In 2005, Chattanooga’s now-defunct Riverbend Festival was at the height of its popularity.
Riverbend officials had boosted the talent budget for the then nine-day festival to $900,000 — the most money ever — attracting such nightly headliner acts as Kid Rock, Boyz II Men, Michael McDonald and the country music duo Big & Rich.
The accompanying photo from the Chattanooga Times Free Press archives was shot on the opening night of the festival in 2005, when throngs of people showed up for the Kid Rock concert.
The festival did not release crowd estimates at the time, but it was reportedly the second-best night for concessions sales in Riverbend history to that point, eclipsed only by a 2002 appearance by the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The Kid Rock concert was an attempt to appeal to a younger audience, Riverbend organizers told reporters covering the festival. While the concert was generally well-reviewed, some audience members were offended by Kid Rock’s language in the set, which reportedly included profanity.