An Introduction to East Tennessee’s Great Music

OK, folks. I’m getting tired of politics for now. I’m thinking of laying low on politics until the DNC – checking in on the local paper to see if anything earth-shattering is happening. For now, I’m going to introduce all of you folks to what I think is the greatest music on the face of the earth. And the home of that music, which some call “roots” music and others call “Americana” is right here in the beautiful green hills of East Tennessee.

At the center of this great musical world is a relatively new, listener-supported radio station called WDVX. In the early days of WDVX, they broadcast out of a camper in suburban Clinton, TN. The history of this station is quite improbable in many ways, and the camper has remained a symbol of the hardscrabble but eccentric roots of this now-famous station. Today WDVX broadcasts out of Knoxville’s Visitor Center, which may very well be the coolest city visitor’s center in America.

What makes it so great is the free, daily lunch-hour concert, broadcast live over the radio called the Blue Plate Special. Harking back to the old WNOX Mid-Day Merry-go-round show from the 1930s to the early 1960s, the Blue Plate Special offers a chance to watch some of the greatest musicians on earth play for free. Many of these musicians are playing paid venues in the evening and they just want some more exposure or even warm-up time at the lunch hour. Others are small-time artists working their way up. Rarely are the performances disappointing.

But WDVX is only part of the story here. You can watch and even play bluegrass music just about every night of the week around here, often with some of the finest guitarists, banjoists, bassists and mandolin players you’ve ever heard. Out here in Maryville, we have a couple true local gems. On Friday nights, at an old elementary school now called the Rocky Branch Community Center, you can join in with pickers of all ages and abilities. On Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, another venue called Music Row Maryville, where you can either join in, listen, or participate in Appalachian clog dancing. These are real local gems. I imagine there are similar venues in other counties in East Tennessee.

What makes these venues so wonderful is the sense of community there. Some people have played fiddles and other fretted instruments for generations; others are total novices. But everybody shares the love of bluegrass music and encourages others to join in.

Anyway, I just wanted to take a break from all the political horserace stuff and introduce you all to my corner of the world. Knoxville could very well have been the country music capital of the world. Though Nashville (thankfully) took that moniker, with all its attendant slickness and commercialism, we like to keep it close to the roots here in East Tennessee.

So give a listen to WDVX over the web. If you ever have a chance to visit the Great Smoky Mountains, be sure to explore the musical heritage of this area.

By the way, I encourage the various other posters on The Moderate Voice to take a wee break from politics and tell us something interesting from your corner of the world.