As usual during a normal year, I am ardently working on more festivals that I can handle, however I do it anyways and I pull it off quite well. I will be making additional posts for these festivals, as well as my monthly informational posts.
As you can read below, they (like almost every festival) are trying very hard to keep the same lineup as they had for 2020, when they decided to postpone. This year will not only be their 20th anniversary, this will also further solidify their place in the community as THE premiere Roots Music festival.
Many times I have wrote about the intense significance of the history of the Country Music that was recorded here. Much like Memphis, the music CAME FROM Bristol, and the earliest recordings in time came from this area.
“The Big Bang” of Country Music came from this era in the late 1920’s, and is one of the areas of music history I study in an intense fashion. These wonderful folks always have and still do to this day uphold and cherish the values and dignity of THE MUSIC here.
What makes me so excited about this festival is that it spans such a vast area of the entire Virginia and Tennessee border, utilizing 20 outdoor stages and indoor venues. When you combine that with the museum, and all of the other attractions, you have a haven for Country Music lovers like me.
2021 Bristol Rhythm Lineup Announced
Bristol, Tenn./Va. (March 31, 2021) – The Birthplace of Country Music (BCM) has announced its full roster of talent slated to appear at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion this September, including Philadelphia indie-rock stalwart Dr. Dog, who will join Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, Tanya Tucker, Blackberry Smoke, Yola, The SteelDrivers, Rhonda Vincent, and Hayes Carll as headlining acts for the 20th anniversary event. The Steel Woods, Son Little, the Lonesome River Band, Ian Noe, and Charley Crockett are but a few of the acts announced today. BCM was forced to cancel the festival in 2020 due to the pandemic, but are hopeful the event will happen as planned in Historic Downtown Bristol this year.
“We worked hard to keep our lineup as consistent as we could with the lineup we had hoped to have at last year’s cancelled event, but the pandemic forced us to make some difficult decisions,” said Leah Ross, BCM Executive Director. BCM is the parent nonprofit organization of Bristol Rhythm, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and Radio Bristol.
The Festival has approximately 100 bands on the roster for this year’s three-day Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, an event which draws more than 40,000 people to Historic Downtown Bristol each year. An independent study of Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion in 2015 revealed that the festival pumps more than $16 million into the region’s economy.
“The music and tourism industries have been hit hard by COVID-19, and our Downtown businesses are struggling to survive,” added Ross. “We hope our festival provides a boost to Bristol’s economy to help get us back on track.”
BCM has also extended the deadline for food and craft vendors to turn in applications if they want to be considered for this year’s Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion. Vendors now have until April 30 to fill out the online form at BristolRhythm.com. Vendors who were accepted for last year’s cancelled event will need to re-apply this year.
Scheduled for September 10-12, 2021 in Historic Downtown Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is a celebration of the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings, the music that brought country music, The Carter Family, and Jimmie Rodgers to the mainstream and created what scholars now refer to as the “big bang” of country music.
“We are ready to welcome our friends and family back to Bristol. We are ready for live music to make a comeback on State Street!”
The entire Bristol Rhythm for 2021 lineup is as follows:
Weekend passes to the 20th annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival are on sale now for $100 plus tax and fees, with a simple payment plan that gives guests the option of purchasing in monthly installments. For more information visit BristolRhythm.com.
