Americana Jug Train IV Returns to Knoxville!!  This Train is Trucking to the Strip!

On the eve of Prohibition, Knoxville shiners and pub-owners spilled like a deluge into the city streets to finish off what was soon to become America's favorite illegal substance.  In an effort to soften the final death pangs of their beloved booze - woozy, teary-eyed drinkers passed their jugs from mitt to mitt, lip to lip and drank every last drop of whiskey in town.  While "mine eyes did not see this glory," I assume that the lines of alcohol were lengthy and lasted even longer into the night, appearing from a distance to be a train.

Almost a full century later, a group of local Knoxville musicians decided to re-spark the engine on that train.  Though booze is no longer an illegal substance and the city has grown so large that it would be quite hard to "fill" the streets as they did on the night before Prohibition, these rockers, rollers, bluegrassers, harp players, blues pickers, and beer-guzzling grinners felt they just had to celebrate Knoxville's colorful history.  Thus, the Americana Jug Train was born.  Instead of passing gin and bourbon, we're passing music.  It's a festival of Americana that celebrates the roots of the South, the blues, booze, the gritty bars, the funk, the soul, the bluegrass and newgrass.  The Americana Jug Train is celebrating its fourth installment, and we want the whole of Knoxville and her sister cities to spill into the streets in celebration of the event.

The Americana Jug Train IV is at Longbranch Saloon, starting promptly at 9pm.  We've got four acts for you this time: Medford's Black Record Collection, John Puckett, Sam Lewis & the Whipperwills, and Roman Reese.  The price at the door is $5, and on my honor - it will be more than worth it.  So, come on out and enjoy the show, drink some beer with us, and celebrate all the things that make America the great place that it truly is.

Here are the links for the individual musicians/bands.

Americana Jug Train Official Site: www.myspace.com/americanajugtrain

Roman Reese: www.romanreese.com

John Puckett: www.myspace.com/johnpuckett

Medford's Black Record Collection: www.mbrconline.com, www.myspace.com/medfordsblackrecordcollection

Sam Lewis: www.myspace.com/samlewistunes