Music Festival: Merrell Crawfish Boil

by Tallulah Baird

There’s a new don’t-miss-it rock fest on the Nashville music scene – but you just might have to get your hands dirty to truly enjoy it. For the second year, the Merrell Crawfish Boil will take over Riverfront Park in Downtown Nashville for two days in May—Friday the 16th through Saturday the 17th. The music extravaganza will take place on the Riverfront at Broadway and 1st Street. Over 15,000 pounds of fresh crawfish will be delivered straight from Louisiana to feed the expected 10,000 to 20,000 hungry festival-goers.

The 2nd Annual Merrell Crawfish Boil Nashville will be headlined by 3 Doors Down and Paramore, with supporting such acts as T-Pain, Finger Eleven, Papa Roach, New Found Glory, Presidents of the United States of America, and more.

The Crawfish Boil is a collaborative effort coordinated between Red Mountain Entertainment in Birmingham, Blue Deuce in New Orleans, and Outback Concerts of Nashville. Jay Wilson of Red Mountain Entertainment had this to say: “Our concept is simple. We find that people love the idea of seeing multiple big-name acts over the weekend for a reasonably priced ticket. When you throw in the crawfish component, as well as the presence of local vendors and businesses, it becomes even more of a cultural experience.”

The original Crawfish Boil took place twenty-three years ago in “some guy’s backyard in Birmingham,” says Wilson. Over two decades later, it’s still alive and thriving. A sister event in New Orleans has boomed to such a degree that, in 2007, the partnership decided it was time to experiment with a similar event in Music City. It turned out even better than they could have dreamt: “We built the stage on a barge, and it was so picturesque it was almost surreal. Miller Lite was our first and only sponsor last year, and it went so well that they’ve stuck around for year two, and others like f.y.e., and Hard Rock Café have jumped on board and Merrell, a manufacturer of outdoors and active footwear, is the primary sponsor this year.

What should first-timers expect from their fest experience? “It’s about having a blast on the river for two days,” says Wilson. “And yes, there will be food other than crawfish, so don’t let it hold you back if you’re a fan of rock ’n’ roll, and not of seafood.”

The festivities commence at 4:30pm on Friday, and 2:00pm on Saturday. Advance single-day tickets, weekend passes, and weekend VIP Packages are on sale now at www.Ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster outlets, or by calling 615-255-9600 or 800-277-1700. VIP tickets include free crawfish, private restrooms, and access to cash beverage stations in on-site Fort Nashborough. Advance tickets are $20 (single day) and $35 (two-day). VIP Tickets are $50 for a single-day, and $90 for a two-day pass. See www.nashvillecrawfishboil.com for details.