Metro Pulse/Music/Eye on the Scene

No Competition

WDVX, East Tennessee's favorite bluegrass station is also America's favorite bluegrass station. WDVX snatched the "station of the year" category at the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America's (or, "spig' ma," the acronym the group prefers) 29th Annual Fans Choice Awards in Nashville. The Clinton station—found at both 89.9 FM and 106.1 FM—beat out five other nominees, including Spindale's WNCW (which, until recently, was heard in Knoxville at 96.7 FM).

Alex Leach, the 13-year-old WDVX DJ-extraordinaire, won the DJ of the year award. He hosts "A Tennessee Saturday Night" from 7 to 10 p.m. and the "Bluegrass Special" every Tuesday from 7 to 10 p.m. with Tony Lawson.

Bonnaroo Ballyhoo

Last year at this time, AC Entertainment and Superfly Presents were trying to convince people that a music festival called "Bonnaroo" in Manchester, Tenn., was going to be the real deal. They were right, of course—the concert quickly sold out more than 80,000 tickets (with no traditional advertising) and was a huge success, spawning a CD and DVD.

This year, the two promotion companies have a slightly different problem. "We have about 200 to 300 signed, nationally-famous acts who want the slots available. Of those, personally, I'd like to have 80 of them out there. It's just not possible to do it," says Ashley Capps, head of AC Entertainment.

It's not possible because there's only about 50 slots available for the three-day festival, which will be held June 13 to 15 this year, on the 600-acre farm southeast of Nashville.

On Friday, AC Entertainment will announce about two-dozen acts confirmed for the festival. The remaining groups will be announced as they're confirmed.

The process has been agonizing. Because of it's success last year, Capps says he's getting lobbied heavily by record companies and talent management. He's gotten about three boxes of promo CDs in the mail just in the past couple of days. Fans have also been bombarding Bonnaroo's website (www.bonnaroo.com) with requests and taking the survey. Metro Pulse was even lobbied by a Jodie Manross fan, to see what we could do. So here it goes: "Book Jodie Manross, Ashley!" Let's see if that helps.

For the record, Capps says "I think Jodie would be great out there. I don't know if it's going to happen," he says. "Jodie'd be cool. It's just that we don't have too many unsigned acts out there and this is perceived as a national event."

Capps is hoping to book some Knoxville talent for the festival, but he didn't know who it would be.

With so many bands interested and not enough time available, Capps says they're shooting for diversity and uniqueness.

"We try to look at it from the aspect of what makes the festival more interesting? What are we doing for world music? What are we doing for bluegrass? We've got an audience that's shown they're really interested in a lot of different things," he says.

But, it also leads to some agonizing choices between Capps and the co-promoters. "It's a little bit like booking by committee. We're screaming at each other, insulting each other in emails. But so far the process seems to be working," he says.

Go.

Thursday: Blue Cats is the place to be tonight with David Allen Coe.

Friday: There is no love/ Just living death. Oh, now, I'm just kidding. If you're in love, kiss your honey. If not, don't lose hope.

Saturday: Catch the extreme shadowWax EP release at Blue Cats. Or, welcome Tom Pappas and Flesh Vehicle back to Knoxville and let them work off your love hangover at the Pilot Light.

Sunday: Read Chekhov short stories to your lover in bed. Then head to Brazo or Tomato Head for brunch on Market Square.

Monday: Check out Ibrahim Ferrer and Buena Vista Social Club at the Tennessee Theatre for some great Cuban music; or Neptune at the Pilot Light for great Boston music.

Tuesday: Pick up your love and drive around North Knoxville. Stop at Taco de Mexico for great, cheap food. Go to Toots for refreshments.

Wednesday: When you and your baby have a fallin' out/ call me up sweet mama and we'll go steppin out/ and we'll go honky tonkin/ we'll go honky tonkin honey baby/ we'll go honky tonkin round this town.

—Madame "lust corrodes my body" Georgie with Joe Tarr