Photos and Review By Max Stewart
If you have not heard of Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, TN, take note. Celebrating their 40th year as a festival, the layout and logistics of the festival have evolved a bit from a weeklong event with many lawn chairs scattered to a more streamlined and efficient festival with a diverse lineup right in the heart of town overlooking the Tennessee River. The 2023 festival could not have been more of a success, minus a slight weather delay on Sunday evening (which was handled with clear and prompt communication by the festival team). Live Music Daily had a fantastic time and we cannot wait to attend in years to come!
There were many highlights, but a few that stand out below…
Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew: Remain in Light: Original Talking Heads member Jerry Harrison and noted touring member Adrian Belew (King Crimson, David Bowie) announced earlier in the year that they were their popular ‘Remain In Light’ concert on the road throughout the US this winter, in celebration of the band’s iconic 1980 record. Both are awe-inspiring musicians live, and Belew’s animated and unique take on the guitar is a sight to see. The tour they are on finds Harrison and Belew performing songs from the monumental period of the band’s history alongside a powerhouse band Cool Cool Cool, which includes former members of Turkuaz (Craig Brodhead, guitar, synths; Chris Brouwers, trumpet, keyboards; Michelangelo Carubba, drums; Shira Elias, vocals; Sammi Garett, vocals; Greg Sanderson, tenor saxophone; and Josh Schwartz, baritone saxophone, vocals), Julie Slick on bass, and Yahuba Garcia-Torres on percussion.
Amanda Shires: Shire’s Saturday afternoon set would have been a highlight on its own, but a little cherry on top was at the last minute her husband Jason Isbell announced he was sitting in on guitar with her band. Shire’s 2022 album Take It Like A Man was well-represented during the performance and she even included a John Prine cover (“Saddle in the Rain”). The musicianship was top tier on the hot afternoon with fiery lead guitar parts from Isbell and guitarist Zach Setchfield, some stellar fiddle playin’ by Shires, and rhythm section holding it down with drummer extraordinaire Julian Dorio (The Whigs, The Lone Bellow) and bassist Jonathan Gray.
Goose: Goose is having meteoric rise in the jam band scene, with a sound that has touches of psych indie rock. The band drew a massive crowd on the Ultra stage during the 7:30 pm Saturday set and for good reason, there were superb jams on “Arrow” and “Thatch” and a rousing rendition of “Hot Tea” to close out the set. They even threw in a cover of David Gray’s “Please Forgive Me,” which on paper seems odd but in practice worked oh-so-well as the sun set over the packed crowd. This was most definitely a rare opportunity to catch Goose in an early evening slot, as they proved yet again they have what it takes to headline festivals.
Mavis Staples: One of the matriarchs of soul as a member of The Staples Singers, Mavis Staples had a warm and rousing energy when singing some of her classics such as “I’ll Take You There” on a Sunday afternoon. She has seen it all, from singing at JFK’s inauguration, marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to inspiring the likes of Bob Dylan (whom she apparently turned down a marriage proposal from!) What a treat to be able to see her smiling and engaging with the crowd at 83 years young!
Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade: After a 20-year break, Primus singer / bassist Les Claypool has brought Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade back on the road in a band that features Sean Lennon on guitar (John Lennon’s son), Harry Waters on keys, and Paolo Baldi on drums, along with longtime cohorts Skerik on saxophone, and Mike Dillon on percussion. Although a good portion of their set was cut short due to the weather delay, they still played Pink Floyd’s “Pigs (Three Different Ones)”, “Whamola” (a tune that morphed into one of the South Park themes) and even a solo Claypool song to close things out, “One Better”. Go check this band out on the road for a full dose of psychedelia, prog, hard rock and every color in between (they are actually on the road with Jerry Harrison / Adrian Belew for a string of dates this summer). Claypool was very appreciative to Trombone Shorty for cutting his set short and allowing the band to play due to the weather delay, it is as always great to see bands looking out for each other.
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue: New Orleans trombone legend Trombone Shorty is built to headline festivals. His combination of mind-blowing brass acumen, dance moves, upbeat vocals and general good vibes are perfect for the large audiences and festival crowds looking for a fun time. In fact, for many years he has closed the famous Jazz Fest in New Orleans, so he had no trouble being an elite closer for Riverbend before the fireworks display on Sunday night. His entire band matches the energy, and it was one of those sets that you could not help but smile, get off your feet and feel good.
Big Boi: Bonafide rap royalty as member of OutKast alongside Andre 3000, Big Boi is simply the man and about as cool as it gets. Big Boi reps his hometown ATL with pride, and he was wearing his classic Braves hat when taking the stage alongside Sleepy Brown. He played a mix of OutKast tunes and solo stuff, with many medleys of tunes including “So Fresh, So Clean”, “ATLiens”, and “The Whole World”.
Blackberry Smoke: Unfortunately the band only got 2.5 songs in due to Mother Nature, but man those were an ass-kickin’ few songs. Atlanta’s Blackberry Smoke are the quintessential rock ‘n’ roll band if you need a little southern goodness in your musical diet, and we loved seeing drummer Brit Turner back in the fold with the band after some health issues. Hopefully they will have another chance to perform in a future Riverbend Fest!
Amos Lee: The Philadelphia native singer-songwriter was a perfect early evening set on Friday night, with songs like “Arms of a Woman” and “Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight” that have a warm, approachable vibe that eased the crowd into the night over the Tennessee River. Eliot Skinner was also in his band and sang lead to a wide range of applause, inspiring us to dig into his catalog further and hopefully catch him on tour as well.
Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats: Nathaniel Rateliff is one of the great modern singers with a truly unique voice and quality range of tunes. He brought a set of soulful Americana tunes during the Saturday night headlining performance with his band the Night Sweats performing in the Tennessee moonlight.
Maren Morris: Morris has a modern spin on country, with a fantastic accompanying band that includes Ben Lewis on guitar (who had some tasty guitar fills throughout the night). Her set included some of her staples as well as a great cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Dead Flowers.”
Lucius: Lead by vocalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, this indie pop band drew listeners in with their whimsical and downtempo songs amongst a flurry of catchy melodies. They even did a record signing at a local record tent after their set, we look forward to catching them again on the road.
Full photo recap below!
