By Ken Paulson
(Full disclosure: I have an administrative role with WMOT Roots Radio in Nashville, in addition to my glamorous position as editor of Americana Music News.)
The station is hosting a remarkable series of free shows in conjunction with the Americana Music Festival from Sept. 14 through 16..he details from WMOT:
The Yee-Haw Tent, with seating for 500 people and rigged for our signature quality sound and staging, will be centrally located at 6th Ave. S. and Peabody Street, just a block south of the Music City Center and an easy walk from the Americana Business Conference home at the Westin Hotel.
The tent will be WMOT’s home away from home from Thursday to Saturday, with live programming featuring our station’s key shows, hosts and musical passions as we celebrate a year on the air as Roots Radio, serving all of Middle Tennessee with a 100,000 watt FM signal and a mission to amplify the Americana music movement.
Music City Roots will move from the Factory to the Yee-Haw Tent on Thursday night for its season opening show at 7 pm. The live radio/web show will offer official Americana showcase artists John Paul White, Pony Bradshaw, The Cactus Blossoms and an extended late night set by Lee Ann Womack and Friends.
Friday WMOT partners with NPR Music to present a full day of live performers from 2:00 pm until 8:00 pm, with Webb Wilder, Kasey Chambers, Tyler Childers, Lindi Ortega, the North Mississippi All-Stars and Pony Bradshaw. Then WMOT host Greg Lee will host his weekly Bel-Aire Drive show as a live DJ Dance Party, featuring carefully curated 60s and 70s soul, funk and R&B.
Saturday is WMOT’s official Birthday Bash with music from 11:00 am until 10:00 pm. The planned lineup for Saturday features: Paul Thorn, Reckless Kelly, Whitney Rose, The Secret Sisters, The Deep Dark Woods, The O’Connor Band w/ Mark O’Connor, Lilly Hiatt, Texas Gentlemen, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Katie Pruitt and Vandoliers.
Thursday afternoon features a special extended AmericanaFest edition of WMOT’s Wired In at Thiel Studio in the Pinnacle Building at 150 3rd Ave. S. The show with stars Brent Cobb, Tony Joe White and Lori McKenna, hosted by Jessie Scott, starts at 4 pm and is reserved for WMOT sustaining members and Americana Music Association badge holders.