Locals Only Live at the Bijou Presented by WUTKThursday, Feb 1, 2024

To give local artists a larger platform to showcase their music, the Bijou Theatre is proud to partner with WUTK to present Locals Only Live at the Bijou! This series aims to increase the accessibility of the Bijou stage to local artists and make local acts more accessible to the Knoxville Community. The series kicks off on Thursday, February 1st, featuring Willa Mae, Tennessee Love Connection, and High Heat. Join us to celebrate and enjoy Knoxville’s phenomenal music scene with your friends and neighbors!

About Willa Mae:
Willa Mae is an indie rock artist from Knoxville, TN, who has been in perpetual motion, writing, recording, and performing in various bands since age five. Upon the release of her self-produced debut album “Kids,” at 17 years old, Willa Mae became a force of nature in the Knoxville music scene. In 2023, Willa and her band embarked on their sophomore tour of the southeast, playing legendary venues such as Atlanta’s Masquerade and a sold-out Nashville date with Annie DiRusso at the iconic Basement East. Willa Mae’s latest releases, “Clean” and “Voodoo Doll,” showcase her brutally honest lyricism accompanied by a timeless, unapologetic sound that blurs the lines between soft rock and post-punk. Willa continues to develop a self-portrait through her music, lending personal accounts of girlhood, womanhood, and growing up in the South.

About High Heat:
In early 2015, in the concrete cradle of the Smoky Mountains, from the basement of a dorm at the University of Tennessee came a thunderous sound, timeless and new all at once. A passerby poked his head in the small, musty room and listened and stared, and when the sound had ended, he exclaimed breathlessly, “Wow. You guys are... loud.”

In the years since High Heat has become so much more than loud. They have honed their craft in smoke-filled bars, unruly house parties, open-air festivals, and established venues. On the way, they’ve developed an identity as an energetic and intense rock band that gives their all every time they take the stage. High Heat draws its main inspiration from the indie rock of the late ’00s and early ’10s, including Cage the Elephant, Jack White, and the Arctic Monkeys. Rumbling bass and drums alongside growling guitars with wailing solos are complemented by evocative lyrics to form High Heat’s distinct- yet versatile sound. There are no phony attitudes, no piped-in electronic tracks, and no 8-minute ballads about ex-girlfriends—just authentic, unfiltered rock ‘n’ roll.

About Tennessee Love Connection:
A high-energy, six-piece, psychedelic rock band from Knoxville, TN. Tennessee Love Connection rocks the building with a powerhouse female vocalist reminiscent of late great singers, a tight rhythm section, and cosmic lead melodies.

As Knoxville’s Cultural Jewel, we strive to represent Knoxville culture by showcasing local live music that otherwise would not have the opportunity to play on a stage of our size and stature. Artists are selected to play the regional live music series through an application process. After artists have submitted an application form, they are chosen by our dedicated team of live music enthusiasts to perform on the Bijou stage. The first round of applications opened in November 2023, and we received over 100 submissions! To apply for a future series performance or for more information, visit knoxbijou.org/localsonly.