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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. The Best of the Sam Bush Band | Tent Show Radio | Episode 21:3

The Best of the Sam Bush Band | Tent Show Radio | Episode 21:3

Jan 16, 2021

If joy were a person, he’d bring both peace and frenzy. He’d be full of music, light, and energy that soothes even as it stirs us up. Eyes closed, wire-rim glasses in place, mandolin pressed against his ribs, joy would be Sam Bush on a stage (www.facebook.com/sambush).

For this week's Tent Show Radio episode, we bring to you The Best of The Sam Bush Band.  Live from Big Top Chautauqua, this show consists of two acts recorded in July of 2002 and 2006.  Sam Bush is an American Mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music.  He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, a Grammy Nominee and was elected the Mandolin Player of the Year four times in '90, '91, '92 and '07.  Notably, Sam Bush was also voted in as the "Father of Newgrass" by the state of Kentucky in 2010.  Sit Back and enjoy this hour or Tent Show Radio with us!

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.