When jam-rock giant Widespread Panic headlined Riverbend in 2014, festival officials said, the show set a record for single-night wristband sales and attracted attendees from as far away as Cincinnati and Dallas.
Getting fans to travel more than 750 miles is unusual for Riverbend, which concentrates the bulk of its promotional efforts outside Chattanooga within regional markets such as Knoxville, Nashville and Atlanta.
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These deals predominantly take the form of bartered trades, such as providing festival wristbands to radio stations to use in giveaways in exchange for airing Riverbend ads. However, the Widespread Panic show and the band’s huge following made for a tempting exception, officials said.
Rather than rely on fans to become aware of the band’s appearance at Riverbend through social media channels or the typical bartered regional promotions, Riverbend organizer Friends of the Festival took out paid ads in national publications, including the music magazine Relix that targets jam band fans, marketing director Amy Morrow said.