Labeled as the next Steve Earle by The Houston Chronicle, Chris Knight will kick off the GoTriCities Fun Fest Americiana Music Showcase at the 25th Anniversary of Fun Fest in Kingsport, TN on Wednesday, July 20th at 5pm.
Chris Knight will be the main attraction for this free concert presented outside in front of the Taste of The Tri-Cities and sponsored by GoTriCities Entertainment Magazine.
Knight, a singer/songwriter from Kentucky is described many many critics as the voice of Southern Gothic culture. His latest CD, ‘The Jealous Kind’ has reached cult status on XM radio and other Americana playlists across the country.
Americana is a roots based music that features great songwriters with music that appeals to country, rock and bluegrass fans and Knight’s music holds a distinctive signature within this genre. Crafting original songs about losers, lovers and people on the edge of life in a small town, Knight’s music is delivered with the energy and kick that makes his stories seem painfully real.
“Basically, Chris writes four minute movies,?? says co-producer Dan Baird. “As a producer, you’ve got to get to the point where Chris can open his mouth and then the character in the song comes to life.??
With three recordings in his discography, Knight will bring to the Fun Fest stage a collection of music that has justifiably drawn comparisons from everything from John Prine to Tom Petty, but his storytelling sets him apart as the characters and emotion pour from his lyric.
In addition to Knight, the Americana Showcase will also feature four other bands including Mic Harrison, Reagan Boggs, The Everybody Fields and Scotty Melton.
Fans of the VRoys and Superdrag, two of Knoxville’s most popular bands will remember Mic Harrison. As part of the V-Roys he shared lead singing and songwriting responsibilities with Scott Miller. The group became the first signing to Steve Earle’s E-Squared Records and released the critically acclaimed albums Just Add Ice, All About Town and Are You Through Yet?
The group toured Europe with Earle and became regular favorites on the roots-rock circuit in the United States. Several Harrison-penned songs, including “Amy 88” and “Sooner or Later,” became concert favorites and the band’s music became the soundtrack to the critically-lauded film You Can Count On Me. His new release ‘Pallbearer’s Shoes’ is gaining Mic the attention he deserves and critics agree that this recording is destined to lay the groundwork for a very successful career.
Reagan Boggs has spent the summer traveling throughout Tennessee and Virginia honing a new collection of songs that will appear on her second album to be released this fall. Her distinctive voice and tapestry of unique stories are attracting the atttention of producers and radio stations throughout the South from her home in Kingsport.
Formerly with Carbon Blue, Boggs set out on a solo career in 2004, recreating many of her original songs and crafting new ones that describe the episodes of her life in the mountains. Originally from Pound, VA, her voice resonates with the personality of Loretta Lynn and the blues tincture of Bonnie Raitt and Nora Jones, but make no mistake. Reagan Boggs is an amazing talent that stands on her own.
Marquee Magazine recently voted the The Everybody Fields as one of the top original bands in Northeast Tennessee and when you hear the delicate harmonies and soul mate melodies that eminate from this trio, you’ll understand the band’s popularity and mystique. Hailing from the South, the everybodyfields are truly an Appalachian trio. Their harmonies and instrumentation alike seem to have swept down from the mountains and drifted into the valleys of their beloved Johnson City, Tennessee, a town the band calls home.
Maybe it takes awhile to understand what you’re hearing when you see the everybodyfields live because your eyes and your ears are telling you two different stories. They are just too young to be be making music this timeless. Jill Andrews and Sam Quinn swap bass, guitar, and vocals with easy harmony. You want to say that he’s the leader, then her, but they are two inseparable elements in this group. The songs are formed by a pair of remarkable voices, hers notable for its casual maturity, his for a reediness that seems to follow hills and curves in a road that he is traveling in his mind. The vocals are complimented by the sweet and sure sound of David Richey’s dobro playing.
Also appearing on stage in the early part of the night will be Scotty Melton. Scotty Melton’s music is best described as having a young heart with an old soul. Painfully naive with the wisdom of an old blues man, his lyrics range from the heartbroken simplicity of Hank Williams to the wildly apocalyptic images of Bob Dylan. Melton calls his songs “impressionisms,” like the paintings of Monet or Van Gogh. He can write simple, yet poignant love songs and straight-forward story songs. His music has been covered by artists as diverse as the hard, garage-rocking Les Honky More Tonky to the velvet-voiced Reagan Boggs.
“This is one of our most exciting shows to present to Fun Fest,’ said David Cate, the show’s promoter. ‘ Each year we’re proud to kick off Fun Fest’s week with this free concert and this year will be the best yet with five incredible bands and songwriters that are destined for stardom.”
In addition to the live performances, fans will also participate in a live taping of this event by The Verge. The Verge is a video production company that has compiled many local performances broadcast on the local cable production, Homemade Jam, plus their own series that will be appearing on PBS.
The free concert is a joint promotion with The GoTriCities Network, The Verge, Dr. Enuf, Hardees, Northeast State University, Appalachian Caverns, Dashboard Audio and Pet Partners and will begin Wednesday, July 20th at 5pm and last until 11pm that evening. A street-side stage and lighting will provide the backdrop for the performances and CDs and merchandise will also be available from the bands.
For more information refer to the website at http://www.gotricities.com/americanashowcase to visit band websites and listen to Mp3s.