Big Ears: Music in Knoxville

Once again, we’re on the schedule for the annual Big Ears Festival. Jack Neely will be speaking on the pretty fascinating history of music and musical innovation in Knoxville, at the new Jackson Avenue venue called Postmodern Sound Exchange, named for the reputable distillery that occupied that space until recently. Along the lines of “Knoxville: A Walking Music Guide,” the booklet KHP published last year, Jack will outline the surprising connections between the immigrant-led opera vogue just after the Civil War and the beginnings of public celebrations of country music, with some blues, jazz, and rock ‘n’ roll in the mix. It may even lead you to the conclusion that it’s not so outlandish for Knoxville to host a globally significant festival of innovative music. Free program.