This year's Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion drew us even deeper into the rich history of recorded music in the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee-Virginia. It's coming up on a century since Ralph Peer's 1927 Bristol Sessions introduced Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family to the world. The performance space inside of the The Birthplace of Country Music Museum – the cultural center dedicated to preserving and carrying the tradition forward – provided the most fitting studio location for us to add our own recordings to the already vast catalog.
Kris Truelsen and Country Casserole graciously welcomed us to their home turf, sharing three new tunes yet to be recorded on an album. Country Casserole functions as the house band for Farm and Fun Time, a PBS television show celebrating Appalachian culture, which Truelsen also hosts. The monthly need for new original Farm and Fun Time music is one of the main reasons Truelsen's songwriting chops stay engaged all the time, and why he has so many good songs that haven't been committed to a studio album so far.
Truelsen treated us to three songs which ranged in subject from the end of the world, to a missing hippo, to the legendary performance artist and "Inter-Gender Wrestling Champion of the World," Andy Kaufman. Special guest vocalists include Earline on "Where's My Hippopotamus?" and Niki Giles on "Southern Dixie Wrestling Queen."
Big thanks to Charlene, Danielle, Leah, and the whole team at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion. To June, Julia, Grace, and everybody at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, thank you for helping to bring these sessions to life. And congratulations to Kris and Radio Bristol on their 10th anniversary, here's to 90 more!
Setlist:
Let It Rip (A Cosmic Trip)
Where’s My Hippopotamus?
Southern Dixie Wrestling Queen
Kris Truelsen - Guitar, vocals
Rebecca Branson Jones - Pedal steel
Levi Trent - Drums
JP Parsons - Guitar
Brandon Story - Bass
Earleine - Vocals
Niki Giles - Vocals
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