Saturday night brought in some the finest Riverbend weather ever, but Sunday may bring a light rain that will not stop the music. As long as there isn’t lightning or heavy winds, the show will go on. In fact, it may be better than ever for music lovers, as the rain probably will thin the crowd out a bit. Plus, musicians almost always show their appreciation to fans that endure a bit of bad weather by giving an extra special performance.
Last night was the night I emceed the Chattanooga All-Star band’s great performances, so I didn’t get out to see all that I would like. I caught a few minutes of the packed Pop Evil show and some the Nick Moss Band and enjoyed both. Foreigner put on a show for the ages. Dixie Fuller’s guys got back on the sound system Saturday, after Eric Church’s guys ran the show on Friday. The audio and video worked flawlessly Saturday night, as did Foreigner. It was really coo, to see the high school choir up there with them, too.
The Chattanooga All-Star band showed thousands why local music is so good in this city. They rocked on two shows, before and after Foreigner. The 11 p.m. post-Foreigner show brought the entire Coke stage crowd into play, and they stayed and danced until the midnight curfew. The band, consisted of the very best musicians in Chattanooga, selected from about a dozen bands. They donated their entire performance fee to Orange Grove Center.
Tonight, for the first time, Riverbend has two headliners – The Happy Together Tour and Gov’t Mule. The Happy Together tour consists of members from the Grass Roots, The Monkees, The Buckinghams, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, and Flo & Eddie from the Turtles. I expect this show to be really fun.
Gov’t Mule, one of the biggest festival circuit bands in the world, has Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes leading a stellar group of musicians that will electrify the Bud Light stage. They play an extra-long set from 6:45 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Also on tap tonight is the great Malemen band on the Unum Stage, followed by Joe Louis Walker, and then Rebirth Brass Band. I could just park myself on the Unum Stage all night with that line-up. For a great rain-breaking stage, try the Meo Mio Stage, down by the Marina, or the TVFCU Stage under the Walnut Street Bridge. Both are covered. The TVFCU Stage has Jerry Fordham, the Waymores, and the Lionel Young Band – all three would make for a great evening. The Meo Mio Stage features the very best in singer/songwriters in the area, followed by Cast Iron Filter.
Bring a hat and a poncho, and I’ll see you there!
For the entire line-up, go to www.riverbendfestival.com. Just click on “line-up”. You can then sort by day or stage or artist. A cool thingy you can get is a “pointsmap” for your smart-phone. It gives you a map of the festival grounds and who’s playing when and where. It’s free and available by clicking http://riverbendfestival.com/pages/pointsmap.
Don’t forget to check out lunchtime activities as Riverbend stars visit local establishments in town to sing a song or two and sign autographs. For a schedule just click on – http://riverbendfestival.com/pages/riverbend-outreach. Just look on the left side and click on any of the three for schedules, places and times.
For all the 411 on Riverbend, check out my Riverbend Survival Kit at http://chattanoogan.com/2012/6/6/227794/Chattanoogas-Live-Music-Scene.aspx . Just click and away you go!
Email Bob Payne at davrik2000@yahoo.com or www.facebook.com/davrik2000