Nightfall will feature The HillBenders as they present The Who's “Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry” as the headline act this Friday at 8 p.m. This free headline performance at Miller Plaza will be preceded by local bluegrass legends The Dismembered Tennesseans, officials said.
"The Hillbenders, a progressive bluegrass band based out of Springfield, Mo., will be presenting their groundbreaking retelling of The Who's classic rock opera, 'Tommy', but as a 'bluegrass opry.’ When the show debuted at SXSW in 2015, Rolling Stone called the show 'one of the top things we saw at SXSW.' The album debuted at #3 on Billboard's Bluegrass chart. Both Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey have seen the show, and given it their endorsement. Daltrey even asked the band to perform 'Tommy' in its entirety at his Teen Cancer America Presents North Carolina Cares Charity Event in Raleigh, NC," officials said.
Opening the Nightfall show at 7 p.m. is The Dismembered Tennesseans, who’ve been chosen to open a Nightfall show each year for the past 17 years. Fronted by founding member Fletcher Bright on fiddle and his former McCallie classmate Doc Cullis on banjo, the band started playing their band of bluegrass 70 years ago. Over the years, the DMTs have appeared on stage with many of the top bluegrass music stars and have performed in concert with the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra and the Chattanooga Boys Choir, and more recently the Chattanooga Ballet. They have appeared on a segment of ABC-TV's Peter Jennings Nightly News and were featured on the NBC Sunday Today Show. Their audiences have been composed of such celebrities as Chuck Yeager, Sam Nunn, Gerald Ford, Jack Kemp, and three Tennessee governors. Easily one of the most popular bands in hometown Chattanooga, they have made their mark singing bluegrass music for people who don't particularly like country music.
Review of Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry:
Tommy: A Blugrass Opry presents a classic rock experience from iconic British group The Who through the strings and vocals of progressive bluegrass band, The HillBenders. With a perfect mix of virtuoso musicianship and rock star vocals, The HillBenders bring Pete Townshend’s original vision to life in a new and exciting way. The original album has sold 20 million copies and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "historical, artistic and significant value." The band has just returned from a UK tour where they presented the show to its home audience at some of the most prestigious music festivals and venues in Europe.
For more information on this free community concert series, call 423-265-0771.