Editorial
Front Page - Friday, July 24, 2009
Friends of the Festival gears up for 2009 Riverfront Nights series
Samara Litvack
For the third year in a row, Friends of the Festival is inviting music lovers down to Chattanooga’s 21st Century Waterfront for the Riverfront Nights free summer concert series. Beginning August 1, Riverfront Nights will offer live, outdoor music most Saturday evenings through August and September. The shows are free and open to the public, and food and beverages will be available.
John Troutner, director of public relations for Friends of the Festival, says Riverfront Nights is the brainchild of a man named David Schwind, whose goal was to showcase the waterfront outside of Chattanooga’s typical festival arena. Locals embraced the idea when it was implemented in 2007, and the popularity has been continually growing ever since. Troutner estimates that around 2,000 people a night will file in for the 2009 series.
Friends of the Festival’s own Joe “Dixie” Fuller, former percussionist for legendary country group Alabama, and Jeff Styles, local talk radio host, have selected an impressive variety of talent to perform in the series.
“We have a list of about 200 people that want to play and be showcased here locally,” says Troutner. “We listen to CDs thoroughly because we’re going for a particular demographic of people.”
Troutner explains that demographic as Chattanoogans who are particularly drawn to hanging out in the downtown area, as well as people who are visiting Chattanooga on family vacations.
“This is the type of music we want to get out,” he says. Ranging in style from blues to country to what he calls “voodoo funk,” the Riverfront Nights schedule of artists for 2009 is sure to please the diverse audience.
Blues guitarist Scott Holt will kick off this year’s series on August 1. A true virtuoso guitarist, Grammy Award-winning blues singer Buddy Guy hails Holt as “the best in America.” Holt was the guitar player for Guy from 1989 to 1999, and is currently supporting the release of his own fifth record.
Following Holt on Aug. 8, young country rockers The Dirt Drifters will take the stage. After opening for such infamous acts as Lynyrd Skynyrd and .38 Special and being signed with Warner Bros. of Nashville, The Dirt Drifters have picked up quite a following and are sure to rock the banks of the Tennessee River.
On August 15, Papa Mali – who Troutner describes as “kind of this bayou, funk, fusion type of sound” – will perform with Ike Stubblefield, the “undisputed master of the Hammond B-3 organ. After a three-week break, Webb Wilder will kick Riverfront Nights back into full gear on Sept. 12 with his rockabilly, country, blues style of rocking that has made him a Nashville legend.
Her and Kings County – a mash-up of New York City attitude, southern rock grooves and unique harmonies – will take the stage on Sept. 19. According to its Web site, the group can be described as a collection of vagabonds, gypsies or nomads who write and record their own music and have opened for such artists as Kid Rock but still love playing for smaller crowds.
Greensky Bluegrass – a unique five-piece band – will close the series on Sept. 26. Using traditional instruments to create original songs, Greensky Bluegrass has shared the studio and stage with the likes of Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, David Grisman and Yonder Mountain.
New to Riverfront Nights this year is the focus on a greener presence, lessening the series’ carbon footprint. Big Frog Mountain Solar will supply alternative power for its lighting system, and Friends of the Festival will also have its “green team” in place, providing information on recycling, as well as managing the waste during the event. Recycling items will be collected by the City of Chattanooga and processed through a partnership with The Orange Grove Center.
Stage sponsor Greenlife Grocery is also helping facilitate a new effort this year: Riverfront Nights is hosting only vendors that are environmentally friendly, who use organic products and create little waste.
“All the products that we’re using are completely recycled,” says Troutner. “That’s really the feel for this year.”
Carter Distributing, another series sponsor, will also be showcasing organic beer during the series.
Also new in 2009 is the location of the floating stage, which was moved to the other side of the pier to access the riverfront’s amphitheater seating.
“Another thing that we’re doing this year is we’ve changed the sound,” says Troutner. “Typically, it’s what we call ‘the bowl,’ when you get down there by the waterfront and you can’t hear anything up on the street. So we’ve redesigned the sound to where you can hear the music, no matter where you are. If you’re all the way up to Blue Plate or where the aquarium is, you’ll be able to tell that something is going on down there.”
Riverfront Nights’ main sponsor is BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. Other contributing sponsors not yet mentioned include Coca-Cola, Rock Creek Outfitters, WTVC NewsChannel 9, , www.chattanoogahasfun.com and Citadel stations Talk Radio 102.3, KZ 106 and The Duke.
For more information on the free live music series, visit www.riverfrontnights.com.
|
|