The Black Lillies make their Grand Ole Opry debut June 17

May 17, 2011 - PRLog -- East Tennessee-based band The Black Lillies will make their debut performance on the Grand Ole Opry on Friday, June 17.  The band, which chose to use a fan-funded model to record their new album, 100 Miles of Wreckage, rather than signing to a label, will be the first independent artists from the Knoxville area to be featured on the Grand Ole Opry.  They join the ranks of local Opry alumni Dolly Parton, Roy Acuff and Kenny Chesney.

100 Miles of Wreckage has quickly gained national attention and is currently #11 on the Americana radio charts. Acclaimed video director David McClister (Lady Antebellum, Leann Rimes, Dierks Bentley) has selected the album’s first track, “Two Hearts Down,” as his next project. The video will be filmed in June in Nashville. Additionally, the band is slated to perform at the Country Music Association’s Festival & Fan Fair on June 10.  

These developments follow a whirlwind two years for the band formed by Cruz Contreras in early 2009. Their debut album, Whiskey Angel, topped 2009 best-of lists across the country and was nominated for an Independent Music Award for Best Americana Album. They’ve graced the stages of venues as legendary as the Ryman Auditorium and conquered festivals including Bonnaroo Music + Arts, Pickathon, the Americana Music Association Festival, and Four Corners Folk Festival. National Public Radio featured them on Mountain Stage and they currently have two concert specials airing nationwide on PBS, with a third to be taped this summer.

The Black Lillies have one remaining Knoxville performance before heading out on tour this summer. They will play the Bijou Theatre on Saturday, May 28 with special guest Tift Merritt. Tickets for the Bijou show are $25 and are available now via all Tickets Unlimited outlets.

Tickets for the Grand Ole Opry are $28.50 - $55 and are available now via opry.com or by phone at 800-733-6779. Group packages are available.

For more information on The Black Lillies, visit www.theblacklillies.com.

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