Knoxville’s eclectic music event continues to expand in popularity
Music legend Patti Smith is among the second wave of acts announced for the 2020 Big Ears Festival.
The expanded lineup was announced at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, on the Big Ears website, www.bigearsfestival.org.
Smith is known both as one of punk rock’s pioneers and as the author of several books of poetry and prose. “Horses,” her 1975 debut album, became one of rock’s most critically acclaimed albums of all time and is considered one of the genre’s most influential, as well. Big Ears founder Ashley Capps had been trying to get Smith involved in the festival for quite a while.
“Certainly the invitation goes back several years,” said Capps, contacted late Monday afternoon. “She responded positively, but she has a lot of things going on, so it took a while to line up the sun, the moon and the stars. But it couldn’t be a better year for it.”
At Big Ears, Smith will perform a concert with her band and as part of a literary program connected with her recently published book “Year of the Monkey.”
The yearly festival brings cutting-edge artists from around the globe to perform at downtown Knoxville venues, and it regularly draws music fans from all over the world to Knoxville, too. Founded in 2009, Big Ears has become one of the most anticipated music events in the United States, regularly winning praise from the New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal and other esteemed publications.
Big Ears 2020 will be held March 26-29. The festival has increased in attendance every year, and Capps said that full weekend and VIP tickets already have outsold where they were in January and February, respectively, for the 2019 festival. Sales of full-event passes are going so well that it is possible that one-day passes may not be available for the 2020 event.
In addition to Smith, several other acts were announced, including: A Winged Victory for the Sullen; Arooj Aftab and the Vulture Prince Ensemble; Bell Orchestre; Che Apalache; The Claudia Quintet; Fennesz; Josephine Foster; Ben Lamar Gay Quartet; Sam Gendal Concert Group; Jacob Kirkegaard; Sonja Labianca; Nivhek, Astrid Sonne; Gya Valtysdottir; D. Scot Williams; Ensemble Dal Niente & Ken Vandermark; and Theremin Noir with Rob Schwimmer, Uri Caine and Mark Feldman.
Capps was enthusiastic about all of the additions, some of whom have performed at previous Big Ears festivals. A few events, though, warranted special mention.
Theremin Noir is both a celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the invention of the namesake electronic instrument and the 20-year anniversary of the group’s self-titled album, with all three original artists taking part in the festival.
Bell Orchestre includes Arcade Fire members Sarah Neufeld and Richard Reed Parry. Capps said he had been in discussion with Parry for quite a while to bring one of his projects to Big Ears, and he was excited that the six-piece agreed to appear.
Chicago-based classical string group Ensemble Niente with saxophonist Ken Vandermark will perform the music of Anthony Braxton, as part of the jazz legend’s 75th birthday celebration (Braxton also will perform at Big Ears), along with new music by Roscoe Mitchell and other composers. The group also will conduct a wide variety of programs at the Knoxville Museum of Art featuring special guests, as well as what the group is calling a “micro-opera.”
Pakistan-born vocalist Arooj Aftab will perform a new project that includes poetry by Sufi greats and accompanists Maeve Gilchrest, Shazad Ismaily, Gyan Riley and Greg Fox. “It’s one of the things I’m most excited to see myself,” said Capps.
Che Apalache is a collaboration between North Carolina multi-instrumentalist Joe Troop and Argentine musicians Pau Barjau, Franco Martino and Martin Bobrik. The group’s debut album was produced by Bela Fleck, and Capps said the group had several special performances in the works for Big Ears.
In addition, more acts are expected to be added to the lineup. So, too, is a full film program; Capps said this year’s edition will be a “festival within a festival.” Special literary events are expected to be announced soon, as well.
Big Ears is a nonprofit organization supported by The Aslan Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Visit Knoxville, Tennessee Department of Tourism, Pilot Flying J, the City of Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee Arts Commission and other sponsors and individual donors.
Big Ears 2020 artists announced to date:
75 Dollar Bill
A Winged Victory for the Sullen
Andrew Cyrille
Annette Peacock
Anthony Braxton
Areni Agbabian
Arooj Aftab’s Vulture Prince Ensemble
Astrid Sonne
Aurora Nealand & the Royal Roses
Bang on a Can All-Stars
Bell Orchestre
Ben Lamar Gay Quartet
Caroline Shaw
Caterina Barbieri
Che Apalache
Christian Scott
D. Scot Williams
Damo Suzuki Network with the Sound Carriers
Dan Weiss Starebaby
Daniel Pioro & Valgeir Sigurðsson
Devendra Banhart
Diamond Curtain Wall Trio
Dos Santos
Efterklang
Electric Appalachia (William Tyler, Mary Lattimore, Eric Dawson of TAMIS)
Ensemble Dal Niente + Ken Vandermark
Fennesz
Gyan Riley
Gyda Valtysdottir
Harriet Tubman
Jacob Kirkegaard
Jaimie Branch’s Fly or Die
Jason Moran & the Harlem Hellfighters
Jeff Parker and the New Breed
Joe Henry’s 115th Dream
Josephine Foster
Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society
Kim Myhr
Kronos Quartet
Marc Ribot
Maurice Louca
Mdou Moctar
Meredith Monk
Moonlight Benjamin
mssv (Mike Baggetta, Stephen Hodges, Mike Watt)
Múm
Myra Melford’s Snowy Egret
MZM (Miya Masaoka, Zeena Parkins, Myra Melford)
Nadah El Shazly
Natalie Joachim
Nivhek
nief norf
Patti Smith
Paul Lazar’s Cage Shuffle
Peter Brötzmann
Sam Gendel Concert Group
Sarah Davachi
Saul Williams
Shabaka and the Ancestors
Sō Percussion
Sonja Labianca
Sons of Chipotle (John Paul Jones & Anssi Karttunen)
Sound for Andy Warhol’s KISS (Kim Gordon, Bill Nace, Steve Gunn, John Truscinski)
Spektral Quartet
Steve Coleman and Five Elements
Sudan Archives
Tamino
Terry Riley
The Claudia Quintet
The Haden Triplets
The Necks
Theremin Noir (Rob Schwimmer, Uri Caine, Mark Feldman)
Thunder Music Ensemble
Thundercat
Tindersticks
Xylouris White
