Ky. radio show that helped launch Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson kicks off 20th season

Matt Wickstrom
·5 min read
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From a humble vision inside a little red barn at the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, Red Barn Radio has acted as a launch pad for many of the region’s top artists including Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, Arlo McKinley, Sierra Ferrell and John R. Miller during its 750 episodes to date.

As it kicked off its 20th season Sept. 1 with Virginia’s Bill & The Belles, co-founder and executive producer Ed Commons and longtime host, talent manager and associate producer Brad Becker remain as energetic and passionate about the program as ever before, driven by their curiosity to seek out and discover new artists.

“We’ve had well-known artists like J.D. Crowe, Sam Bush and Tom T. Hall on the show and they were all incredible people to have on,” said Becker. “But one of my favorite things about being a part of the show is finding new artists and sharing their music and stories with our audience.”

The show, already a household name to many with over 100,000 weekly listeners around the world, has expanded even more since the pandemic.

After taking 10 weeks off last spring, the Red Barn crew — Commons, Becker, chief sound engineer and video producer Matthew Florez, floor manager John Burke and social media and video production assistant Kate Heinonen — were full of ideas on how to improve the show.

Since they couldn’t safely allow fans to attend at the time, a top priority was to upgrade the show’s livestream equipment from a single camera to a setup with multiple high definition cameras. Broadcasting live to Facebook (10,517 followers), Youtube (83,600 subscribers) and most recently Twitch (59 followers), Red Barn Radio has seen its streaming numbers jump significantly since the upgrades.

“The livestreams have been a great tool for us to continue producing Red Barn Radio and bringing music to people at a time when everyone was missing (it) and in need of live music more than ever before,” said Becker. “While we hope to be able to welcome back a small number of fans in-person at some point this coming season, we also plan to keep producing and improving the livestream side of things as well.”

Red Barn Radio founder and executive producer Ed Commons, left, and host and associate producer Brad Becker, have recorded 750 episodes of the show.
Red Barn Radio founder and executive producer Ed Commons, left, and host and associate producer Brad Becker, have recorded 750 episodes of the show.

It’s not the first time that the program has adapted on the fly. Shortly after the show moved to its current home inside LexArt’s ArtsPlace in 2005 Becker was thrown for a curveball when he had to record his artist interview, then done before doors opened for the show and later edited together with the music, in front of an already-seated audience. To his and Commons’ surprise, the audience loved it.

“Everyone was listening intently to what was being said,” said Commons. “That’s when I realized we were missing out on an opportunity by not integrating the interview into our live show.”

Brad Becker, host of Red Barn Radio, at the microphone for an interview with Howard’s Creek. Lexington-based Howard’s Creek performed at the Aug. 18, 2010, taping of “Red Barn Radio” at ArtsPlace, 161 N. Mill St., in downtown Lexington, Ky.
Brad Becker, host of Red Barn Radio, at the microphone for an interview with Howard’s Creek. Lexington-based Howard’s Creek performed at the Aug. 18, 2010, taping of “Red Barn Radio” at ArtsPlace, 161 N. Mill St., in downtown Lexington, Ky.

Another moment that forever transformed Red Barn Radio for the better was the 2007 appearance of Sunday Valley, an upstart country-rock group led by John “Sturgill” Simpson. The show helped to encourage the production team to further expand the program’s musical boundaries outside of it’s previously strict traditional and bluegrass parameters.

“The thought back then was that if you didn’t have a fiddle, a banjo or a dulcimer that you need not apply to play Red Barn,” said Becker. “It was a huge turning point and moment of growth for us to bring Sunday Valley on.”

Bassist Terri Powell and fiddler Joanna Binford perform at a taping of “Red Barn Radio.” Lexington-based Howard’s Creek performed at the Aug. 18, 2010, taping of Red Barn Radio.
Bassist Terri Powell and fiddler Joanna Binford perform at a taping of “Red Barn Radio.” Lexington-based Howard’s Creek performed at the Aug. 18, 2010, taping of Red Barn Radio.

In addition to consistently growing its radio reach, Red Barn Radio has also teamed up in recent months to produce a 30-minute mash-up of its broadcasts airing Sundays at 5:30 a.m. on ABC 36. For the last handful of years it has also teamed up with ABC and KET to air its Christmas special on TV as well.

The Wells family, including Carrie Wells, her husband Matthew, and her brother, Jesse, perform during the taping of Red Barn Radio’s Christmas special, An Appalachian Christmas, in Lexington, Ky., on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020.
The Wells family, including Carrie Wells, her husband Matthew, and her brother, Jesse, perform during the taping of Red Barn Radio’s Christmas special, An Appalachian Christmas, in Lexington, Ky., on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020.

With the help of Burke the team is working to archive audio from all previous episodes online.

Following the Aug. 20 death of Olive Hill native Tom T. Hall, they re-released an interview recorded in 2011.

They’re also working on restoring the first ever Red Barn Radio recording in downtown Lexington from the fall of 2001 at Victorian Square featuring The Moron Brothers, Eddie Pennington and Wildfire.

Ed Commons at the controls during a taping of Red Barn Radio. Lexington-based Howard’s Creek performed at the Aug. 18, 2010, taping of Red Barn Radio.
Ed Commons at the controls during a taping of Red Barn Radio. Lexington-based Howard’s Creek performed at the Aug. 18, 2010, taping of Red Barn Radio.

For Commons, who often gets bogged down in production work and can’t appreciate the show in the moment, going through the old recordings has been a way for him to reminisce on the two decades of work he’s been a part of.

“I can’t believe that we’ve been doing this for 20 years,” said Commons. “I’m thankful for those who’ve supported us throughout our existence and been open to changes just like we have. I always like to remind myself that whether it’s a normal banjo or an electric banjo, it’s still a banjo. The music may sound different but the playing style, stories and traditions that come with it remain the same. I’m honored to play a small part in bringing it to our community and world.”

Matt Wickstrom is a freelancer covering food, music and more. You can follow him on Instagram at @WickstromWrites.

RED BARN RADIO

Where: 161 N Mill St

When: 7 p.m. on Wednesdays streaming on Facebook, YouTube and Twitch

Tickets: Free

Online: RedBarnRadio.com

Sept. 1: Bill & The Belles

Sept. 8: Will Overman

Sept. 15: J. Hatfield

Sept. 22: The Kentucky Hoss Cats

Sept. 29: Adam Chaffins

Oct. 6: The Two Tracks

Oct. 13: The Marble Creek Rangers

Oct. 20: TBA

Oct. 27: Nicholas Jamerson

Nov. 3: Davey And The Midnites

Nov. 10: Jeri Howell

Nov. 17: Willie Eames and Lee Owen

Nov. 24: TBA

Dec. 1: TBA (Closed set taping of Christmas special)

Dec. 8: Erin Enderlin