Thanks to Americana artist Drew Holcomb's decision to move his annual Moon River Music Festival from Memphis to Chattanooga this year, more live music will be delivered to our riverfront this summer - in beautiful Coolidge Park, a natural concert setting that is rarely used for concerts. Live music fans in Chattanooga are more accustomed to Ross's Landing, home to Riverbend, Riverfront Nights and 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival, among others.
With the change in scenery - combined with the amazing lineup the organizers put together - the weekend festival was well-received in Chattanooga. The approximately 10,000 tickets sold out on the first day, within about eight hours.
A good number of music fans may be pretty familiar with the major touring acts of the festival, such as The Avett Brothers, The Head and the Heart, Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, and Trampled by Turtles. But there are a few other artists on the lineup who shouldn't be missed.
Penny and SparrowPenny and Sparrow
Saturday, Sept. 8 at 2 p.m. | Poplar Stage
Sometimes less is more, and nothing truer could be said of this indie-folk duo from Austin, Texas. Equipped with only one guitar and angelic vocals, their soothing and simplistic sound naturally commands attention in a live setting. Members Andy Baxter and Kyle Jahnke spent the past few years living in Florence, Alabama, while recording their last two albums, and they were recently a part of a new collaborative EP release with Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors and JOHNNYSWIM called "Goodbye Road."
The Secret SistersThe Secret Sisters
Saturday, Sept. 8 at 4:30 p.m. | Iris Stage
There's not much that's more pleasing to the ear than Southern sisters harmonizing together. Laura Rogers and Lydia (Rogers) Slagle grew up in a musical family in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and their history together is evident in the music they create, blending styles of Americana and retro country into a sound of their own.
DarlingsideDarlingside
Saturday, Sept. 8 at 6:15 p.m. | Iris Stage
Mixing mellow pop elements with folk, then topping it off with melded harmonies, this Boston, Massachusetts-based band, formed in 2009 when all four members met in college, has created a unique sound, evident in their brand-new album "Extralife." Besides all four members lending vocals to their songs, they are also all multi-instrumentalists, even mixing in the banjo, mandolin, violin and cello here and there and giving you something a little different in each song they deliver.
Mandolin OrangeMandolin Orange
Sunday, Sept. 9 at 2 p.m. | Poplar Stage
Performing with a full band, this Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based duo of Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz creates a gently swaying brand of Americana music that soothes the soul, with a touch of folk and bluegrass sprinkled here and there.
New Music Playlist: genre-crossing tunes we recommend you add to your music library
"Double Heart" | Penny and Sparrow
"Travelin'" | The Travelin' McCourys
"Space Cowboy" | Kacey Musgraves
"Eighty8" | J. Flo
"Mississippi" | The Secret Sisters
"Somewhere Between I Love You And I'm Leavin'" | Cody Jinks
"Plain to See Plainsman" | Colter Wall
"One Day At A Time" | American Aquarium
"Hold Your Head Up High" | Darlingside
"In the Valley" | Mountain Lions
"The Hearse" | Matt Maeson
"Play by Your Own Rules" | Sam Bush
"Wildfire" | Mandolin Orange
"Mockingbird" | Ruston Kelly
"Happy Man" | Jungle
"Sun Don't Shine" | Drive-By Truckers
Upcoming Shows:
Chattanooga hip-hop artist J. Flo has put together a fourth installment of his headlining show at The Camp House, which will include a full night of music with other local creatives on Saturday 9/8.
In support of their brand-new album "Things Change," Raleigh, N.C.-based alt-country band
American Aquarium will take the stage at
Songbirds South on Monday 9/10.
Sam Bush, one of the forefathers of "newgrass," will return to Chattanooga on Saturday 9/15 for a performance at the Walker Theatre.
Athens, Ga.'s finest are set to invade Chattanooga. The Drive-By Truckers and T. Hardy Morris will perform together at the Walker Theatre on
Sunday 9/30.