Grand Ole Depot

BRISTOL, Va. – Appalachian music will soon ring out from the Twin City’s historic train station, thanks to a new weekly program that will be broadcast on television.

Beginning Tuesday, “Mountain Music Showcase” will present its first live weekly performance inside the former Union Depot. In addition to featuring local musicians, the show is designed as a tribute to the Twin City’s musical heritage, said Jim Edwards of ARC-TV.

A congressional designation names Bristol the birthplace of country music, thanks to the landmark 1927 Bristol Sessions that produced the first commercially successful country recordings.

“We want to showcase mountain and bluegrass music. But most important is the people who perform it. There are some incredibly talented musicians right here in this area,” Edwards said.

The new program will be a joint effort between ARC-TV, based in Norton, Va., and the Trainstation Foundation. Shows are scheduled from 7-9 p.m. each Tuesday inside the train station, at the corner of State Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The show will air the following Saturday on WKPT-TV’s digital channel.

It will be carried on a number of local cable systems, including Charter, Bristol Tennessee Essential Services and Bristol Virginia Utilities, Edwards said.

“I know Bristol does a lot of [live] music already. Other organizations do things, but I didn’t feel like there was enough going on every week in Bristol, promoting Bristol,” Edwards said Wednesday.

The Bristol, Tenn., Department of Public Venue currently stages live music weeknights during the summer and fall at the Downtown Center and the Bristol Mall hosts a long-running, weekly Pickin’ Porch show Thursday evenings.

Terrie Talbert, director of the public venue department, welcomes the new show.

“I think it’s a great idea. There are plenty of people who want to listen to bluegrass music. And no, I don’t think it’s competition,” Talbert said in response to a question.

Shows will feature one local band each week, with the Whitetop Mountain Band scheduled to play opening night. Others expected to appear in the coming weeks are Dale Jett, Appalachian Trail, Gospel Grass and Blue Country.

Edwards and Liz Marshall will co-host the event and the TV shows that are produced from it. The pair already hosts a regular show on ARC called “Talk of the Town.”

“We want it to have that Grand Ole Opry feel, with local sponsors and a live announcer reading commercials between sets. We also want to mix and mingle with the crowd,” Edwards said.

Inspiration to have the event at the train station came from author and historian Bud Phillips, Edwards said.

“I’ve had this idea for a couple of years. I heard [author, historian] Bud Phillips speaking one day at a luncheon about the historical significance of the train station and downtown Bristol and I knew that was it,” Edwards said.

Last week, the train station board approved the concept after some discussion, events coordinator Brad McCroskey said.

“The board felt this was a good opportunity to get people to come in and see the train station,” McCroskey said. “Our focus is more as a conference center – hosting conventions, banquets and special events. This will bring more people through the doors.”

Both sides agreed to a three-month trial to assess the public response, McCroskey said. 

Christina Blevins, executive director of the Bristol Main Street program, said her organization supports the venture.

“We are very excited, especially since this will be live music,” Blevins said. “And we’re very glad it’s at the train station. This will be a great opportunity for people to see our beautiful train station and our historic downtown.”

Blevins said she expects the show, which will be seen in parts of Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee, could attract more visitors to the downtown area.

Edwards also said he hopes the show will become affiliated with Virginia’s music tourism program called The Crooked Road.

Admission will be $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 6-12, with those fees used to help fund train station operations, McCroskey said. ARC expects to cover its production costs through advertising and sponsorship.

Organizers are working on arrangements for area restaurants to cater the shows. No alcohol will be permitted and smoking is allowed only at a designated location outside the train station.

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