If you want to see a concert in Chattanooga, it’ll probably be at a bar.
This is great for some kinds of music like rock or punk or metal. But the noise of bars can be prohibitive for artists in other, quieter genres.
Which is a shame because Chattanooga has some amazingly talented songwriters whose stories can’t be fully appreciated in the typical noisy bar environment. But a new pop-up concert series called Quiet City hopes to remedy this situation by hosting “listening room” style concerts in unexpected places around the city.
“Having a quiet place to perform is important for the audience but also for the artist,” said event organizer Cody Ray. “It’s difficult for a musician to concentrate and deliver their best performance when they have to try and ignore ringing cell phones and people talking.”
The first Quiet City concert will be hosted by Vagabond Barber Company, a retro barber shop that may as well be a museum of nostalgic curiosities. On the surface, it seems like a vintage 50’s barber shop, but on closer inspection, you’ll find cool details from lots of bygone eras.
Randy Steele, Chattanooga’s favorite bluegrass-pickin’ firefighter, will headline the night’s concert. After several years of rousing shows with his full band, lately he’s embracing his songwriter side by playing more quiet solo shows.
Randy will be joined by Tigris Nevans, a singer with a soulful voice whose songs reflect her deep love of nature and local history. She regularly performs on the Southern Belle riverboat.
The show will also feature Joshua Cruce, a relative newcomer to Chattanooga, who crafts highly literate and deeply felt songs about topics like quantum mechanics.
The show takes place Thursday September 5th from 8-10pm at Vagabond Barber Co. They’re located at 2602 East Main Street, next to Sleepyhead Coffee. There is a $10 cover charge.