Steve Wildsmith

Remember back in March, when we told you about the 2010 Indiegrrl International Music Conference and Festival that’s taking place in Knoxville next month? We finally have some more details.

It features 65 showcase artists over four days, with the bulk of the conference taking place at the Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park Conference Center but other venues participating, including Preservation Pub, Sapphire, Downtown Grill and Brewery and more. Main stage featured artists are Jen Foster, Tret Fure, Tori Sparks, Karen E. Reynolds, Hudson K, Vicki Blankenship and The Posse Band, Suzi Ragsdale, Steff Mahan Band, Joelle Madison, RJ Cowdery, Leo & Lauren, Jackboots and more.  Four-day armbands are on sale now at www.indiegrrl.com; they get you into all participating venues and cost $25. They’re sold online exclusively, and on Thursday, Aug. 19 at the Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park Conference Center main stage from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. only.

One-day armbands will be on sale each day for $10 and can be purchased at Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park Conference Center Main Stage and Preservation Pub in Market Square. The conference part of the event will feature workshops, panels, and keynote speakers on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park Conference Center.  All educational forums being presented are designed to enhance the independent artist’s entrepreneurial development and also include a song critique panel and a song placement panel.  This event is open to anyone to attend — both women and men. Ashley Capps of AC Entertainment will be the keynote speaker on Friday.  Jen Foster of Fosterchild Records and the Nashville Songwriters Association will be the keynote speaker on Saturday. Other notable presenters and panelists are Lisa Aschmann author of “1,000 Songwriting Ideas,” Barbara Cloyd of Bluebird Café Nashville, Bill Pere of the Connecticut Songwriters Association, Todd Steed, Jason Wilburn of Sure Fire Music Nashville, Robyn Taylor Drake of Trio Productions Nashville and more.

Full workshop schedule and presenter bios listed on the www.indiegrrl.com website.  Conference passes are $100 if purchased by July 30 and will allow access into all workshops, showcase venues, the conference kickoff party on Thursday, and the exhibit hall.  One-day walk up conference passes will be available for purchase on both Friday and Saturday for $50.

Couple of noteworthy events on the horizon, both for a minimal fee, that you should circle on your calendar if you’re a fan of live music.

First up: WIMZ-FM’s “Shout At Autism” Benefit Ride and Concert, set for noon Sunday, July 18 at Harley-Davidson of Knoxville, 5800 Clinton Highway. WIMZ deejay Jay Mac is hosting the festivities, which last until 9 p.m. Bands on the bill include the Avenue C Band, The Dirty Dougs, Soulfinger, Hanover Fist, The Reigns Band, The Blues Prophets, Jason Ellis, Black Water Revival, The Muddy Walters and Confederate Groove. It’s only $10 (free for kids 12 and younger), and all proceeds will go to the East Tennessee Chapter of the Autism Society of America. In addition to the music, there will be food (provided by Coyote Joe’s), drinks, games and a bounce house for the kiddies. A raffle will include numerous gift certificates and even a vacation or two. Show up and support a good cause. If you’re a biker, pre-registration for the ride is at 9 a.m. Riders leave at 10 a.m. and will return before the music starts. For more information, contact Jay Mac at Jay@wimz.com.

Next week, WDVX-FM and Allison’s Catfish Restaurant will team up for a night of bluegrass. It’s a special event for the eating establishment, located at 403 S. Union Grove Road in Friendsville (off U.S. 321 in Blount County, on the left if you’re headed from Maryville toward Lenoir City). Normally, the place is open from 5-9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays only, but next week, the owners will start opening on Thursdays, and to celebrate, they’re throwing a hoedown. On the bill are a number of bands — Shadow Ridge, Lewell Mollen with Hard Rain, Mavis Hughes, The Leadbetters and Friends and Logan Murrell. Doors open at 5 p.m., the music starts at 6 and admission is $10. It’s great food and gorgeous scenery, so if you like some fried catfish, show up. Call (865) 660-4222 for more information.

If you don’t have plans Saturday — or even if you do but don’t consider them very important — you might want to check out a great fundraiser taking place this weekend, June 5, at Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave. in South Knoxville:

IjamsFest

Celebrate the coming of summer and the great outdoors. IjamsFest offers crafts, food, drink, and several local bands including Jack Wolfe, Catfish Mercury Load, The Lonetones, The Bearded, Cain and Annabelle, Todd Steed and the Suns of Phere and the Natti Love Joys outside on the meadow surrounding the Plaza Pavilion. Tickets are $10 for an all-day pass with all the proceeds supporting Ijams Nature Center. Bring blankets or chairs. No coolers allowed. For more information or to buy advanced tickets, go to: www.ijams.org. (It takes place from 3-10 p.m.)

Just saw the weather forecast for the weekend, and Sunday looks to be a gorgeous day. Highs in the low 80s, only a 20 percent chance of showers … which means you can’t use the skies as an excuse not to go to the “Flood of Love” benefit taking place from 2:30-6:30 p.m. at Vernon’s Grill, 9670 Countryside Center Lane in West Knoxville.

It’s being put on by some Farragut High School alumni to help out some classmates who lost everything during the recent deluge that did so much damage in the Nashville area — Michelle Spampinato Anderson, Sharon Walker Calvert and Jason White.

According to the website: “Music will be provided by Tall Paul, Michael Crawley, Frankenfoot, David Helton, Doug Shock, Jason Ellis, Tod Sheley, Chris Youngblood, Logan Murrell and other guests. This family-friendly event will have face painting and a kid zone complete with a sno-cone machine, cotton candy, inflatable basketball hoop game, bounce house, slide and small climbing area courtesy of Ultimate Mega Parties. Delicious food provided by Sandbars Coastal Cooks.

“Auction items include Bruce Pearl autographed basketballs, opportunities to meet Coach Pearl and Coach Dooley, lunch at the UT Training table and tour of the sports facilities for six (6) people, multiple pairs of tickets to see the Atlanta Braves and Tennessee Titans, a pair of 50 yard line tickets to see the Vols – complete with parking pass next to Neyland Stadium, various sports memorabilia items, spa packages, gift card packages, resort packages, restaurant gift certificates and even a beautiful white dogwood tree. FHS alumnus and ‘Reno 911‘ creator Ben Garant has graciously donated a leather jacket worn by his character Deputy Travis Junior — complete with signatures from the ‘Reno 911′ cast.”

It’s free to attend; show up and have some fun.

That’s right — it’s the Boombutywah Music and Arts Festival, taking place this weekend (Friday, May 21 thru Sunday, May 23) in Kingston.

According to the festival’s Myspace site, it’s a “homegrown, grassroots music/arts festival at Dogwood Valley Farm in Kingston … about 40-50 minutes from downtown Knoxville. We have two permanent wood-structure stages built with cedar posts and plenty of room for a crowd of musicians on them. There are all sorts of amazing flora/fauna to be seen, including beautiful dogwoods (and in fact, may still be in bloom in late May this year). Up on the higher hill , you can see both The Cumberland Mountains to the West and the Great Smokies to the East. It’s actually a pretty awesome view! On a clear night, it is also an incredible place to optically view the visible parts of our very own Milky Way Galaxy. You can enjoy a short nature walk in Gypsy Holler— a stretch of land that descends from the stage area and follows a creek to a pond and a hollow tree at the bottom … Bring the whole family! We are a kid-friendly festival. You’re all welcome!”

Over on the festival’s Facebook events page, the bands listed as performing this year include: Big Country’s Empty Bottle, Arpetrio, GaNaSiTa, Droppin’ Joints Magically, Grandpa’s Stash, Brownee, New Planet, The Bearded, Mamma Jamma, The Malah, This Is Art, Dangermuffin, ICBM, Call in Anything and more. Tickets are $40 for a festival pass.

Edgepoint Church and His Laboring Few Ministries are teaming up for a massive, two-day Christian music festival in Fountain City next month. According to organizers, Bannerfest will be held May 22 and 23, with Saturday as the main festival day and Sunday as a day of services and worship. It’s absolutely free, and activities begin at noon on Saturday, May 22. In addition to attractions like “a bald eagle and a stilt walker,” there will be a children’s area with inflatables, food and 12 bands. The schedule:

• Noon: New Appalachian Grass
• 12:30 p.m.: Love and Justice
• 1 p.m.: Etchstone
• 1:30 p.m.: Wes Pelle and Friends
• 2:15 p.m.: Anthony Corum
• 2:45 p.m.: Place of Skulls
• 3:30 p.m.: Todd Lykins Band
• 4:15 p.m.: Dead Moons Grey
• 4:45 p.m.: Ace Infinity
• 5:15 p.m.: Brim
• 5:45 p.m.: SevenDayBeliever
• 6:30 p.m.: Millinium Disciple
• 7 p.m.: Bone Prophet
• 8 p.m.: SkyFall

A dance team will perform between sets during the day, while local track-waxer DJ Cookie will spin between sets at night. The festival takes place at Edgepoint Church, 4644 Walker Blvd. in Knoxville’s Fountain City community; organizers plan to block off the street and party down for Jesus into the wee hours.

Calling all environmental activists — there’s a festival for a good cause taking place Friday, May 14 and Saturday, May 15 in Knoxville’s Old City.

It’s being billed as the AMP Music Fest, and it’ll serve two functions, according to organizers — celebrating our beloved Appalachian Mountains and calling attention to mountain top removal, the mining process that literally scalps a peak to get at the coal beneath. Proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to the United Mountain Defense Fund, which combats the practice and fights to end it.

Activities will be taking place in and around Southbound Bar and Grill, located at 106 S. Central St. in the Old City. In addition to the inside stage and the one upstairs at the overhead dance venue 90 Proof Nightclub, organizers will be making use of the big stage located in the Old City Courtyard (what amounts to that big freakin’ parking lot adjacent to Barley’s/behind Southbound that once served as home to Sundown in the City during the Market Square renovations a few years ago). Performers include: Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Truly Grimy, Big Country’s Empty Bottle, Skytown Riot, Lane Shuler with Black Atticus, Mac Comer, Midnight Radio, Mamma Jamma, Magma Blood, DJ JMarsh, Uncle Mountain, BlackJack, Refried Grass, Red County Gospel and more.

Tickets are $5, although additional donations are welcome; it’s set to begin at 5 p.m. both days. Full schedule coming soon; check the festival website for more information.

As if there isn’t enough going on this weekend with the Dogwood Arts Festival and its subsidiary music bash Rhythm N’ Blooms, add one more Dogwood-related event to your calendar: “Taste of the Brew Lagoon,” starting at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 17, at Wild Wing Cafe, 11335 Campbell Lakes Drive in West Knoxville.

Participants can sample more than 50 craft beers and hear performances by Balsam Range, Robinella, the Lonesome Coyotes and The Chillbillies. Admission is $20 in advance or $25 at the door and includes a 4-oz. souvenir glass; proceeds of the ticket sales benefit WDVX-FM and the Dogwood Arts Festival. You have to be 21 to get in; call 777-9464 for more info.

Stainville, Tennessee — yes, such a place really exists. I didn’t think so either, but Google shows it as existing northwest of Knoxville/northeast of Frozen Head State Park. Granted, it’s little more than a crossroads, but it’s there — due west of Lake City and near similar out-of-the-way locales as Welch Camp, Sheam and Charley’s Branch.

I bring this up to call your attention to an upcoming mega-music festival scheduled to take place there May 7-9: The Fourth Annual Devils Triangle Bike Rally and Music Festival, which will be held at Grey Wolf Campground, 5935 New River Highway in Stainville. Bands on the bill include Confederate Groove, N.U.M.B., Air Angus, Through Agony We Reign, Murder in the Mirror, Desolate Anguish, Disarmed, Reigns to Ruin, Crome Molly, Shallowpoint, Stone Line, Psychosystem, Galaxie and Black Magick.

Additional activities include: a bike show and rodeo, miles of 4×4 and ATV trails, a wet T-shirt contest and more. Tickets are $25 for a three-day pass or $10 for a one-day pass; call (423) 494-4077 for more information. Here’s the flyer:

Here it is! The announcement of this year’s Sundown in the City lineup. Remember — it’s still on Thursdays, starting April 22, but will be every other week. Same location — Market Square in downtown Knoxville — and still free, but because of burgeoning crowds, organizers hope to ease the strain on downtown merchants.

What: Regal Entertainment Group presents Sundown in the City 2010
When: Thursdays April 22, May 6, May 20, June 3 and June 17, 6-10 p.m.
Where: Market Square in downtown Knoxville
How much: Absolutely free! With free parking after 6 p.m. at the Locust Street, Market Square and State Street garages.

Starting this year, fans of Sundown will be able to receive text alerts to their mobile phones. To receive text alerts about Sundown, fans should text the word SUN to 68572. Standard texting rates apply.

This year’s line-up:

April 22 — Trombone Shorty with opener to be announced

May 6 — The Eli Young Band with Jill Andrews

May 20 — Tonic with Aftah Party

June 3 — Blues Traveler with The Dirty Guv’nahs

June 17 — Drive-By Truckers with Eli “Paperboy” Reed & The True Loves