The Birthplace of Country Music (BCM) has announced its full roster of talent slated to appear at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion this September, including Philadelphia indie-rock stalwart Dr. Dog, who will join Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, Tanya Tucker, Blackberry Smoke, Yola, The SteelDrivers, Rhonda Vincent, and Hayes Carll as headlining acts for the 20th anniversary event. The Steel Woods, Son Little, the Lonesome River Band, Ian Noe, and Charley Crockett are but a few of the acts announced today.
BCM was forced to cancel the festival in 2020 due to the pandemic, but are hopeful the event will happen as planned in Historic Downtown Bristol this year.
“We worked hard to keep our lineup as consistent as we could with the lineup we had hoped to have at last year’s cancelled event, but the pandemic forced us to make some difficult decisions,” said Leah Ross, BCM Executive Director. BCM is the parent nonprofit organization of Bristol Rhythm, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and Radio Bristol.
The Festival has approximately 100 bands on the roster for this year’s three-day Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, an event which draws more than 40,000 people to Historic Downtown Bristol each year. An independent study of Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion in 2015 revealed that the festival pumps more than $16 million into the region’s economy.
“The music and tourism industries have been hit hard by COVID-19, and our Downtown businesses are struggling to survive,” added Ross. “We hope our festival provides a boost to Bristol’s economy to help get us back on track.”
BCM has also extended the deadline for food and craft vendors to turn in applications if they want to be considered for this year’s Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion. Vendors now have until April 30 to fill out the online form at BristolRhythm.com. Vendors who were accepted for last year’s cancelled event will need to re-apply this year.
Scheduled for September 10-12, 2021 in Historic Downtown Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is a celebration of the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings, the music that brought country music, The Carter Family, and Jimmie Rodgers to the mainstream and created what scholars now refer to as the “big bang” of country music.
“We are ready to welcome our friends and family back to Bristol. We are ready for live music to make a comeback on State Street!”
The entire Bristol Rhythm for 2021 lineup is as follows:
Weekend passes to the 20th annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival are on sale now for $100 plus tax and fees, with a simple payment plan that gives guests the option of purchasing in monthly installments. For more information visitBristolRhythm.com.
