The U.S. Navy Band Country Current is coming to Knoxville this month to perform a free concert as part of the band’s national 26-city tour.
Country Current, the Navy’s premier country-bluegrass ensemble, is a seven-member ensemble that “employs musicians from diverse backgrounds with extensive high-profile recording and touring experience in the music scenes of Nashville, New York, New Orleans and more.” The group performs a blend of modern country music and cutting-edge bluegrass.
Country Current was formed in 1973. Since then, the band has performed at the Grand Ole Opry, for Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. The band has also played overseas in Stockholm, Nova Scotia and Beijing.
The concert will take place at 6 p.m. September 12th at Market Square.
All Navy Band performances are family friendly. Additionally, the Navy encourages those who are interested in joining the Navy to attend, as recruiting officers will be available at the concerts to answer any questions.
“For many years, Navy bands have been where it matters, when it matters, just like the rest of our Navy. Today, we have Sailors performing around the world, improving relations with our allies abroad as well as telling the Navy story here at home,” Capt. Kenneth Collins, U.S. Navy Band commanding officer, said in a statement.
The band’s 2022 national tours are its first after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s scheduled tours will cover 26 cities in nine states.
The U.S. Navy states that one of the Navy Band’s primary responsibilities involves touring different regions of the country, allowing the band to reach audiences in areas that do not have opportunities to see the Navy at work on a regular basis.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Sta0r News Network.
Photo “Country Current” by The United States Navy Band.
