BRISTOL, Tenn.-Va. (Jan. 29, 2025) – Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, WBCM Radio Bristol is proud to present virtuosic mandolinist and two-time Grammy nominee Sierra Hull, and Mason Via, also a Grammy nominee, on Farm and Fun Time Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. ET. The show will be recorded and streamed live from Paramount Bristol. The program is edited for television to air on PBS stations across the country.
“Sierra Hull is the first woman to receive IBMA’s Mandolin Player of the Year, and she won that honor six times,” said Farm and Fun Time host and Radio Bristol Program Director Kris Truelsen. “For the past three years Mason Via has been the youngest member of Old Crow Medicine Show and garnering a lot of attention as a breakout solo artist. This will be an unforgettable show.”
Sierra Hull was ten years old the first time she performed at the Grand Ole Opry. At 16 she was signed to Rounder Records. Today the 28-year-old phenom is set to deliver her fourth studio album for Rounder entitled “25 Trips.” Produced by Shani Gandhi (Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Allison Krauss), Hull incorporates percussion and electric instrumentation into her repertoire for the first time – an exciting evolution for the trailblazing young artist whose star continues to be on the rise.
Listed among NPR’s top ten bluegrass artists thriving in Nashville, Mason Via’s songwriting has been featured on Molly Tuttle’s Grammy-winning album “City of Gold” in addition to Del McCoury’s Grammy-nominated record “Almost Proud.” As the youngest member of Old Crow Medicine show, he has also received songwriting credit on the band’s latest “Jubilee.” A review from The Huffington Post hails: “Mason Via is transcending musical genres with his unique brand of what has been described as Appalachian funky folk, soulful acoustic, rhythm and bluegrass and groovy Americana.”
Kris Truelsen has spent the better part of two decades touring across the country, honing his craft as a songwriter and performer. With his latest project fronting the Farm and Fun Time House Band, he leans into the rock ‘n’ roll side of country music. It’s rowdy, loose and unmistakably Kris. The band features an all-star lineup including Nick Lawrence (guitar), Rebecca Branson Jones (pedal steel), Sarah Griffin (bass), and Levi Trent (drums).
Tickets to Farm and Fun Time range from $44.04 to $90 (prices include all applicable fees and taxes) and may be purchased online through the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org or at the Paramount Bristol box office. Members of the Paramount and Birthplace of Country Music’s 1927 Society members save at least $5.
Farm and Fun Time is a celebration of Appalachian music and culture. The program, edited for television, now airs on more than 70 PBS stations nationwide. The program is made possible by Eastman Credit Union, Toyota of Bristol, Virginia Tourism Corporation, and the City of Bristol, Tenn, with captioning provided by Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards. 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.