Tent Show Radio

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.

Madison Cunningham and The Foxgloves

Sep 21, 2023

Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter Madison Cunningham takes a literate, harmonically nuanced approach to folk and pop music. She first grabbed attention with the release of her debut EP, Love, Lose, Remember in 2017. Expanding upon her textured, sometimes jazz-inflected indie folk, her first full-length, Who Are You...

Gaelic Storm

Sep 15, 2023

It’s hard to imagine Gaelic Storm coming into its own after 20 years of success, but that’s precisely what makes the group a true anomaly. Founded in 1996, the band’s first major career breakthrough arrived before they had even recorded their first album. Appearing as the "steerage band" entertaining passengers...

Don McLean

Sep 8, 2023

Grammy Award Nominee, Songwriter Hall of Fame Member, and BBC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Don Mclean hit the road last year to celebrate 50 years since the release of one of the most iconic songs and albums of all time. The legendary performer, known for mega-hit songs like "Vincent (Starry Starry Night)” and...

Home Free

Aug 31, 2023

No instruments. No tracks. No fillers. Praised by the likes of American Songwriter, Billboard, and Rolling Stone, award winning a cappella sensation Home Free returned to Big Top in September 2022 for their third appearance under the tent. Their high-energy and electrifying performances fuse Nashville standards...

Michael Perry (Stories & Songs)

Aug 24, 2023

In an evening reminiscent of the VH1 Storytellers television series, Tent Show Radio host Michael Perry is joined onstage by his longtime bandmate and sometimes personal pilot Evan Middlesworth and additional special guests. In addition to the side-splitting laughs and fresh stories fans have come to expect from Perry,...