Shanytown
The Riverfront Nights concert series begin their 9th year on Saturday, July 25 at 7 p.m. on Ross’s Landing, located downtown on the riverfront. There is no cost for admission and food & beverage vendors will be onsite.
The Van Zant family connection will kick off the first of six Riverfront Nights concerts, with Shanytown headlining at 8:00 p.m. Local rockers, Ragdoll, will open the evening at 7 p.m.
The Van Zant family has fostered three famous bands in Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special and the Johnny Van Zant Band. Now, family members have formed Shanytown in the vein of their historic kinfolk. From their website:
Shanytown is comprised in part by brothers ROBBIE MORRIS (Drums) and RONNIE MORRIS (lead vocals), nephews of the late Ronnie Van Zant, and Donnie and Johnny Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd and 38 Special, and The Johnny Van Zant Band. Robbie's musical roots are deep and as fine as his uncles', and like his uncles he's the real deal. Robbie learned drums at age ten and began his professional career at age fourteen when he and his uncle Johnny established the "Austin Nichols" band, which segued into the "Johnny Van Zant Band". Together they made six albums and toured for years until Johnny joined Lynyrd Skynyrd as frontman. Robbie is an acclaimed drummer both in the states and Europe, and played with several bands until Shanytown was established. He retains a worldwide following from his days with the Johnny Van Zant Band, and now with Shanytown. It is said that a band is only as good as the drummer and Shanytown, no doubt, has one of the best drummers in the industry.
Bassist CHARLES MOODY has been playing bass the majority of his life, and has played with some of Nashville's finest artists, including the Bellamy Brothers and Loretta Lynn.
DUANE JOHNSON, (guitar/vocals) has also been playing since he was a teenager and has played with several bands, including a band he founded "Single Handed". He also played with "Confederate Outlaw". Duane "grew up" with Robbie and is a life-long friend of the VanZant family.
ROBBIE GAY (lead guitar) has been playing guitar since he was ten years old. He played in the Johnny Van Zant Band for 15 years touring the US and Europe. Not only was he a guitarist, but he was a songwriter for the band. He can be attributed to writing 20 hit songs for the Johnny Van Zant Band to include "Who's Right or Wrong", "Coming Home", "Standing in the Darkness", Love Can Be So Cruel" "Only the Strong Survive", "Yesterday's Gone", and more. He has been reunited with Robbie Morris after 20 years.
Together, the band carries on the Van Zant family tradition forging a new path with their own style that rivets audiences. Shanytown cannot be pigeonholed as "Southern Rock" or "Rock", or "Country", even though they incorporate all the genres. Shanytown melds the genres into its own unique sound that brings something to everyone, whether they are fans of country, rock, or southern rock.
Ragdoll features Rhonda Layne, Charley Yates, Ashley Williams and Kenny Palmer and has drawn huge crowds at local venues and at Riverbend.
The remaining Riverfront Nights schedule is as follows:
August 1 – London Souls, with opener Jordan Hallquist & the Outfit
August 8 – The Whisky Gentry, with opener The Mules
August 15 – Hank & Cupcakes, with opener Glowing Bordis
August 22 – Riverfront Nights takes the night off for the Southern Brewers Festival
August 29 – Samantha Fish, with opener Austin Nickels Band
September 5 – Stokeswood, with opener Remembering January
Bob Payne is the entertainment editor for the Chattanoogan.com and talent/production assistant at Friends Of The Festival. Email Bob Payne at davrik2000@yahoo.com or www.facebook.com/davrik2000.