Directions

Be advised that a short section of Interstate 40 between James White Parkway (Exit 388A) and Hall of Fame Drive (Exit 389) is closed for reconstruction. Westbound travelers will still be able to use the directions below to reach downtown Knoxville; eastbound travelers can take Hall of Fame Drive or Magnolia Avenue (US 11). For additional directions and answers to your questions, visit TDOT’s SmartFix I-40 website.

• From I-40, Take the US-441 S/HENLEY ST exit – exit number 388 – toward DOWNTOWN.

• Take the TN-62 ramp toward WESTERN AVE/SUMMIT HILL DR.

• Turn LEFT onto WESTERN AVE. WESTERN AVE becomes SUMMIT HILL DR.

• Turn SLIGHTLY RIGHT onto LOCUST ST.

• Turn LEFT on UNION AVE.

Free parking is available at the Market Square garage and the Locust Street garage after 6 p.m. Several other parking lots are within a short walk of Market Square. Click here for a downtown parking map (Market Square is the blue rectangle near the center of the map).

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I park?
Click here for a convenient map of downtown parking locations. Market Square is the blue rectangle near the center of the map. City garages are free after 6 pm on weekdays!

What hotels are nearby?

• Hotel St. Oliver, 407 Union Ave. (on the Market Square)
(865) 521-0050

• Crowne Plaza, 401 Summit Hill Dr. (2 blocks)
(865) 522-2600

• Hilton, 501 West Church Ave (3 blocks)
(865) 523-2300

• Holiday Inn, 525 Henley St. (5 blocks)
(865) 522-2800

• Hampton Inn, 618 West Main St. (7 blocks)
(865) 522-5400

• Maplehurst Inn, 800 W. Hill Ave. (8 blocks)
(800) 451-1562

• Four Points by Sheraton, 1109 White Ave. (8 blocks)
(865) 971-4663

Can my organization come down and pass out flyers, coupons, or do street performances?
Sundown is a wonderful way to get the word out about your organization and we would love to discuss potential sponsorship opportunities. Please contact us at info@acentertainment and we will have a member of our sponsorship department contact you with information about the event. Solicitation, including but not limited to, hand-billing, flyers, posters, mascots, street performers is not permitted without approval.

Can I bring my video or professional camera down to Sundown?
Standard point and shoot cameras as well as cell phone cameras are welcomed but all video equipment as well as professional cameras are prohibited. If you are interested in obtaining press credentials for your organization please send your request to info@acentertainment.com.

What can I bring to Sundown?
We welcome blankets, cameras, and umbrellas at the show. Lawn chairs are also welcome, but they may be restricted to designated areas on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Is there anything I can't bring to Sundown?
Please, do NOT bring pets, coolers, recording devices, roller blades, bikes, or professional camera equipment to the show. Plenty of Market Square merchants offer a vast array of food and drinks, including alcoholic beverage choices, so outside food and drinks are not allowed on the square during the show. Factory sealed plastic water bottles or other drinks (non-glass and non-alcoholic) are permitted. Patrons with disabilities are allowed to bring small coolers for medication or specialty food. Service animals are allowed.

When does Sundown in the City begin each Thursday?
Festivities start at 6 pm each Thursday evening, and music begins at 7 pm. The music stops at 10 pm.

Is Sundown safe for kids?
Absolutely! From ages 9 to 90, Sundown in the City welcomes the entire family to Market Square.

What happens if it rains on Thursday?
Sundown in the City is a rain or shine event. In case of rain, bring your favorite umbrella, poncho, or rain gear and enjoy the show!

How do I become a vendor at Sundown in the City?
We are not accepting vendor applications at this time.

If I lost something at Sundown. Where can I find it?
If you notice the evening of a Sundown performance, please come by the Concertwire.com tent.  You may also email a description of the lost item along with your name and contact information to: info@acentertainment.com. We will do our best to locate the item and get it back to you.

“Since 2000 Regal Entertainment Group has proudly supported Sundown in the City. Sundown has become a signature event for the City of Knoxville and for Regal. The event provides tremendous exposure to our downtown area with thousands of concertgoers attending. Our sponsorship provides us with significant media exposure and awareness within the local community.”
-Regal Entertainment Group

“U.S. Cellular believes in giving back where it matters the most. We are excited to be a sponsor of Sundown in the City as it continues its tradition of providing free musical entertainment for all ages that brings the community together. We know that when the right people come together, amazing things happen. We believe we are part of something bigger, and this event is just one of many great things we are proud to support in Knoxville.”
-U.S. Cellular

"Sundown in the City is the best event in Knoxville bar none and we at Eagle Distributing Company are proud to be a part of it."
-Eagle Distributing Company

"Pilot is committed to contributing to the Knoxville community, and Sundown in the City is a great way for us to give back to people of all ages by sharing great entertainment in an outstanding open-air venue in the heart of downtown. Sundown brings people and businesses together for 12 Thursday nights a year to celebrate with free, exhilarating music. Pilot is proud to be a part of it.”
-Pilot

"The Knoxville Tourism & Sports Corporation (KTSC) is thrilled to be a part of Sundown in the City in 2009! The KTSC features unique and exciting events like Sundown in the City in site visits and familiarization tours, where meeting planners explore Knoxville and consider the city as a future event site. Sundown is so important to tourism in Knoxville, as meeting planners are looking not only at our venues, but also at the value of our entertainment.”
-Knoxville Tourism & Sports Corporation

Sober at sundown

We love having people of all ages grooving down on Market Square every Thursday at Sundown in the City, but we want to make one thing clear: Sundown in the City has a zero-tolerance policy towards underage drinking. Whether you arrive under the influence or imbibe at the event, the consequences you could face aren’t worth the hassle. If you and your friends are under 21, come downtown to groove to the music! And stay sober at Sundown.

Recycling

Last year, Keep Knoxville Beautiful helped make Sundown in the City a greener event by enabling visitors and vendors to recycle thousands of pounds of plastic, aluminum, glass, paper and food waste. Let’s keep up the good work in 2009! Look for the recycling bins on Market Square and use them!

Merch

Look for the Concertwire tent for the new 2009 Sundown In the City gear!

Arrested Development :: April 9

Arrested Development speaks to the world through music. The Grammy award-winning group has been devoted to nudging folks in the direction of freedom and spiritual evolution for over 15 years. They are about consciousness, the Earth, African self determination and love. They define themselves as hip-hop artists but also just artists. They are dancers, vocalists, turntablist, drummers, and everything in between. Speech may be the most known member of the group, being the front man, but Dionne Farris, Eshe (Black Life), Rasa Don (Raz), Baba Oje (the elder), Nicha and many others have contributed much to this kaleidoscope of image and sound. Right now A.D. is fresh out of the studio with new songs for a forthcoming CD.

Dishwater Blonde (opening) :: April 9

Davis, Robby, Cozmoe, Gerald and Nakia make up Dishwater Blonde. They are Knoxville’s very own funk/rock and R&B band who have released three albums and have built an incredible following. Don’t miss Dishwater Blonde and the very first performance of Sundown in the City 2009!

Cowboy Mouth :: April 16

For more than 15 years, the members of Cowboy Mouth have embraced, embodied, preached and shouted at the top of their lungs the joys of their hometown of New Orleans, sharing a slice of Mardi Gras heaven with fans around the world on 11 recordings and at their legendary live shows, which to date have been witnessed by more than 8 million and captured best by Cake magazine when it noted: "...on a bad night they’ll tear the roof off the joint and on a good night they’ll save your soul." The release of Voodoo Shoppe in February 2008, like Mardi Gras, signified a revival of spirits for the band and their fans, as well as a resurrection of sorts, of the free-spirited music that has always been intrinsic to both Cowboy Mouth and their city.

Phil Pollard & The Band of Humans (opening) :: April 16

You may recognize the opening act, Phil Pollard & The Band of Humans, from their performance at Bonnaroo 2006. Pollard is a drummer, percussionist, and teacher. He is fond of the classics and believes everyone should know them. He combines the written, often classic Literature, with dance and improvised music so that live audiences can live in both worlds at once.

Karl Denson's Tiny Universe :: April 23

A highly energized funk machine, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe has been expanding listeners' minds and making them move to animated grooves since 1998. Led by former Lenny Kravitz sax-man Karl Denson, the Tiny Universe brings a dynamic sound that defies categorization. The band members--Denson on vocals, tenor sax, alto sax and flute, guitarist Brian Jordan, bassist Ron Johnson, keyboard player David Veith, trumpet player Chris Littlefield and drummer John Staten--have earned a reputation as kings of the unstoppable all-night show.

Brent Thompson and His Wandering (opening) :: April 23

Opening the show will be Brent Thompson and His Wandering. They are anywhere between a 5 to 15-piece big band show featuring the original songs of Brent Thompson with the help of an all-star cast showcasing Knoxville, Tennessee's best musicians. Thompson's songs span a wide range of styles in the Americana vein driven by layers and layers of moving, vocal harmonies and the instrumental craftsmanship of truly creative musicsmiths in a "crowd around the mic" stage show. It is a show you will not want to miss.

Big Head Todd & the Monsters :: April 30

Though he and his band have racked up seven studio albums and countless miles since he first picked up a guitar as a Colorado teen, Big Head Todd and The Monsters' frontman Todd Park Mohr still uses the word “discovery” when he talks about writing songs. During the late '80s and early '90s, the rock band built an audience through constant touring and playing college towns across the country. With these tours, they built a solid fan base before they had even signed to a major label. 1993's “Sister Sweetly,” which went gold and stayed in the charts over a year, showed that they were continuing to improve their songwriting as well as their playing. It was followed by several more albums, some of which include: “Strategem,” in 1994, “Beautiful World” in 1997, “Rivera” in 2002, and their latest, “All The Love You Need” in 2007.

Joan Jones (opening) :: April 30

On tour with Big Head Todd & The Monsters is rock artist Joan Jones. Because she writes songs like no one else and is an amazingly compelling performer, Joan enjoys a rabid fan base who just can't get enough of her work. "Brown Blonde" is the long-awaited new release from a true original. Whether as an acoustic troubadour or a rocking powerhouse, Joan Jones never fails to deliver the goods.

The Royal Bangs :: May 7

The Royal Bangs from Knoxville, Tennessee, is a laser-fueled, turbo pop musical group. Once or twice called "like Radiohead vs. fifteen bottles of Southern Comfort" and "nerd fantasia" by members of the press. They recorded "We Breed Champions," a full-length, on their own at home, released on Audio Eagle records May 2008.

Same As It Ever Was :: May 7

Local rock group and Talking Heads tribute band, Same As It Ever Was, is all about defying expectations. The group came together in concept three years before getting off the ground in June 2005. Why the Talking Heads? Member, Geren, says "It's very conceptual and very profound music, and at the same time it gets people dancing. It's fun — very creative and very surreal at the same time.” What it's become is one of the most innovative groups and fun shows not just in East Tennessee, but all over. Before forming Same As It Ever Was, Geren researched online and found no other Talking Heads tribute bands out there.

Tenderhooks :: May 7

Trying to pigeonhole Tenderhooks is a pointless endeavor. Unlike most of their twentysomething contemporaries, Winstrom, Oyler, Robinson and Honkonen aren’t making youthful alternative music of the moment (or painful retreads of music that was made before they were born), but rather classic, timeless songs that belie their tender ages. Like the best bands, they are a product of their influences (which range from Pere Ubu to Emmylou Harris), yet sound like none of them. Their third and latest release, New Ways to Butcher English, is an artistic triumph, and a major step forward for the band. Tenderhooks are poised to be the next big band to come from Knoxville. Don’t bet against ’em.

Gavin Rossdale :: May 14

Although grunge was primarily an American phenomenon, London native Gavin Rossdale left his mark on the genre by leading Bush to the forefront of modern rock radio in the mid-'90s. Bush's albums include Razorblade Suitcase (recorded by Steve Albini), Deconstructed, The Science of Things, and Golden State, none of which matched the sales success of the debut album, Sixteen Stone. In 2007, Rossdale announced on his website that he was working on new music for a solo album. He wrote that he was very happy with the sound of the album, citing he went back to his roots with Bush. Gavin finished recording his first solo record entitled WANDERlust in 2007. On April 1, 2008, the first single from WANDERlust, "Love Remains The Same," was released through digital retailers. Of the album's title, Rossdale said, "I just liked it because it's kind of sexy enough, it's powerful, it's one word. Wanderlust sums up that desire for music and for singing and performing and this life."

Vertigo (opening) :: May 14

Supporting Rossdale on this evening is the four-piece local band, Vertigo. They marry atl/pop lyricism and well-grounded composition with yearning themes and experimental musicianship, connecting with audiences in electric, deeply personal live performances.

Grupo Fantasma :: May 21

Known as the funkiest, finest and hardest working Latin orchestra to come out of the United States in the last decade, Grupo Fantasma's trademark sound has put more people on the dance floor than Capezio. Deeply rooted in the traditions of cumbia, salsa, funk, and psychedelia this masterful ensemble band has forged a fresh new standard of excellence in Latin music.

The Belleville Outfit (opening) :: May 21

The Belleville Outfit will start of the night with a tight, seamless sound — a mix of gypsy swing, big band, jazz, country and cross-genre Americana roots music, original songs and clever covers. With their sound, this astonishing six-piece belies the 20-something ages of its members.

Dave Barnes :: May 28

Soulful, insightful Mississippi-born singer-songwriter Dave Barnes has something bigger than his talent with lyrics, his vocal mojo or his good looks going for him--he’s just a likable guy. That presence, that aura, has pushed Barnes from performer moonlighting after his classes at MTSU to a national indie-songwriting powerhouse. A chance encounter with Amy Grant found him a powerful fan, as the famous Nashville Christian pop singer made appearances along with her award-winning husband Vince Gill on Barnes’ last album, Chasing Mississippi. His third studio album, Me and You and The World (April 2008), contains the same endearing soul-pop that has won over countless fans. Dave Barnes is becoming the next big thing in the singer-songwriter world.

Jonathan Sexton and the Big Love Choir (opening) :: May 28

Local singer/songwriter, Jonathan Sexton opens as support along with the orchestrated harmonies of eight-piece backing vocal group, the Big Love Choir. Sexton recently released his first solo album in the summer of 2008 titled Big Love, which encompasses the sounds of folk-rock and the Big Love Choir.

Shooter Jennings :: June 4

The only child of Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, "Shooter" Jennings (who officially shares his father's first name) lived his first few years in a crib on his parents' tour bus. By age 5, he was playing drums. Between tours, back in Nashville, he took piano lessons, didn't like them, stopped, then started teaching himself and enjoying it more. He picked up his guitar at 14 and hasn't put it down since. Driven by a sound he heard coming together in his head--something like Lynyrd Skynyrd mutating into Guns N' Roses--in 2003 he moved to New York City to spend time with his girlfriend and sort out what he wanted to do next. An unexpected gig at the House of Blues a few weeks later revived his creativity. He returned to L.A. to form another band, the 357s. After six weeks in the studio, he completed his first solo album, Put the O Back in Country, which came out in early 2005. Electric Rodeo followed in 2006 then The Wolf in 2007.

1220 (opening) :: June 4

Local rock band, 1220, will kick off the show their seventies style of rock, but with a good dose of their own swaggering style. Take the unpredictability of early Aerosmith, and mix a little bit of Led Zeppelin and T. Rex, and add a little Motley spice, and you've got a band that sounds a bit like 1220. With every show, in every city, 1220 keeps turning heads with their infectious high-energy shows.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals :: June 11

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are a young, Vermont-based band gaining national attention by selling out tours and stealing hearts of audiences across the nation. The band’s original blend of roots, funky blues, soul, and rock conjures up a nostalgic sound most likely found in a record collection from the '60s and early '70s. Leading the charge is 24-year-old Grace Potter whose dynamic vocal ability has drawn comparisons to legends Bonnie Raitt, Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin and more recently Sheryl Crow and Joan Osborne. The band released its third and newest album, This Is Somewhere, in 2007. The album has gained national attention by being featured on Grey’s Anatomy and ER. Immerse yourself in the driving hard-rock sound of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals’ live performance.