Johnson City: A Haven for Appalachian Artistry

Enjoy plenty of creative endeavors and live music in Johnson City, nestled in beautiful East Tennessee.

By Renee Elder on March 21, 2024

Michael D. Tedesco

Ed Snodderly is a musician and songwriter born and bred in the mountains of East Tennessee. As an adult, he followed his musical muse to places like Nashville, Boston and New York before returning to Johnson City, where he grew up. 

Now, as co-owner of one of East Tennessee’s best-known venues for live music in Johnson City, The Down Home, he tries to give younger musicians a stage to work on their craft while also hosting some of the bigger names in folk, alternative and old-time music – plus various other styles of entertainment – year-round. 

Plenty of Great Live Music in Johnson City

“Everyone knows the big opportunities for music are in Nashville, but where can you grow and cultivate what you are doing? East Tennessee is a good place to do that,” says Snodderly, who entertains as a solo act as well as with a band. 

He plays several stringed instruments, including guitar, dobro and fiddle, and in July 2023 recorded a 12-song album titled “Chimney Smoke.” 

Snodderly cites a number of East Tennessee artists who made it big yet have ultimately returned to play in the region over the years. Those include alt-country singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah, a Chattanooga native now living in Johnson City, and country stars Morgan Wallen and Kenny Chesney, who are originally from Knoxville. 

Snodderly gives credit for the region’s musical vitality to the Scotch-Irish and other immigrants who first established strong vocal and instrumental traditions in the mountains of Appalachia. 

“It’s our heritage,” he says. “We were at the roots of early country and old-time music.” 

The 1928 Johnson City Sessions, sponsored by Columbia Records, produced some of the most famous recordings of mountain musicians just before the Great Depression, he notes. 

While some of the most talented instrumentalists and singers spend hundreds of hours in practice and performance, another way to enter the field is through East Tennessee State University’s bluegrass, old-time and roots music program – the first of its kind in the country. 

Courtesy of Jason Flack

Collaborative, Creative Culture 

The scenic beauty of East Tennessee could provide ample inspiration for any artist. But equally important to painter and art instructor Jason Flack is the tight-knit community of artists living in and around in Johnson City. 

“We have artists who come and go, but the ones who live here are something different,” says Flack, a Johnson City native. “Artists here support each other. We band together.” 

Flack is among a dozen or so creative individuals who meet up “whenever possible” for mutual support. Artists in Johnson City have year-round opportunities to exhibit or publicize their work through events and activities such as an annual Chalk Art Competition and the Art Struck Festival sponsored by the city’s Public Art Committee. There are also monthly First Friday gallery walks downtown, as well as other events in the close-knit Tri-Cities area. 

Flack contributes to the artistic environment as a participant in Johnson City’s public murals project. His work has also been chosen for logos and other displays promoting local businesses. 

He believes visual art shouldn’t be seen as something “special” but as an integral part of the community, and that East Tennessee’s reputation as a hub of creativity is growing. 

Historically known for traditional arts-and-crafts (think: woodworking, basket-making and quilting), the new and emerging talent in the region is adding layers of fresh ideas and techniques. Some bring an Appalachian twist, such as Flack’s colorful folk-style paintings that evoke images both rural and urban. 

Popular local venues for artists to show their work include the Fischman Gallery and Nelson Fine Art and Frames in downtown Johnson City and the Tipton and Slocumb galleries at East Tennessee State University. 

All of this reinforces the reciprocity between the community and the arts. “There’s no better way to show that your town is alive and proud than to have artists creating and displaying their work,” Flack says. 

That’s just what artists like Flack and Snodderly are doing, telling stories through art everywhere you look in Johnson City. 

Johnson City Aerial Photography

Bonus: Check Out The Music Events

Johnson City offers a variety of music venues that cover everything from blues to bluegrass, classic country, rock and heavy metal. In addition, the region hosts a number of music festivals, including: 

BLUE PLUM FESTIVAL: A major music celebration is Blue Plum Festival, which began in 1999 to bring awareness to downtown Johnson City. The annual event occurs for two days in early June at King Commons, and attendance is free. Up-and-coming performers and established local groups make the lineup. Acts that performed in 2023 included Rayland Baxter, Alpine Motel, Annabelle’s Curse and The Fritz. 

FRIDAYS AFTER 5: Also contributing to the regional music scene is an annual summer series called Fridays After 5, which takes place every Friday evening for six-plus consecutive weeks in June/July at King Commons. Notable acts who performed at the 2023 series included Demon Waffle, Sam Collie & The Roustabouts and My New Favorites. 

BRISTOL RHYTHM & ROOTS REUNION: Right down the road is an annual three-day festival in mid-September that celebrates Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia’s, music heritage as the birthplace of country music. More than 100 Appalachian roots acts perform on indoor and outdoor stages along State Street, and many visitors also take the opportunity to tour the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in downtown Bristol. The 2024 Rhythm & Roots Reunion is set for September 13-15. 

– Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.