It’s almost Nightfall time again. The free concert series that brings national headliners and musically-savvy local acts to Miller Plaza will begin on May 20 and run every Friday night until September 23, with two weeks off for Riverbend.
This year Chattanooga Presents, who organizes Nightfall, decided to mix things up by allowing one local band the opportunity to play the headliner spot on July 29 for the first time in Nightfall history.
So began McKay’s Road to Nightfall, with four preliminary rounds in which six bands faced off each night and a single band was voted on at the end of the night to move on to the April 7 finals.
I first attended the March 30 preliminary in which Elk Milk, Behold the Brave, The Nim Nims, Raenbow Station, Machines are People Too and Concerning Lions squared off.
I quickly gained a newfound respect for the organizers of Nightfall in their choice of acts for the concert series, because all of these bands were so talented and choosing just one to move on to the final round seemed almost criminal.
First up was Elk Milk. The young men in this band had a very soothing sound and knew how to make their instruments put you in a mood of calm.
Next was Behold the Brave who had some shocking alterations of sound and a lead singer with a zinging powerful voice. Although, I think I liked their sound the best, when The Nim Nims played next I knew checking the voting box wouldn’t be easy.
The Nim Nims brought to the table a level of style and sophistication that takes work. They all wore dress pants and vests, brought a banjo into the mix and had an intensity in their performance that made the other bands work hard to prove themselves.
The next performers, Raen-bow Station, brought the performance level up a notch. With a sound as diverse and fun as their band members, I could easily imagine myself sitting at Nightfall and cheering on their lead singer with his orange guitar and the female vocalist tapping her tambourine. Their bluesy sound was different from the melodic, pop-sounding bands before, which made the choice even harder to compare.
Concerning Lions played their three-song set next and brought a different kind of genre into the mix as well. The Christian themed lyrics of the songs by Concerning Lions and the comfortable and resonating voice of their lead vocalist was powerful. The thought that all of these artists had composed their own lyrics was itself an impressive part of the show.
Yet, as good as all the bands were and as much as they all deserved a shot at Nightfall, Machines are People Too really blew it out of the water. I was prepared not to like them. With the lead vocalist slinking onto the stage in suspenders and dark sunglasses, I was not expecting the energy and sound they brought to the stage that cemented them in my mind as Nightfall headliners.
Perhaps because Machines Are People Too have played in Atlanta and Nashville where they learned how to get crowds excited were they able to sway me, get me dancing and bring half the audience to the front of the stage to moon over their electric-synth sound and jumping antics. Whatever it was, I’m glad this band made it into the finals along with WTM Blues Band, Digital Butter and Moon Slew.
The $5 charge to see these preliminaries supports Nightfall and keeps this amazing resource we have. I’m glad that Nightfall branched out with involving the community even more in this event and gave the local artists with so much talent and drive an opportunity to achieve success and a sense of pride from a local event.
Supporting the local music scene is an important part of supporting the arts that many may forget. Seeing the determination of everyone in this event is inspiring, and seeing the lack of women in bands in the area leads me to call the young ladies of the town to get to strumming. Who knows? You may headline Nightfall someday.
And so on April 7, the Nightfall headliner from the four preliminary winners was announced. Whichever band it was, we offer congratulations and encourage everyone to support them on the stage on July 29 at the Nightfall event they headline.
Other announced headliners like Ollabelle, Bekka Bramlett from Fleetwood Mac, Hugo,
The Black Lillies, Elizabeth and the Catapult and Dawes are also deserving of our support. And don’t miss the opening local acts at 7 p.m. during Nightfall, which will include many more terrific local bands you’ll soon fall in love with. I know I have.
Email Erica Tuggle at reporter@hamiltoncountyherald.com.