The Farm and Fun Time variety show will be returning to the Birthplace of Country Museum at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, welcoming musical guests Amy Ray Band and Angela Autumn along with the Kris Truelsen and the Farm and Fun Time House Band.
Farm and Fun Time is recorded for broadcast television on Blue Ridge PBS, East Tennessee PBS and PBS North Carolina.
A lot of artists defy categorization. Some do so because they are tirelessly searching for the place they fit, while others are constantly chasing trends. Some, though, are genuinely exploring and expressing their myriad influences. Amy Ray belongs in the latter group. Pulling from every direction — Patty Griffin to Patti Smith, Big Star to Bon Iver — Ray’s music might best be described as folk-rock, though even that would be a tough sell, depending on the song.
Ray’s musical beginnings trace back to her high school days in Atlanta, Georgia, when she and Emily Saliers formed the duo that would become the Indigo Girls. Their story started in 1981 with a basement tape called “Tuesday’s Children” and went on to include a deal with Epic Records in 1988, a Grammy in 1990, and nearly 20 albums over more than 35 years.
Rooted in shared passions for harmony and justice, the Indigo Girls have forged a career that combines artistry and activism to push against every boundary and box anyone tries to put them in. As activists, they have supported as many great causes as they can, from LGBTQ+ rights to voter registration, going so far as to co-found a Native environmental justice organization, Honor the Earth, with Winona LaDuke in 1993. As artists, they have dipped their toes into a similar multitude of waters — folk, rock, country, pop, and more — but the resulting releases are always pure Indigo.
Ray’s seven studio records — and three live albums — have charted even wider seas, from the political punk of 2001’s Stag to the feminist Americana of 2018’s Holler. Each effort seems to lean into her influences in different ways, whether it’s the Allman Brothers or the Carter Family. One album finds the Butchies on full blast, another features Alison Brown on bluegrass banjo.
Angela Autumn is an Appalachian born musician and writer based in Nashville, Tennessee. She grew up playing anything from ska to rock, but now, living in Nashville, she veers towards the indie side of Americana and country. She has released several albums, including ‘Cowboy Jack Clementine’ (2023) which has been praised for its unique blend of folk and country. Her music is heavily influenced by traditional folk music.
Kris Truelsen has spent the better part of the last two decades touring across the US, honing his craft as a songwriter and performer. With his latest project fronting the Farm and Fun Time House Band, he leans into the rock n’ roll side of country music. It’s rowdy, loose and unmistakably Kris. The band features an all star lineup including Nick Lawrence (guitar), Rebecca Branson Jones (pedal steel), Sarah Griffin (bass), and Levi Trent (drums).
