Like a lot of other industries over the years, the music business has had to adapt. Everything from radio to nightclubs to festivals has made changes in an effort to continue to draw customers.
Some ideas are new and some are recycled. This comes up because I was discussing this year's Riverfront Nights Summer Music Series with Jeff Styles earlier this week, and it occurred to me how things have changed in regards to putting on such an event. Styles moonlights at Friends of the Festival, which is presenting the series.
We've had concerts on the riverfront for years now, so that is not new. What has changed are the extras that are now involved in putting on such an event. Chattanoogans figured out long ago that you could get people to come down to the river for a barbecue cookoff or a beer or wine-tasting festival, and you could get them to come down for a live concert, but if you combined the two, your event would be even better.
Nonprofits have raised a lot of money over the years bundling such events. Actually, attaching a charity to the concert was another marketing stroke of smarts. Promoters figured out you could get a lot of free publicity if some of the proceeds were going to a charity. Everybody wins.
This is all still true. What has changed is that some of these events are adding more things to the package and are becoming more focused. Bonnaroo, for example, is primarily a music festival. So is Riverbend. Both, however, offer so much more for people to see and do than listen to live music. You can buy food, clothing, crafts, art and more at both, and you can visit a booth or vendor to learn about things like green living and saving the environment.
Again, everybody wins. Adding the extras attracts more people and more sponsor dollars, and the entertainment value for people who attend is broader, which is a fancy way of saying if you don't care for the music, you can find something to like.
Riverfront Nights kicks off Aug. 6, and what started as a series designed to animate the new 21st Century Waterfront on Saturday nights has become a place to learn about healthy outdoor living in our area in addition to a place to hear good music. You also can bring your dog. This last item is a big deal.
Styles said the big grassy hill to the right of the stage as you are facing it will become dog central. Good Dog will be selling hot dogs for the humans, and there will be watering stations for the dogs provided by Tennessee American Water Co. Other local businesses that cater to our canine friends also will be on hand.
Revival, an "Allman Brothers experience," is the headliner for the free show. Nothing & the Nobodies, a local band with self-confidence issues, will open at 7. Some folks from Chattanooga Futbol Club will be on hand to talk about soccer. Future exhibitions will include an ultimate disc golf night, a paddlers night and a dog night.
The guys at Green Spaces will host a booth or two featuring local people talking about what it is they do. These featured agencies will change each week.