Firekid will headline Nightfall this week, preceded by local band Ogya. Nightfall is the 15-week free concert series produced by Chattanooga Presents at Miller Plaza.
Review for firekid:
The brainchild of Dillon Hodges, firekid has fast earned praise for their transcendent fusion of country, indie, folk, bluegrass and Southern rock. Born and raised in Muscle Shoals, Hodges is a flat-picking guitar prodigy. In 2007, at age 17, Hodges became the second youngest person to win the prestigious National Flatpicking Championship at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Ks. Now 24 and signed with Atlantic Records, Hodges has a voice that is described as “pitch perfect” to complement his southern roots style.
In 2015 firekid released a self-titled, debut full-length album, and continued to tour the country with artists like Brett Dennen, Kaleo, and Moon Taxi, even making a debut at Bonnaroo. Combining Hodges’ early love for bluegrass with a later attraction to pop, electronic and hip hop, firekid’s sound is unlike anything you’ve heard before, and, thanks to breakout singles like “Magic Mountain” and “Die for Alabama,” he’s steadily building a loyal following.
Opening the Nightfall show at 7 p.m. is popular African rock band Ogya, headed by Kofi Mawuko. This Afrobeat band from Chattanooga has performed at festivals around the country, including Bonnaroo. This talented collective inspires the curious crowd to get up and stretch their legs to a multitude of rhythms and world music summer dance songs.
This week is also Rock the Block, when Nightfall partners with the Bessie Smith Cultural Center on the first Friday of each month for a block party that includes music on the lawn of the Bessie at 5 p.m. with Dr. Fred Watson and at 6 p.m. by DL Yancey before Nightfall kicks in with its regular 7 p.m. schedule. This week there will be a “collector car show” including classics and antiques on display between Georgia Avenue and Lindsey Street, providing connection between the BSCC and Miller Plaza. Come out early and celebrate music and collaboration in the community.
Nightfall 2016 represents a series of 15 free Friday-night concerts held at Miller Plaza in downtown Chattanooga. Each Friday through Aug. 26, Nightfall will showcase a broad spectrum of musical genres featuring a Chattanooga band at 7 p.m., followed by a headline show by a national artist at 8 p.m., many of whom are performing for the first time in the city.
Nightfall bulk discount beer and wine tickets are available at each show, offering a 20 percent savings on a packet of 20 drink tickets (typically $6 per individual ticket, but sold in a bulk packet for $96). Food trucks and non-alcoholic drink concessions are also available on site. No outside food or beverages are allowed to be brought in to Nightfall.
Over the course of 28 seasons, Nightfall has grown into Chattanooga’s signature summertime program for Chattanooga and the surrounding region. Known for its family-friendly environment as well as being recognized nationally for the quality of its musical programming and locally as “Best of the Best” for Chattanooga Events, Nightfall is a family-friendly concert series with an average attendance of between 2,500-3,000 each night.
For more information on this free community concert series, call 265-0771 or visit NightfallChattanooga.com for an interactive website that includes music samples by each headliner, as well as other information for first-time attendees.