Announced Riverbend acts
Coke Stage› Boz Scaggs, June 9, 9:30 p.m› Don Felder, June 10, 7 p.m.› Corey Smith, June 11, 7 p.m.; Old Dominion June 11, 9:30 p.m.› Bessie Smith Strut, June 12› Faith and Family Night, June 13› Mother’s Finest, June 14, 7 p.m.; George Thorogood, June 14, 9:30 p.m.› Purple Xperience, June 15, 7 p.m.; Morris Day & the Time with Cameo, June 15, 9:30 p.m.› Toby Keith, June 16› Here Come the Mummies, June 17, 7 p.m.Bud Light Stage› The Joy Formidable, June 10› White Denim, June 11› Brett Young, June 14› Whiskey Meyers, June 15› The Yardbirds, June 16› Last Bandoleros, June 17Unum Stage› High Valley, June 9Tennessee Valley Credit Union Stage› Billy Joe Shaver, June 16Performance times have not been confirmed for all acts.
Morris Day will perform at Riverbend on June 15 at 9:30 p.m.
The Riverbend Festival lineup for 2017 is closer to completion with the announcement of a slate of acts, including classic radio favorites Boz Scaggs, George Thorogood, former Eagles guitarist Don Felder and The Yardbirds, funk rockers Mother's Finest, singer/songwriter Corey Smith and R&B/dance/funk favorites Morris Day & The Time with Cameo.
Also announced are country acts Billy Joe Shaver, Last Bandoleros, Whiskey Meyers and High Valley. Also, Here Come the Mummies, everybody's favorite "oldies" act will be playing their 5,000-year-old funk. Alternative rock band The Joy Formidable and rockers White Denim have also been added.
"Bonnaroo is that weekend [in Manchester, Tenn.] and we wanted to give those people who might be on the fence about staying here a reason to come here," said festival Talent and Production Coordinator Joe "Dixie" Fuller.
Riverbend normally announces acts a few at a time as they book them, but Fuller said most of these came in all at once recently and Riverbend wanted to "experiment with doing a large announcement all at once."
Previously announced acts include Coke Stage acts country superstar Toby Keith on June 16, newer country act Old Dominion on June 11 on the Coke Stage and Prince tribute act The Purple Xperience on June 15. Day and Cameo replace previously announced Sheila E, who had a routing conflict and had to cancel.
Scaggs is best known for his hits "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle." Thorogood is known for the hit songs "Bad to the Bone," "I Drink Alone" and "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer."
Morris Day & The Time were known for their flamboyant stage shows and hits like "Jungle Love" and "The Bird." The Purple Xperience will play the early set on the Coke Stage prior to the Day show. Cameo scored big with "Word Up" and "Rigor Mortis." Smith is a singer/songwriter with a Americana/country slant with a large following in Chattanooga. He has sold out Track 29 on numerous occasions.
Don Felder was a member of the Eagles from 1974-2001 as a guitarist and songwriter. His current band has been touring with Styx, Foreigner and Grand Funk Railroad in recent years.
Mother's Finest is a rock/funk band from Atlanta known for the hit "Baby Love," and its opening bass riff. The Yardbirds have had a host of members since forming in 1963 including Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. Drummer Jim McCarty is the only member to have been in the band through all of its incarnations. They are known for the hits "For Your Love," "Heart Full of Soul" and "Over Under Sideways Down."
Shaver is known as one of the best songwriters in the business with classics such as "Honky Tonk Heroes" and "Georgia on a Fast Train." Last Bandoleros, Whiskey Meyers and High Valley are all newer country acts that have found success on the charts.
Because of the construction work on Highway 27, the Chevrolet Stage will be moved from under the Olgiati Bridge to the lawn below AT&T Field, and a late-night show will take place there from 11 p.m. to midnight each night except Monday and Tuesday during the week and the final Saturday.
"We wanted to give people a louder kind of show to end the night with that stage so people can go there after the last Coke Stage act," Fuller said.
The festival is scheduled for June 9-17. General admission tickets are $42. Star Seating for all Coke Stage acts is available at riverbendfestival.com for an additional charge which varies per act.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.