Chattanooga Times Free Press - ChattanoogaNow
RIVERBEND 2016: Headliners at a glance
FRIDAY, JUNE 10
6:30 p. m. ZZ Ward
The sound? A blend of blues, rock, hip- hop, R&B, neo-soul. Did you know? Her initials, ZZ, are short for Zsuzsanna.
9 p. m. Thomas Rhett
The sound? Country. Did you know? His full name is Thomas Rhett Akins Jr. Dad Rhett Akins is a country songwriter.
SATURDAY, JUNE 11
6:30 p. m. Blood Sweat & Tears, featuring Bo Bice.
The sound? Rock. Did you know? The band’s name occurred to founder Al Kooper after a jam session when a cut on his hand left his organ keyboard covered in blood.
9 p. m. Heart
The sound? Hard rock/acoustic folk. Did you know? Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson are the centerpiece of Heart now, but they weren’t in the earliest incarnations of the band.
SUNDAY, JUNE 12
6:30 p. m. Trampled by Turtles
The sound? Bluegrass thrash. Did you know? Frontman Dave Simonett formed the group initially as a side project after losing most of his gear to car thieves. Left with only an acoustic guitar, he began piecing together a new band playing music that didn’t rely on amplification.
9 p. m. Chris Young
The sound? Country. Did you know? The Season 4 winner of “Nashville Star” is a grandson of onetime “Louisiana Hayride” performer Richard Yates.
MONDAY, JUNE 13
Bessie Smith Strut (see Page 20)
TUESDAY, JUNE 14
9 p. m. For King & Country
The sound? Contemporary Christian. Did you know? Joel and Luke Smallbone are brothers of Christian recording artist Rebecca St. James.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15
6:30 p. m. Blackberry Smoke
The sound? Southern rock. Did you know? Their latest release, “Holding All the Roses,” which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s country charts, was produced by Brendan O’Brien, who’s worked with Bruce Springsteen and AC/ DC.
9 p. m. Brett Eldredge
The sound? Country. Did you know? His cousin Terry Eldredge is a member of bluegrass band The Grascals.
THURSDAY, JUNE 16
6:30 p. m. Salt- N- Pepa
The sound? Hip- hop.
Did you know? Cheryl James (“Salt”), Sandra Denton (“Pepa”) and Deidra Roper (“DJ Spinderella”) got a pop- culture push last year in a Geico insurance commercial featuring the group performing “Push It.”
9 p. m. Umphrey’s McGee
The sound? Prog rock.
Did you know? An archival documentary about the band, “Reel to Real,” debuted on Vimeo on June 1. It tracks the band’s 18-year career using home movies, interviews and live performance footage.
FRIDAY, JUNE 17
6:30 p. m. Shovels and Rope
The sound? Americana folk.
Did you know? Their 2015 album, “Busted Jukebox, Vol. 1,” featured covers of their favorite songs, ranging from the vintage R&B of Toussaint McCall (“Nothing Takes the Place of You”) to the industrial rock of Nine Inch Nails (“Last”).
9 p. m. REO Speedwagon
The sound? Classic rock. Did you know? The band’s name is based on an actual vehicle, the REO Speed Wagon, a flatbed truck named for creator Ransom E. Olds.
SATURDAY, JUNE 18
6:30 p. m. Here Come the Mummies
The sound? Funk. Did you know? It’s rumored that the Nashville- based professional musicians who make up the band include Grammy winners, but their identities remain “under wraps.”
9 p. m. 38 Special
The sound? Southern rock. Did you know? The band has shared stages with rock and country acts, including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams Jr., Trace Adkins, REO Speedwagon and Styx.