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	Chattanooga Concert Calendar Highlights
		The Claire Lynch Band Friday, July 25, Nightfall Concert Series With a high-pitched voice that's been compared to Nanci Griffith and Alison Krauss, Claire Lynch has successfully fused a background in popular music and a love of bluegrass. Together with the Front Porch String Band, the group she shares with her husband, Larry, Lynch has been garnering attention as one of the most emotive vocalists in contemporary bluegrass. Website: www.clairelynch.com
		Soulive Friday, August 1, Nightfall Concert Series Brothers Alan and Neal Evans, on drums and Hammond B-3 organ, respectively, form two-thirds of the soul/groove trio Soulive. Rounding out the group is Eric Krasno on guitar. The band was formed in the late '90s when all three members were under 25 years old. However, each already had a substantial background in the "jam band" scene. Alan and Neal are former members of Moon Boot Lover, and Alan also played with the Greyboy Allstars. Website: www.soulive.com
		Dana Rogers Sunday, August 3, Chattanooga Market A passionate 31-year-old singer songwriter and proud mom, Dana Rogers has spent seventen great years pickin’ and grinnin’ and enjoying her passion for life, love, music, her son, her family, her friends, and an awful lot of travel around the country and the world. She's shared the stage with Sarah Lee Guthrie, Guy Davis, Ingrid Michaelson, Steve Poltz, The Waybacks and The Floating Men to name a few. Website: www.myspace.com/danarogers
		Merle Haggard Wednesday, August 6, Memorial Auditorium As a performer and a songwriter, Merle Haggard was the most important country artist to emerge in the 1960s. Haggard became one of the leading figures of the Bakersfield country scene in the '60s. While his music remained hardcore country, he pushed the boundaries of the music quite far. Like his idol Bob Wills, his music was a melting pot that drew from all forms of traditional American music — country, jazz, blues, and folk — and in the process, developed a distinctive style of his own. Website: www.merlehaggard.com
		Zac Brown Band Thursday, August 7, Rhythm and Brews A hybrid of rock, soul, country, bluegrass and reggae. Playing upwards of 200 dates a year, more than 2,500 shows in their career and selling more than 20,000 CDs independently, Zac Brown Band has only begun its ascent. The band's aggressive touring has helped it develop a fanatical grassroots following by winning over believers one person at a time. Driven by awe-inspiring musicianship, skillful songwriting and a dynamic live show that inspires word-of-mouth buzz. Website: www.myspace.com/zacbrownband
		Michelle Shocked & The Lee Boys Friday, August 8, Nightfall Concert Series “The Lord works in mysterious ways,” writes Michelle Shocked in her “womanifesto,” a tract written in conjunction with her newest recording, ToHeavenURide. “Or at least that’s been my experience.” In the beginning, Shocked writes, “I was moved by the power of rock ’n’ roll. And if you follow the trail from rock ’n’ roll, it always leads you back to the blues, sweet soul music and finally to the churches and gospel music.” Website: www.michelleshocked.com
		deSoL Saturday, August 9, Riverfront Nights Music Series Based in Asbury Park, NJ, deSoL is a Latin rock outfit that has favored a bilingual approach. DeSoL (whose name means "of the sun" in Spanish) has never been a rock en español outfit in the strict sense; while rock en español favorites like Caifanes, los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Maná, and Shakira have done most or all of their writing in Spanish, deSoL has — much like Santana and el Chicano in their heyday — provided more English lyrics than Spanish lyrics. Website: www.desolmusic.com
		The Whigs Friday, August 15, Nightfall Concert Series With a jaunty mix of Westerberg-like style and a heartfelt country disposition, the Whigs played their first shows while attending the University of Georgia. Additional opening slots for the likes of the Killers, Franz Ferdinand, and the Futureheads quickly followed for the young trio, thus leaving their 2005 debut album, Give 'Em All a Big Fat Lip, to be picked up by ATO Records. Word quickly spread about group, with Rolling Stone hailing them as one of the "10 Artists to Watch" in 2006. Website: www.thewhigs.com
		Sugarland Saturday, August 16, Chattanooga Convention Center Sugarland began as a trio of singer/songwriters from the Atlanta, GA, area, each of whom had some level of renown as a solo performer. After a series of phenomenal live shows began to build a buzz around the group, they were signed to Mercury Records, which released a two-song single ("Baby Girl" b/w "Stand Back Up") early in 2004, following it up with a Garth Fundis-produced full-length album, Twice the Speed of Life, that same year. Website: www.sugarlandmusic.com
		Robben Ford Friday, August 22, Nightfall Concert Series Robben Ford has had a diverse career. He taught himself guitar when he was 13 and considered his first influence to be Mike Bloomfield. At 18 he moved to San Francisco and was soon hired to play with Charles Musselwhite for nine months. In 1971 the Charles Ford Blues Band was re-formed and recorded for Arhoolie in early 1972. Ford played with Jimmy Witherspoon (1972-1973), the L.A. Express with Tom Scott (1974), George Harrison, and Joni Mitchell. Website: www.robbenford.com
		Hal Ketchum Friday, August 29, Nightfall Concert Series Singer/songwriter/drummer Hal Ketchum was raised in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. He began drumming at age 15 and soon joined an R&B trio. At age 17, Ketchum moved to Florida and then to Texas, where he quickly got involved playing at a local dance hall and began to hone his songwriting skills. He went to Nashville in 1986 to write songs, and three years later released his debut album, Threadbare Alibis; soon after, Ketchum signed a record contract with Curb. Website: www.halketchum.com
		Blue Mountain Friday, September 5, Nightfall Concert Series Blue Mountain is led by the husband and wife team of Cary Hudson and Laurie Stirratt; the roots rockers drew their name from a small town near their home base of Oxford, MS, where the bandmembers first began soaking up the country, blues, and rock influences that informed their distinctive sound. Blue Mountain was founded in 1993 by vocalist/guitarist Hudson and bassist Stirratt after their previous band, the Los Angeles-based, punk-inspired Hilltops. Website: www.bluemountainbandoxfordms.com
		Matthew Ryan Tuesday, September 9, Rhythm & Brews An alt-country singer/songwriter in the vein of Josh Rouse and Ryan Adams, Matthew Ryan funnels his rasped vocals and passionate lyrics into a steady stream of somber, melancholic albums. Ryan tooks early inspiration from such artists as U2, the Replacements, Leonard Cohen, and drew comparisons to Tom Waits which sparked a prolific career that often sees Ryan releasing one album every 12 months. Website: www.matthewryanonline.com
		Basia Bulat Friday, September 12, Nightfall Concert Series Canadian singer/songwriter Basia Bulat came seemingly out of nowhere to become one of the most talked about new artists with the release of her first full-length album, Oh, My Darling, in 2007. Originally from Toronto, Bulat lives and writes in the quieter community of London, Ontario, where she recorded a self-released EP in 2005. Bulat's rich, expressive voice is the ideal vehicle for her songs, which deal with love and life with a combination of sadness and wonder. Website: www.basiabulat.com
		The Mother Truckers Saturday, September 13, Riverfront Nights Music Series The Mother Truckers are a kick-ass rock 'n' roll band from Austin, Texas. Their music is high-octane Americana, blending hard hitting electric guitars with soaring vocals and irreverent lyrics. They take the Texas mix of Country, Blues and Rock to a higher place with their creative songwriting and high energy live performances. The core of the group is the singing songwriting team of Josh Zee and Teal Collins. Website: www.themothertruckers.com
		James McMurtry Tuesday, September 16, Rhythm & Brews Texas singer/songwriter James McMurtry, known for his hard-edged character sketches, comes from a literary family; his father, novelist and screenwriter Larry McMurtry, gave James his first guitar at age seven, and his mother, an English professor, taught him how to play it. McMurtry began performing his own songs while a student at the University of Arizona and continued to do so after returning home and taking a job as a bartender and has been recording steadily since 1989. Website: www.jamesmcmurtry.com
		Chattahippie Music Festival Thursday, September 18 - Sunday, September 21, Camp Columbus Chattahippie will be at Camp Columbus, about 20 miles north of Chattanooga. Chattahippie is an outdoor event, located on a 50+ acre riverside venue. Consequently, sunscreen, rain ponchos and lawn chairs are recommended. Blankets and ground-seats are OK, too. Feel free to make yourself comfortable, just try not to annoy your fellow hippies. The event will be held rain-or-shine. For the safety of everyone, no pets or coolers are allowed on the festival grounds. Or firearms. Or fireworks. Website: www.chattahippie.com
		John Hiatt Friday, September 19, Tivoli Theater (new venue) John Hiatt's sales have never quite matched his reputation. Hiatt's songs were covered successfully by everyone from Bonnie Raitt, Ronnie Milsap, and Dr. Feelgood to Iggy Pop, Three Dog Night, and the Neville Brothers, yet it took him 13 years to reach the charts himself. Of course, it nearly took him that long to find his own style. Hiatt began his solo career in 1974, and over the next decade he ran through a number of different styles from rock & roll to new wave pop. Website: www.johnhiatt.com
		Col. Bruce & The Quark Alliance Friday, September 19, Midtown Music Hall Over the years Col. Bruce Hampton (ret.) has traveled the world and beyond fronting such legendary musical acts as The Hampton Grease Band, The Late Bronze Age, The Aquarium Rescue Unit, and The Fiji Mariners. Now Col. Bruce has teamed with guitarist Perry Osborn, bassist Kris Dale, and drummer Mark Letalien to bring you Col. Bruce & The Quark Alliance. Website: www.thequarkalliance.com
		Big Al Anderson & The Balls Friday, September 19, Nightfall Concert Series He wasn't the first. He wasn't the last. However, Al Anderson did spend an amazing 22 years there - playing guitar in the college of muscial knowledge known as The New Rhythm and Blues Quartet or more simply, NRBQ. These days, Al is working primarily as a song-writer. Hank Williams Jr. kicked off Al's songwriting career back in '88, recording his "You're Gonna Be A Sorry Man" for his gold-award winning release Wild Streak. Website: www.bigalanderson.com
		Will Hoge Thursday, September 25, Rhythm & Brews With his muscular, straightforward American rock, Nashville artist Will Hoge has garnered frequent comparisons to such heartland giants as Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. The singer/songwriter was raised in Franklin, TN, a rural Nashville suburb, and eventually left town to study history at Western Kentucky University. Music drew him back home, however, and he relocated to Nashville to assemble a band that included former Georgia Satellite Dan Baird on guitar. Website: www.willhoge.com
		The Queers Thursday, September 25, JJ's Bohemia Sometimes they are mistaken for a queercore band like labelmates Pansy Division, but one listen to the Queers' adolescent-boy-who-never-grew-up lyrics ("she got no tit," "I'm really goo-goo over you/I'm mentally retarded too," "she's my Burger King Queen," etc.) will dispel that misconception. While some of their songs border on sexism and homophobia, they are simply too goofy and good-natured to mean any harm with their left-back-four-grades, dumb-ass shtick. Website: www.thequeersrock.com
		Jason Aldean Thursday, October 23, Memorial Auditorium Country singer and guitarist Jason Aldean fell early under the spell of country music and made his first public appearance as a singer at a VFW hall in Macon when he was 14 years old. Aldean was on the verge of giving up on the music business when he attracted the attention of the independent label Broken Bow Records, which released his debut album, simply called Jason Aldean, in 2005. Aldean returned to the studio in January 2007 to work on his sophomore release, Relentless. Website: www.jasonaldean.com
		Carrie Underwood Monday, December 8, UTC McKenzie Arena The first country American Idol, Carrie Underwood grew up in the small town of Checotah, OK, and began singing with her church at the tender age of three. Throughout her childhood, she also performed at functions for the Lion's Club and Old Settlers Day, and eventually at festivals in several states. Along with developing her singing, Underwood learned to play guitar and piano. Website: www.carrieunderwoodofficial.com
		Little Big Town Monday, December 8, UTC McKenzie Arena The country vocal quartet Little Big Town began with Kimberly Roads and Karen Fairchild, both from Georgia, who began singing together in college. Arkansan Jimi Westbrook, a friend of Fairchild's husband, joined them to make a trio and the group was completed in 1998 by Phil Sweet, another native of Arkansas. Little Big Town was devoted to harmony and multiple lead vocals which, along with their unusual lineup, made them a hard sell in Nashville at first. Website: www.littlebigtown.com
		Richie Havens Thursday, December 11, Rhythm & Brews Born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, Richie Havens moved to Greenwich Village in 1961 in time to get in on the folk boom then taking place. Havens had a distinctive style as a folksinger, appearing in such clubs as the Cafe Wha? His guitar set to an opening tuning, he would strum it while barring chords with his thumb, using it essentially as percussion while singing rhythmically in a gruff voice for a mesmerizing effect. Website: www.richiehavens.com
	Complete Chattanooga area concert information available at both www.pollstar.com and www.jambase.com