Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion has always been about more than a weekend of concerts. Established in 2001, the festival celebrates the musical heritage of Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia, and the extraordinary recordings that put this small Appalachian community on the national music map. The 2026 festival marked the event’s 25th anniversary, but the celebration was also looking ahead to an even bigger milestone: 2027 will mark 100 years since the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions.
In the summer of 1927, record producer Ralph Peer brought recording equipment to Bristol and captured 76 songs by 19 acts over a two-week period. The sessions included the first recordings of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers and helped propel early country music into the mainstream. Today, the Birthplace of Country Music organization calls the recordings the “Big Bang” of modern country music.
That history is impossible to escape during Rhythm & Roots. But after spending Friday discovering the festival, Saturday and Sunday showed me just how much room there is for the future of roots music in Bristol.
Saturday: When the Weather Changes the Plan
Saturday morning started with rain, and eventually a code red brought outdoor performances to a halt for much of the morning and into the early afternoon. Festivalgoers adapted quickly. Indoor performances became the place to be, while some attendees took the opportunity to settle into Stateline Bar and Grill and catch some college football while waiting for the weather to move through.
Once the skies finally began to cooperate, I headed to Cumberland Park to see Hannah Dasher. This was my first time seeing Dasher perform live, and I loved it all. Wearing a red polka-dot dress and playing her Fender guitars, she brought plenty of personality and an impressive voice to a packed crowd.
Her set was cut short with the rain delay, but she made the most of it with songs including “You’re Gonna Love Me” and “Redneck Ass.” After a morning spent dodging the weather, her performance was exactly the kind of reset the festival needed.
Another Saturday evening highlight was Jim Lauderdale and the Game Changers on the Country Mural Stage. Lauderdale shifted gears from his earlier anniversary collaboration with Donna the Buffalo and delivered a set rooted in classic country. Backed by the Game Changers, he showcased the songwriting and traditional country influences that have defined his remarkable career. It was another reminder of the depth of talent that Bristol Rhythm & Roots brings together, with a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member sharing the stage in an intimate downtown setting.
Later that evening, I discovered Trousdale on the Piedmont Stage. The Los Angeles trio brought a pop-folk sound to Bristol that felt noticeably different from some of the traditional roots music elsewhere across the festival.
The group also attracted a younger crowd, another reminder that the definition of Americana and roots music continues to expand. Trousdale was one of those unexpected discoveries that made me grateful for the chance to wander between stages without knowing exactly what I was going to find.
The Del McCoury Band Delivers a Bluegrass Lesson
Saturday night belonged to The Del McCoury Band. The bluegrass legends were one of my favorite performances of the entire weekend. There is something special about watching musicians with this much history and experience play together, and the crowd was completely engaged. Hearing “Nashville Cats” live was a particular highlight.
The performance also felt perfectly suited to Bristol. With the community preparing to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1927 Bristol Sessions next year, seeing one of bluegrass’s most celebrated bands perform in this setting was a powerful connection between the music’s past and its continuing evolution.
Sunday: Delicious Food, Music and One Last Day in Bristol
Sunday arrived with beautiful weather, and I took advantage of it by covering more ground than I had all weekend.
My morning began at The Sessions Hotel, where Chef T, also known as Torrece Gregoire, and Chef Michael Roe hosted the Rhythm & Roots Kegs & Eggs Brunch Experience. The menu was anything but ordinary brunch fare. Highlights included pumpkin spice fried chicken and waffles, quail egg mini croque madames and donut bread pudding with applewood bacon.
The food was accompanied by live performances from singer-songwriters including Mary McGuiness and Jason Farlow, making it a relaxed way to begin the final day.
One of my favorite discoveries of the weekend was The Band Loula. I had first seen the duo perform an acoustic set inside the Paramount Theater on Saturday, and I was excited to see what they would do with a full band. Their Sunday performance did not disappoint.
Their interpretation of the Fugees’ “Killing Me Softly With His Song” gave me chills and was one of those moments that made me stop photographing for a minute just to listen.
Maggie Antone and Johnny Mullenax Take the Stage
Sunday afternoon brought Maggie Antone to the Piedmont Stage. Dressed in a mint-colored slip dress and shawl, Antone brought a dreamy quality to her performance while showcasing songs from her debut album, Rhinestoned.
Sunday afternoon also brought Johnny Mullenax to the State Street Stage, where he delivered a memorable set for the Bristol crowd. His performance added another layer to an already diverse day of music, with Mullenax bringing his own take on the country and roots sounds that feel right at home in Bristol.
The Next Generation of Blugrass Music Was on Display
One of the things I loved most about Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is seeing the traditions of bluegrass being passed from one generation to the next. A great example was The Boys From Bristol, who showcased their impressive musicianship on State Street. Watching these young players perform in the heart of Bristol was a reminder that the sounds born here nearly a century ago are not simply being preserved—they are being learned, embraced and carried forward by a new generation of musicians.
Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives Shine at Golden Hour
Then came Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives. I have seen Marty perform before, but his shows never lose their impact. He has an incredible ability to make country music history feel alive without turning it into a history lesson. At the Cumberland Park Stage, Stuart and the band delivered a golden-hour set featuring songs including “Tear the Woodpile Down” and “I’m Blue, I’m Lonesome.”
Watching Marty perform in Bristol felt particularly fitting. This is a place where the roots of American country music are everywhere, and Stuart has spent his career preserving and celebrating that history while continuing to move the music forward.
Old Crow Medicine Show Brings It Full Circle
The final performance of the weekend had to be Old Crow Medicine Show. The band performed at the very first Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, making their return to close the festival’s 25th anniversary celebration feel almost perfectly scripted.
Ketch Secor was everywhere on the State Street Stage, moving across the platform and across state lines with his fiddle and harmonica while the crowd filled the street for blocks.
Then they played “Wagon Wheel.” It was one of those festival moments when the line between performer and audience disappears. People throughout State Street sang along, turning a song that has traveled far beyond its roots into a communal celebration in the town where the festival began.
As I packed up my cameras at the end of the weekend, I kept thinking about how much music I had discovered. After 20 years of covering over 200 festivals, I honestly can’t remember another event where I encountered so many new artists I wanted to hear again—and where I walked away without seeing a single bad performance.
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is special because it understands that honoring music history doesn’t mean living in the past.
The festival celebrates bluegrass, country and Americana while making room for new voices, younger artists and unexpected sounds. And with 2027 bringing the 100th anniversary of the 1927 Bristol Sessions, Bristol is preparing for a milestone that reaches far beyond this three-day festival.
The 1927 recordings helped change the course of American music. Nearly a century later, the music is still being made, played and celebrated on the same streets. I can’t wait to see what Bristol does next.