Bonilla Family Puppets
CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL
Join Jason and Thais for a day of enchantment. Let them lead you into a simpler time when children and families gathered together for good clean entertainment. Through Creative Expressions, Jason and Thais have mesmerized audiences with their face painting, storytelling, illusions, balloon sculpting, puppetry, black light and shadow puppetry, and creative theatrical productions. They have worked with diverse groups in every imaginable venue such as schools, community events, parades, holiday celebrations, television, and spreading informative messages from the Florida Police Department. Jason’s ability to entertain and inspire individuals brought him into the Theatre of Madison Square Garden with a message of hope and inspiration with wit and humor to urban youth from the 5 boroughs of NYC. Jason is the recipient of numerous awards some which include recognition for his thematic parade floats and puppet teams presentations. His repertoire includes motivational speaking and customized workshops for children, youth, and families. Jason lives with his wife Thais, and four children in the Knoxville, Tennessee.
One World Circus
CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL
One World Circus is a new Knoxville based circus troupe creating circus for social change and teaching circus arts to kids and adults.
Sing and Bang along with Sean and Phil
CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL
Join Sean McCollough and Phil Pollard as they have a musically fine time!
William Snyder
CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL
Bill Snyder, Director of Development and Community Relations for the Historic Tennessee Theatre, retired in 2004 as Chancellor Emeritus from the University of Tennessee after a 40 year career as a faculty member and administrator. His professional field is engineering, but music has always been his avocation. He has been house organist on the Mighty Wurlitzer organ at the Tennessee Theatre since 1979. He is organist at Washington Presbyterian Church.
Farmer Jason
CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL
When internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Jason Ringenberg created his family music character FARMER JASON in 2003, he had no idea he was launching what would prove to be the most commercially successful creation of his storied career. With two sweet, beautiful, preschool daughters missing Daddy Jason during his 200 dates a year touring schedule, Jason wanted to make a cd that his kids could listen to while he was out globetrotting with the acclaimed band “Jason and the Scorchers”. Since they lived on a small farm near Bon Aqua, Tennessee, and Jason grew up on an Illinois hog farm, he reckoned that a roots oriented record about farming and farm animals was just the ticket. Hence the first Farmer Jason cd, A DAY AT THE FARM WITH FARMER JASON, was born. He released it “purely for fun” in the fall of 2003, delighted to hear his daughters singing along. That was the peak of his ambition for it. To his surprise, soon lots of other daughters and little sons were singing along as well. Disney’s magazine FAMILY FUN called it “one of the Top 5 Family CDs of 2003.”
In Tennessee, Nashville Public Television took notice of this new sensation in their back yard, and produced an educational interstitial video series starring Farmer Jason based on songs from the two cds called IT’S A FARMER JASON! To everyone’s delight and surprise, the program won an EMMY AWARD for BEST CHILDREN’S PROGRAM MIDSOUTH REGION in 2009. Using those videos and more new footage, Farmer Jason released the IT’S Aæ FARMER JASON! DVD in May of 2009.
One reviewer for DADNABBIT called it “æinstantly memorable fun…everything you would want in entertainment for your young ones.”
Julie Lee
VISITOR’S CENTER
Just when you think you can label Julie Lee into one category or genre, you hear something different. Lee is a collage, a real scrapbook of various traditional American styles. In her songwriting, as well as her work as a visual artist, Julie takes bits and pieces from each of her myriad influences to make something of her own that is both old and new. Though a Maryland native, Lee has lived in Nashville, TN for 14 years and travelled and performed extensively across the US and Europe. She has had her songs recorded by Country, Bluegrass, and Contemporary Folk artists, most notably and recently by Alison Krauss, who included Julie’s songs Jacob’s Dream and Away Down The River on her most Platinum-selling collection A Hundred Miles Or More.
“When I first heard Julie Lee was taken by her ability to be artful, truthful, commercial and refreshing at the same time. Not at all easy in this day of artiface and facade.” —Rodney Crowell
The Lonetones
VISITOR’S CENTER
The Lonetones are a Knoxville, TN band that plays original, Appalachian roots-based music that goes well beyond the “tradition.” They’ve been called modern folk, Americana, folk rock, "an Appalachian Belle and Sebastian"... and have been accused of having a unique sound and strong song writing.
Jason Ringenberg
VISITOR’S CENTER
With JASON AND THE SCORCHERS, he pioneered the fusion of punk rock and country that turned the music world on its ear in the mid-1980s. Their first record, LOST AND FOUND, still shows up on critics’ “best of the 1980s” lists, and there is an exhibit of them in the COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME. When Jason went solo in 1999, the LONDON TIMES called him “one of the most dynamic live performers of his generation.” In 2008 the AMERICANA MUSIC ASSOCIATION awarded the band their LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.
Aftah Party
MARKET SQUARE STAGE
Founded by Kenneth Brown, Keith Brown, and Melvin Ellis (Ellis Brown) the band is made up of some of the best musicians in the SouthEast. We don’t really consider ourselves to be in a certain genre but we try to bring all of our collective musical influenes to the table. We transition from Neo-Soul to Funk to Rock to Spoken Word and everything else in between. Our only goal being to leave people feeling good and to rip it every time we hit the stage! We got alot of big things in the makings so be on the look out.
Phil Pollard and the Band of Humans
MARKET SQUARE STAGE
The Band of Humans is on a mission to bring Literature to Humanity through music. Through vibraphone, drums, bass, drums, and guitar – through keyboards, flute, and tympani — and through trombone, baritone, and ukelele — and also through flexitone — this band brings poems, lyrics, addresses, and epistles to fine folk. It is fun. The music blows one’s head away, so that it can travel straight to one’s essence. It’s not smooth jazz. “We don’t try to make people question what their lives are about; we try to make them question whether or not they even exist,” thought Pollard during a recent rehearsal.
Sara Schwabe and her Yankee Jass Band
THE SQUARE ROOM
Former Knoxville hepcats, Sara Schwabe and Her Yankee Jass Band, reunite for a special First Night performance at the Square Room. Coming from as far as Arizona for tonight’s show, these entertainers bring a unique blend of jazz, lounge, cabaret and a touch of vaudeville to their very danceable set. You’ll tango til you’re sore!
Blair Crimmons and the Hookers
THE SQUARE ROOM
“With a smile and a glint in his eye, Blair Crimmins entices listeners into his world. Songs jump with a 1920’s gaudiness, reminiscent of tawdry, dangerous jazz. A multi-instrumentalist, he delivers off-kilter piano lines and rapid guitar strum, but tenor banjo, ukulele and accordion aren’t out of the question. While devious lyrics can mirror the sinister Charlestons they accompany, Crimmins also has a grab bag of unjaded torch songs at his disposal, spotlighting the loneliness of a life spent in the shadows.” — Independent Weekly, NC 5/20/09
Holy Ghost Tent Revival
TENNESSEE THEATRE
Characterized as “explosively intoxicating,” Greensboro, NC’s Holy Ghost Tent Revival cannot be pigeonholed into any popular genre. Melding brass with banjo, guitar, bass, drums, and keys this six-piece ensemble boasts an eclectic mash of instruments and styles — a musical alchemy all their own.
The overall air of their creation breathes a sense of celebration and salvation; of a raucous party where everyone’s welcome and where even the most stoic will find their toes tapping and a smile breaking free. It’s as if, in the same spirit as the blues greats that traveled the highways of the American psyche before them, theirs is not music to lament lifes hardships but rather to celebrate in life itself; with all its hodgepodge of pleasure and pain.
SalsaKnox
YWCA GYMNASIUM
SalsaKnox Dance Company is result of a collaboration between Waldo Solano, former member of the Salsambo Pro Team of Atlanta, GA, and Sarita Atiles of the dance group Salsa Ardiente from Johnson City, TN. The two first performed together December 31st of 2008 for Knoxville’s New Years Eve celebration, First Night Knoxville. Since then, they have performed all over the Southeast and taught dozens of workshops.
Quincy Yeates
YWCA GYMNASIUM
Born in Scarborough, Tobago on March 24th 1978. I play the Double Tenor Steel Pans/Drums, Keys and Percussion. I sometimes dabble on the guitar especially when writing new music. I studied at the University of Tennessee but left to pursue a musical career with the band St. Somewhere. The first version of St. Somewhere toured for 6 years and climaxed with an impromtu performance with Jimmy Buffett at his own Margaritaville in Key West, FL in 2002. The second version of St. Somewhere explored the harsher side of the music industry pushing mainly jammy originals and toured for two years culminating in an opening spot for George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars at Ziggy’s in Winston-Salem, NC in 2004. I took a much needed break in 2005 and started a retail store. Expanded the store and got married in 2007. In 2009 I decided to come out of retirement and co-founded the band; Ramajay Intercoastal.
Lucia’s Arte Y Pasion Flamenca
YWCA GYMNASIUM
Capoeira Fundo da Mata
YWCA GYMNASIUM
Capoeira Fundo da Mata was formed in 2005 by contra-mestre Avestruz. Avestruz began training capoeira in 1981 in Palo Alto, California, after seeing a ten-minute perfomance by mestre Acordeon and several of his first students. He has been doing capoeira ever since. He began his first group, “Capoeira Girasol” in Santa Fe, New Mexico (1984-1994). Students from that group have gone on to teach in Albuquerque, Denver, and Miami. Mestre Acordeon trained for many years under the renown mestre Bimba from Bahia, Brazil. Mestre Acordeon became a pioneer in bringing Capoeira to the USA. He moved to the Bay area in the late seventies, where he originally taught in at least five cities. Since that time Mestre Acordeon has worked tirelessly to advance capoeira in the USA, publishing, recording, speaking, researching, and visiting schools of his students and others across the country. He also regularly travels to Brazil where his influence on capoeira is strongly felt. Mestre Acordeon currently teaches in Berkeley, CA with mestra Suelly and mestre Ra.
Matias-Rocha y Nueva Trova
YWCA GYMNASIUM
Matias-Rocha y Nueva Trova is an amalgamation of traditional Latin America Folklore with a tinge of jazz. Influenced by the great trovadores of our time, the likes of Silvio Rodriguez, Pablo Milanez, Milton Nascimento, Antonio Carlos Jobin, Mercedez Sosa, Caetano Veloso, Roy Brown, Joao Gilberto, Danny Rivera, Sara Gonzalez, Nicolas Gillen, Atahualpa Yupanqui, Tony Croatto, Lucesita Benitez, El Topo, Nino Bravo, Joan Manuel Serrat, Gema y Pavel, and the many others that have paved this road that Nueva Trova will travel.... Sonido con pasion Latina, originales y tradicionales, con un poco de sabor a jazz dentro del contexto del Folklore Latino Americano...
1st Presbyterian Handbell Choir
MILLER’S ATRIUM
Kathleen Bowman
MILLER’S ATRIUM
Hailing from Mansfield, Ohio, Kathleen Bowman moved to Knoxville, TN, in 2003 to study with Dr. Wesley Baldwin. During her undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree, she participated in the Chancellor’s Honors Program, received the Presser Scholar Award for academic merit, and was recognized as the outstanding Graduate in Bachelor of Arts in the School of Music, and Top Collegiate Scholar. She continued her studies and completed a Masters degree in Cello Performance at U.T. in May of 2009. She has attended the Bowdoin, Maine, and Hot Springs, Arkansas, music festivals, and has completed Suzuki Cello Teacher Training in Chicago, Illinois, Ithaca, New York, and Salt Lake City, Utah. Kathleen Bowman fell in love with the cello at the age of two when she saw a cello for the first time at a Suzuki Institute. Desiring to pass on this love for the cello, Kathleen has taught cello privately for the past 5 years. Within this context, Kathleen believes in creating an environment of discovery and experiential learning for her students that promotes life-long learning. Mrs. Bowman maintains a strong commitment to excellence in teaching and artistry in performance.
Akashic Mysteries
MILLER’S ATRIUM
Experimental Jazz Fusion
Knoxville Opera Studio Artists
MILLER’S ATRIUM
Knoxville Opera will present popular holiday, Broadway and opera music sung by soprano Sarah Hoeppner and tenor Stefan Barner from the UT Opera Theatre. Conductor Brian Salesky will accompany the artists.
Shadhavar Bellydance
ARNSTEIN BUILDING
Shadhavar Belly Dance is a collaborative effort between two dancers from two different cities and backgrounds. The Tennessee duet is proud to present their unique take on tribal fusion that is a blend of Claire’s modern and hip hop dance influences and Megan’s background in drumming and gymnastics. Together, their style is mischievous but bright, with just a touch of Southern Gothic.
Runaway Circus
ARNSTEIN BUILDING
The Runaway Circus and the Loose Caboose performance troupe has astounded the Asheville area with their breathtaking performances in the Cold Cut Circus, the Extremely Soon Circus, and Sun-Up Giddyup. With extraordinay feats of acrobatics, juggling, diablo, clowning and musical talent, they are sure to leave any audience member with their jaw dropped and their stomach aching from laughter. Members of this troupe have studied the circus arts extensively in San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle.
Ampient Music
FARRAGUT BUILDING
Ampient is a conversation. Several musicians from Knoxville Tennessee, sitting around with a beer or cup of tea. The subject is, of course, music. The making of it, the recording of it. Successes. Failures. Experiments. Ah, that’s the stuff. Experiments. The artists that make up Ampient have all made their share of experimental sounds. Alongside the more traditional songcraft that most of these artists have spent years developing, many of their more ambitious experiments seem to have fallen through the cracks. Not because they were failures, but because of their unorthodoxy or lack of commerciality or maybe they just didn’t fit anywhere else. They never had a home. Until now. Despite their apparent cast-off nature, these experimental sounds are oftentimes more indicative of the artists than the carefully crafted work one might hear on their other published works. Less manipulated. More direct. Less calculated. More spontaneous. Less contained. More expansive.
Gene Cordova
TVA AUDITORIUM
Gene Cordova provides family entertainment across the country at Fairs, Festivals, Corporate Events, Holiday Celebrations and every type of Community Event imaginable. His show is fast paced, hilarious & professional. Gene incorporates ventriloquism (with fun Muppet style puppets that kids love), comedy magic and balloon sculpting. The unique way that Gene involves the audience in his performance is another reason why he has become a favorite with companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, Opryland Hotel, Alaska Airlines, Carnival Cruise Lines, Macy’s and many more. The wit and humor Gene brings to the stage keeps adults of all ages laughing while the ventriloquism, comedy illusion and balloon sculpting hold the attention of the children. Gene is a true performer for all ages.
Einstein Simplified
TVA AUDITORIUM
Einstein Simplified is Knoxville, Tennnessee’s longest running comedy improvisational troupe. We are currently performing at Patrick Sullivan’s every Tuesday evening in The Old City, where we have been entertaining Knoxvillians since August of 1994. We specialize in short form improv and guarantee at least three hours of uproarious laughter in every two hour show. Seven members strong we can trace our roots back to the common ancestor of homo amusus; in laymans terms we are all funny bastards. We each come from a different walk of life yet we create an amalgam of entertainment and raillery. Our shows consist of about 20 different improvisational games, selected from a list of over 100, and are driven by audience suggestions and sometimes include audience members.
Children’s Theatre of Knoxville
TVA ROOM 2
CTK is a local non-profit theatre company focusing on theatre for youth. Performed with be excepts from the upcoming ZINK: THE MYTH, THE LEGEND… THE ZEBRA, a tender fantasy by Cherie Bennett.
The Water Series
TVA ROOM 2
The Water Series was founded in March 2008 and serves Maryville and East Tennessee, focusing on the development of new work and exploring new ways to express existing texts. And, like water, it is a theatre of what is essential and capable of assuming endless forms. Suzanne Curtis Campbell is the Artistic Director of The Water Series, a theatre company focused on developing of new work and finding new ways to express existing texts. The Water Series was founded in March 2008 with the inaugural production of Pinter’s Betrayal; followed by March 2009’s regional premiere of Super Spectacular, an original clown show developed in NYC; and in November 2009 the world premiere of Spring: A Knoxville Sonata, written by Knoxville native and NYU playwriting MFA alum Percy Bell. Suzanne received her MFA in Acting from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. www.TheWaterSeries.org
Black Atticus
TVA ROOM 2
Black Atticus is the co-founder & administrative director of Black Sunshine Arts-N-Entertainment, co-slam master of Knoxville Poetry Slam, as well as a proud member of The Loose Leaf Collective. His work is based in a way of word and literature that people find educational and entertaining, for it tends to be rhythmic and centered on a timing made popular to Hip Hop Culture’s word play, but is heavily influenced by collegiate and spiritual knowledge bases. A nationally ranked and recognized slam poet, Black Atticus is known for his clever approach to story telling and conveyance of inspirational messages. He’s honored to be allowed the opportunity to share with us, and hopes his work enhances the experience.
The Naughty Knots
YWCA LOUNGE
Organically formed from the red clay dirt of Eastern Tennessee! “From the living room to the stage, the Naughty Knots, comprised of Sarah Pirkle of Jeff Barbra and Sarah Pirkle and the Maid Rite String Band, Trisha Gene Brady of herself, and Griffin Cavender of Cherohala, are a sassy new group of native east Tennessee girls hell bent on singin’ your socks off! Playing both traditional and contemporary acoustic music, these ladies are turning heads in the Knoxville scene with their instruments and sweet mountain harmonies. And they can all cook too! They’re down-home sugar and spice, and you’ll find it real nice!
Rachel Pearl
YWCA LOUNGE
Rachel Pearl’s voice is mesmerizing, transporting; her fashions are elegant, eccentric; and her mix of musical styles never fails to take her audience to places they don’t expect to go. A tousle of red atop shapely dress, she takes the old, mixes it with the new and constantly tests the boundaries of where music should go. Pearl has a way of turning every vocal performance into a lesson in chemistry between an audience and a true artist. Named as one of the “Top Emerging Artists of 2006” by American Idol Magazine, Rachel has been awarded honorable mention in Billboard’s 14th Annual list, a Semi-Finalist in Discmakers 2007 Independent Music World Series, and has gone on to win First Place in both the 2006 and 2007 American Idol Underground Jazz Competition. Whether she’s channeling the 20th Century classics of Ella, Billie Holiday and Tina Turner, or crooning one of the self-penned compositions from her 2007 debut CD, Love Extravagantly, Rachel Pearl is consistently putting down roots in her own chosen field. You can usually find her in Nashville’s backyard experimenting in night clubs like Mercy Lounge, The Basement, Cafe Coco and The Rutledge. Careful, her chemistry will entice you inside. Before you even know it your hand will be stamped and you’ll find your eyes focusing on a spot-lit stage. There you’ll see a tousle of red atop shapely dress. And if you’re lucky enough to find a table, sit back, and just listen to Rachel Pearl.
Sara Schwabe
YWCA LOUNGE
Hailed as the area’s “Mistress of Song” by the Knoxville Business Journal, Sara Schwabe draws inspiration from a wide variety of styles from Ella Fitzgerald to Tom Waits to Broadway. Don’t miss an opportunity to see Sara in a rare, intimate performance accompanied by Knoxville favorite, Dr. Geol Greenlee.
Old City Buskers
HODGEPODGE at the EAST TENNESSEE HISTORY MUSEUM
The Old City Buskers are a 5-piece combo playing great music from the 1910s to the 2000s. They're especially fond of accessible, swinging jazz along the lines of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, but they also play songs by Mozart, the Beatles, Jimmy Buffet, and Sixpence None The Richer. They enjoy sharing their love of good music, and can often be found in the parks and on the streets of the downtown area.
