Summer music festivals: Rockin' & rollin' in the Southeast

Yesterday's article about the "world's strangest festivals" inspired me to write about festivals and concerts within a tankful's driving distance that I might visit this summer.

If rock and roll is in your blood, and Tennessee and north Georgia are on your mind, you might want to check out these coming events.

• Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Manchester, Tennessee, June 12-15 — This music, comedy, cinema and art festival is known for music and mud. Rolling Stone magazine called the first Bonnaroo in 2002 "one of the 50 moments that changed the history of rock and roll."
  
  This year's four-day event features dozens and dozens of musical acts including Pearl Jam, Widespread Panic, B.B. King, Phil Lesh & Friends, Death Cab for Cutie, Metallica, Jack Johnson, Robert Plant & Alison Kraus, Willie Nelson, Derek Trucks, Kanye West, Little Feat, Back Door Slam, Aimee Mann, Drive-by Truckers, Jakob Dylan and others. Comedy acts include Chris Rock, Janeane Garafalo, Louis C.K., Zach Galifianakis, Jim Norton, Brian Posehn, Mike Birbiglia, Reggie Watts, John Mulaney, Michelle Buteau, Joe DeRosa and Leo Allen.
  
  Unless you're actually going to this event, forget traveling between Chattanooga and Nashville before, during and after Bonnaroo. Interstate 24 is pretty much a parking lot in the Manchester area most of the week.


• Closer to (my) home is Chattanooga, which hosts the Riverbend Festival from June 6-14. Expect more polo shirts than t-shirts, less (visible) drug use, and certainly less mud than at Bonnaroo. This two-week festival is sponsored by major beer and soft drink companies, with Moon Pie® and Little Debbie® frankenfoods kicking in extra cash to support the Chattanooga Christian Community Foundation's "Faith & Family Night" on Tuesday, June 10.
  
  Musical acts include The Black Crowes, Angel, Jack Aikens, Rob Aldredge, Bachman-Cummings, Rodney Atkins, Black Diamond Heavies, Blues Nation, Joe Bonamassa, Boom, Corinne Chapman, Alex Chilton and the Box Tops, Mark Farner (formerly of Grand Funk Railroad), The Dismembered Tennesseans, A Fall from Grace, The Derailers, Futureman and the Black Mozart Ensemble, Galactic, Little Big Town, Live Oak, and more.
  
  For $28 (through June 5) you can buy a Riverbend Festival Pin that will get you into the Riverbend Festival every day, or after the 5th you can buy single day passes. The pin is definitely more economical overall, if you plan on attending more than one day. Kids 10 and under are admitted free.


• If you like music events that are less crowded and less expensive (free!), then check out the 20th year of Chattanooga's Nightfall Series. Each Friday night from May 23rd through September 26 (except during the Riverbend Festival), free 2-act concerts take place in Miller Park in downtown Chattanooga. Bring your chairs, or just sit on the wall, or stand up, and groove to the tunes. Wine and beer are sold, but you can't bring your own drinks.
  
  Apparently the Nightfall concerts is a popular destination for weekend motorcyclists. Each time I've attended there have been hundreds of motorcycles neatly parked along Market Street near Miller Park.
  
  This year's headliners include the Mike Farris Band, Soulive, Karla Bonoff, Michelle Shocked & the Lee Boys, The Whigs, Back Door Slam, Robben Ford, Groundation, Hal Ketchum, Asylum Street Spankers, Blue Mountain, Bonerama, Basia Bulat, Ruthie Foster, The Belleville Outfit, Claire Lynch Band, and Big Al Anderson & The Balls.


• Map to Chattanooga, Tenn.
• Map to Manchester, Tenn.

Image: Billy Redden, who played "Lonnie the banjo boy" in the 1972 film "Deliverance," starring Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox and Jon Voight.

Music | Festivals | Bonnaroo | Riverbend | Tennessee | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Pimping the red, white and blue?

This article is not meant to be disrespectful to patriots, veterans, law enforcement officers, politicians, American flags, Freemasons, fifth-graders or Dollywood season pass holders.

Rep. David Davis is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 1st congressional district of Tennessee.

A news article yesterday reported that he had spent the day Thursday in Sevierville, Tenn., a town of 15,500 that is 95% non-hispanic white, tucked away in the Smoky Mountains in northeastern Tennessee, six miles north of Pigeon Forge, home of Dolly Parton's Dollywood, and about 12 miles north of the Gatlinburg resort area. I've visited the area many times; it's pleasant, peaceful and panoramic.

Rep. Davis, accompanied by Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals, spent the day giving away American flags. I assume U.S. taxpayers paid for the flags.

First stop was the local American Legion Post No. 104, where Davis discussed veterans affairs and talked about how he had been instrumental in getting Christmas cards to hospitalized veterans and to active duty military personnel. Davis presented post commissioner Frank Ham an American flag, citing the local American Legion post for providing "patriotic service" to the community since 1924.

"If you want patriotism, call on us, we'll help you in some way," Ham said.

Ham told a reporter that he is working with Davis to try to bring a veteran's clinic to Sevier County.

Next stop: Mountain Star Masonic Lodge No. 197, where Davis presented an American flag to W. Bro. Don Floyd.

To emphasize that the lodge is primarily a service organization to the community, the reporter quoted Bro. Floyd as saying, "If someone needs a porch, we'll build it."

Later in the day, Rep. Davis and Sheriff Seals went to Boyds Creek Elementary School to give away yet another American flag.

Again, I don't mean to be critical here... but I'm just asking: Is this an appropriate use of taxpayer funds and personnel? Is this what we pay sheriffs and U.S. representatives to do, go around to non-profit (American Legion, Masonic lodge) and government (elementary school) facilities, giving warm and fuzzy speeches while giving away flags?

Is this a function of their jobs?

Oh, did I mention — both Rep. Davis and Sheriff Seals are up for re-election this year? Actually, the sheriff is up for election, not re-election, since he was appointed to the position of sheriff less than a year ago, after the death of his predecessor.

So, is it appropriate that these two men spent the day giving speeches under the guise of giving away American flags?

Oh, did I mention? — I should be referring to Sheriff Seals as Brother Seals. He's a Mason, a member of the Scottish Rite, and a Shriner. How do I know that? His memberships are predominantly featured on his election campaign website. He's a member of Mountain Star Lodge No. 197, the lodge Rep. Davis gave the flag to.

A few weeks ago I was blasted by a Mason for using this blog to endorse a presidential candidate. Since I am a Mason, some felt it inappropriate for me to publicly state a preference for one candidate over another, as if free speech was something a man gives up when he becomes a Mason.

What do you think about Rep. Davis and Bro. Sheriff Seals, spending the day (and maybe other days) "politicking" under the guise of patriotic speeches and flag-waving? (Obviously Sheriff Seals is not acting in the capacity of bodyguard for the Congressman.)

Is this accepted Standard Operating Procedure for today's elected officials?

And is it appropriate for Sheriff Seals to list his Masonic affiliations on his campaign website?

Image: U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, of Tennessee's 3rd district, presenting a new flag to an elementary school in his district. Apparently, doing the flag giveaway thing at elementary schools is common practice, at least in Tennessee. Is this patriotism, or politics?

Masons | Masonic Politics | U.S. Rep. David Davis | Freemasonry | Sheriff Ron Seals | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com