“In the pines, in the pines, where the sun don’t ever shine…”
Okay, I’m going to have that stuck in my head for the rest of the day now…
In The Pines one-day festival just announced their inaugural lineup, which includes four incredibly talented artists in Dwight Yoakam, Elle King, Paul Cauthen and Wyatt Flores.
All artists are slated to take the stage on June 1st in Bristol, Tennessee for a day of great country music, and with the four different artists each bringing a unique edge to their brand of country, there’s going to be a little something for everybody.
Tickets are on sale now:
Of course, Bristol is often referred to as “The Birthplace of Country Music,” and is located on the Tennessee/Virginia state line.
It was first established to honor the legacy of producer Ralph Peer’s 1927 Bristol Sessions, which gave us the first recordings of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers and essentially established country as we know it today.
The festival name itself was inspired by the iconic song “The Longest Train I Ever Saw,” which was recorded by the Tenneva Ramblers as part of the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions.
It’s since taken on a life of its own, and has been called many names, obviously “In The Pines,” and also “Where Did You Sleep Last Night.” It has been covered by a countless array of artists, including bluegrass musician Bill Monroe as well as folk and blues legend Lead Belly. They each did their own versions of the song in the 1940’s and 1950’s.
The song was made most famous by Nirvana, and more specifically frontman Kurt Cobain, during the bands Live On MTV Unplugged set in 1993. Kurt remarked at the beginning of their performance that Lead Belly was the favorite performer of every member of the band, and it’s where they got the inspiration to cover it themselves.
Here’s the Lead Belly version:
And I’ll leave you with my all-time favorite rendition…
