Calendar of Events

On December 10, 2023, The Smoky Mountain Blues Society invites you to a special holiday party and show with FEW MILES ON. Tickets are only $1 for SMBS members and $5 for the general public. Doors open at 5 pm and music will begin at 6 pm. Sorry no advance tickets available. Bluetick Tavern has a wonderful selection of food, beer, and liquor available to purchase (Note: no pot luck this year) and is located on 128 W Broadway Ave, Maryville, TN 37801.

This time of year, it feels especially good to help those who are struggling with getting enough food. Let’s help them by bringing canned goods. The SMBS team will deliver to the Community Food Connection of Blount County in Midland Plaza.

Few Miles On is comprised of three veteran musicians from Detroit, Chicago and East Texas with a shared love for the Blues. After nearly a decade of live shows and four studio albums of mostly original content the band has developed their own musical style that reflects the soul, energy and power of the music on which they were raised.
The rhythm section features the Motown inspired bass playing of Larry Alder combined with the rock-solid drumming of John Whitehead. Building on that foundation Philip Hall weaves Blues tinged guitar and vocals. Their live set is filled with rocking shuffles, funky R&B grooves and delta slide tunes. Their music is big and open, simple and melodic. Catch one of their shows and see for yourself why this band is making new fans everywhere they perform!

www.smokymountainblues.org

Ijams Open House
12/9 • 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Join Ijams for a FREE Open House at the Visitor Center on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 11 am-2 pm! You’ll meet animal ambassadors, enjoy activities, and learn about all the great things happening at Ijams Nature Center.

Pickin' on Christmas: A Bluegrass Christmas Concert
12/9 • 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
'Tis the season to join Ijams Nature Center and East Tennessee Bluegrass Association for the Annual Pickin' on Christmas Bluegrass Concert! Get your tickets now!

Self Care Sunday Yoga with Hope Irwin
12/10 @ 1:00 PM
Join Hope Irwin for a weekly Ijams yoga class on Sunday. Release all the holiday stress from the past week and get centered for the week ahead.

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Visitor Center open daily 10-6; grounds and trails open daily from 8 AM - dusk. Information: 865-577-4717, https://www.ijams.org/calendar-of-events

JAGGED LITTLE PILL includes eight performances from Dec. 5-10, 2023. Joy, love, heartache, strength, wisdom, catharsis, LIFE – everything we’ve been waiting to see in a Broadway show – is here in the exhilarating, fearless new musical based on Alanis Morissette’s world-changing music. Directed by Tony Award® winner Diane Paulus (Waitress, Pippin, 1776) with a Tony Award®-winning book by Diablo Cody (Juno) and Grammy Award®-winning score, this electrifying production about a perfectly imperfect American family “vaults the audience to its collective feet.” (The Guardian).

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

KCT Intern Evie Braude will direct the production, Teresa Seals will serve as Musical Director, and Donya Walker-Bacon will choreograph.

Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list and that his half-brother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. Elf JR. features songs by Tony Award-nominees, Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, with a book by Tony Award-winners, Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin.

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

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Lionel Bart
DECEMBER 1-17, 2023

This beloved musical, based on the classic Charles Dickens novel “Oliver Twist,” tells the tale of an orphaned boy who escapes the cruel workhouse where he was raised and finds himself caught up in the criminal underworld of Victorian London. Featuring unforgettable songs such as “Consider Yourself” and “Food, Glorious Food” and memorable characters like the wily Artful Dodger and the greedy Fagin, Oliver! tugs at the heartstrings of audiences of all generations with its themes of resilience, redemption, and the power of kindness.

GENERAL AUDIENCES

Oak Ridge Playhouse, 227 Broadway, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Information and tickets: 865-482-9999, https://www.orplayhouse.com/

Christkindlesmarkt is a traditional German Christmas Market. Original markets date back to as far as the late Middle Ages and are a hotspot for German holiday culture. With the growth in business, we’ve chosen 2021 to host our first ever Christkindlesmarkt and we had a blast!

Choosing to incorporate as many traditional Chriskindlesmarkt practices as we could ended up being a great decision. Some of these practices included serving Gluhwein, having Polka bands play traditional Christmas songs, obtaining vendors with only handcrafted products, and providing a variety of German sweets for purchase.

Our market took place four consecutive Saturdays before Christmas and allowed the community to come together for a bit of shopping, drinking, socializing, and celebrating after a long year.

There is much more culture and history of Christkindlesmarkt to uncover. Let’s hope we debut even more traditions next year! Public Event, No Ticket Required. All Saturdays & Sundays from 11.25 - 12.24
http://www.schulzbraubrewing.com/christkindlesmarkt/

By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Edward Morgan and Joseph Hanreddy
Music by John Tanner
Clarence Brown Theatre
November 22 – December 21, 2023

Knoxville’s longest-running holiday tradition! For more than three decades, Knoxvillians have returned year-after-year to experience this timeless story of hope and redemption. This season, make A Christmas Carol part of your holiday tradition. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll create a wonderful memory… and you will leave the theater with a warm heart and renewed spirit!

Clarence Brown Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. For information/tickets: 865-974-5161, www.clarencebrowntheatre.com

They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler is the first retrospective exhibition of Carl and Pearl Butler, the iconic country music duo whose timeless lyrics and harmonious melodies left an indelible mark on country music. With a career spanning over four decades, Carl and Pearl Butler became celebrated figures in the world of country music. “Carl made scores of major-label records during the 1950s,” says Bradley E. Reeves, the exhibition’s guest curator and author of the new book Honky Tonkitis: On the Road with Carl Butler and Pearl. “These are some of the best bluegrass, gospel, and hard country records ever made, although none could be called a massive hit.” That honor would come in 1962, when Carl and Pearl recorded “Don’t Let Me Cross Over.” The song remains among the fastest ever to ascend to No. 1 on Billboard Hot Country Singles. Carl and Pearl’s unique “Knoxville sound,” along with heartfelt lyrics, earned them a dedicated fan base who supported them at performances across the United States and Canada through the 1970s. The exhibition offers visitors a rare glimpse into the lives of these music legends.

Key highlights of the exhibition include:
1. Rare Family Archives: Museum guests will have the opportunity to view the Allen “Junior” Butler Family Collection, which has been made publicly available for the first time and includes never-before-seen photographs, home movies, original instruments, and stage costumes that belonged to Carl and Pearl Butler. “I’m grateful to Allen Butler and his family for opening their home and archives to share with us,” says Reeves.
2. Musical Journey: Explore the duo's musical journey through a feature film, which transports visitors through various periods of their career and traces their unfiltered, raw singing style, one that derived from and advanced the “Knoxville sound.”
3. Behind-the-Scenes: Gain insight into the lives of Carl and Pearl Butler through never-before-seen family photographs and recently uncovered anecdotes from the family and fellow musicians, including Dolly Parton who viewed the Butlers as her “second parents.” “Despite their successes,” says Adam Alfrey, Assistant Director for Historical Services at Knox County Public Library, “Carl and Pearl faced personal and professional struggles, which are intimately documented through the family’s photographs.”
4. Interpretive Experience: Engage with the exhibition to understand how both Knoxville and Nashville played a role in the development of country music. Also, learn how chart-topping artists can quickly become all but forgotten, even in their hometown. “The Butlers somehow fell through the cracks,” reflects Reeves. “It’s my hope that this book and exhibition will contribute to a reappreciation of their great body of work.”
They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler promises to be a heartfelt educational experience for country music enthusiasts and fans of all ages. It serves as a testament to the enduring influence of Carl and Pearl Butler on the world of music.

At 5:00 pm, Friday, October 6, 2023, there will be an opening reception for They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler. The event will include a meet and greet with Carl and Pearl Butler’s family, a book signing by guest curator Bradley E. Reeves, and an exhibition of Appalachian musical pioneer paintings by artist Amy Campbell. At 7:00 pm, there will be a “Tribute to Carl and Pearl,” opened by a performance of the Paul Brewster and Friends Band, comprised of 14-year-old mandolin prodigy Wyatt Ellis and Grand Ole Opry performers Daniel Grindstaff, Kent Blanton, Stephen Burwell, and John Meador. A screening of 8mm home movies shot by the Butlers (watch for an appearance by 10-year-old Dolly Parton), as well as some of the Butlers’ rarest television appearances, will conclude the evening.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.eastTNhistory.org/lights-camera

Mountain Jubilee airs Saturdays from 9-10 PM on WUOT 91.9 FM
www.wuot.org

Host Paul Campbell - Latest releases of regional music with historic recordings and highlights of Laurel Theater concerts.

For more upcoming events see www.jubileearts.org

Every Sunday 5-10 pm on WDVX 89.9 FM & 102.9 FM - www.wdvx.com

WDVX presents five hours of traditional music programming, served up by host Don Burggraf produced locally by Jubilee Community Arts.

5:00 pm - Tennessee Country Classics with host Joe Bussard - String bands, blues, and early bluegrass from the 20’s to the 50’s.
6:00 pm - Mountain Jubilee with host Paul Campbell - A rebroadcast, produced with the assistance of WUOT.
7:00 pm - Live at Laurel with host Brent Cantrell - Concerts from our weekly series at the Laurel Theater and from our annual Jubilee Festival.
8:00 pm - Wild Hog in the Woods with host Brent Cantrell - Ballads, blues, and old-time music with a focus on pre-war recordings and field recordings.
8:30 pm - Music of the Cumberland Trail with host Bobby Fulcher - Produced by the Friends of the Cumberland Trail and featuring all things musical associated with the Cumberland Trail.
9:00 pm - The Vinyl Frontier with host Jim Childs - Home-recorded acetate discs, old-time country, jazz, blues, and radio transcriptions, with an emphasis on locally produced recordings.

JCA is dedicated to preserving and nurturing the evolving traditional arts and cultural communities of this Southern Appalachian region. For more upcoming events see www.jubileearts.org