The Hillbilly Thomists, in Support of The Chesterton Academy
The Hillbilly Thomists are a band of friars of the Order of Preachers. After playing music together for several years, they released their eponymous debut album in 2017, which reached #3 on the Billboard bluegrass chart and mostly consisted in bluegrass standards and Americana favorites.
Since then, the friars in the band have been doing what Dominican friars do: contemplating, studying, and preaching.
They’ve also been writing songs. In 2021, they released their second studio album, Living for the Other Side, released on the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas (the original Thomist).
A year later, they published a third record, Holy Ghost Power (released July 7, 2022), which peaked at #5 on the Billboard bluegrass chart.
In the wake of the release of Holy Ghost Power, the friars embarked on The Old Highway Tour (July 23–August 4, 2022), taking them through eight cities, from NYC to Cleveland, OH, including a stop in Nashville to perform at The Grand Ole Opry House.
In August, 2023, The Hillbilly Thomists returned to the Alberthaus to record a fourth album. They will be touring the country over the summer of 2024 in support of the album HT IV. The Thomists invite you to spend an evening with them in Knoxville’s beautiful Bijou Theatre. Where else could you hear such a glorious hybrid of deep contemplation and down-home music? These men appreciate that “when it’s a question of love and survival/Bourbon, bluegrass, and the Bible.”
Funds raised from the concert benefit Knoxville’s new classical Catholic startup school, the Chesterton Academy.
Fiddling Leona is an international Bluegrass & Country entertainer, fiddler, and Netflix TV personality. Leona left the bright lights of her hometown Tokyo, Japan and moved to the mountains of Appalachia to study fiddle from the masters of the music. Leona became the first international student to graduate from East Tennessee State University’s Bluegrass & Country Music Program in Johnson City, TN. Fiddling Leona has amazed audiences across three continents with her high energy performances. She has released 3 solo albums on the Mochi Record Label. Fiddling Leona will be joined by husband and musical partner JP Mathes II (banjo). They are both cast members on the Netflix original TV series “Swap Shop” and the duo has become featured entertainers during special music festivals at Dollywood. The duo will be joined by John Mooneyham on upright bass and John Suits on guitar. For more information about Fiddling Leona please visit www.fiddlingleona.com
