A Favorite Returns to the Crossroads Saloon Stage
Some bands come through town and put on a good show. Others find their way into the memory of a place.
That is the feeling around The Tennessee Sheiks' return to Wayfarer Appalachia this May. They have played here before, and folks around here remember them well. There is something about their sound that settles in easily at Wayfarer. It feels lively without being loud for the sake of it. It feels skilled, soulful, and just a little unexpected in the best way.
Live Music event:
When: Saturday, May 9th, 2026 — 7:00 PM 9:00 PM
Who: Tennessee Sheiks'
Where: Wayfarer Appalachia | Main Street, Tazewell, VA
Stage: Crossroads Saloon
Ticket’s on sale now
Follow The Tennessee Sheiks'
https://www.facebook.com/Tennesseesheiks/
More Than One Kind of Music
The Tennessee Sheiks are not the kind of band you tuck neatly into one box. Wayfarer describes them as Knoxville's own ensemble of veteran musicians, and their sound pulls from jazz, swing, blues, bluegrass, and country, with nods to Django Reinhardt's timeless style.
In an earlier Wayfarer event listing, their music was described as eclectic acoustic swing, shaped by jazz standards and original folk, bluegrass, and country tunes.
Other Knoxville coverage has described them in much the same way, noting their roots in acoustic swing and the range of East Tennessee musical experience behind the group.
That is part of what makes them such a good fit for this room. They can move from a swinging groove into something warm and rootsy without ever sounding forced. One minute, you hear a little jazz phrasing floating through the room, and the next, it feels like the mountains have stepped into the set list, too.
Why They Belong at Wayfarer
Wayfarer has always been at its best when the room feels gathered. Good food on the table. Glasses clinking. Familiar faces coming through the door. Music that gives the night a pulse.
The Tennessee Sheiks know how to work in that kind of setting. They are seasoned musicians, but they do not come off polished to the point of distance. There is warmth in what they do. There is personality in it. There is enough swing in the mix to wake up the room, and enough soul to make you lean in and stay awhile.
It is the kind of evening that feels right on Main Street in Tazewell, not rushed and not manufactured, just a good night in the mountains with a band that knows how to carry a room.
A Little More About The Tennessee Sheiks
The band has been part of the East Tennessee music world for years. A 2004 University of Tennessee feature described them as a new group at the time, made up of familiar regional players, including Don Cassell, Nancy Brennan Strange, Don Wood, George Reynolds, and Morgan Simmons. A later event listing identified the group as long-time Knoxville musicians and described their performances as a mix of jazz standards, originals, folk, bluegrass, and country.
That breadth shows up in the music. They are not trying to chase one lane. They are drawing from a deep well of American roots music and letting it come out honest.
Big Ears Festival described them as artists trading solos across swing, bluegrass, blues, alt-country, jazz, and originals, which feels exactly in line with why people respond to them so easily.
Make Plans for May at Wayfarer
If you have seen The Tennessee Sheiks at Wayfarer before, you already know what kind of night this can be. If you have not, this is a fine time to pull up a chair and see what the fuss is about.
Come on out to Wayfarer Appalachia in Tazewell, Virginia, and spend the evening with us on the Crossroads Stage. Good music has a way of making a place feel even more like itself. That is exactly what this night promises.
For more information or tickets, visit www.wayfarerappalachia.com
