Hey Kingsport,

The 2026 Twilight Alive lineup dropped this week and people are talking. Eight free concerts on Main Street starting in May, and the headliners are worth your attention. One of them in particular deserves more than a passing mention, so we gave him the full feature treatment today.

This week we have the complete Twilight Alive schedule, a deep dive on a Grammy-winning guitarist who grew up right here in Northeast Tennessee, three things to do starting tonight, and a House Hunch with some serious acreage attached to it.

Let's get into it

In today's post:

The 2026 Twilight Alive lineup dropped this week, and it's the best one yet.

Every Friday night starting May 29, downtown Kingsport becomes a free outdoor concert. 7 PM on Main Street. No ticket. No wristband. Just show up.

The full schedule:

Eight nights. Free admission. Mark your calendar now, and pay particular attention to June 12.

When Trey Hensley takes the Twilight Alive stage on June 12, most of the crowd will recognize the name. What they may not fully grasp is how significant it is that he's here, on a free outdoor stage in downtown Kingsport, playing for the community that watched him grow up.

Trey was born in Johnson City and raised in Telford, Tennessee, where he started singing in a gospel group at six years old. A few years later, after hearing some legends play at a festival, the guitar got its hooks in him. He picked it up at ten. Eleven months later, he was standing on the Grand Ole Opry stage.

That is not a typo.

Marty Stuart and Earl Scruggs invited him to perform, and Trey made his Opry debut at age 11. Think about what that means. A kid from Telford, Tennessee, less than a year into playing guitar, on the most storied stage in country music with two of the genre's all-time legends.

He has not slowed down since.

Rolling Stone has called him a "bluegrass ace." Acoustic Guitar magazine named him "Nashville's hottest young player." Guitar World put him on their list of six blazing guitarists you need to hear. The praise comes from unlikely corners: Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple recently called Trey his favorite guitar player. Tommy Emmanuel calls him one of his favorite guitarists. Joe Bonamassa, Steve Vai, Vince Gill, and Tom Petty's Mike Campbell are all vocal fans.

He was invited to perform at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Los Angeles, a hand-selected gathering of the finest guitarists alive. He belonged.

He is the reigning IBMA Guitar Player of the Year, his second win in three years in a category that has previously honored Billy Strings, Tony Rice, Doc Watson, and Bryan Sutton. Those are some of the most respected names in the history of American roots music.

And then there's the Grammy.

At the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2025, Trey took home his first Grammy as a member of The Taj Mahal Sextet, whose album won Best Traditional Blues Album. He walked the red carpet in Los Angeles with his daughter. He described the whole experience as surreal.

His new solo album, "Can't Outrun The Blues," lands in a sweet spot between bluegrass and acoustic country, richly colored by his East Tennessee upbringing. It is the record he has been building toward his entire career.

He is one of the best in the world at what he does. He grew up right here. And on June 12, he's playing a free show downtown.

Put it on the calendar.

Scratch Mold Workshop | Tonight, April 3 | 6-8 PM | The Inventor Center, 118 Shelby Street You scratch a design into a sand mold, and professional artists cast it in molten iron at the Kingsport ARTS Festival on April 18. Your finished piece comes home with you on April 27. Beginners welcome, all ages welcome with adult accompaniment for kids 6-17. Advance registration required. Register here.

Banjo Bar-Bee & The Buzz | Tonight, April 3 | 7-10 PM | Gypsy Circus Cider Company Live music at Gypsy Circus tonight. Good cider, good company, a Friday night with nowhere else you need to be. Details at gypsycircuscider.com.

Second Annual Spring Social | Saturday, April 4 | 11 AM - 5 PM | Kingsport Farmers Market The Farmers Market brings it back for year two. Come out, meet your neighbors, support local vendors, and shake off whatever is left of winter. Details at visitkingsport.com.

1.57 acres beside open farmland. Nearly 2,800 square feet. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a split-level layout with a finished lower level, and an oversized 3-car detached garage that most people dream about having. Pasture views. Tennessee skies. Neighbors that moo.

It's in the Chuckey area, easy reach of the Nolichucky River, Cherokee National Forest, and historic Jonesborough. It is being sold as-is, which means there is room to make it yours.

The question is the price. Vote down below

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That's it for this week. Thanks for trusting me with your inbox. Let's tell some stories.

Talk soon,

Ryan