “Both acts exemplify the very best of our region’s soundtrack across a spectrum of genres. We’re really looking forward to bringing these acts together on one stage.”

Caitlin Krisko and The Broadcast’s electrified and unforgettable performances led them to working with members of Tedeschi Trucks Band and David Bowie’s Blackstar Band on their latest studio album “Lost My Sight.” Krisko captivates her audiences, bringing the perfect blend of power and vulnerability to her performances. An alchemy of soul and rock arrangements with dashes of blues and pop, the band has shared stages with Mavis Staples, the late Charles Bradley, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Marcus King, The String Cheese Incident, Bettye Lavette, and Gregg Allman’s Buffalo Mountain Jam, among others.

Adam Bolt is an award-winning songwriter and self-proclaimed troubadour of Abingdon, Va. who says his songs are “cynical, sensationalized, and seasoned in the key of country.” His detailed observations of the natural world are hidden throughout his music. By day, Adam is a grape farmer in which mundane labor allows for a void in his brain to think about things. These things turn into songs and then the songs are garnished with stories. Bolt is a student of Todd Snider, Tom T. Hall, Roger Miller, and John Prine, among others.

Tying the evening of music together is Farm and Fun Time host band Bill and the Belles, who weave introductions, music segues, original sponsor messages and homespun humor throughout the program. Based in Johnson City, Tenn., the band tours internationally and is known for combining a stringband format with their signature harmonies, candid songwriting, and pop sensibilities. Rolling Stone referred to the band as “…committed to helping early country music remain appreciated – not just replicated.”

Farm and Fun Time is recorded before a live audience and syndicated for television on Blue Ridge PBS, East Tennessee PBS, and PBS North Carolina. Tickets to the show are $35 and may be purchased by visiting the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.

Farm and Fun Time may also be accessed in its entirety live through WBCM Radio Bristol’s Facebook page, on the air at 100.1 FM in the Bristol area, online at ListenRadioBristol.org or via the station’s free mobile app.