The River Signal

This Summer the River Signal is coming to the Tennessee River

This summer, three of us—Galen, Reid, Brian—will be puttering along the Tennessee River in our thirty-foot paddlewheeler, bringing together artists of all stripes to make some good old-fashioned radio. Every Saturday, we’ll pull into something resembling safe harbor, and on stages both aboard the riverboat and along the shore, we’ll record an hour-long, live variety show, set in a bizarro, post-apocalyptic universe—think Prairie Home Companion meets Station Eleven.

We’ll broadcast each show live, with audio and video feeds on our website, and shows will then be posted online and accessible to anyone, for free, forever. 

In the coming months, we’ll be connecting with artists who’d like to come make some noise out on the river. Our route basically looks like a big horseshoe around Nashville, Tennessee, so if you know any musicians or writers or storytellers who live nearby (or will be passing through), please put them in touch! We can be reached at theriversignal@gmail.com.

In the meantime, below are some videos from our 2015 trip down the Mississippi River, to give you a sense of what we’ll be up to out there.

  • Episode 2 – The Howl

    While in search of a new propulsion system, a sonic menace emerges. Featuring Elizabeth Pixley-Fink.

  • The Mighty Tennessee

    The Tennessee River, a major waterway in the southeastern United States, has played a pivotal role in the region’s history. Originally inhabited by Indigenous peoples, including the Cherokee, the river served as a vital resource for sustenance, transportation, and trade. For centuries, it functioned as a cultural and economic lifeline for Native American communities. During…

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Tune into our next broadcast – 6pm – http://www.youtube.com/theriversignal