Calendar of Events

At Relix, 1208 N Central St, Knoxville, Tennessee 37917

On December 10, 2010, Andrew Bledsoe died suddenly, and the Knoxville music community was rocked by shock and grief.

Andrew was an active member of several local bands, but he was also the son of Wayne Bledsoe, long-time music scribe for the Knoxville News Sentinel who, since the 1980s, had helped hundreds of local musicians, artists and bands make a name for themselves. Some would go on to fame and fortune; others would toil on local stages on the weekends, working 40-plus hours during the week and giving everything they had to a handful of fans in smoky bars and clubs where the only notability they received was on the marquee or through the ink that Wayne gave them. It's not an exaggeration to say that the Knoxville music scene is what it is today thanks to Wayne Bledsoe.

So when his world crumbled, the scene stepped in to pick up the pieces. Over the course of a handful of weeks, we put together a music festival to benefit Wayne's family, but more importantly, to lift him up in love and solace and empathy. If you were there, you know it was magic. Over the next several years, Waynestock became an integral part of the yearly concert calendar around these parts, always returning to the same venue — Relix in Happy Holler — and always showcasing a broad spectrum of musicians who make this place so rich and beautiful. We've continued to raise money for individuals and organizations, but above and beyond the dollars that go to a good cause, we've put together what feels like a family reunion.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's our privilege to announce the lineup for Waynestock X. We'll return to Relix on January 30-February 1, and we hope you'll join us for what has to be experienced to be understood as one of the most special weekends in town. Tickets: $5 @ the door, each night.

WayneStock X Schedule:

Thursday
7: Quartjar
8: MARK
9: Ex-Gold

Friday
7. Mark Coram
8. Mia Daydream & Kami Astro
9. Con Hunley and Mic Harrison And The High Score (with a very special appearance by Scott Miller)
10. Thrift Store Cowboys
11. Melungeons
12. Psychotic Behavior

Saturday
6. Shayla McDaniel
7. Kevin Abernathy
8. The Pinklets
9. Senryu
10. Electric Darling
11. Finale

www.waynestock.org

Bandstand Musical -From three-time Tony® winner and Hamilton choreographer, Andy Blankenbuehler, comes a poignant and inspiring new American musical that explodes with infectious music and high-octane, heart-stopping dancing.

It’s 1945. America’s soldiers come home to ticker-tape parades and overjoyed families. Private First Class Donny Novitski, singer and songwriter, is struggling to rebuild the life he left behind. When NBC announces a national competition to find the nation’s next great musical superstars, Donny sees a lifeline for himself and some fellow veterans. Finally it gives them the purpose they so desperately need. Together, they form a band unlike any the nation has ever seen. Along the way, they discover the power of music to face the impossible, find their voice, and finally feel like they have a place to call home.

BANDSTAND is “both a peppy celebration of can-do spirit and a more somber exploration of what American servicemen experienced when they marched home from World War II.
Clayton Center for the Arts: 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Information/tickets: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com

2019 marks the fortieth year Athens Area Council for the Arts (AACA) has presented world-class touring performances in Athens, TN. AACA announces a diverse lineup of performers. Just like seasons over the last four decades, this series offers something for everyone in four professional concerts in the Sue E. Trotter Black Box Theater at The Arts Center in Athens, TN.

AACA is pleased to orchestrate the return of the KSO Merchant & Gould Concertmaster Series on Thursday January 30, 2020. Concertmaster William Schaub writes “Last year it was such a joy and a thrill for the KSO’s Concertmaster Series to go on the road for the very first time and perform for an incredible audience in Athens! This year marks the 250th anniversary of Beethoven: a celebration of the birthday of perhaps the most magnificent and popular composer on a global level. Together with KSO Principal Cello Andy Bryenton and University of Tennessee professor of piano Kevin Class, we will embark on a journey through Beethoven’s epic “Ghost Trio”,” in a concert that includes and other notable Classical selections.

Adult tickets purchased in advance are $15, whereas tickets purchased at the door are $20, subject to availability. Student tickets are $10 in advance or at the door. All Black Box Concert Series shows are in the Sue E. Trotter Theater at The Arts Center in Downtown Athens. Tickets and more information about this and other programs of Athens Area Council for the Arts are available online at athensartscouncil.org, by phone at 423-745-8781, or in person at 320 North White Street, Athens, TN. The Arts Center is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm.

Brett Young comes to Knoxville Civic Auditorium January 30, 2020.

Brett Young has captured the hearts of fans everywhere through his honest lyrics and West Coast-meets-Southern sound, aptly dubbed "Caliville" style. The 2018 ACM Awards New Male Vocalist of the Year recently released his sophomore album, TICKET TO L.A. on BMLG Records. The 13-track project hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Country Albums Chart upon release and features lead single "Here Tonight" which topped the Mediabase and Billboard Country charts.

Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum, 500 Howard Baker Jr Blvd, Knoxville, TN 37915. Information: www.knoxvillecoliseum.com.

WUTK 90.3 THE ROCK PRESENTS SPAFFORD
THURSDAY, JAN 30 • 8PM

Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information/tickets: 865-522-0832, www.knoxbijou.com, www.ticketmaster.com

Athens Area Council for the Arts brings the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Merchant & Gould Concertmaster Series show “The Young Beethoven and Folk Music” to Athens as part of its Black Box Concert Series

Violinist William Shaub was appointed Concertmaster of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra in May of 2017. Since his concerto debut with the Canton Symphony Orchestra at age 12, he has captivated audiences as a soloist, in recitals, and from the concertmaster chair and has been described in the press as “a wonderful ambassador for music.” Following the Concertmaster and Friends’ November 2018 performance in the Black Box, the arts council audience requested a return visit.

Concert Master Shaub is also eager to return to the Black Box and wrote to the local audience saying: “Last year it was such a joy and a thrill for the KSO’s Concertmaster Series to go on the road for the very first time and perform for an incredible audience in Athens! This year marks the 250th anniversary of Beethoven: a celebration of the birthday of perhaps the most magnificent and popular composer on a global level. Together with KSO Principal Cello Andy Bryenton and University of Tennessee professor of piano Kevin Class, we will embark on a journey through Beethoven’s epic “Ghost Trio”, his virtuosic Violin Sonata No. 7, as well as pieces from the Baroque repertoire that inspired the young Beethoven and made him into the composer that we all know and love.”

Tickets and more information: www.athensartscouncil.org or 423-745-8781.

In 2019, Blount Mansion realized a long-cherished goal with the republication of William H. Masterson's 1954 book William Blount, the only biography of the man who built Blount Mansion, signed the U.S. Constitution, and shepherded Tennessee into statehood. The original publisher, Louisiana State University Press, granted permission for us to republish a limited number of copies.

On Thursday evening, January 30th, University of Tennessee History Professor Dr. Chris Magra will present a critical analysis of Masterson's work, including possible new avenues of research for scholars interested in Blount and his times. Dr. Magra is a critically acclaimed author and an award-winning teacher who has published two books on the maritime dimensions of the American Revolution.

Our program will begin with a light reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by Dr. Magra's presentation at 6:00 p.m. The cost is $5 per person, and both the reception and lecture will take place inside the Blount Mansion Visitors Center. https://squareup.com/market/blount-mansion/

Blount Mansion, 200 W. Hill Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-2375, www.blountmansion.org

Author and Appalachian Trail hiker David Brill will talk about his 2,100 mile hike as detailed in his book, “As Far as the Eye Can See: Reflections of an Appalachian Trail Hiker” on Thursday, January 30th at the UT Arboretum Auditorium at 7:00 p.m., 901 S. Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. The program is sponsored by the UT Arboretum Society and co-sponsored by REI Knoxville and the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center.

This is a free program offered by the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society, but donations are gratefully accepted. For more information on this program or the UT Arboretum Society, call 865-483-7277. No registration is required.

In 1979, David Brill became one of the first of a new generation to complete the Georgia-to-Maine hike on the Appalachian Trail (AT). Brill’s book, now in its fourth edition (eighth printing) chronicles his six-month, 2,100-mile walk, a quest to live simply and deliberately, with room to grow, change and to discover what really mattered to him. Brill and the thousands of other men and women who have followed the AT’s white blazes ultimately discover that the life one left behind is far less defining than the one that stretches ahead.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. Cash and checks will be accepted.

Celebrating 55 years in 2020, this program is one of many lectures and activities that will be offered in 2020 by the UT Arboretum Society.

To learn more about the Arboretum Society, go to www.utarboretumsociety.org. For more information on the program, call 865-483-7277 or mcampani@utk.edu.

Incremental Signals is a two-person exhibit featuring the ceramic work of Shanna Fliegel and handwoven 2D pieces of Kim Mirus.

The works on view in Incremental Signals are keeping track of things: our rapidly changing climate, moments in our daily lives, damage, and memory.

With every stitch, Kim Mirus uses weaving to show us the data of what is happening near the North Pole due to climate change. Shanna Fliegel’s narrative vessels tell us stories made from memory fragments, pieced together in an attempt at preservation.

These works demand our attention. They ask us to slow down and look, to consider the weight of our choices, and to notice what we remember. Individually, the works are showing us data, statistics, and information. Together, they are sending us signals.

For more information, visit arrowmont.org/incremental-signals-shanna-fliegel-kim-mirus/

Geoffrey A. Wolpert Gallery, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Gallery hours: M-R 8:30-5, Fri 8:30-4, Saturdays call ahead. Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Information: 865-436-5860

Part of the 2019-2020 Broadway at the Tennessee Theatre season

Experience the acclaimed new production of the legendary musical Miss Saigon, from the creators of Les Misrables. This is the epic story of a young Vietnamese woman named Kim. In a bar run by a notorious character called The Engineer, Kim meets an American G.I. That encounter will change their lives forever. Featuring stunning spectacle, a sensational cast of 42, and a soaring score including Broadway hits like “Last Night of the World,” “The Movie in My Mind,” and “The Heat is On in Saigon,” this is a theatrical event you will never forget.

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information/tickets: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com, www.ticketmaster.com

The play will be performed Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM; Saturdays at 1 PM and 5 PM; and Sundays at 3 PM.

Knoxville Children’s Theatre will present a live stage adaptation of the beloved children’s novel “Alice in Wonderland” (with selections from “Through the Looking Glass”), by Lewis Carroll.

“Alice in Wonderland” is one of the one of the best-known and most popular works of English-language fiction featuring iconic characters that remain familiar to readers of all ages. When Alice decides to follow a talking White Rabbit down a hole, she starts an adventure that will lead her to race with a Dodo, take tea with a Mad Hatter, play croquette with the Queen of Hearts, and more. It’s a wild and crazy ride as Alice navigates the shenanigans of all the classic characters of Wonderland and desperately tries to make her way home!

Knoxville Children's Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-208-3677, www.knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com

The spring arts season begins with a regional showcase of figurative artists with a focus on painting and drawing. The talent pool for this show is stunning.

Hardin Valley Campus of Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Bagwell Center Gallery hours: M-F 9 AM - 9 PM. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts