Back in 2021, the now country music behemoth Zach Bryan could be found plucking strings out in Maryville at The Shed Jukehouse & Smoke Joint. Just three short years later, and he’s back on Rocky Top, this time under brighter lights and on a bigger stage.
On Aug. 28, Bryan announced his 10-month-long “The Quittin Time Tour.” The tour follows his fourth, self-titled studio LP. Among his stops on this long journey is none other than Knoxville’s own Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
The 27-year-old has been writing music since 2017 when he was still a member of the United States Navy. Bryan gained massive praise from posting original songs to his Twitter account, striking a chord with country music fans almost immediately. After releasing two full-length projects recorded on his phone while on deployment, Bryan was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy. Bryan, like Elvis Presley in 1960, was honorably discharged to pursue music.
Four full-length projects and countless tour dates later, Bryan has reached a stardom he couldn’t have possibly envisioned three years ago when he was strumming his guitar at the edge of a cot on a Navy base somewhere. As for Knoxville, people in the city seem overjoyed to be blessed with a soul like Bryan’s, even if it’s only for an evening.
“We are excited about Zach Bryan coming to Knoxville to play Thompson-Boling Arena next spring,” president of Visit Knoxville Kim Bumpas said. “It’s gratifying seeing our destination in a space where we’re attracting artists from a variety of genres, and it’s a great way to tell the story of why concert-goers should visit Knoxville through the platform of music.”
A couple hours east of Music City, Knoxville has started giving fans of modern country more and more to stay in town for. Former Steeldrivers frontman and Kentucky native Chris Stapleton stopped by for a visit back in 2021. A few years later, and the train is still rolling through town. Redneck rager HARDY played the Civic Auditorium and Coliseum on Aug. 31, and Sept. 22 will see Texan Koe Wetzel in Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
A live performance from a soul as visceral as Bryan’s is almost unanimously coveted. The blue-eyed bard spontaneously released a live album aptly titled “All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster,” recorded at his performance at Red Rocks, Colorado in November 2022. At the beginning of 2023, his “Burn, Burn, Burn” tour sold out every location on its itinerary within minutes of the sale opening. Extra shows ended up being added to many cities including New York City, Philadelphia and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
An artist as in vogue as Bryan, making a stop in Knoxville sets a precedent. When at times Knoxville residents may feel like touring artists treat the city as an afterthought, the ones who do come realize how fanatic its residents are. The passion in Knoxvillians may start on Saturdays in the fall, but by no means does it end there.
“That a white hot star like Zach Bryan, one of the biggest acts touring today, chose to play Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center is further evidence of the thriving music scene in Knoxville,” Oak View Groups director of booking Brad Painter said. “The music industry continues to recognize what we in the community already know: that Knoxville is home to some of the most passionate and enthusiastic fans in the country. We look forward to welcoming those great fans back to the University of Tennessee campus on May 9 for a singular and special event that is not to be missed.”
The presale for Bryan’s tour begins Sept. 6 and continues through Sept. 7. Until then, all Knoxville can do is sit and wait for country music’s most notable cowboy to blow through town.
