Something old, something new, a laser-light show and a musical history walking tour? For Rhythm ‘N’ Blooms 2016, it’s all about variety.
Between a sound check and performance on the road in Philly with The Black Lillies, Chyna Brackeen found a quiet spot to chat with Blank about this year’s Rhythm ‘N’ Blooms festival, the sixth incarnation since she made it a vital part of Dogwood Arts by putting her Attack Monkey Productions to work on enhancing the musical aspect of the festival in 2011.
Brackeen is a master of refinement, homing in on which elements of the festival work each year and which don’t, chiseling away at anything awkward, or “disjointed,” as she said several times, of past logistics, and reshaping the festival to better serve the attendees and enhance their experience.
“We’ve gotten great feedback,” she says about the festival’s shift from Market Square to the Old City last year, for example. “Market Square was getting kind of cluttered with so many events,” she says, and mentioned the desire for Rhythm ‘N’ Blooms to forge its own identity and, she said, “the Old City has been great for that. They’re great to work with.”
The festival will reprise its version of Bonnaroo’s Superjam, the Midnight Merry-Go-Round, a star-studded tribute to WNOX’s popular 1950s radio broadcast Midday Merry-Go-Round. The big “Centeroo” style main stage area under the interstate on Jackson is back as well, with food trucks and beer tents galore. Mute Math and Robert Randolph and the Family Band, among others, will rock the big stage.
Back this year as well is renowned cellist Dave Eggar, who took a few minutes away from a hectic schedule that right now includes scoring an upcoming Alex Baldwin/Demi Moore film, touring with Five for Fighting and American Modern Ensemble, throwing down sessions work on Zayne Malik’s new album and much more to discuss why an in-demand world-class virtuoso like himself would repeatedly return to the Blue Ridge Mountains to play.
“When I came to the Appalachian mountain region to play with Ralph Stanley I kind of realized I was at home,” Eggar says. He also mentions that an early musical mentor was acclaimed composer Aaron Copland, who exposed him to the music of the mountains through his masterwork Appalachian Spring. “He instilled with me a real strong love [for mountain music]…The cello’s kind of just a big fiddle. I’ve always kind of been of obsessed with fiddle and string music.”
Eggar cited the vibe of last year’s festival as a celebration that drew him back. “It just felt like one big party. I love that energy and that positivity.” The cellist, known for his love of variety and collaboration, talked about his excitement about his “program” for this year, which will include tap-dancer Andrew Nemr and trumpeter Philip Pizack, playing “stuff people are used to hearing, and then some wild new stuff.”
Overall, Eggar’s big takeaway from last year and his anticipation upon returning is the unique flavor of Knoxville’s specific local scene. “One of the things that really strikes me about Knoxville,” he says, “is the vitality of the local scene. I loved playing it before because you have all these incredible artists playing all these small, intimate venues. We just had a ball last time.”
Another popular event returning is the music business panel. Brackeen is planning for another panel this year but says she hasn’t cemented the lineup yet.
New elements this year include Jack Neely’s Music History Walking Tour and the newly refurbished Jackson Avenue terminal, which is open for business and part of the festival as a venue this year.
Unfortunately, The Standard, a hit venue last year, will not be available, but, as Brackeen explains, the Jackson Avenue terminal and ending the festival boundary there contains the festival more definitively in the Old City without crossing Gay, which has its benefits for folks who wore out their legs traversing the entire length of Jackson multiple times a night last year.
As a personal fan, some of Brackeen’s picks that she’s particularly excited about: The Crane Wives, who she saw out on tour a year ago and nearly tried to manage herself, Mute Math’s light show, for which she got special permission from the city to play later than curfew for (“They kind of have to play in the dark,” she says, laughing), and the Mavericks, who she calls “one of the most important acts in Americana.” (Author’s note): check out Darlingside for mind-blowing multi-part harmonies).
Brackeen has also become known for spotting young talent early and helping young bands grow. This year it’s Jubal, a local folk duo out of UT with beautiful harmonies and pleasant, engaging banter between songs. “They’re very nice people,” she says. Brackeen mentions that her professional management makes it harder to work with as many bands informally and still service her clients, but when Jubal sent her their stuff, she made an exception. “They have beautiful music,” she said.
Tickets are reasonable at $75 for the whole weekend and $150 for VIP, but another great way to get into the festival is through volunteering. One four-hour shift can equal a day pass and three of those equal a free festival pass. Camaraderie with other volunteers, involvement in the inner workings of a major downtown event and a chance to get a foot in the door of the production world for aspiring music business folks are potential incentives to get involved beyond the free admission.
Rhythm ‘N’ Blooms is April 8-10 in The Old City. Tickets can be found at Rhythmnbloomsfest.com.
