Ready for the Rhythm & Roots Reunion

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Music fans from at least 30 states and five foreign countries have Sept. 18-20 circled on their calendars.
That’s when they can immerse themselves in Bristol’s Rhythm & Roots Reunion – the annual downtown music festival that pays homage to the Twin City’s heritage as the birthplace of country music and an early center of bluegrass music. About 160 bands and individuals are scheduled to perform on three outdoor stages and 18 indoor venues in a four-block area of State Street during the ninth annual event.
“I will be very disappointed if we don’t at least have the crowd we had last year. But I really expect record attendance,” festival Executive Director Leah Ross said. “Gas is close to half what it cost last year, so be ready Bristol.”
In spite of a stumbling economy, online ticket sales are running slightly ahead of last year’s pace, when the three-day festival attracted 31,500 people, Ross said.
Festival volunteers already have filled ticket orders from far away destinations, including the U.S. West Coast and New England, plus music fans from Sweden, Australia, Japan, Great Britain and Canada.
“We’re selling more tickets this year to people from outside our region – places like California, Oregon and Washington, Colorado and up north in New York, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. From all across the country, they’re coming,” Ross said.
In years past, the bulk of the festival crowd primarily has come from the greater Tri-Cities area, along with fans from the Midwest, Washington, D.C., and southeastern metro areas like Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C.
Organizers credit a number of factors for the wider interest – including a star-packed lineup headed by Patty Loveless, new marketing campaigns, the festival’s growing reputation and its offering of a mix of musical genres, including Americana, bluegrass, blues, Celtic, country, folk and gospel.
“No lineup of any festival in the country is deeper or more diverse. We try to offer something for everyone,” Ross said. “And we have been told that our ticket prices are insane.”
A three-day adult ticket to access all performances is $40, while tickets for individual days are $20 for Friday, $25 for Saturday and $15 for Sunday, with children 12 and under admitted free.
Similar, large festivals typically charge between $85 and $100 for a weekend pass, and a recent ticket for a Dan Tyminski concert in Knoxville sold for $45.
Earlier this year, the Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau named Rhythm & Roots its Best Destination Event of the year. The award was presented for building a successful event around community assets.
“We’ve based an event around Bristol being the birthplace of country music. We celebrate and promote that. And we’re very fortunate to have the community support from our cities and our local sponsors, who see the value in bringing people to our community,” Ross said.
Bristol, Va., Mayor Jim Rector said the festival is a good investment.
“We put $25,000 into the budget to support Rhythm & Roots, and it pays dividends for our city,” Rector said. “It brings a lot of people into the city who eat and sleep here. And it’s an opportunity to showcase our city in a positive way.”
Festival officials received a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts for a special marketing program that placed ads in a publication that serves the Northeastern U.S.
In addition, the festival was part of a broader promotional effort by The Crooked Road: Virginia Heritage Music Trail.
Loveless, a member of the Grand Ole Opry and multi-Country Music Association award winner, is scheduled to perform Saturday at 9 p.m., on the State Street stage.
“We’re so happy to bring her. She is a shining example of the music from our region,” Ross said. “Of the great performers who’ve played our festival over the years, I think she ranks at the top along with Marty Stuart, Gillian Welch, Tim O’Brien and several others.”
A native of nearby Pikeville, Ky., Loveless is expected to perform songs from her new album Mountain Soul II, which is scheduled for release later this month. 
This year’s lineup also includes Tim O’Brien, Dan Tyminski, Dailey & Vincent, Gene Watson, John Cowan, Dale Ann Bradley, The SteelDrivers, Michael Cleveland and Justin Townes Earl.
Ross said organizers believe this lineup might be even stronger than 2008, which featured the likes of Doc Watson, Ralph Stanley, T.G. Sheppard and Blue Highway.
“We are flooded with people wanting to play the festival,” said Larry Gorley, who co-chairs the festival’s music committee. “In the first few years, we had to go out and get people. Now we have a lot of name acts coming to us, wanting to play the festival.”
As in year’s past, the lineup includes a distinctly local flavor, with more than 30 acts who hail from within a 75-mile radius of the Twin City.
“We’re committed to booking a lot of local and regional acts. They are a part of our heritage and this music scene. We try to promote them – not just at our festival – but year round at our concert series. There are so many talented players,” Ross said.
Among the locally based players are Reagan Boggs, the ETSU Bluegrass Band, Dale Jett, Roan Mountain Hilltoppers, Annie Robinette and April Taylor.
This year’s festival begins Friday at 5 p.m., with performances scheduled throughout the weekend.

dmcgee@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2532