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This article discusses all of the bands from the past 30 years who have performed at Nightfall

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Riverbend has been around for 33 year, fitting the needs of the people and giving them a good time.

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When Walker Breland thinks back to the very first Riverbend Festival in August 1982, he remembers first going to people like Scotty Probasco, president at American National Bank, and Carey Hanlin, CEO at Provident Insurance, "and asking for a loan that would never be paid back."

"Carey just sat back and laughed, but then he turned around and wrote a check for $25,000," says Breland, professor emeritus from the Music Department at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Breland also recalls riding up and down the Tennessee River in a boat with singer/songwriter Roberta Flack following her performance on the fifth night of the then six-night festival. Flack, who earned three No. 1 hits and four Grammys between 1972 and 1974, was the biggest name at the inaugural Riverbend.

"We sailed up and down that river until 3:30 in the morning," he says. "I was at church the next morning at 8:30."

It was a moment that gave him the inspiration to make Riverbend work in the long haul.

As the first president of the board of directors for the first Riverbend, Breland was there almost from the beginning. But the details of where, when and how the long-running festival actually got started depends on whom you ask. Each has their own memories and interpretations of the series of events that led to the creation of an event heading into its 33rd year.

For Sid Hetzler, a former reporter, college professor and local business man, it's a pretty straight line from September 1980, when he visited Charleston, S.C., and attended the Spoleto Charleston Festival, until the first Riverbend. Having a Spoleto in Chattanooga was his ultimate goal, and he says his trip to Charleston is the true moment of conception for Riverbend.

"It's complicated, of course, but I did live through it," he says in a recent email. "Probably the story of the blind men describing an elephant explains the reality, but there is a clear timeline."

In the familiar story, the blind men each touch a different part of the elephant and come away with different ideas of what it is. One touching the leg decides it's a tree; one at the trunk thinks it's a snake, one at the ears thinks it's a fan.

For others, the Riverbend line is not quite as straight. In fact, it's not even a single line, but a series of separate lines that eventually merged into one. There is little doubt that Hetzler, with financial help from the Lyndhurst Foundation, was the driving force behind the first Riverbend Festival, however.

A few other things are certain, as well. The first Riverbend was held at several downtown locations, including a chamber music concert at the Tivoli Theatre, a hot-air balloon launched from Vine Street and carrying a brass trio, and a children's film festival at the old Kirkman High School. Some events were ticketed, but most were free. The now-familiar pins did not come into play until the next year. And the idea for having it take place primarily at Ross's Landing also came later.

Original Objectives

* Advertise scenic beauty

* Civic publicity

* Stimulate new architecture

* National image promotion

* Bring in unique (big names)

* Promote local arts organizations

* Civic pride

* Artistic quality (big names, local showcases)

* Economic benefit

* Individual creative expression (local showcases)

* Community involvement

* Artistic pleasure

* Nationally significant event

* Indigenous festival

* People to downtown

* Fun

* Focus/showcase arts

* Promote local arts organizations
Source: Minutes from Sept. 19, 1981 board meeting
Some of the first-year events were well-attended, drawing several thousand spectators, but some were not, drawing a few dozen. Some planned events were cancelled because of lack of fan support.

In some ways, figuring out who started Riverbend is like trying to definitively pinpoint who invented rock 'n' roll; you can name dozens of artists that could claim part of the title, yet each of those had their own influences in the past.

Still, it can be argued that the first Riverbend set the stage for the city's renaissance, which included the opening of the Tennessee Aquarium in 1992 and the 21st Century Waterfront project, which transformed Ross's Landing into a year-round destination for locals and tourists in 2005.

And when looking at how it all came together, you also see the inner workings of the city's artistic, civic and business leaders, getting a glimpse at the creation of the "Chattanooga Way" -- the spirit of cooperation that current civic leaders still like to reference.

But the birth of Riverbend had plenty of labor pains.
First Roots
After returning from his trip to Spoleto, Hetzler hosted a brainstorming session at his house and eventually chaired a group that would later hire Bruce Storey, who died earlier this month, and his newly formed events-producing company, Variety Services, to run the new festival.

The line takes a turn from there, however, when the festival-in-waiting almost immediately deviated away from Hetzler's original idea of a highly artistic event spread over several weeks and featuring chamber and symphonic music, films and theater performances at various locations all over the city, a la Spoleto. The new idea put more emphasis on music and vendors on the river.

Hetzler and Richard Brewer, who was partners with Storey in Variety Services, insist that an event called Five Nights in Chattanooga, which Variety produced in 1981 with a $150,000 grant from the Lyndhurst Foundation, had nothing to do with Riverbend. Technically, they are correct.

Five Nights was held at the intersection of what is now M.L. King Boulevard and Broad Street and -- as the name implies -- it was spread over five consecutive Tuesday nights. Headliners at the free concerts were B.B King, Bill Monroe, Don McLean, Sarah Vaughan and Hank Williams Jr.

The plan came out of a recommendation by a consultant from New York who was hired to find a way to bring people to a downtown that, at the time, rolled up the sidewalks after 6 p.m. Five Nights lost money, but proved a point to some people, especially those concerned by deteriorating race relations in the city.

"Five Nights was a test to see if people with different backgrounds would come downtown. It showed that they would," says Mickey Robbins, an original member of the committee that Hetzler chaired. That committee also included attorney Nelson Irvine, who served as secretary, and UTC professor Fred Behringer, who served as treasurer.

"We were looking at where the city was," Robbins recalls. "There was a need for racial healing, an economic boost and several other factors. It [Five Nights] was the precursor to what happened afterwards."

At the time of Five Nights, Robbins was director of the Chattanooga Arts Council, which merged in 1982 with Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga, now called ArtsBuild. Several groups in town were searching for ways to move the city forward both artistically and from a civic standpoint, he says, and, in many ways, Riverbend became that vehicle, providing an opportunity for diverging groups with equally divergent agendas to work together for the greater goal.

"There was a definite progression there," says Robbins.

Attorney Hugh Moore, who joined the Riverbend board in 1983, called the music festival's creation "an organic progression."

Also in 1981, after Five Nights, Lyndhurst provided a $26,000 grant that allowed a group of leaders, including Hetzler and Mayor Pat Rose, to attend Spoleto and fund some research seminars in Chattanooga that explored the idea of establishing a local festival. At the time, festivals were a fairly new concept, so essentially the Chattanooga committee was creating something unusual.

After doing their research, the committee submitted a document to Lyndhurst titled "Proposal for Funding to Establish a Chattanooga Festival." Though it technically was centered on a fine-arts festival similar to Spoleto, it also provided a blueprint for Riverbend.

After Riverbend began, other cities Southeastern like Birmingham (City Stages) and Atlanta (Music at Midtown) created their own downtown music festivals. Nashville's Summer Lights began the same year as Riverbend. The victims of excessive financial losses, those three disappeared (although Music at Midtown resurrected itself in 2011). But even in their heyday of the 1990s and early 2000s, most of the music festivals that arose in other cities were three- or four-day events, unlike Riverbend's week-or-more schedule.
Growing pains
When Riverbend began, it was not the same Ross's Landing that's now part of the multi-million dollar 21st Century Waterfront. In fact, very little of what exists today near that part of the river is the same. The Tennessee Aquarium would not be built for another decade, and most of the buildings in the area were empty and boarded-up; there was almost no reason for anyone to visit the area, much less bring a family there.

Storey is largely credited with pushing Riverbend in the direction it eventually went, including the type of musical programming still going today. Breland says it was Storey who personally asked him to be the festival's first president.

"Part of Bruce's genius was getting Walker involved," says Robbins.

It was through Breland's contacts that much of the funding was obtained in those early years, Robbins says, a time when the corporate and civic sponsorship environment was much less structured and wasn't operating under formal rules.

"People gave out of a sense of civic pride," Robbins says.

Breland says "it is a miracle the thing got started and has continued."

To provide seed money for the larger festival, Lyndhurst provided $150,000 for three concerts at Engel Stadium, one each in May, June and July of 1982 and headlined by Rick Springfield, The Commodores and The Beach Boys. None of the shows made money, and even had some drama of their own.

"On the day of the show, the Commodores' manager said they would have to be paid in cash," Breland says, something that was not readily on hand.

When the band threatened to leave town without playing, Rody Davenport, whose family owned all the Krystal restaurants in Chattanooga, "went to every Krystal in town and cleaned out every till of cash to pay them," Breland says with a laugh.

Storey had also been involved in the Arts & Education Council which, in the early 1980s, was producing dance programs in town as well as bringing in guest speakers and authors. The AEC has since become the Southern Lit Alliance and still produces the Celebration of Southern Literature, a weekend event hosting of Southern writers.

Storey also played a role in starting the Dorothy Patten Fine Arts Series, which showcases performing arts such as music, spoken word and theater. So when talk began of putting together an arts festival to promote the city, many forces fell into place under his leadership.

While the list of original goals for the as-yet-nebulous festival included things like "economic benefit," "people to downtown," "civic publicity," "civic pride" and "artistic quality," which the committee defined as featuring big names and local showcases in any creative area, the committee was looking for an event to showcase fine arts at various locations around town.

During those early discussions, however, it was decided that Chattanooga was not Charleston and the festival would not be another Spoleto. Instead, it should focus on what was already here, Breland says.

"We had chamber music and choral music and orchestral music," he says, "but we also had mountain music. There was a nasty attitude toward mountain music, but this is mountain, or fiddle music, territory."

The first festival, which was free and ran from Tuesday to Sunday, Aug. 25-29, included a patron's cruise on the Southern Belle riverboat, organ recitals at two downtown churches and a fiddle competition. The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library hosted events for kids, and a children's film festival was held at the old Kirkman High School. Downtown businesses such as the Brass Register, the Gazebo, Dr. Sage's and Scrappy's -- all now closed -- were listed on festival programs as places to go after the music at Ross's Landing.

Operating with only one stage, located where the Coca-Cola Stage is now, performers included Flack, John Hartford, who performed on Saturday and emceed the International Fiddler's Championship Finals on Sunday. Several local acts, including Overland and the Chattanooga Choo Choo Barbershop Chorus took the stage. There was a Downtown Arts Festival at Miller Park.

In subsequent early years, the festival included boat/ski/jet ski races on the river during the day. The festival eventually added three more nights so vendors could make money, according to Robbins.

At first, the city kept Riverfront Parkway open to traffic, using a fence to separate the road from the festival area. That changed after the Pointer Sister show in 1985. Crowds were so large for the concert, the fence was removed for safety reasons and the entire Riverbend site has been closed to vehicle traffic since.

"(Riverbend) succeeded by changing," Moore says. "I'm not sure anyone would have imagined that it would still be going, but the board has held very true to those original goals, and part of that is the local element and bringing people together.

"You just have to walk around down there and see people from Whitwell and Signal Mountain and Lookout Mountain and Alton Park."
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.

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Riverbend's Roots: 33 years on, festival's origins credited to several sources

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When Walker Breland thinks back to the very first Riverbend Festival in August 1982, he remembers first going to people like Scotty Probasco, president at American National Bank, and Carey Hanlin, CEO at Provident Insurance, "and asking for a loan that would never be paid back."

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Hear the stories about The Honest Pint and its location.

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The Pulse " Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

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I remember The Honest Pint's grand opening. It was a chilly night in late December 2010, and downtown Chattanooga had just received an early Christmas present. The memories of Parkway's reputation were forgotten as I stepped through the double doors and entered into the revamped 35 Patten Parkway.

The chandelier, which had lighted this ancient building for years, shimmered brighter than ever and the floors had never looked so clean. The pool tables, which lined the room to the left of the entrance, had been replaced with a nonsmoking section, something unheard of during the era of Parkway Billiards.

A thought came to me that night after I had downed my third pint of Pabst Blue Ribbon (don't judge-I was a young and broke college student). I gazed up at the un-replaced door panels lining the ceiling of this ancient building, and I thought about the worlds that lay behind those doors. What startling history could these doors reveal to me about 35 Patten Parkway if they could open up their secrets?

Most people know about Parkway Billiards, which inhabited the building from the early '90s to 2009. But few people realize that the building once belonged to Alan Gold's during the '80s. With the classiest staircase in town, and the swankiest chandelier this side of the Mississippi River, it's easy to close my eyes and imagine the lovely ladies of Alan Gold's dancing to fabulous tunes and showcasing their greatest assets in this building.

During the '70s, the building belonged to "Timothy Staircase," a fine-dining restaurant owned and operated by Tim Hennen, owner of Chattanooga's Hennen's, and before that the building was occupied by a door-manufacturing company. I wonder what they decided to do with all the leftover doors.

Much earlier, in the late 1800s, the building hosted the first Coca-Cola Bottling Company.

"Some people believe that Coca-Cola was first bottled in Atlanta, which is not true," said Allison Sweatt, general manager of The Honest Pint and historian for my trip down 35 Patten Parkway's memory lane. "The drink was first bottled here, in this building!"

Unfortunately, the rumor that this building was once a brothel can only remain a rumor. Yet it's a rumor celebrated so widely by a city that it doesn't matter if it's true or not. Personally, I will forever believe the brothel story-even if it does happen to be false.

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I remember The Honest Pint's grand opening. It was a chilly night in late December 2010, and downtown Chattanooga had just received an early Christmas present. The memories of Parkway's reputation were forgotten as I stepped through the double doors and entered into the revamped 35 Patten Parkway.

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and what Track 29 was

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Chattanooga has repeatedly been recognized on a national level as one of the top places to live and visit in the country. Many factors contribute to this, like the city's great outdoors and enviable economic progress. But another factor in particular has started to leave its lively mark on what makes the Scenic City so desirable: the entertainment scene.

Sandwiched between Nashville and Atlanta, Chattanooga has landed on the map for major acts to perform. With the introduction of trendy venues and new companies managing existing spaces, the city's entertainment options are skyrocketing. Chattanooga offers five 500-plus-capacity venues that proactively seek out the best talent to perform in our hometown. Here's what these great entertainment venues are bringing to our community today and what their leaders say we have to look forward to in the future.

Located on the campus of the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo, Track 29 has become a staple for entertainment in the Scenic City. The popular space is a beast of a stage, says Monica Kinsey, general manager and co-owner of Track 29 and the Revelry Room. She and her husband, Choo Choo president Adam Kinsey, opened Track 29's doors to the public on September 1, 2011. Drawing in more than 100,000 patrons per year, the 22,000-square-foot venue hosts well-known bands and acts like Jack White, The Flaming Lips, Grace Potter, and The Avett Brothers.

"We selfishly and unapologetically went into this for our own love of music," Monica Kinsey says of their efforts to open Track 29.

The two used to travel to see concerts and began to wonder why people passed up Chattanooga as a place to hear good music. There were clubs in town, like Rhythm and Brews and JJ's Bohemia, and then there were more traditional performance halls like theTivoli. But there was nothing in between to accommodate established artists in a club-like atmosphere.

As a result, the Kinseys came up with Track 29 to fill Chattanooga's venue gap. The capacity is similar to that of the Tivoli - approximately 1,800 people. But Track 29 differs in that it is a standing room with a full bar.

It was the missing link in Chattanooga's music scene, Kinsey says of Track 29. When she and her husband opened the fun, industrial space they thought it would draw in a local and regional crowd. As it turned out, people from all over the nation started coming to check out the hit venue in the heart of downtown, which offers a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system.

Knoxville-based AC Entertainment handles the programming for Track 29, with the goal of providing an exceptional concert experience to every guest and act. In 54 months of being open, the club has sold out 52 shows. It was recently announced that Track 29 would be moving to the Centennial Theater - a venue closer to the Choo Choo's entrance. Kinsey expects the relocation to take place by next fall. She says the new space will hold about the same amount of people but be a more intimate experience that can let Track 29 host certain acts it couldn't accommodate in the past.

An Iconic Staple in the Works

To complement Track 29, the Kinseys opened the Revelry Room in September 2015 - a vintage-themed, eclectic music venue on the Choo Choo's campus. Whereas Track 29 is a watch-the-show-then-leave type of establishment, the 500-seat Revelry Room serves as a hangout both before and after shows.

"It's a different animal than Track," Kinsey says.

The venue, which books artists through AC Entertainment, opened the same weekend the popular Rhythm and Brews closed. Mike Dougher, former manager of Rhythm and Brews since it was established in 1999, moved over to work as music buyer along with Kinsey for the Revelry Room, a way to keep current with the emerging entertainment district on the Southside.

Along with smaller acts, Revelry aims to bring in more local and regional artists and allow for more of a walk-up crowd. The space forecasts at least 200 shows a year - more than doubling the annual number of acts at Track 29. A bar next to the venue called Hush Lounge, expected to open this spring, will open nightly. According to Kinsey, Hush is more formal with a white marble bar to complement Revelry's edgier vibe. A roll-up door between the two will lift to make one space on show nights.

The hope for the Revelry Room is that it will become an iconic staple on the Southside. Kinsey says the business she's in works to create an experience, and that going to a show in Chattanooga is still a very attainable and personal activity. Because the talent pool of creative artists in Chattanooga is incredible, Kinsey wants the Revelry Room to be the stage that showcases local talent in a fun and exciting light.
Breathing New Life into the Classics
Known as the "Jewel of the South,'' the Tivoli Theatre opened in 1921 on Broad Street. With its chic Beaux-Arts and movie palace style, the Tivoli stunningly served as Chattanooga's premier movie and variety theater from the 1920s to the 1940s. With seating for 1,750, the space has since operated as the home of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Association, as well as an elegant venue for the Best of Broadway and classical, blues, and country concerts.

In 1973 the Tivoli made the National Register of Historic Places, followed by the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium, which made the list in 1980. Opening in 1924, The Memorial Auditorium served as a living memorial to Hamilton County war veterans in the form of a municipal auditorium and all-purpose exhibition hall. The auditorium has seating for 3,866 and has seen its engaging share of Broadway and theatrical productions, music concerts, comedy shows, and community events.
SOUND BITES:
"Chattanooga will begin to have the kind of music and performances that in the past you may have driven to Atlanta and Nashville to see."

- Ashley McCue, executive
director of The Tivoli Foundation

Functioning as a multi-purpose facility since 1982, UTC's McKenzie Arena's size surpasses all other venues in town with its ability to serve a concert audience of 10,500. Though it serves primarily as the basketball arena for the UTC Mocs, the mighty space has seen much more than basketballs swishing through hoops. The arena has hosted Disney on Ice, WWE Professional Wrestling, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and mega stars from Elton John to Diana Ross.

According to Obie Webster, executive director of the McKenzie Arena's entertainment and sports venues, the arena has evolved from being primarily used for basketball to being a place for major acts to shine. Webster says the space impacted the entertainment scene in Chattanooga because it allowed for a much larger audience.

"The ability to allow 10,000 people to see an event is unique by itself," Webster says.

Entertainment is prime for the Chattanooga area, he says. "It's an important part of our culture because it gives people something else to do other than go to work and come home. It gives them joy and excitement!"

With fresh venues and new companies managing existing venues, the future of Chattanooga's entertainment scene looks extremely bright.

According to Ashley Capps, president of AC Entertainment, there's huge growth potential in the coming years for Chattanooga's music industry. Capps believes as the city grows and the music market evolves, AC Entertainment will work with more artists, managers, and agents to have them consider Chattanooga in their touring plans.

"It's a process and will take some time to evolve, and having audiences come out to support the shows is key to that process," he says. "But we're very bullish about Chattanooga. It's a dynamic and exciting city with a lot of entrepreneurial and creative energy."

The hope is for Chattanooga's venues to continue to grow and help portray what the Scenic City is all about: a community working together to continually bring about new and exciting changes. And what better way to showcase a city and its people than through its lively and engaging entertainment scene? In the words of Monica Kinsey, "This is a very pivotal time for Chattanooga." Fortunately, the Scenic City's entertainment industry is only opening more doors.
SOUND BITES:
"I think the vision and energy in the community is tangible and very much sets the city apart in general. In terms of entertainment, having these venues is a huge asset - and especially that they are all in the downtown area and within walking distance of one another as well the hotels, restaurants, and shops. What has been lacking is someone to really nurture and develop the entertainment and cultural offerings in the community, but that's the opportunity - and it's an opportunity that really excites us at AC Entertainment. It's what we do. It feels that all of the pieces are coming together in Chattanooga to make it possible for us to help and be successful in building an active and thriving cultural scene."

- Ashley Capps, president
of AC Entertainment

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Chattanooga has repeatedly been recognized on a national level as one of the top places to live and visit in the country. Many factors contribute to this, like the city's great outdoors and enviable economic progress. But another factor in particular has started to leave its lively mark on what makes the Scenic City so desirable: ...

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This article discusses why Rhythm and Brews closed after so many years of success

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Already one of the signature names in town, the Chattanooga Choo Choo is evolving into a hub of live entertainment, shifting the scene away from the family-focused Tennessee Riverfront and into the Southside neighborhood.

In a move that signifies a major shift in the city's live music scene, news arrived this week that Rhythm & Brews, a downtown staple for the last 16 years, will host its last show in September. Rhythm & Brews manager Mike Dougher has accepted a job as music buyer for Revelry Room, a 500-seat venue set to open in late September in the Choo Choo complex.

The Revelry Room will sit next to a bar called Hush that will be open nightly. When Revelry has a show, a roll-up door separating the two will be opened, creating a single open space. The venue will be near The Comedy Catch, which is relocating to the Choo Choo from Brainerd Road.

The announcements of the new clubs and Dougher's hiring come two weeks after Monica and Adam Kinsey, owners of the popular Track 29 music club on the Choo Choo campus, said they also will move their venue into the empty Centennial Theater space. The spot where Track 29 now sits will be turned into residential space.

Adam Kinsey recently was named president of the Choo Choo Partners LP, the facility's parent company.

Dougher said he was told recently that Craftworks Restaurants & Breweries, which owns the building housing Rhythm & Brews at 221 Market St., would not be renewing the club's lease. When the Kinseys got word of the imminent closing, they reached out to Dougher, who has managed Rhythm & Brews since it opened in 1999. Rhythm & Brews' last show is set for Sept. 26.

Dougher booked acts at the popular Sandbar on Amnicola Highway for 12 years before he went to Rhythm & Brews. Over the last 25 years, he has brought in everybody from War to the Dave Matthews Band to Hootie & the Blowfish to Lucinda Williams over the years.

"We are so excited to be working with Mike," said Monica Kinsey, general manager at Track 29. "It will be fun for me to work with Mike. I've held him in a high regard for a long time. Mike is one of the key players who have built the foundation of music in Chattanooga."

Dougher will work alongside music buyers at AC Entertainment in Knoxville to book shows at Revelry. It's a similar relationship to the one Kinsey has at Track 29, with AC, which produces the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tenn., and the Forecastle music festival in Louisville, Ky., booking most of the national and some of the regional touring acts for the Revelry Room, while Dougher and Kinsey book some regional acts and all of the local acts.

AC recently was contracted by the newly formed Tivoli Foundation to operate and manage the Tivoli Theatre and Memorial Auditorium, and now books a variety of venues in town with seating capacities ranging from 500 to 3,800.

Adam Kinsey said the Choo Choo has been talking with other restaurant and bar owners in the Southside about sharing some marketing concepts for larger events in the area.

"We've been a tourist destination, and the big focus for us now is regaining the local market," he said.

***

Both the Kinseys and Dougher said that opening brand-new venues will allow them to tailor the facilities based on lessons learned over the years, including such knowledge as how to get better sound, how to configure backstage areas for the acts and how to set music schedules.

"We've learned from our mistakes since opening Track 29 five years ago," Monica Kinsey said. "There are some things we can do better."

Dougher describes the new arrangement as a way "the box can get opened a little wider."

"I can't tell you why, but I do feel we can be much more creative," he said. "I've worked with AC for 25 years, so that partnership will be easy. Plus, when something is new, people will come check it out and come see some things they might not normally see, just to see the new venue itself, which will be great with great sound."

He added that he has been brainstorming with the Kinseys about new ideas and possibilities.

"That's the fun of it, and I get to work with folks that really love this."

Local musician and music fan Jonathan Sussman says losing Rhythm & Brews is bittersweet.

"I've played there for 15 years," he said. "I've had some of the best times in my life there, and some of the not-so-great ones, too. With them being able to create a new space, this could be really good, though."

Bill Pollard, Dougher's partner at Rhythm & Brews along with Rob Stickley, said he and Dougher had been considering changes at the club for months, since it was becoming apparent that the live music scene was shifting away from the Tennessee riverfront.

"We were becoming more and more an interruption to the family environment in that part of town," Pollard said. "If we were siting a locale for a club today, we would not put it there."

***

One recommendation that came out of the Chattanooga Forward Initiative, commissioned last fall by Mayor Andy Berke, was to establish entertainment districts around the city.

With the changes coming to the Choo Choo, as well as the opening of Clyde's on Main, the Southside Social and the Flying Squirrel, the Southside is positioning itself as the entertainment center of town for adults.

Adam Kinsey was one of the chairmen of the Chattanooga Forward committee, along with Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO Bob Doak and local TV talk show host Alison Lebovitz.

"Obviously this is a positive and we're excited this move is happening and to create more density, intensity and vibrancy," Doak said. "That's where I believe we can have the best impact - these entertainment districts such as the Southside."

Kinsey said his vision changes almost daily, but he sees the Choo Choo as a place where locals and tourists can come have a cocktail in one of the bars or lounges, stroll through the gardens listening to street performers and get dinner in one of the restaurants before taking in a comedy or music show and maybe stopping in another bar afterward for a nightcap.

He sees the same thing happening in the Southside in general, especially with the changes planned on and around 14th Street, which runs between The Terminal, the Flying Squirrel and what will become a new Choo Choo entryway. Flying Squirrel co-owner Dan Rose is opening a new, as yet unnamed restaurant in the area, as well.

"The destination concept is huge," Pollard said. "Having these things in a cluster will be big."
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6354.

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Rhythm & Brews is closing; longtime manager moving over to Choo Choo

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Already one of the signature names in town, the Chattanooga Choo Choo is evolving into a hub of live entertainment, shifting the scene away from the family-focused Tennessee Riverfront and into the Southside neighborhood.

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This picture was taken in 2006! After Rythm and Brews had been opened for 7 years!

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In this picture is Nick Lutsgo playing Nightfall in 2017

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This is the sight of Riverbend from way up high.

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This Chandelier has been held high in 35 Patten Parkway since the beginning .

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All bands start somewhere. And Chatt local bands get there start in this very competition where they could potentially win over the city of Chattanooga

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The Pulse " Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

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The search is on for Chattanooga's best local act in the 8th annual Road to Nightfall competition! Over the course of six nights, more than 150 musicians from 30 local bands will compete for more than $10,000 in cash, and the chance to be a headlining act in this year's Nightfall concert series. Additional prizes include everything from recording studio time, music videos, custom instruments, printing, and cash. Join us at the Granfalloon as these bands showcase their unique talents and promote Chattanooga's booming music scene. Audience members will be exposed to new, local bands cultivating Chattanooga's music market and vote for their favorites via text message to determine the winners of each night.

The band lineups for the competition nights are as follows:

Friday, March 9th will include Tim Hughes Quartet, Over Easy, Backwater Still, Lenox Hills, IronChief, and the Silver Tongued Devilz.

Saturday, March 10th: Jordan Hallquist & The Outfit, The Foothills, Dream Collective, Hush Money, Webb Barringer, and Subkonscious.

Thursday, March 15th: Dirty Blonde, Hive Theory, 3's Company, Endelouz, Iron Fez, and Dr. B and the Ease.

Friday, March 16th: Derek Wayne Martin, Danimal Planet, The Afternooners, The Fridge, Ashes Fall, SunSap.

Saturday, March 17th: The Band Antle, Caney Creek Company, Midnight Promise, Connection27, Kindora, Stagger Moon.

The finale will be held at the Signal on March 24th.

Last year, 20,000 text votes were submitted from more than 1000 fans who wanted to know who is Chattanooga's most promising local act. Past winners have used this experience to widen their fan base and further their musical careers. The competition offers a great chance for these artists to meet, network and help develop Chattanooga's music scene. Past winners include: Ryan Oyer Band, Function, Amber Fults and the Ambivalent Lovers, Strung Like A Horse, Nick Lutsko, Monday Night Social & WTM Blues Band.

"Road to Nightfall has opened up so many opportunities for Monday Night Social over the last year- we have been hired for many gigs, met tons of fans and gotten to know a bunch of musicians and music professionals." Janet McGarity - Monday Night Social

The Road to Nightfall 2018 is sponsored by Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union, SongBirds, SoundCorp's Take Note, Chattanooga Presents, MetroTone, The Soundry, Dagan Beckett Films, EPB City Stream, The Signal, and Wonder Press.

The Granfalloon is located at 400 East Main St. Doors at 7:00 p.m. and showtime at 8:00. Admission is $10 at the door

For more information, check out http://www.gigcityproductions.com/road-to-nightfall-2018/.

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The search is on for Chattanooga's best local act in the 8th annual Road to Nightfall competition! Over the course of six nights, more than 150 musicians from 30 local bands will compete for more than $10,000 in cash, and the chance to be a headl...

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The Grand Opening of the Famed Guitar Museum

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The Grand Opening of the Famed Guitar Museum

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One place ,one opening, many possibilities

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Songbirds Guitar Museum, the world's largest private collection of rare, vintage guitars, will celebrate the museum's grand opening with a series of events beginning Friday, March 10, through Sunday, March 12.

The family-friendly, guitar-oriented, pop culture museum is in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on the campus of the world-famous Chattanooga Choo Choo.

Throughout the weekend, Songbirds Guitar Museum will host an inspiring educational session titled "Les Paul - From Start to Finish." Jim Wysocki, a longtime friend of the late Les Paul, will provide insight into the inventor, musician and philanthropist.

Attendees will be able to touch and play Les Paul's guitars and see his earliest inventions that helped advance guitar technology. Admission to this event is included in the cost of a museum ticket.

Celebrate the grand opening of Songbirds Guitar Museum at a street festival showcasing local entertainment 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 11. The festival will take place on Station Street between Market Street and Rossville Avenue in front of the museum. The festival is free and open to the public. The museum will be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, and regular admission tickets are required.

The outdoor party will feature the Gibson Guitar traveling museum and live shows. The musical lineup includes Chattanooga Girls Rock, the Pool (British invasion rock), the Drew Sterchi Band (blues) and the Communicators (pop, rock, rap). The Station Street restaurants and retailers will be open.

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Songbirds Guitar Museum to Celebrate Grand Opening with Special Events

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Songbirds Guitar Museum, the world's largest private collection of rare, vintage guitars, will celebrate the museum's grand opening with a series of events beginning Friday, March 10, through Sunday, March 12. The family-friendly, guitar-oriented, pop culture museum is in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on the campus of the world-famous Chattanooga Choo Choo.

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revelry room fly by night - Google Search

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Songbirds South gives you a sneak peek at the band whose playing live at their venue next!

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Celebrating the music of The Doors.The Dirty Doors formed in Atlanta, GA in late 2012 to pay tribute to one of the greatest rock bands of all time - The Doors. With each performance, we bring the energy, excitement, and passion of the timeless music of Jim Morrison and The Doors like no one else.

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Look at the headliners for this years Riverbend! 2019 here we come!

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Evett is one of the managers at Blue Water Grill. And in his time as manager, he says Riverbend has definitely helped bring in more customers to his restaurant.

"It has actually brought a lot of business down here. A lot of local people. And a few people at the top of my head who have done great things for Chattanooga, and it's really starting to grow too," Evett said.

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UPDATE: Lionel Richie, Keith Urban, Macklemore and Weezer to headline Riverbend 2019

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Evett is one of the managers at Blue Water Grill. And in his time as manager, he says Riverbend has definitely helped bring in more customers to his restaurant. "It has actually brought a lot of business down here. A lot of local people.

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This picture showcases the live music and the audience.

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Find all of the information you need on this easy to navigate website.

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ce upon a time, before mass transit and cable television every community had a neighborhood pub. The townsfolk shared all aspects of social life outside of church there. Twas no need for two for one drinks or Ultimate fighting championships because you were rich in food, festivities and fraternity at your local pub.

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Rhythms & Brews - CLOSED - Chattanooga, TN

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7 reviews of Rhythms & Brews - CLOSED "Great place in Chattanooga to come to and listen to a good band play. It's fun watching them too. Some of my favorite bands that play here are Fly by Radio and Breakfast Club which are unbelievable 80's...

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In this article Barry Courter writes about the "temporary" shut-down of Track 29.

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There is little doubt that since opening in 2011, Track 29 has had a huge impact on the local music scene. In addition to bringing in acts like Jack White, Mutemath, Marilyn Manson and Corey Smith, the 1,700-seat venue proved that Chattanoogans could buy tickets in advance and that out-of-town fans would travel in fairly large numbers to see a show here.

It also proved that sold-out shows can happen regularly.

It was announced two years ago that the piece of land that is home to Track 29 on the Choo Choo campus was up for sale with the intent that it would be developed into high-end housing. A little over a month ago, papers were signed making that sale official.

In recent weeks, some folks have noticed that Track 29 has had fewer and fewer shows booked there. It currently has none. Some have concluded that it was closing. Co-owners Monica and Adam Kinsey say that is not the case.

Adam, who is also the Choo Choo's president, said he understands why people might think otherwise.

"It is definitely very easy to look at our calendar and put two and two together, but it is still our intention to move into the Centennial Theater space. We've been waiting on the sale of this land. It's hard to make an announcement without something to announce."

He said they've been working with architects on a design for the new space, and that no firm timetable has been set for when the new venue will open. Monica said in a text message two weeks ago that crews were busy putting the Track 29 equipment into storage.

She also said that everything is "business as usual" regarding its relationship with AC Entertainment, which has booked the touring acts into the venue, and its investors. Johnny Smith, president of Dead Bird LLC, which is an investor in the venue, said it is unclear to him at this point, what, if any role Dead Bird will have in the new place.

"The communications have not been made clear to me. I do know this: I hope Track 29 reopens. We need a place like that in Chattanooga."

That is 100 percent true. We are in the midst of what seems like a lot of really positive activity on the local music scene, with some really good shows coming to town and more great local performers than I've ever seen. But we still have plenty of needs to be met when it comes to venues and places for them to play.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.

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City Beat: Track 29 in transition with new building

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There is little doubt that since opening in 2011, Track 29 has had a huge impact on the local music scene. In addition to bringing in acts like Jack White, Mutemath, Marilyn Manson and Corey Smith, the 1,700-seat venue proved that Chattanoogans could buy tickets in advance and that out-of-town fans would travel in fairly large numbers to see a show here.

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Songbirds South is where it is at! Learn about shows and ore on their website!

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The South Stage can hold more than 500 guests with a full bar and lounge area, a brand new sound system and lighting, and VIP seating. more

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NIGHTFALL PROVIDES A MULTI-WEEK SCHEDULE OF DIVERSE, QUALITY MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT IN THE HEART OF CHATTANOOGA. CELEBRATING ITS 32ND SEASON IN 2019, NIGHTFALL FEATURES A BROAD SPECTRUM OF MUSICAL GENRES PERFORMED BY SUPERIOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS, MANY OF WHOM ARE PERFORMING IN OUR CITY FOR THE FIRST TIME.

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Songbirds South sprouted from the guitar museum and we couldn't be happier.

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If you have ever heard of Grace Potter than you might like this. She started one of her winter tours in Chattanooga TN at this very venue!

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The Pulse " Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

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When midnight comes, true fans will be rocking out.

As the clock soundtrack on the speakers struck twelve, Grace Potter burst onto the stage awash in backlight, her arms in victory pose, signaling the triumphant debut of her winter tour in Chattanooga.

Opening strong with "Hot to the Touch," Grace got the crowd grooving, shimmying along with her in her fluorescent rainbow jacket. And the party rolled on as she not only tackled her new hits, like "Your Girl" and "Alive Tonight," but revisited some classics from all of her previous albums.

A hard-hitting rendition of "Nothing But the Water" had the crowd cheering, while "Low Road" sent a silent unified ripple through the crowd and had uplifted hands swaying with its simple lyrics sung by Grace accompanied only by her lead guitar. Grace's tribute to David Bowie, "Space Oddity," enveloped the room with sincere soulful vibrations, and her own "Stars" was a fitting tribute to one her strongest self-proclaimed rock influences.

Backed by the "Midnight Magic Band" with two drummers, two keyboards, bass, and lead guitar played through a wall of speakers and supported by fierce backlighting (often a fiery smoky red) and timed strobes, the aesthetics of the staged show were flawless.

With Grace accompanying herself on nearly every track, from acoustic guitar to her Gibson Flying V to her signature Hammond B3 organ, the depth of sound was a rich accompaniment to her searing vocals. The overall effect was a retro 1970s vibe, something akin to a cross between Jefferson Airplane and Led Zepplin with Janis Joplin on lead vocals.

After an hour and a half of rock 'n' roll fusion, Grace closed out the show with an electrifying version of "The Lion, The Beast, The Beat" and sent home a happy crowd with an ooh la la la...Chattanooga.

In short, the concert transported the audience to a new universe that paid homage to the old and lit a fire for the new. Track 29 was filled with "love" and a kind of mystical happiness that you usually only get from an herbal refreshment.

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When midnight comes, true fans will be rocking out. As the clock soundtrack on the speakers struck twelve, Grace Potter burst onto the stage awash in backlight, her arms in victory pose, signaling the triumphant debut of her winter tour in Chattanooga.

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If you know Chattanooga then you know that we take St. Patrick's day very seriously and The Honest Pint has created a new event to celebrate being halfway to that exciting day!

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The Pulse " Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

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The luck of the Irish now strikes twice a year

This Saturday, the Honest Pint proudly presents its third annual "Half Way to St. Patrick's Day" celebration for everyone who can't wait until March for a pint of the dark, a shot of the pure and a rousing evening of craic.

The show starts at 8 p.m. with a five-dollar cover charge and the first one hundred paid guests receive their first pint of Guinness for free.

Featured bands include the Red Rogues, the Wolfhounds, the Secret Commonwealth and the Molly Maguires.

Because if there's one thing we can all get behind, it's the thought of two St. Patrick's Days a year.

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Halfway to St. Patrick's Day at the Honest Pint

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This Saturday, the Honest Pint proudly presents its third annual "Half Way to St. Patrick's Day" celebration for everyone who can't wait until March for a pint of the dark, a shot of the pure and a rousing evening of craic.