In the epicenter of downtown Chattanooga sits Miller Plaza, and during the spring and summer months, the events that take place in this area help define our music scene.
For years now, Miller Plaza has hosted the Nightfall Concert Series, a Friday night event that runs for four months, blocking off streets and attracting thousands of patrons to visit downtown each week for free live music. After taking off a few weeks in June for Riverbend, Nightfall embraces July with its biggest month of the season, with five Fridays falling in July this year. One of the highlights in July will be on Friday, July 8, when PJ Morton takes over the Nightfall stage.
Many may know PJ Morton as the keyboard player from the pop/rock band Maroon 5. He has been a member of the band since 2010. Before Maroon 5, he had success with songwriting and producing for other artists. But now in his spare time, Morton can be found leading his own solo career as an artist who mixes soul, R&B and hip-hop in an infectious and upbeat manner. Signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money record label, Morton brings a less edgy side to the mainly rap label, while still sticking close to his New Orleans roots. With the recent release of his new mixtape, Bounce & Soul Vol. 1, Morton is currently on a mission and should be in contention to be one of Nightfall’s favorite 2016 artists.
This year also marks the first installation of Noontunes, a collaborative lunchtime concert series creation that takes place in Waterhouse Pavilion, which lies within Miller Plaza. This series started back in May and concludes at the end of July. Each Wednesday, folks who work and play in the downtown area during the week are entertained by some of Chattanooga’s finest musicians. With a perfect selection to close out this year’s series, longtime rock ‘n’ roll band The Bohannons will take over on Wednesday, July 27. Known mostly for their heavy approach to rock ‘n’ roll, they also have the skill and talent to mellow it out for a Wednesday lunch crowd if they choose to do so.
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