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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.

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  2. Different Drums of Ireland | Tent Show Radio | Episode 21:13

Different Drums of Ireland | Tent Show Radio | Episode 21:13

Mar 27, 2021

This week, Drifferent Drums of Ireland joins us on Tent Show Radio.  Different Drums brings the indigenous drums of Ireland, the Lambeg and the Bodhran together for the first time ever in celebratory performance.

The music also features the Uilleann or elbow pipes,whistles, guitar, snares, long drum, 4 voices and is driven by the engine of the African djembe. Adding myriad percussion and other instruments to original and traditional songs makes a unique and exciting combination of traditions and sounds. A unique celebration of cultural diversity and linkages--

The band has played across the world, for everyone from US & Irish presidents to school children – The message is the same Celebrate that which makes us different and that which bonds us together,

“…an amazing sensory experience, the vibrant drum playing is genuinely stunning but over the top we hear whistles and pipes playing flying melodies with gorgeous ballads and spoken word sections…” Woven wheat whispers.

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 the backstage dressing room, with the one lonely little light bulb burning."  Topics range from Mike’s battles with trees, to the behavior of rogue chickens, to the search for hope while stoking a wood stove in the darkness. ​ Running 52 weeks a year, Tent Show Radio is broadcast on 31 listener supported radio stations across 6 states and on most podcast streaming platforms. "Tent Show Radio" is also available for streaming at www.tentshowradio.org.
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Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua was founded in 1986. The first show under canvas was the Nelson-Ferris Concert Company Production Riding the Wind, the story of Bayfield and Madeline Island. Since then Big Top has welcomed over 700,000 patrons to the grounds for 2,000+ concerts and shows and countless lectures, workshops and other unique events. In addition to the action on the tent grounds, Big Top has also broadcast its performances over the public radio airwaves since 1994 through Tent Show Radio, bringing Big Top concerts into living rooms across the country and around the world via internet streaming and podcasts. Our resident band, the Blue Canvas Orchestra, also tours to theaters and schools throughout the Upper Midwest. Over the course of 30 years we’ve touched millions of lives and created millions of memories with our eclectic blend of excellent musical offerings.