First broadcast in 1994, Tent Show Radio is a one-hour weekly radio program created from the best live recordings from acclaimed musical acts who grace the Big Top Chautauqua stage each summer in beautiful Bayfield, WI. During intermission, host Michael Perry spins a story “from the backstage dressing room, with the one lonely little light bulb burning." Topics range from Mike’s battles with trees, to the behavior of rogue chickens, to the search for hope while stoking a wood stove in the darkness. Running 52 weeks a year, Tent Show Radio is broadcast on 31 listener supported radio stations across six states and on podcast streaming platforms.
Tent Show Radio is independently produced by Big Top Chautauqua and is available at no cost to public radio stations and worldwide to listeners on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube, and Stitcher Radio.
Tent Show Radio is independently produced by Big Top Chautauqua and is available at no cost to public radio stations and worldwide to listeners on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube, and Stitcher Radio.
ARTISTS THAT HAVE BEEN FEATURED ON TENT SHOW RADIO
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Arlo Guthrie
Asleep at the Wheel B.B. King Bela Fleck & The Flecktones Bill Miller Bill Monroe Blackberry Smoke Blue Canvas Orchestra Bonnie Raitt Brandi Carlile Buffy Sainte-Marie Chad Mitchell Trio Chris Isaak Cloud Cult Don McLean Gaelic Storm Garrison Keillor Great Big Sea Greg Brown Home Free Horseshoes & Hand Grenades Howard Levy |
Joan Baez
Johnny Cash Johnny Lang John Prine Judy Collins June Carter Cash Kathy Mattea Keb' Mo' Los Lonely Boys Luther Alison Lyle Lovett Merle Haggard Michael Franti Nanci Griffith New Power Generation Nickel Creek Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Pert Near Sandstone Punch Brothers Richie Havens Ricky Skaggs |
Riders in the Sky
Rusted Root Sarah Watkins Shakey Graves Shawn Colvin Shooter Jennings Smother Brothers Steve Earle Suzanne Vega Tall Heights The Avett Brothers The Bodeans The Fabulous Thunderbirds The Kingston Trio The Oak Ridge Boys The Whites Todd Snider Tommy Sands Willie Nelson Yonder Mountain String Band Ziggy Marley |
STATIONS THAT AIR TENT SHOW RADIO
Tent show Radio is broadcast each week on these fine independent stations.
Some stations offer “Live Air” streams which you can find more information on their websites listed below.
Some stations offer “Live Air” streams which you can find more information on their websites listed below.
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WISCONSIN
Aburndale/Stevens Point | WLBL 90.3 AM Adams | WHAA 89.1 FM Amery | WPCA 93.1 FM Ashland | WUWS 90.9 FM Central Madison | W300BM 107.9 FM Delafield/Milwaukee | WHAD 90.7 FM Green Bay | WHID 88.1 FM Hayward | WOJB 88.9 FM Highland/Platteville | WHHI 91.3 FM La Crosse | WHLA 90.3 FM La Crosse | WLSU 88.9 FM Madison | WHA-AM 970 AM Madison/Middleton | W215AQ 90.9 FM Menomonie/Eau Claire | WHWC 88.3 FM Rhinelander | WHSF 89.8 FM Rhinelander | WXPR 91.7 FM Sheboygan | WSHS 91.7 FM Sister Bay/Door County | WHDI 91.9 FM Superior | KUWS 91.3 FM Wausau | WSPR 91.9 |
ONLINE STREAMING PLATFORMS
Apple Podcast
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iHeart Radio
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Amazon Music
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Stitcher
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Deezer
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YouTube
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This Week on Tent Show Radio:
THEM COULEE BOYS Episode 22-04
THEM COULEE BOYS Episode 22-04
In this episode of Tent Show Radio, experience Them Coulee Boys and their innovative brand of Americana that blends folk, punk, bluegrass, and rock & roll. Soren Staff & Beau Janke formed the group back in 2011, and with the addition of Jens Staff on Mandolin, played their first gig as the rough-around-the-edges folk band, “Them Coulee Boys,” in 2013. Since then, the group has added Neil Krause on guitar & bass, and Stas Hable on drums, as they have evolved into the full-on Americana rock band whose music “creates community through the shared experience of joy and giving a shit.” This episode revisits their 2021 performance under the tent as they straddle the line between soul-stirring harmonies and high voltage takes on countrified rock & roll with tunes from across their career, including their 4th studio album, released in 2021, “Namesake.”
Last week:
NEW FIRST NIGHT| Episode 22-03
NEW FIRST NIGHT| Episode 22-03
This week, enjoy a marvelous hour of Tent Show Radio while we revisit our grand reunion under the tent for the first show of our 35th Anniversary Season, “New First Night.” As our host, Michael Perry weaves his humor and stories throughout this special recording, experience the heart and soul of Big Top Chautauqua, the Blue Canvas Orchestra. Ed Willet leads our famed house band that has graced the Chautauqua stage since its founding in 1986, as they kick things off performing fan-favorite BCO songs and stories. Later, enjoy fresh perspectives as they debut pieces from new original shows that will premiere throughout the 2021 season. Rejoice in an hour featuring an eclectic blend of string instruments, driving rhythm section, and stunning voices that together rock the tent with their unique fusion of bluegrass, folk and jazzy blues.
Past Episodes
Meet the host of Tent Show Radio!
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Each week Wisconsin’s own award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, humorist Michael Perry takes listeners Backstage at the Big Top. Michael Perry is the author of the bestselling memoir “Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time,” and the essay collection “Off Main Street.”
Perry writes a weekly column for and has written for Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, Outside, Backpacker, Orion, and Salon.com. His essays have been heard on NPR’s All Things Considered and Michael Perry is also a contributing editor to Men’s Health. You can learn more about Michael Perry here. |
