by Luke Brogden
photos by Bill Foster
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Friday’s kickoff to Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion 2022 may have been one of its strongest opening days ever. The gender parity that organizers touted in booking was real-BLANK witnessed the largest contingent of female-led groups in the festival’s history and the benefits to this type of intentionality were clear in the value it brought to the bill. The War and Treaty, Tanya Tucker, The Wood Brothers and Fantastic Negrito drew the biggest and most enthusiastic crowds, but the festival undercard and the Bristol bar band lineup was so strong it was impossible not to stop for at least a song at every stage we came across. Below are blurbs highlighting our favorites from Friday in chronological order, followed by recommendations for today’s Saturday schedule.
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Gilbert Nelson’s Jamtown Bluegrass Jam Camp kicked off the Cumberland Stage with large group bluegrass merriment. And we mean a large group–at least twenty banjoists, guitarists, mandolinists and vocalists crowded the stage to start the day feeling like an end-of-night super jam.
The Successful Failures set the tone for Machiavelli’s Tent and the tone was hard-drivin’ Southern alt-rock with a nice ’90s power pop tightness.
Ashley Heath and her Heathens brought smooth sultry funk-soul and got the crowd going in the first set of the fest on the Near Moore Stage. Heath has a gorgeously smooth, airy delivery and her rhythm section locked in tight so she and the keyboardist could go some really cool leadwork over a solid foundation.
Basement Days, a gleeful young Southwest Virginian jam collective, shrieked and squealed and thrashed through a psychedelic indie romp of a set in the 7th Street Stage. Notably the crowd got super-excited when they whipped out an impromptu cover of the instrumental theme song to beloved 90s animated TV show King of the Hill.
Bill and the Belles shared their gorgeous three-part harmonies and sunny vibes on a wide variety of beloved old-time tunes and newer material in that style. Lead singer Kris Truelson continues in his work with Birthplace of Country Music Radio and festival work, remaining a leader regionally in helping preserve the authentic sounds of the Mountain South.
Jake Dwyer Band brought dirty psychedelic blues rock to the Cascade Draft House stage. Dwyer, also proprietor of Shape Studios, will be accompanying Martha Spencer throughout the weekend in her sets. Earlier that morning, he spoke to and performed for an area high school’s journalism class. His band embarks on a trip to play several dates in NYC next week.
Tall Tall Trees stretched the limits of what could be done with the banjo, running it through a pedal board for all kinds of neat tones, textures and effects made more dynamic by tight jazz-and-funk-inflected drums.
The Gents and Liars brought rowdy, raucous but tight classic rock and country covers set to Quaker Steak and Lube stage at the heart of the festival grounds for hours between the headlining acts, drawing a large and enthusiastic crowd with rich, fully-developed covers of classics like The Band’s now canonical roots hit “The Weight.”
Dimestore Cowboys showed why they’re one of the fastest rising area bands with strong songcraft and lead vocals and a tight band.
The War and Treaty broke in the primetime/headliner part of the night with a bigger, better band, more modernized costumes and enhanced stage presence.
Nicki Bluhm carried the Piedmont crowd in the palm of her hand with hypnotic control and confident panache and her band made a big, rich sound rip down Piedmont as the night really switched into gear.
Jive Mother Mary rocked hard with heavy riffs and harmonizing jam solos. They didn’t benefit from a big natural crowd but the people who found the way to their tent were rocking out.
Sam Collie and the Roustabouts showed on the O’Mainnin’s stage the hunger and drive that continues to propel him forward. Collie can shred!
TJ Darnell and Soulamanders played their hearts out at State Street Brewing in soulful, jammy renditions of classic covers with Darnell’s impressive vocal range, stage presence and piano chops taking center stage. Darnell was a favorite local performer on the non-festival stages last year and that trend continues again in 2022.
Willie Watson shows he’s still got that pristine high lonesome sound that helped launch Old Crow Medicine Show on the Country Music Mural Stage. He felt a little more glittered in stardust than usual coming off his appearance in the Coen Brothers’ “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” last year.
Charlie Blaine, a young songwriter from Kingsport, was spotted busking on State Street.
Jade Bird had onlookers nearby exclaiming “she’s so cute!” “How charming!” With her playful pop-folk and infectious smile and laughter. She went pure solo acoustic but the dynamics of her songs and her tight strum patterns and vocals and her charismatic personality made for a bigger sound and show experience.
The Corklickers, an area old-time band composed of friends of over 40 years played the O’Mainnin’s outdoor stage to a smiling and dancing crowd of friends old and new.
Jerry Douglass went full jazz-inflected proggy newgrass on the Country Music Mural Stage. His style has an amazing ability to unify indie hipsters, jazz aficionados and old-time lovers under one big eclectic sound and with an ace like Douglass, people just enjoy being in the presence of pure virtuosic talent.
Of Good Nature brought more jammy funk-soul to Near Moore.
Tanya Tucker showed why she’s stayed famous for over four decades with shimmering costumes, blown out hair and sassy rapport with a crowd that was eating it up, faux stripping at one point and brandishing a bottle of tequila with the other. “Thanks for all those number ones you gave me,” she said to wild applause. “Hell, thanks for some of those number tens!”
The Wood Brothers fused folk, jazz, bluesy jam rock in a high-octane blender putting out a huge sound through the Piedmont Stage speakers. Jam-oriented fans from all over the grounds flocked to this set making it one of the biggest of the night.
The Get Right Band were a bit secluded in their area of the grounds on the 7th Street Stage but strolling by the small smattering in attendance all appeared to be heavily digging the party band vibes. Dancing abounded.
Fritz and Company out of Abingdon drew the biggest crowd of any locally-based act save for Bill and the Belles, who had the benefit of the Piedmont Stage’s natural draw. Hundreds had chosen it over Wood Brothers and Tanya Tucker at different points in the set. Bandleader Logan Fritz has expanded the group and the festival lineup included Matt Miller from Midnight Pony (formerly of Holy Ghost Tent Revival) and local singer-songwriter McKenna Blevins who has been performing with Fritz regularly in recent months. They had a big, rowdy vintage rock and roll sound with a lot of bombastic lyrics celebrating the glory of rock, and Blevins and Fritz have natural vocal chemistry and Fritz has electric stage presence and easy humorous rapport with rowdy crowd members.
The Sweet Lillies, perhaps one of the most unique acts of the day, blew the doors off Theater Bristol despite unfortunate timing during headliners that severely affected their crowd. But this energetic positive group of hippie folk rockers utilized a funked-up standup bass, dual female vocalists, hip-hop-style washboard playing, a drummer bringing in the reggae stylings with a piccolo snare and an acoustic lead player who jammed psychedelic improvisational lead throughout the set. The band seemed energetic and happy with each other and their music, smiling from ear to ear as they delighted the audience with a hippie-folk interpretation of Cypress Hill’s “Insane in the Brain.”
Fantastic Negrito infused punk, hip-hop, gospel, soul, psychedelia and spoken-word in a mesmerizing late night set at Cumberland Park. He and his band were dressed like (and he called himself) “space cowboys” and the canopy of string lights and the superior light show that seems to always happen at Cumberland and the natural hillside and grove of trees and shimmering midnight stream all made it feel like happening upon something ancient, alien or mystical.
Shake it Like a Caveman (O’Mainnin’s) is an explosive one-man band who was spotted jamming guitar and foot drums as late night revelers passed by his spot on State.
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Today (Saturday):
BLANK’s first recommendation is non-musical: to really take advantage of the amazing eats in Downtown Bristol and from the exceptional vendors, arrive early in the day to avoid lines and crowds. An hour before the first main stage show gave BLANK the time yesterday to catch up with friends and take in a seated meal at the Burger Bar without delay. Last year our favorite food truck was The Pakalachian, Southern-inflected Pakistani street food. All around the area between the Country Music Museum and the Cumberland Park Stage sit multiple interactive sculptures and a blown up festival poster perfect for your festival selfies. Downtown Bristol boasts multiple tattoo shops, cool spots to pick up cool vintage duds, and more record stores and recording studios than a town this size has any right to. Stop into the bars that aren’t officially part of the fest as they often showcase the best in regional talent and the biggest party vibe. Bring a poncho just in case the forecast manifests. Hydrate and be safe and have a great Saturday!
Artists to watch:
Adeem the Artist out of Knoxville, recently signed to Thirty Tigers and touring behind upcoming release “White Trash Revelry” kicks things off on the Cumberland Square Park stage at noon. Make sure you’ve had your coffee and left your clutching pearls at home because Adeem does not mince words nor do they pull punches, and their high-energy, dynamic politically-charged folk rock in a potent unexpected blend of country vacillates between such seemingly disparate elements as redneck pop culture references and cutting-edge gender theory and helps listeners realize just how broad the mix of potential life experiences are really possible in the modern world. Adeem the Artist is powerful medicine to kickstart your day. Knoxville has known for years what the world is about to find out–Adeem the Artist is one of the most focused, mission-driven and powerful lyricists this side of Dylan. Big things are afoot for this talented, innovative songster.
Andrew Scotchie and the River Rats from Asheville bring jubilant Appalachian jam rock to the people–literally, Scotchie came down into the crowd with his cigar box guitar to dance and sing among them at last year’s fest. They’ll be on the Near Moore stage at 1pm.
Beth Snapp, perhaps one of the Tri-Cities’ current most notable artists and perennial festival favorites, hits the Cameo at 2pm. The indoor sound should really complement Snapp’s soft breathy vocal stylings and gently nuanced guitar. Find out why Snapp is so larger than life that she’s memorialized in a 10×10 photo mural on the wall of the Ft. Henry Mall in Kingsport. Swing back around for hot local vintage country artist Vaden Landers at 4pm.
Casey Noel has been taking the Piedmont triad and North Carolina in general by storm over the last few years with relentless touring and recently began booking bigger fests like 30A Songwriters’ Festival in Florida last year. A honey-dipped lilting Southern drawl over occasionally gothic folk lyrics should make for an impressive and interesting set.
The one-two prime-time punch of heatseekers 49 Winchester on the State Street Stage at 7:30 and roots legends Asleep at the Wheel on the Piedmont Stage at 8:30 pm is worth staying for as much of each set as you can.
Others to check out:
ETSU Bluegrass Band, Country Music Mural Stage at 4pm. See why this state university in Johnson City has a program of international renown, producing professionals in the field year in and year out, with the current lineup continuing to carry the banner for ETSU bluegrass traditions.
Radio Bristol’s Farm and Fun Time program, broadcast live and featuring Willie Watson, Bill and the Belles, and the Green Grass Cloggers, is always a fun time harkening back to variety shows on country radio of old.
Regional talent to find around the fest in the mid-afternoon and late night: Florencia and the Feeling, Virginia Ground, Mama Molasses, JP Parsons, Ed Snodderly, Abby Bryant and the Echoes.
Music starts at noon. Saturday pass is $80. If you make it to half the acts we did yesterday, you’d be averaging $4-5 per set, not too shabby! Can’t wait to see you in Bristol!
