Lisa Denton and Barry Courter
BARRY COURTER: Lisa, Riverbend is less than a month away, and that means it's probably time for J-Fest. Riverbend gets a lot of attention because it's downtown, spread over nine days and draws more people, but J-Fest is a big deal as well. This is the 19th year for the Christian music festival. It takes place at Camp Jordan all day on Saturday and once again will feature a strong lineup. Jeremy Camp and Family Force 5 are co-headlining.
LISA DENTON: The J103 radio people really know what they're doing with this music festival. Yes, they've held it for almost two decades, but they were firing on all cylinders even in those early years. It's always good music and a good time.
This is actually a big week for the church crowd. Franklin Graham (son of Billy) will be in town tonight to kick off a Decision America Tennessee Tour. I interviewed him for a story several days ago and asked him why he was starting in Chattanooga.
He told me, "I guess because it's next door. You've got to start somewhere. You might as well make it easy on yourself."
BARRY: See, I'm sure some people thought there was some sort of religious and deeply symbolic reason. Nope. Just 'cause it's next door. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, right? Love it.
LISA: Yep, it sounded to me like as good a reason as any. He said he'd give a short message, and there'll be live music by a band called The Afters, but mostly he's wanting "to spend time together in prayer." I predict Coolidge Park will be filled with the faithful.
BARRY: And the Monday Night Social is the headlining act at Nightfall this Friday. They won the Road to Nightfall competition earlier this spring for the honor. I had the chance to see the finals, and Monday Night Social was a good choice. They are a five-piece band from Cleveland that features three vocalists. The sound is a mix of rock, pop, R&B and folk.
LISA: I'm hoping the weather holds out so I can go hunt some bargains at the Antique Alley yard sale along Highway 11. My crew usually goes from Sweetwater down to Cleveland, but the whole route is 502 miles from the Virginia/Tennessee line down to Mississippi, including portions of Hamilton County, Dade County in Georgia and DeKalb County in Alabama.
BARRY: The Tennessee Whiskey Festival is at First Tennessee Pavilion on Saturday as well. I went last year and had a good time. We tasted a lot of whiskey and a lot of chicken wings. It's a benefit for the Hart Gallery, which is one of the coolest things in town. They use art as an outreach for homeless folks in our area, and provide not only a place for them to create art but to sell it.
LISA: Whiskey, chicken wings and art? That's what I was going to look for at the yard sale.
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Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354. Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.