Many of our blog viewers are familiar with our friends at WDVX, the in-house radio station inside our Visitors Center. They’re well known to visitors and locals alike for their daily noon program “The Blue Plate Special”, but you might not know about their newer monthly program “First Friday Live”. This show happens the First Friday of every month from 6-7PM at the Visitors Center.  Performances are hosted by Daniel Fluitt and include artists from around the region as well as nationally touring acts. Play your part in this live radio show or listen to the broadcast on 89.9 in East Tennessee or on the wdvx.com live stream.

 

Without further ado, here’s the top things to know about First Friday Live!

 

1. The show is pretty loose and we like to talk about subjects within and outside of the music industry. From touring stories to talking about how their garden is doing this year, we cover all the bases. We try not to be your typical interview show and yes, sometimes we ramble.

2. Your host Daniel Fluitt is a born and raised West Texan who was the lead singer / songwriter for the critically acclaimed Thrift Store Cowboys. After a decade of touring the country, he is currently running sponsorships and events for Sugarlands Distilling Company. He has also consulted and worked on numerous festivals and has also booked musical artists on tours across the country.

3. First Friday Live features some pretty amazing regional musical talent every month. From the not yet known to the household name, First Friday Live is a space for artists to spread the word about the new and fun things they have going on. Past performers include Thrift Store Cowboys, Cruz Contreras, and Trisha Gene Brady. Knoxville has loads of live music, check out Visit Knoxville’s event calendar to see what’s happening during your visit!

4. The show is a collaboration between Visit Knoxville and WDVX (a local nonprofit radio station housed inside Visit Knoxville’s building). Another show worth checking out is The Blue Plate Special that occurs Monday-Saturday live at noon. The show on Friday makes its way to Barley’s Taproom down in the Old City for The Big Plate. 

5. Our “Maker’s Moment” highlights artisans from all mediums: leather making, woodworking, painters and even a children’s book author. Most of the folks featured in this segment have work that is carried in the Visit Knoxville Gift Shop and purchases are a great way to take some Knoxville home with you. We are proud of the rich arts world in Knoxville, get to know more about The Maker City here!

6. We are a live radio broadcast on WDVX which is also live streamed online reaching around the globe.  WDVX started in a camper nearly 25 years ago and is recognized worldwide by the Americana, Roots and Bluegrass artists that it supports. Often you will see a WDVX sticker traveling around on the case of some musician showing that they have been to play on one of our many live radio shows.

7. We offer a free and family friendly show, so bring them all, the dog, too, if ya want. You’ll be surprised how dog-friendly Knoxville is!

8. We are the perfect way to start your First Friday adventures downtown! Showtime kicks off at 6PM and you don’t want to miss a beat. We start off with Daniel introducing the band, chatting a bit about life in general, breaking into a few songs, a brief interlude to chat wit ha maker, then it’s straight back into the music for the rest of the hour. So stop on in and find out what First Friday Live is all about! Hope to see you soon!

 

This post was originally written in 2024 by WDVX First Friday Live Host Daniel Fluitt, a born and raised West Texan who was the lead singer/songwriter for the critically acclaimed Thrift Store Cowboys. After a decade of touring the country, he is currently running sponsorships and events for Sugarlands Distilling Company. He has also consulted and worked on numerous festivals and has also booked musical artists on tours across the country.