Kentucky’s Appalachian Music & Culture
Music has rang through the hills and hollers of southeast Kentucky for generations. As Scotch-Irish immigrants settled in this rugged outcrop of a young America, they brought with them the songs and stories of their homeland. Eventually, their music integrated new instruments and elements from other cultures they encountered (like the banjo, which most folks don’t know has its origins in African music) and fused it into the first American style of music—typically called old-time, folk, or roots music. Some confuse it with bluegrass, but old-time music is much more simplistic in its structure and cadence and predates bluegrass music by quite some time.
For generations, the music of these mountains crawled its way through twisted laurel and flowed alongside our crystal clear mountain streams; a way for folks here to pass the time after a grueling day of work. It’s no easy task to eek out a living in these mountains, and music was (and still is) our most cherished form of escape. Since there was no radio or TV in those early days, many folks made it themselves as they did so many other things. And today, that tradition carries on.
Music Comes Alive in ATKY
Over the generations, music from our region has grown and diversified in ways our ancestors could have never dreamed. Given our deep tradition in roots music, it's no surprise that music now has made a huge resurgence here in the last decade of so. The Appalachian Triangle is alive with music. It is home to a plethora of incredibly talented artists, dozens of music venues of all kinds, and critically acclaimed music festivals that folks from all over the world attend. It is home to iconic landmarks such as the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and is a place where nationally renowned musicians of all genres look forward to playing.
Kentucky Music Hall Of Fame
Growing up in southeastern Kentucky (or most any corner of Appalachia) in the 80s and 90s…if you wanted to see a concert, it meant you were driving 3-4 hours roundtrip to Lexington or Knoxville. You may get to see one act a year at your home county’s annual big event if you were lucky, but the notion that our area could attract quality live music on a regular basis was far-fetched, to say the least. It’s amazing to see that nowadays, folks from Lexington or Knoxville (and much, much further) are driving HERE to see concerts. We have found a way to couple our natural beauty, outdoor recreation, revitalized downtowns, and numerous live events to attract folks to come and spend a weekend living small-town life—now complete with most all the amenities they’re used to in a big town. Our counties offer boutique shopping, amazing local restaurants, lodging, and a nightlife to boot.
Music Venues You Can’t Miss
There are so many quality venues in our region. If you want to see some of the bigger national touring acts, we have larger venues like the Corbin Arena or the world-famous Renfro Valley, where countless stars have played over the years. If you’re more comfortable in smaller venues, places like the Bell Theater in Pineville, Austin City Saloon in Corbin, or the Levitt Stage in Middlesboro may be more your style. Heck, there are even two of the best places to see a house show in the country right here in Ponderosa Pines (Clay County) and Spruce Creek (Whitley County). Whether you want to sing along with thousands of other fans to hit songs at some of the bigger venues or discover up-and-comers in an intimate setting before they make it big, we have it all here in Southeast Kentucky.
A private house show concert in Whitley County on the banks of Spruce Creek.
We are also home to some of the best live music events in the entire Commonwealth. While we don’t have mega-fests like Railbird or Bourbon and Beyond, we do have some of the absolute best smaller to mid-size festivals anywhere. It’s your chance to see the next generation of talent up close and personal before they play at arenas and bigger festivals. This is common at events like Manchester Music Festival, which has hosted acts like Whiskey Myers and the Red Clay Strays before they rose to fame, or Laurel Cove Music Festival, which features some of the best up-and-coming talented from Appalachia and beyond on its lineup, including featured artists like Charles Wesley Godwin, Morgan Wade, Sierra Ferrell, and Wyatt Flores. But, it’s not all country and roots music here. Festivals like the brand new Kentucky Blues Festival in Rockcastle County feature some of the best up-and-coming blues artists from around the nation on their bill. We also have concert series, like the Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series in Middlesboro, which is a free-to-attend series every Thursday throughout the summer in Crater City. And it doesn’t stop when the weather turns cold—that’s when venues like the Bell Theater host their Fall and Winter Concert Series, and other indoor venues start hosting multiple shows as well.
Laurel Cove Music Festival in Pineville, KY
Manchester Music Festival in Manchester, KY
Point being, if you love live music of all kinds, the Appalachian Triangle is a must-visit destination. For more information, check out the music section of our website!
