Entertainment & Culture | Entertainment & Culture |
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Those interested in musical entertainment will find that we're more than just the birthplace of country music. Follow the roots from where it all started, in Bristol, along the Crooked Road to places like the Carter Fold, Johnny and June Carter Cash's local home, and Ralph Stanley's museum. Then travel down to East Tennessee State University, whose bluegrass music program has produced the likes of Kenny Chesney and members of Alison Krauss' Union Station band. On the classical front, The Symphony of the Mountains, led by Swiss conductor Cornelia Kodkani-Laemmli, is the region's professional symphony. Still not found what you're looking for? Just check out one of the region's many local night venues to catch both regional and national upcoming talent. From bluegrass to indie rock, you are sure to find something to satisfy your musical taste. Street festivals are also a big part of the region's music scene, from Bristol's Rhythm and Roots to Kingsport's Twilight Alive and Bluegrass on Broad to Johnson City's Blue Plum Festival. Here you can hear up-and-coming acts as well as nationally-known musicians. During the summer, FunFest and the Appalachian Fair bring the best of the best in the nation to perform at outdoor venues at prices that will make you think you're attending a concert in 1967 not 2007. Barter Theater, the Virginia state theater, boasts alumni like Gregory Peck, Patricia Neal and Ernest Borgnine among others. Other major theatrical events take place at the new Niswonger Performing Arts Center in Greeneville, Tennessee. Recent shows have included the Dixieland Preservation Jazz Band and Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. For something truly unique to the region, check out the International Storytelling Center, home of the National Storytelling Festival, located in Tennessee's historic Jonesborough (the state's oldest town). The annual festival, which features the nations' finest storytellers, has a rich 35 year history and has been acclaimed as one of the Top 100 Events in North America. |