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Bristol's Rhythm & Roots Reunion Festival
Lonesome River Band
The Bristol's Rhythm and Roots Reunion Festival is held annually in Bristol, TN. The festival features an eclectic lineup of country, bluegrass, gospel, old-time, roots, Celtic, rock n’ roll and Cajun music to the streets, pleasing even the pickiest ears.
October 2001 marked the first annual Reunion, welcoming hundreds of artists and nearly 7,000 listeners to the city streets to celebrate the Bristol Sessions. Country, roots, bluegrass and gospel artists came from around the region and nation for the three-day celebration, walking in history’s footsteps and presenting live concerts along Peer’s original path. Restaurants, coffee shops, cafes and saloons opened their doors and welcomed in patrons to hear artists in intimate venues. Outdoor stages catered to larger groups, and impromptu jams on State Street paid homage to the homemade music that started it all.
In 2002, the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion celebrated the 75th Anniversary of the historic Sessions. The musical menu also expanded, offering acts of regional and national fame. Country, gospel, bluegrass, old-time, Celtic, rock n’ roll and Americana acts gathered to raise their voices throughout the downtown in concerts scheduled throughout the weekend—and in the spirit of the Sessions, in unscheduled jams. The 2002 festival also observed the kickoff of the Year of Appalachia, which culminated in the Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. As the home of Tennessee Ernie Ford and the broadcast site of WCYB’s historic Farm and Fun Time program that began the careers of Mac Wiseman and the Stanley brothers, Bristol was an ideal focus of the festival and music fans. Nearly 15,000 people strolled the downtown streets in the festival’s second year.
The festival received unprecedented attention in 2003 as the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou, and its soundtrack helped reintroduce roots music to America’s airwaves. The soundtrack would go on to win the Grammy for Album of the Year and generate enough interest for a follow-up film, Down From the Mountain. This documentary of the music and lives of those who performed on O Brother’s soundtrack further fueled the nationwide interest in roots music. As a result of the films and appeal of the festival’s eclectic lineup, attendance at the 2003 Rhythm & Roots Reunion shattered all previous records. Nearly 30,000 came to downtown Bristol to celebrate America’s musical heritage.
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