The Hills of Tennessee are Alive with Music!

 

 

Music has always been a huge part of my life. When I was little, I would play Barbra Streisand and Laura Branigan records on our stereo, and belt out “Evergreen” and “Gloria” at the top of my lungs.

 

 

 

I wanted to be a singer for many years, and my undergraduate degree in college was in music with a concentration in vocal performance. Before all of that, however, I played clarinet and bassoon in middle school, and took lessons in downtown Kingsport for both. At one point, I decided I wanted to be a rock singer, and I took guitar lessons on Broad Street at Joseph’s Music Center (now closed, unfortunately), where I fell madly in love with my heavy metal rocker guitar teacher.

 

 

Kingsport always had some sort of musical happening taking place whether it was the Kingsport Symphony Orchestra, the Fun Fest concerts, or even musical theater. Some of the most musical days of my life were spent in my hometown.

Now, I’m happy to say, the Tennessee hills are alive with the sound of music once more, as Kingsport revitalizes the night life of the downtown with “Bluegrass on Broad” (Thursday nights) and “Twilight Alive” (Friday nights).  These concerts take place for 8 weeks in the summer (May-July)right smack in the middle of Broad Street, drawing crowds consisting of music lovers, families, visitors and tourists.

(See video below to give you a little flavor of Downtown Kingsport and the concert series as Blue Highway plays)

 

 

Obviously, as the names suggest—Thursday nights are geared towards those who love the good old sound of the south—fiddles and banjos and bluegrass harmonies. Friday nights feature cover and tribute bands. So there’s something for everyone and all ages!

 

 

Sadly, the concert series has now finished for the summer, but fear not—it will start up again in May of next year!

 

Just a little more evidence to show that Kingsport has it going on!