Folk artist Will Kruger will perform this Saturday, Sept. 13 at the Appalachian Auditorium. Show time is 7 p.m.
Folk artist Will Kruger will perform this Saturday, Sept. 13 at the Appalachian Auditorium. Show time is 7 p.m.
Folk music tribute artist Will Kruger will kick off a new season of shows at the Appalachain Auditorium at St. James this Saturday, Sept. 13.
Show time is 7 p.m. Door open at 6 p.m.
During his shows, Kruger harkens back to such early folk music artists as John Denver Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot and others.
His particular love for the folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary led him to performing for a number of years as Noel Paul Stookey in a nationally touring tribute group called “Peter, Paul & Mary Alive.”
Kruger has also toured nationally, sharing his “Folk Legend’s Tribute Show” and has been a regular performer at such East Tennessee venues as The Smoky Mountain Brewery, The Listening Room Cafe, Calhoun’s, and The Abbey.
In addition to being a singer and guitarist, Kruger is also an acclaimed songwriter. Four of his songs were featured in the films, “God Where Are You” and “Grace Of The Father.”
Kruger says the melodies and messages of folk music is what first attracted him to the genre that he loves so well.
“Music can convey emotion on so many levels,” Kruger says. “Music does that for me. The songs that I write touch on love, relationships, and faith. If I can communicate those things with my audience and touch their hearts, then all the work that I do is well worth it.”
The Kruger show is the first of 10 shows planned at the Appalachian Auditorium this season. In addition to the shows, optional dinners are offered before every performance at the St. James Communiy Center’s cafeteria (located next to the auditorium) starting at 5 p.m. for $12 cash.
Following the Kruger show this Saturday, the 2025-26 season of shows at the Appalachian Auditorium will continue with the following:
• The Tim Shelton Syndicate — Saturday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.
The Tim Shelton Syndicate is known for bluegrass, but they also play country music, which will be the theme of their show in October.
The band is made up of NewFound Road co-founders Tim Shelton and Jr. Williams, as well as NewFound Road alum Joe Booher on mandolin; North Carolina natives Jared Hensley on guitar and Greg Fox on drums; and Sam Lauderbaugh on bass. The Tim Shelton Syndicate is known for an exciting and powerful stage presence, effortlessly transitioning from hard-driving, intense bluegrass tunes to heart-wrenching country ballads, even adding elements of classic rock.
• The Flying J’s and The Sterling Sisters — Saturday, Nov. 22, 7 p.m.
The Flying J’s is a group of musicians from upper East Tennessee who share a love of classic country music. Their individual backgrounds include everything from school teachers to a retired city mayor, to a hotdog vendor and retired road musician. Band members include John Price, John Brown, Johnny Greer, Chip McClain and Matt Hurd.
For this show, they will be accompanied by The Fabulous Sterling Sisters.
The Fabulous Sterling Sisters consist of Laree McMurray, Audrea Coffey and Vanna Gilliam, and they are known for having a special blend of voices that bring great harmonies.
• Christmas with The Zmed Brothers and Madison Metcalf — Saturday, Dec. 13, 7 p.m.
Brothers Zachary and Dylan Zmed, along with their partner and drummer Burleigh Drummond, recently performed a concert for the auditorium in March where they played music from The Everly Brothers. Madison Metcalf, a Christian singer, performed at the auditorium’s Gospel Night in February. Now, these entertainers are returning to do their own Christmas show.
• Darin and Brooke Aldridge — Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, 7 p.m.
Darin and Brooke Aldridge have spent more than a decade amassing a loyal fan base, reaping awards, becoming Grand Ole Opry favorites with over 60 Opry performances, and releasing a string of critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums and No. 1 singles.
Brooke is a four-time consecutive winner of the “Female Vocalist of the Year” for the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). Darin was a former member of the bluegrass band The Country Gentlemen. He is an IBMA “Mentor of the Year” award winner and a singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist.
Darin and Brooke have also been recognized with IBMA’s nomination for “Vocal Group of the Year.” In April 2023, they were named “Bluegrass Artists of the Year” at the Absolutely Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, and are up for that same award and others in 2025.
• Authentic Unlimited — Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, 7 p.m.
Authentic Unlimited is a bluegrass band that blends rich harmonies with skillful instrumentation to create a sound that is both timeless and innovative. Comprised of seasoned musicians, including former members of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, the band brings a passion for traditional bluegrass infused with fresh energy. Having earned recognition with IBMA awards, IBMA nominations, and Dove Award nominations, the band’s dedication to their craft is widely celebrated in the bluegrass community.
• Sounds of Simon & Garfunkel — Saturday, March 14, 2026, 7 p.m.
Jeff Jablonski and Jeff Radi met through their involvement with a nationally touring Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young tribute show. They discovered that they had more in common than their first name—both harbored a mutual passion for the music of the early years of rock and roll, specifically the folk music era. They grew up in the age when rock was new, the generation that spawned Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.
Jablonski and Radi experienced an intrinsic bond when they met. Their ability to harmonize and recreate the sounds of music from a bygone era, combined with their harmonious personalities, lend a magical touch to the emotional lyrics and timeless rhythm of their tribute show, “Sounds of Simon & Garfunkel.”
• An Evening with Jon Stetson — Saturday, April 18, 2026, 7 p.m.
Jon Stetson, known as “America’s Master Mentalist,” was the inspiration for the TV show, “The Mentalist.”
The “Stetson experience” is described as intelligent, interactive, sophisticated fun. Along with hundreds of corporate appearances, Jon has performed for three U.S. presidents, the king of Sweden, the royal family of Monaco, and has appeared on several major TV networks.
Interjecting comedy into each program, Stetson blends the art of mystery with the study of psychology and the predictability of human nature, as well as the power of intuition. Stetson’s programs are packed with audience participation. Imaginations are stretched and captured, as thoughts are revealed and minds are read.
• How Does He Do It? — Sunday, April 19, 2026, 2-4 p.m.
In this follow-up show to “An Evening with Jon Stetson,” the Master Mentalist himself will divulge his mindreading techniques and secrets.
• Blue Highway — Saturday, May 23, 2026, 7 p.m.
Blue Highway is a highly regarded bluegrass band with three songwriters, instrumentalists and vocalists in Tim Stafford, Wayne Taylor, and Shawn Lane, whose harmonies soar over the dynamic banjo of Jason Burleson and the dobro of Gary Hultman.
The band has earned a collective 32 IBMA Awards, six Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) Awards, one Dove Award, plus three Grammy nominations.
Blue Highway’s album “Original Traditional” was nominated for a 2017 Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album, and the band was voted “Favorite Bluegrass Artist of All Time” by the readers of “Bluegrass Today” in 2016.
For more information, call 423-312-4392. The Appalachian Auditorium at St. James is located at 3220 St. James Road.
The website is https://www.appalachian-auditorium.org/ to order tickets online.
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