Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 6/8/15. Motorists drive along MLKing Boulevard past the Camp House on June 8, 2015.In the last decade, Chattanooga's music scene has undergone a renaissance fueled by new venues that have coaxed bands to stop to play, instead of just to gas up, aided by burgeoning club development in the Southside and along Martin Luther King Boulevard, as well as new management of the city's largest event spaces.
AC Entertainment, the Knoxville-based booking titan that handles marquee events such as Bonnaroo and Forecastle music festival, took over management and booking of the Tivoli Theatre and Memorial Auditorium. The parade of high-profile acts in recent months includes Old Crow Medicine Show, Widespread Panic, Weird Al Yankovic, The Avett Brothers and Buddy Guy.
Since opening the Track 29 venue in 2011, the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel has become a significant player in the local music scene. Last year, a sweeping overhaul brought new restaurants and event spaces, including the midsize Revelry Room and the Comedy Catch, which moved from its longtime home on Brainerd Road.
As it always has, the city's music scene offers performances to suit a variety of tastes, from rock and electronic dance music to bluegrass and jazz. Here are some local venues that best showcase the city's musical diversity.
1. Track 29 - 1400 Market St. (423-521-2929). One of the city's largest, nonseated venues, Track 29 features an easily adjustable stage to accommodate crowds from 800 up to 1,800. It has brought in acts including Jack White, Ted Nugent, Lucinda Williams, Modest Mouse, Bassnectar, The Avett Brothers, Florida Georgia Line, Big Boi and Old Crow Medicine Show.
2. Revelry Room - 41 E. 14th St. (423-521-2929). The new venue can pack in several hundred people to jam out and belly up to a chic bar made of repurposed stereo equipment. The lineup is an eclectic mix of local up-and-comers, touring tribute bands and nationally recognized talents such as Blitzen Trapper, Paul Thorn, Leftover Salmon and Allen Stone.
3. JJ's Bohemia - 231 M.L. King Blvd. (423-266-1400). Regional bands often debut at this tight little place. Among the acts that have hit its stage are power-pop legend Jonathan Richman, "School House Rocks!" songwriter Bob Dorough, blues legend T. Model Ford, YouTube tongue-in-cheek hip-hop sensations Turquoise Jeep and Joe Jack Talcum, the former front man of punk band The Milkmen. JJ's also is host to the city's burgeoning stand-up comedy scene and a stage for underground burlesque and sideshow performances. If you come thirsty, don't expect liquor; this place is suds-only.
4. Barking Legs Theater - 1307 Dodds Ave. (423-624-5347). From Bryan Sutton and Norman Blake to The John Cowan Band and Noam Pikelny, this intimate venue is the place to be for acoustic bluegrass, folk and singer/songwriter acts in Chattanooga, as well as old-time and Irish musicians, regional jazz acts and indie rock. Barking Legs also doubles as a dance space and frequently hosts avant-garde companies and an open invitational monthly group for improvisational art. A 2014 remodel dramatically improved the seating, sound and general flow of the facility.
5. The Camp House - 149 E. M.L. King Blvd. (423-702-8081). Born on the Southside, the Camp House migrated to the city center in late 2014. After years as host to local and regional singers/songwriters, blues musicians, classical duets and trios and independent bands, the venue's slick, larger new digs have featured more well-known acts as well as the finals of the popular Road to Nightfall battle of the bands. By day, the Camp House is a popular breakfast and lunch destination, and its baristas are well-known for concocting swank artisanal java.
6. The Honest Pint - 35 Patten Parkway (423-468-4192). A venue/eatery born out of the renovated ashes of Parkway Billiards Club. As one of the city's only Irish pubs it showcases upscale British bar cuisine and hosts musical genres from traditional Irish and blues to indie rock. The Pint also hosts a popular open mike night every Wednesday.
7. Tivoli Theatre - 709 Broad St. (423-757-5156). A former 1920's "picture palace," the Tivoli has moved into the new generation with acts like Moody Blues, Buddy Guy and Ben Harper - and that was just in the span of a month - gracing its historic stage. Fret not: Elegant nostalgia is still the main act at this "jewel of the South."
8. The Palms at Hamilton - 6925 Shallowford Road (423-499-5055). Located one exit north on Interstate 75 from Hamilton Place mall, The Palms offers fine dining and near nightly entertainment in The Palms Lounge and The Coconut Room. The menu emphasizes surf and turf dishes, but the music is a blend of live performances by area singers/songwriters and lounge acts, as well as weekly swing music by the Monday Nite Big Band.
Contact Casey Phillips at cphillips@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6205. Follow him on Twitter at @PhillipsCTFP.