Part 1
by Bob Payne WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DAVRIK
posted June 3, 2009
It’s Riverbend week in Chattanooga, and it is one of my favorite times of the year. Friday at 4:30 p.m. the gates open and the tens of thousands will pour in to see their favorite acts. Willie Nelson will help kick-start Riverbend on Friday from the Coca-Cola Stage.
I will be providing coverage of Riverbend on a daily basis again this year. I’ll try and suggest acts to see, give some pointers on how best to enjoy Riverbend, and give you my take on each day’s activities. Last year, the Chattanoogan.com website had a half million hits during Riverbend. Lets shoot for a million this year! Click on the Chattanoogan.com every day for Riverbend information, the nightly schedule, and a guide to who is playing, and where.
Riverbend is one of the USA’s premier music festivals, and is a great deal for just $28.00. (After June 4, the pins will run $37.00 at the gate – still a steal of a deal, but why waste nine bucks?) Children under 10 are admitted free. You can get your pins at any Mapco Mart, or Fast, Food, and Fuel locations. Compared to the country music festival in Nashville or Bonarroo, that is just a fraction of the cost of either.
Here is what you need to know about Riverbend, once you get your pins. The gates open at 4:30 P.M. each day, except on Monday for the Bessie Smith Strut in downtown Chattanooga. The main gate is at 2nd and Chestnut across from Hennens. You can also enter up by the Hunter Museum, as well as off of Riverfront Parkway under the Olgiati Bridge.
You can bring lawn chairs, folding chairs and blankets. You cannot bring backpacks, coolers, refillable containers, pets, bicycles, skateboards, roller-blades, outside food or beverages, brass knuckles, machetes, pistols, machine guns, surface to air missiles, bazookas or any other weapons of any kind.
The best way to get to Riverbend is to park down by the Choo-Choo or Findley Stadium and take the shuttle bus for a buck a ride. Don’t fight the traffic; sit back and meet fellow festivalgoers while others ride around and around looking for a parking space. If you must drive, look around Unum on Third Street for parking, or any of the numerous parking lots around town. If you park in Unum, make sure you park in a real parking space. Creative parkers who think the grass is a parking space, or want to extend the line by an extra space will find their car at an impound lot down the road a bit. I recommend parking at Finley Stadium, and riding the $1 shuttle bus right to Riverbend. That is free tip number one!
Want a Coke or a Chicken-on-a-stick? Funnelcakes? Beer? T-shirt? Well, your money isn’t any good at Riverbend. That’s not to say everything is free – it just means you have to buy tokens to use for your purchases. They sell tokens at Riverbend, but your best bet is to buy them at Bi-Lo, and save 10%. (If you want to partake of alcoholic beverages – bring your ID! Even Grandma and Grandpa will need their ID’s. Everyone that plans to purchase alcoholic beverages MUST have an ID showing they are 21 or over.)
Speaking of Chicken-on-a-stick, my favorite vendor, the Thibodeaux family from Louisiana, has the world famous delicacy at Riverbend again this year. They are located right in front of the Bud Light stage. You can’t miss the big red concession trailer. This is the best chicken-on-a-stick you will ever eat. It may seem a bit pricey, but this thing is huge and oh so good. Apparently a few thousand other people have figured out this is the “must-eat” meal at Riverbend, too – the lines are long, but move quickly, thanks to the pro’s from Thibodeaux.
There is a “Lost Parents Tent” for those children who lose their parental units. This is located at the main gate on 2nd and Chestnut Street. There are plenty of volunteers in market T-Shirts and Police officers to assist people when needed.
There are five stages at Riverbend. The Coke Stage is the big stage that looks like a small aircraft carrier with an umbrella over it. That is where you will see Willie Nelson, The B-52’s, The Commodores, Steven Curtis Chapman, Little Richard, Three Dog Night, Montgomery Gentry, and Train.
My favorite stages are the smaller ones, scattered throughout Riverbend. This is where you may find your “new favorite band.” You will find a description of the bands playing, along with a link to their websites, right here. If you dislike crowds, think about entering up by the Hunter Museum and hanging out at the stages up on that end. One of the coolest stages is the one under the bridge about 200 feet down the hill from the Hunter Museum. With terraced seating and ceiling fans suspended from the overhead bridge, this stage is a great place to get out of the sun and heat. Speaking of the heat, here is a tip. Prior to arriving at Riverbend, try drinking plenty of water. Bottled water is available at the festival, as are some free water stations scattered about the grounds.
There is something for everybody at Riverbend – Jam Bands, Country, Folk, Hard Rock, Soft Rock, Classic Rock, Classical, Celtic, Zydeco, Christian, and Americana. Riverbend has music for all tastes. Try something new, as you may just like it! Also, don’t forget the local acts that are playing Riverbend this year. These artists put on their best shows, with the finest equipment and sound technicians to assist them.
According to Pollstar, Willie Nelson’s average concert costs $48.71 in 2009. You can see him and dozens more artists for just $28 at Riverbend. It’s a bargain, and in this economy a bargain rocks. Stay up late, go have fun at Riverbend, sleep in. Look for free tip number two tomorrow, and my picks that are on my “don’t miss” list.
See you there!
Bob Payne
Davrik@aol.com
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