Tent Show Radio

Enjoy genuine-country soul and alluring vocal delivery from NBC’s THE VOICE 2018 runner-up Chris Kroeze on this week’s episode of Tent Show Radio, recorded live from Big Top in 2021. Kroeze's vocal abilities, guitar skills, and small-town charm connect with both the hearts and minds of audiences across various generations, performing more than 200 shows across the world every year. The Wisconsin-born artist performs tunes from ...

This episode of Tent Show Radio features the world-famous Glenn Miller Orchestra. After the legendary composer's death in 1944, the band re-formed and continued performing Miller's classic pieces including In the Mood, Chattanooga Choo Choo, A String of Pearls, Moonlight Serenade, and Tuxedo Junction. Now regarded as the most sought-after big band in the world, the Glenn Miller orchestra has played an average of 300 shows a...

From their early days playing on the streets in their hometown of Boston, MA to performing on world wide tours, this duo has built their careers from the ground up and along the way, amassed a dedicated and ever growing audience of listeners. Paul Wright and Tim Harrington, together known as Tall Heights, have developed a unique sound that cannot only be credited to their harmony, but rather a unique union of two distinct voices th...

This week's episode of Tent Show Radio celebrates the legacy of Lost Nation String Band, featuring performances with original members and special guests. We also look back to recordings of American Country Music and Bluegrass singer, Kathy Mattea performing at Big Top in 2013.

First broadcast in 1994, Tent Show Radio is a one-hour public radio program created from the best live recordings from acclaimed musical acts who grace...

This episode of Tent Show Radio, features fan favorite performances from the early days of the Blue Canvas Orchestra and classic original Big Top shows.

First broadcast in 1994, Tent Show Radio is a one-hour public radio program created from the best live recordings from acclaimed musical acts who grace the Big Top Chautauqua stage each summer in beautiful Bayfield, WI.  During intermission, host Michael Perry spins a story “from t...

An easily confused and very shy individual, Charlie Parr has been traveling around singing his songs ever since leaving Austin Minnesota in the 1980's in search of Spider John Koerner, whom he found about 100 miles north at the Viking Bar one Sunday night. The experience changed his life, made him more or less unemployable, and brings us to now: 13 recordings, 250 shows a year or more, 200,000 miles on a well broke in Kia, and ...

In 1957 The Kingston Trio emerged from San Francisco’s North Beach club scene to take the country by storm, bringing the rich tradition of American folk music into the mainstream for the first time. During the late 50s & early 60s, the Trio enjoyed unprecedented record sales and worldwide fame, while influencing the musical tastes of a generation. Through changing times, the Trio has played on, remaining popular for a simple re...

Bill Miller is an award-winning Native American recording artist, performer, songwriter, activist, painter, and world-class native flute player. Over the entirety, Miller has produced over a dozen albums, received three GRAMMY® Awards, numerous Native American Music Awards & Association (NAMA) awards (including a “Lifetime Achievement” Award) and led Wisconsin’s La Crosse Symphony Orchestra. He has long been one of the most adm...

Nickel Creek is an Americana music group, formed in Southern California in 1989. The group consists of Chris Thile (mandolin) and siblings Sara Watkins (fiddle) and Sean Watkins (guitar.) Since its formation, the group has released six albums and have earned a number of Grammy and CMA nominations.

Punch Brothers was formed in 2006 by mandolinist/singer Chris Thile with four other musicians: fiddler Gabe Witcher, banjo player Noam...

The Whites is an American country music vocal group from Fort Worth, Texas. It consists of sisters Sharon White and Cheryl White, and their father, Buck White. Active since 1972, the group has recorded multiple albums and charted multiple songs on the Hot Country Songs charts.

Delano Floyd McCoury is an American bluegrass musician. As leader of the Del McCoury Band, he plays guitar and sings lead vocals along with his two sons, Ron...

This episode of Tent Show Radio includes performance by Grammy nominated singer songwriter Iris DeMent, American Folk musician Greg Brown, and Big Top's very own Blue Canvas Orchestra. 

First broadcast in 1994, Tent Show Radio is a one-hour public radio program created from the best live recordings from acclaimed musical acts who grace the Big Top Chautauqua stage each summer in beautiful Bayfield, WI.  During intermission, hos...

Nanci Griffith was a Grammy award winning American singer, songwriter, and musician, known for blending together Country & Folk music stylings. Throughout her life she had multiple appearances on Austin City Limits, and had an illustrious touring career. In 2008, Griffith was awarded the Lifetime Americana Trailblazer Award by the Americana Music Association.

First broadcast in 1994, Tent Show Radio is a one-hour public radio...

Roy Clark, an American Country music singer and musician, best known for hosting "Hee Haw", a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969 to 1997, was an important and influential figure in country music, both as a performer and in helping to popularize the genre. Clark was highly regarded and renowned as a guitarist, banjo player, and fiddler. He was skilled in the traditions of many genres, including classical gu...

The word “legend” usually makes an appearance at some point when discussing Merle Haggard. It’s an acknowledgement of his artistry and his standing as “the poet of the common man.” It’s a tribute to his incredible commercial success and to the lasting mark he has made, not just on country music, but on American music as a whole. He performed under the Big Top in 1999 and again in 2013 to adoring audiences. This week's Tent Show...

Multi-Grammy Award winners: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country rock band that has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California in 1966. The group's membership has had at least a dozen changes over the years, including a period from 1976 to 1981 when the band performed and recorded as the Dirt Band. Constant members since the early times are singer-guitarist Jeff Hanna and drummer Jimmie F...