Tent Show Radio

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First broadcast in 1994, Tent Show Radio is a weekly one-hour radio program showcasing the best live recordings from acclaimed music acts and entertainers who grace the Big Top Chautauqua stage each summer in beautiful Bayfield, WI. In the program's nearly 30 year history it has featured artists like Johnny Cash, B.B King, Brandi Carlile, Willie Nelson, Don McLean, and many more. Hosted by celebrated New York Times best-selling author Michael Perry-who weaves stories and humor throughout each episode - Tent Show Radio features performances from renowned national & regional artists, with regular appearances featuring Big Top’s own unique brand of shows that feature songs and stories performed by its acclaimed house band, The Blue Canvas Orchestra.

Tent Show Radio is independently produced by Big Top Chautauqua, a non-profit performing arts organization, with a mission to present performances and events that celebrate history and the environment - along with their annual summer concert series - nestled in the woods on the shores of Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands.

Dead Horses

Mar 30, 2018

First radio air date: March 31, 2018

About This Episode

At fifteen, Dead Horses frontwoman Sarah Vos’ world turned upside down. Raised in a strict, fundamentalist home, Vos lost everything when she and her family were expelled from the rural Wisconsin church where her father had long served as pastor. “My older...

Belfast to Bluegrass

Mar 23, 2018

First radio air date: June 25, 2016

About This Episode

This week Tent Show Radio flashes back to the biggest new hit of 2016 - a musical gem called Belfast to Bluegrass from the team of Severin Behnen, Stevie Matier and Bruce Burnside. Belfast to Bluegrass is a musical adventure of jigs and ballads as they travel to the...

Delbert McClinton

Mar 16, 2018

First radio air date: March 17, 2018

About This Episode

Considered a master among Texas music aficionados, blues experts, and critics alike, McClinton is highly respected, not only for the incredible longevity of his career but for his ability to meld genres into his own style. The celebrated three-time Grammy award...

Gaelic Storm

Mar 8, 2018

First radio air date: March 10, 2018

About This Episode

The performance in this episode marks Gaelic Storm's 11th return to Big Top. Regularly playing more than 120 shows a year, Gaelic Storm has built one of the most diverse fan bases in modern music from bluegrass fans and country cowboys to Deadheads, rock & rollers...

Andrew Bird - Roma Di Luna

Mar 3, 2018

perry_backstage

Join host Michael Perry as he hosts another edition of Tent Show Radio from Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua.

Andrew Bird has been called a Musical innovator who winds together his trademark violin technique with xylophone, vocals and sophisticated electronic looping. Add in his uncanny ability to whistle anything,...