On Wednesday 9/17, we went to the top of Raccoon Mountain and a visited the TVA Pumped Storage Facility. Construction at Raccoon Mountain began in 1970 and was completed in 1978.
The reservoir that was constructed at the top of the mountain contains approximately 107 billion gallons of water covering 528 acres of water surface. The dam at Raccoon Mountain’s upper reservoir is 230 feet high and 8,500 feet long. It’s the largest rockfill dam ever built by TVA. Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant is a hydroelectric facility.
On our way into the facility, we saw two bucks on the road. One was half-way into the woods, before I could snap the picture, but the second on is visible. The area around Raccoon Mountain is a state-designated Wildlife Observation Area. The mountaintop is home to whitetail deer, woodchucks, gray foxes and, of course, raccoons. The most compelling wildlife attraction of the area is a large wintering population of bald eagles, which can be seen from the overlook as they hunt in the woods and waters. The plant works like a large storage battery. During periods of low demand for electric, water is pumped from Nickajack Reservoir at the base of the mountain to the reservoir built at the top. It takes 28 hours to fill the upper reservoir.
When demand for electric is high, water is released via a tunnel drilled through the center of the mountain to drive generators in the mountain’s underground power plant.
The adjacent day-use area offers more than 28 miles of mountain biking trails—with names like Live Wire, Megawatt, SwitchYard and High Voltage—for riders of all abilities, as well as a bike-washing station. The trails are open to hikers as well.
At the Visitor's Center we learned about Tennessee Valley Authority's history, the generating facility and the benefits of TVA’s activities to you. View maps of the Tennessee River and tributaries that allow us to provide power, support economic development and protect natural resources for the 10 million people we serve. The overlook at the visitor center offers a spectacular view of the river gorge, and nearby Laurel Point offers access to nearly 30 miles of biking and hiking trails on the dam reservation.
At the Convention Center there is a radio station, Bluegrass Country, who is recording live... On Air!
Don’t miss their Bluegrass Country Showcase of Bands. This year’s showcase includes established and emerging bands and artists, representing the full range from traditional to cutting-edge contemporary performers. They are playing to live audiences in Room 8 of the Chattanooga Convention Center on Wednesday and Thursday, September 17 & 18. The station is recording the sets for broadcast in the future.
This picture is a jam session of several of the artists that played a set earlier today!
We sat in on the CBA showcase. The CBA is the California Bluegrass Association. On this stage we saw bluegrass artists from Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg Tennessee that we have seen there. We never knew they were from California! Josh and John Gooding. Josh is in the overalls and John is in the hat. They are half of Firewater Junction, a bluegrass band we have heard at Ole Red and on The Island. Both played with Little Roy & Lizzie at one time or another.
This showcase was in part for "Kids on Bluegrass," some of the youth performers are amazing!
We came back to the convention center tonight for the Bramble Showcases and are bouncing between stages tonight!
The Often Herd, is a UK based bluegrass band that transcend the traditional boundaries of bluegrass music. Although they might resemble an American string band, complete with driving energy, tight vocal harmonies and dazzling instrumental interplay, their vibrant, transatlantic sound is deeply coloured by their surroundings; the striking natural and industrial landscapes of Northern England. This unique approach won them the title of “Best European Bluegrass Band 2018” at the prestigious La Roche Bluegrass Festival in France.
Rupert Hughes and Evan Davies, write songs steeped in personal experience whilst drawing from a wide pool of influences ranging from old-time to psychedelia. American-born fiddler Niles Krieger and jazz bassist Sam Quintana add fiery instrumental skills to the mix, launching the band’s arrangements into the stratosphere. Together, their sound is both boldly contemporary and soothingly familiar, taking time-honored traditions to new places with a fresh perspective. Flock to the herd, you won’t be disappointed.
We will see Darin & Brooke Aldridge in Titusville in October, but we walked to this stage to hear them. Darin and Brooke Aldridge continue to ascend to new heights in the music industry while keeping their easy-going, down-to-earth connection with audiences everywhere. Brooke is a four-time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association award for Female Vocalist of the Year, while Darin, once a former member of The Country Gentlemen, is a former IBMA Mentor of the Year and a truly gifted singer and multi-instrumentalist.
They have had numerous nominations over the years from the IBMA, the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America, the Gospel Music Association (GMA Dove Awards) and the Inspirational Country Music Association. In April 2023, they were named “Bluegrass Artists of the Year” at the Absolutely Gospel Music Awards. Also in 2023, the IBMA nominated the smash hit “Jordan,” featuring Ricky Skaggs, Mo Pitney and Mark Fain, in the Gospel Recording of the Year category while the GMA nominated the song for its Bluegrass/Country/Roots Recorded Song of the Year award.
The future of Bluegrass is all about the youth. Darin & Brooke Aldridge know that and brought a couple budding fiddler players up on stage. I wish I could have captured the admiration the young fiddlers had when they looked up to the band's fiddle player, Marissa Colter.
We went back to the other stage and saw Hillary Klug. At 32, she has more energy on stage than a youngster. She is a singer, songwriter, fiddler, and dancer who blends buck dancing and violin playing into a unique and entertaining performance. The Tennessee native started dancing at age 8, eventually becoming a two-time National Buckdancing Champion. She started playing violin at age 13.
Klug's career began as a street performer in Nashville, where she developed her signature style of combining footwork and fiddle to create a beat and melody.
Seth Mulder & Midnight Run was born in the holler of Tennessee’s first legal moonshine distillery, where the spirit of tradition still runs strong. Since forming in 2018, the band has been on a mission to blend the roots of traditional bluegrass with the energy of modern performance, crafting a sound that is both deeply authentic and refreshingly original. With genuine songwriting, tasteful arrangements, and a knack for breathing new life into forgotten covers, the band combines elements of bluegrass, classic country, and folk music in a way that resonates with both traditionalists and new audiences alike.
Their debut studio album, Traveling Kind, laid the foundation for what would become a breakout sound. In 2024, the band signed with the iconic Rebel Records, launching a new era marked by their newest release Coming On Strong. Their high-energy live shows have taken them across the US, Canada, and Europe, earning them a reputation as one of the most exciting young acts on the bluegrass circuit today. The current lineup—Seth Mulder (mandolin), Tyler Griffith (bass), Mason Wright (fiddle), Anthony Howell (guitar), and Carter Lester (banjo)—creates a powerhouse of music and a stage show you don’t want to miss.
The Sullivan Sisters have dazzled audiences since childhood with their unique blend of fast bluegrass picking and captivating sibling harmonies, with music ranging from lyrical originals to timeless folk classics to blazing instrumentals. Inspired by the bluegrass community in North Carolina where they were born and raised, Soraya and Luciya began taking guitar and banjo lessons at ages 8 and 6. Their music drew influence from the bluegrass community surrounding them, and they carried their love of the genre with them when they relocated to Chicago.
Over the past ten years, The Sullivan Sisters have toured the country as featured performers at Merlefest, the Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum’s Romp Festival, IBMA’s Bluegrass Live Festival, the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour, and the Evanston Folk Festival. Their instrumental talents have garnered them national distinctions at numerous competitions. The sisters have recently formed a five-piece band by joining forces with three phenomenal teen pickers and longtime friends: Oscar Caudell on mandolin, Finn McGuinness on fiddle, and Sammy Mougin on bass.
We were captivated by Mike Mitchell, a contemporary bluegrass force delivering effortless vocals, deeply resonant songwriting, and virtuosic fiddling. Influenced by legends like 70’s J.D Crowe and The New South, Tony Rice, and Sam Bush, Mike has carved his own distinctive sound, evidenced by his impressive discography. His album "Small Town" debuted at #2 on Billboard, and "Fathers & Sons" dominated the Bluegrass Unlimited charts for over a year, spawning three #1 singles.
"Love Songs, Torch & Bluegrass," is their latest album produced by the multi-award-winning Opry star, Darin Aldridge. From his early Suzuki violin days to his current collaborations with bluegrass icons like Wyatt Rice, Jarrod Walker, Darin Aldridge, Mark Schatz and Sammy Shelor, Mike Mitchell has dedicated his life to mastering his craft. Whether tearing it up on stage or sharing his passion through teaching, Mike brings an undeniable energy and commitment to every note.
The last showcase we saw was The Faux Paw. I missed catching the song with the saxophone solo. Yes, a saxophone! The music of The Faux Paws would be hard to pin down with standard genre descriptions. The groups’s contagious groove, and feel-good melting pot folk music has been honed over ten years of playing together, and is the sound of close friends (two of which happen to be brothers), who feel a musical kinship that transcends any stylistic limitations.
Brothers Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand grew up playing contra dance music with their musician mother in the band Great Bear. Based in upstate New York, Great Bear gained a strong reputation in the niche world of folk-dance music, touring the country for eighteen years, releasing numerous albums and starting their own dance festival called The Groove. Since meeting in 2012, they have toured across North America several times, sometimes under the name The Faux Paws, sometimes as part of other larger ensembles. But due to their commitments to other bands and musical projects, the timing was never right to focus on making The Faux Paws a priority. It may have taken The Faux Paws ten years to make their debut album, but those years have clearly not gone to waste. Now, with an experimental but cohesive vision, the band brings together seemingly unrelated musical elements into one joyful and distinctive collection, deeply rooted in the raw humanity of folk dance and music traditions.
On our way out, we found a small group "rehearsing." We learned the fiddle player is only 14 years old! Stay tuned for more #TwoLaneAdventures
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