If you go
* What: Husky Burnette* When: 9:15 p.m. tonight* Where: Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union Stage* Admission: Riverbend 9-day wristband ($55); one-day wristband ($25)
For many years, veterans of the Bessie Smith Strut have known that one of the best places to hear music during the blues, brews and barbecue festival wasn’t actually listed on the schedule.
Just down the street from the sanctioned performances on the Trestle Stage, Chattanooga native Brian “Husky” Burnette put in an annual appearance at Champy’s Chicken. Even though he wasn’t officially part of the Strut, anyone who heard him play recognized him as a singer and guitarist who was every bit the equal of the names on the official bill.
Every time I walked past Champy’s during the Strut, Burnette was surrounded by large crowds of passers-by mesmerized by his gravelly voice and hard-driving electric guitar, which he played with such intensity it’s a wonder the strings weren’t nicking bone by the time he finished. When his foot pounded the pavement in time with the beat, it was hard not to feel sorry for the concrete. It was just that intense.
This year, Friends of the Festival got a clue and booked Burnette for an official Riverbend gig on the Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union Stage. If you’re even remotely interested in blues, that’s where you want to be tonight.
Burnette is one of those special cases in Chattanooga’s music scene, a local who is moderately popular in-town but whose Scenic City following is dwarfed by his fame on the road. He’s toured extensively all over the East Coast, but when he’s home, you can still catch him in intimate venues like JJ’s Bohemia or Champy’s.
Consequently, his show tonight is an excellent example of Riverbend at its best, when it’s putting talented locals on a stage to be appreciated by crowds far larger than what they usually draw in local clubs.
Every year, the festival’s schedule of “nearly 100 artists” includes a huge percentage of Chattanooga-area acts. Some might see that as a negative, but those people are idiots who equate geographic distance with musical talent. Artists like Burnette show there’s excellent music being made and played right next door. His set tonight should more than prove the point.
Contact Casey Phillips at cphillips@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6205. Follow him on Twitter at @PhillipsCTFP.
