This week’s highlighted band is The Beaters. What can I say? I realize that there are only nine people in Chattanooga who have never heard of them, but we do have readers from around the world, so I am sure that number at least doubles. Pat suggested I just write the column based on the many times we have heard them, but I explained that it would be just my luck that this one time, the band would be a different Beaters band – like the ones from Madagascar – and I would end up writing about the wrong band. I guess that shows I have journalistic integrity.
So, out we went to the beautiful Palms at Hamilton to hear the Beaters from Chattanooga. The Beaters are new to the area music scene and are still learning to play their instruments and the classic rock songs they play. If they play together and practice a bit more, they will have it down.
Whoa! Oops! Wrong band; it’s the Madagascar Beaters that need some more work. “Our” Beaters have been together forever. Many marriages don’t stay together as long as “our” Beaters. I say “our” because they are as much a part of Chattanooga, as our Aquarium, our Southern Belle, and our mountains.
They play the classic songs, like from Al Green, The Beatles, Skynyrd, Marvin Gaye, and so on. They play them well. They bring in a crowd. The crowd dances and has fun. These guys are professional musicians with decades of experience. There’s not much else one can say about them. They are the ultimate cover/party band, and they don’t miss a beat. They still have fun and the crowds can sense it. If Chattanooga had its own version of the Grammy’s, The Beaters would get the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The band members are as follows: Rance Whitworth, Keyboards; Randy Clark, Rhythm Guitar; Randy Johnston, Lead Guitar, David Turner, Bass Guitar; Rick Lane, Keyboards; Terryl Greene, Drums. The entire band lends vocals to the band.
Friday night we caught Randy Howard’s show, which is always entertaining.
Saturday night we took advantage of a rare night away from music and ate at Aretha Frankensteins in North Chattanooga. We were home by 10 p.m. and I thought my dog was going to bite me, as surely he thought intruders were at his house due to our early arrival home.
Sunday, we went to the Chattanooga Market and watched celebrity judges stuff themselves with food from some of Chattanooga’s best chefs. We then caught the performance of Wendy Jans, a Nashville singer/songwriter who was spectacular. My hat is off to Chris Thomas at the Market for bringing in such great talent to play this year. For free fun and music, the Market is hard to beat on a Sunday afternoon. And, now they have their big overhead fans installed and it was super-comfortable! Check it out - across from Findley Stadium. (This week is the ice cream social – check out flavors from Chattanooga’s best ice cream makers!)
Live! In Chattanooga
Thursday, July 3
The Palms – The Foundation
T-Bones – Pee Wee Moore
Midtown Music Hall – Channing Wilson
Rhythm & Brews – Auto Vaughn, Hollywood Kills, American Bang
Mudpie – The Lumber 5, after the Coolidge Park Fireworks!
Friday, July 4
Nightfall @ Miller Plaza – Asylum Street Spankers, Natural Habitz
Buds – No Big Deal
Blue Orleans Creole Restaurant – Tim Hughes Quartet
Blues Train Café Dalton – Cherry Vendetta
Soddy Daisy Fourth of July Celebration – Featuring Infinite Orange, with 2 x 2 Quartet, Lisa Stewart, Black Rose, Gene Hodge, Essential Mama, John Lathim, The Ascots (Starts at noon, runs all day until fireworks at 9:30)
Dalton Fourth of July Celebration – Alisa Asbury & Cross Plains, Cory Sims, Jessie Bock & Livin’ Easy, Haley Tucker, Shelbi Reese, Jordan Rager, LeeAndrew Bray, Anna Harwood, Destiny Cravey, Billy Reese, Raven Band, David Leon, Jonathon Baines (Starts at 5 p.m., runs until fireworks at 9:30)
Saturday, July 5
T-Bones – Live at Eleven acoustic show
Charles & Myrtles – Jonathon Byrd
Market Street Tavern – Sandia, Corleone
JJ’s Bohemia – Coral Castles, Mean Tambourines, The Vinyl Strangers
Snow Hill Bluegrass Jamboree – Snow Hill Rd Ooltewah @ 6 PM
Rhythm & Brews – Matt Stephens Project
Sunday, July 6
Chattanooga Market – Alathea, Hudson K, Brittany Reilly (Starts @12:30)
Tuesday, July 8
Miller Plaza – No Big Deal for American Cancer Society (4:30 p.m.)
Table 2 – Ben Friberg Jazz Trio
Wednesday, July 9
Rhythm & Brews - Boombox
See You There!
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