Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors play for a packed audience at Market Square

With hundreds of audience members in attendance, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors received a big welcome home on Saturday, Nov. 5. Fellow Knoxville natives, Cereus Bright, joined and opened for the band. The free concert was put on by the Campus Events Board and served as the bookend to the 100th University of Tennessee Homecoming celebration.

Carly Crawford, a University of Tennessee student and concert attendee said, “It’s really cool to not only have this free concert, but to also have UT alums playing.”

Drew Holcomb and his wife, Ellie Holcomb who sang alongside the band, met while attending the University of Tennessee. During the concert, Drew stated that he and Ellie would come to Market Square when they were students to hear live music. He went on to say, “it’s a really surreal experience to be playing at a venue that we would come to so often as students.”

The band played many old songs as well as a couple new tracks. The band put the audience on their feet with songs like “Fire and Dynamite,” “Here We Go,” and “Good Light.” They also appealed to the couples in the audience by playing slow hits such as “American Beauty” and “Hung the Moon.” The band even played two brand new songs, one which they had just recorded the day before.

The hit song of the night, “Tennessee,” was played during the encore and hit home with the audience featuring lyrics “It’s not just geography, it’s a part of me, the air I breathe.”

The bands had to stick strictly to the Market Square sound ordinance leading to the concert ending promptly at 10 p.m.

With so many students and general public in attendance, this concert served a successful ending to the monumental 100th University of Tennessee Homecoming.

You can stay connected with Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors on their website by checking out tour dates, videos, updates and much more.

Featured Image by Gabrielle Harman

Edited by Katy Hill