Saturday presents varied music lineup
Four music groups will keep things lively at the 2008 Pellissippi State Hot Air Balloon Festival on Saturday evening, as the crowd takes advantage of the multitude of activities, then settles in for the nightly balloon glow.
Kind of Blue kicks off the event by performing 4:15-5:15 p.m.
“We want the audience to feel like they can get up and dance, be as crazy as they want to be,” said Blue. The four-member jazz fusion band, which was “born” at Pellissippi State, creates a big sound as it combines jazz and funk.
“It’s not just cocktail music. We’re having a conversation with the audience. We say, ‘Hey, how’re you doin’?’ They say, ‘We’re doin’ good.’ Then bam!” The band members feed off one other for energy as they improvise with such favorites as “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder, “Reruns From the ’60s” by Donald Brown and “Watermelon Man” by Herbie Hancock.
 Tall Paul follows at 5:30-6:30. “Tall Paul” Bobal is a highly charged—and yes, really tall—live performer guaranteed to impress the crowd.
Bobal started playing keyboard in garage bands in Virginia Beach, Virginia, when he was 11. Now he performs all over the globe to enthusiastic crowds, playing close to 200 dates a year. Tall Paul’s work combines a high-level knowledge of rock, pop and bluegrass music and a superior ability to entertain an audience.
His music has been influenced by everyone from the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and the Doors to James Taylor, Doc Watson and John Hiatt.
Good Tomorrow comes all the way from South Carolina for its 7-8 p.m. performance. The rock band got its start playing coffee houses, churches and colleges along the East Coast. The balloon festival audience is sure to enjoy the group’s progressive, unpolished blend of contemplative lyrics and guitar-driven music.
 Crystal Clear Band wraps things up by performing 9-10 p.m. The Atlanta-based group provides a show-stopping, crowd-pleasing, energetic performance. This seven-member band includes three vocalists and a dynamic rhythm section whose repertoire includes funk, rhythm and blues, old and new school, Motown, beach, jazz, Top 40 and audience requests.
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