Riverbend Festival 2022: 9 Must-See Acts
Riverbend is nearly here, and to get you ready here’s a primer featuring 9 acts, in addition to the headliners, you should definitely check out!
Lennox Hills
While not technically a local band anymore, Lennox Hills members originally harkened from Cleveland, TN, and for that alone they’ll undoubtedly have a lot of community love. More than that they just have an incredible sound you’ll be grooving to in no time! Stylistically they’re adjacent to Cage the Elephant, with a little less ‘garage rock’ and a little more ‘power pop’ to their sound. One could imagine if they launched just a few years earlier in a less-fractured media and musical landscape they’d be headlining festivals in their own right, and one can only hope that they do in time! So catch them now before they break big and you can tell your friends you saw them when.
Jenny Lewis
Riverbend’s line-up is so stacked that to write about Jenny Lewis and not get to say “headliner Jenny Lewis” really says something about the music bench they’re pulling from for this festival! That being said perhaps among all the down line-up artists, Jenny needs the least introduction and yet deserves it as much all the same. She came up musically in the beloved indie rock group Rilo Kiley (think Portions for Foxes and a great many other 2000s era classics), and she’s never looked back as her solo albums are all incredible, career defining albums of their own! She’s a perfect fit for Riverbend, a bastion for Americana acts for sometime, as Lewis has oft imbued a sense of folk and country in her storytelling (see Red Bull & Hennessy). So run, don’t walk, to catch this living legend!
The War & Treaty
The War & Treaty are having a well-deserved moment, as their national profile continues to rise. Just in the last couple weeks The War & Treaty signed a major label deal with UMG Nashville, which one hopes will give them an even larger platform for their delightful blend of Southern rock, gospel, and country! Their incredible music truly stands on its own, and I’ve seen them 3 times and they’ve brought each increasingly larger house down. Even before hearing a note of their music, I fell in love with their story, of a husband and wife brought together, who so obviously love each other, and who just so enjoy making music and playing music together. You feel this love in their shows so completely! So be sure not to sleep on these rising stars.
Strung Like A Horse
Strung Like A Horse 2020 album ‘WHOA!’ starts off with the simple, yet powerful lines “Some folks will like you, And some that just won't.” That is certainly a truism in life; however, one can’t even imagine anyone ever disliking Strung Like A Horse. Their live shows are legendary, and their music perfectly delivers these nuggets of wisdom with fantastic hooks and foot-stomping joy that will get even the most luddite of listeners up on their feet dancing! One day Strung Like A Horse will undoubtedly be labeled by Rolling Stone or Pitchfork, “Chattanooga’s Best Kept Secret”, which will be a shame as we’ve been shouting to the rooftops about their greatness for some time. Don’t say “I wish I knew when” and be sure to check them out this weekend at Riverbend!
The Shindellas
The Shindellas are a whole vibe in the best of ways! Their incredible vocals, harmonized so impeccably, allow them to dominate any genre they choose. From their power anthems like “Fear Has No Place” to their heartwrenching R&B tracks like “When You’re Lonely”, they prove they can excel with the best of them. What’s perfect for a festival like Riverbend too, is that The Shindellas, in their name and their very nature embody that perfect balance of old school meets new school that will surely delight audiences of all ages.
Los Amigos Invisibles
Los Amigos Invisibles hail from Venezuela, but their music styles bring together influences from far and wide! Funk, acid jazz, and disco are just a few of the genres they excel in. Though perhaps unfamiliar to many Riverbend attendees, Los Amigos Invisibles have received recognition and acclaim from both the Grammys with several nominations and the Latin Grammys with several nominations and wins. Don’t fret if you are concerned about a language barrier, because if music was ever a universal language, Los Amigos Invisibles speaks it fluently.
Devon Gilfillian
Devon Gilfillian’s music is a force to be reckoned with! Whether he’s crooning as on Thank Me Later, or belting like his life depends like on his song Unchained, you just have a feeling he’s always one step on the edge and just about to soar. Like his contemporaries The Heavy and Leon Bridges, Devon’s found a way to bring soul to soul anew. Picking up from the greats Mavis Staples, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder, Devon Giliffian takes elements of the familiar sounds of his youth and contemporaries alike, and he brings them all together to truly thrilling effect!
Tanya Tucker
Long time fans of the festival know that country music’s always had a welcome home at Riverbend, and that’s as true with Brothers Osborne as it is with the venerable Tanya Tucker. Tanya’s certainly no up-and-comer country star though, as she’s one of the original Outlaw country stars whose work has continued to excite and inspire generations of country fans and singers alike. In 2019, her album While I’m Livin, co-produced by two of today’s stars Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings, won Grammys for Best Country Album and Best Country Song, which just further highlights her lasting impact. Her Riverbend performance will surely be an incredible look back at her still flourishing career, and we know it’ll be one not to miss.
Moon Taxi
Moon Taxi might just be THE quintessential festival band. Over their 16 year tenure, they’ve developed a devoted following, which has only grown with each performance. Now they’re easily one of the fan favorites at any festival they perform at, and it’s easy to see why. After all their songs exude such ebullience that you can easily picture the crowds dancing to their every note. Undoubtedly after the first few songs of their Riverbend live set, you’ll want to join in as well.
Purchase Your Tickets Today
Though tickets are limited, Riverbend still has 3-day, Friday Only, and Sunday only options available. So secure your Riverbend tickets today to see and hear all this great music and more!