photo by Mark A Herndon
Chattanooga will celebrate its own Ryan Oyer as headliner of Nightfall this Friday, as winner of the “Road to Nightfall” competition.
The Ryan Oyer Band has been eight years in the making. Mr. Oyer has long been a part of the local open mic scene, where he has performed regularly with other local musicians. The band formed from that core group. Over the past few years, the band has evolved. Mr. Oyer formed a solid rhythm section with drummer Todd Garland and Michael McDade. They also added Jessica Nunn on viola, which Mr. Oyer said made him rethink the sound of his band. "I’d always loved bands that had string in their songs," he said. "There’s an emotion that they bring out that is hard to find from other instruments. They can be vulnerable but at the same time strong."
Mr. Oyer has competed in past Road to Nightall competitions, one year landing in the finals. This year, his matured sound and songwriting skills easily earned him top honors. His headline show at Nightfall will begin at 8 p.m.
Britsh invasion band The Pool will open for Mr. Oyer at 7 p.m. This four-piece band of veteran musicians have long been a local favorite, serving up songs from the original British invasion and beyond, including British bands from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Since their formation in 1989, The Pool has played shows all over the US. Current members include Dave Cornwell, Nick Honerkamp, Michael Welch and Monte Coulter.
Food trucks and non-alcoholic drink concessions are available on site. No outside food or beverages are allowed to be brought in to Nightfall.
For more information on this free19-week concert series, call 423-265-0771 or visit NightfallChattanooga.com for a complete, interactive website that includes music samples by each headliner, as well as other important information for first-time attendees.
photo by Mark A Herndon