“I have always wanted Sunset on Central to grow into a massive free festival that filled every bar, venue, and space that wanted to host music.”
These are the words of Garret Thomson, co-originator of Born & Raised Production.
Along with Kent Oglesby, Thomson has turned the local production and promotion company into a regional staple for all things music.
When they started Sunset on Central in 2016, they wanted to highlight the local music scene and bring in a handful of regional acts who were having trouble finding footing in Knoxville. And they wanted it to be free.
Free it remains, but for the latest installment, the festival has shifted in leadership and now operations are handled by Knox Music Coalition. The idea hasn’t changed, though. “I would love to look back and see Sunset on Central with 25-30 stages and a massive regional draw,” continues Thomson. “It would require a huge community buy in to expand it and a lot of corporate sponsorship support, but it could happen. Every dollar we receive from sponsorships and donations just goes right back into making it bigger and better so who knows. Maybe one day.”
Blank was recently able to catch up with Chris Hill, board member of Knox Music Coalition, to gab about what folks can expect for the event later this month and the transition at hand. Here is our conversation:
Blank: How did the lineup come together this year and how long have you been working on it?
Chris Hill: I’m a fan first and a promoter second. So anytime I put a lineup together, I’m choosing artists I believe in and personally want to see live. I curate a bill in a similar way I discover new artists to listen to; I choose an artist I like and then find out who’s in their circle, who are they listening to, who would they enjoy sharing a bill with, etc.
I enjoy music from all genres, so I also try to mix it up, so patrons can discover artists in genres they like but also be exposed to a style they don’t typically see.
I sent my first offer back in May and it came together easily for a couple reasons. Local artists are already aware of the fest and want to be involved and regional artists want to play Knoxville. A lot of the regional artists I’ve booked don’t have a venue to play here, due to our lack of small to mid-sized ticketed venues. For that reason, it’s not the easiest city to include on a tour schedule. So we’re proud to provide the opportunity for those artists to play here.
Blank: Is Born & Raised still involved with the festival?
CH: Absolutely. We couldn’t do it without their experience and guidance. They’re a little more behind the scenes this year as Born & Raised Productions has transferred festival operations to Knox Music Coalition. KMC is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening and connecting Knoxville’s music scene. The spirit of the festival remains the same: a high-energy, community-powered celebration of local and regional music, now guided by a mission to directly support musicians through advocacy, education and career development. In 2025, Garrett & Kent made the decision to ensure the festival could better support the local music scene. The best way to do that was to entrust its operation to the organization that directly benefits from its impact.
Blank: Care to talk about the reasons behind the event?
CH: We bill Sunset on Central as a “music discovery festival” so we feature artists who we feel are up and coming in their music careers. It’s a great opportunity to catch an artist on the rise, years before their tickets are hard to get.
It also provides a stage for a local artist to grow into. Once they’ve started playing shows regularly and recording/releasing music, what better way to continue growing their fanbase than playing a festival? We generally have 3000+ people show up to Sunset on Central and we’re proud to put a spotlight on our local talent.
Knox Music Coalition has established the Sunset Stage Fund, giving festivalgoers the opportunity to support our mission through donations. Because Sunset on Central is a free event, these contributions help turn the energy and enthusiasm of attendees into meaningful investment in Knoxville’s music community.
Donations directly support initiatives such as increasing compensation for local performers, expanding educational programming and professional development opportunities, and growing the festival through additional stages, artists and community programming in future years.
Blank: Who are some of the acts that you’re most excited about?
CH: For the indie rock fans, I’m really excited about Maggie Miles. Last year’s headliner VEAUX mentioned on Threads that Maggie’s live show was special. I took note and reached out.
Other indie rock acts include: Crumbsnatchers, Gabrielle Grace, Young Ritual, Legit Smitty, Jacob Franklin Lawter and Easy Does It. I love a string band, so I’m looking forward to bluegrass/indie folk band, Blind House. I’ve seen a few of their band members play independently, but never the full band. I’ve been listening to their first full length record, released back in December, and it’s fantastic. They bill themselves as a “bluegrass boy band” and that intrigues me.
Over the past couple years, we’ve been growing the hip hop roster of Sunset artists. J.Bu$h helped put together a lineup of hip hop artists I’m excited about: Gray Jackson, Lane Shuler and Seb Camry are making their festival debut. Drew Drake is back this year. Look for those artists to collab across several stages this year.
We have a variety of singer/songwriters joining us, as well. Shlomo Franklin, Ziona Riley, Ella Pinchok and Matthew Steven Whitaker are all bringing their own unique styles to our singer/songwriter stage.
Then there are several artists who bend genres that I’m excited about: Charlie Maples, Hollye B, LB Beistad, SOLIE and Zoe Lemon – Soul, country, americana, pop, r&b and rock are all represented with these artists.
I’m most excited for our headliner, moony.
This is a project from Seth Findley (Nashville) that is nearly impossible to define. His live show is a fever dream of alt rock, hardcore, indie, electronic and folk elements that must be experienced live to fully understand. I saw moony for the first time at Scruffy City Hall several years ago, early in the band’s journey. I think there were a total of 20 people in the room, including the band, and the show blew me away. Everyone there had the same reaction. It was as if they were playing for thousands. Huge energy, programmed lighting, incredible artistry, musicianship and stage presence…they had it. I was like “people have to see this.”
moony’s following has grown since then and we’re lucky to have him. I hope artists see this and remember it when they’re playing a show that’s not well-attended. You never know who’s in the crowd. They may invite you to headline their festival one day.
BLANK: There are a lot of local acts on this bill who are new to me. Where did you find these acts? Looks like you leave no stone unturned.
CH: It’s a mix of artists who’ve shown up at Knox Music Coalition meetups, artists featured on local radio shows like Local Honey Radio (hosted by Becki Grace), friends from the Pilot Light community and a monthly mixtape playlist curated by the KMC team here.
BLANK: Who are some people behind the scenes who deserve a little extra credit?
CH: The KMC team may be small, but we’re scrappy. Sunset on Central simply wouldn’t happen without the time, talent and dedication of an incredible group of volunteers. No one on this team is paid to do this. We all give our time because we believe in Knoxville’s music community and want to see it thrive.
I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together with limited time and resources. A huge thank you to Nancy Ann Wilson, Melissa Hill, Joseph Barnum, Emilie Stooksbury, Travis Tench and of course, the OGs who helped build the foundation for all of this: Kent Oglesby and Garrett Thomson.
We can’t do this without our sponsors and venues. We aim to keep this festival free to the public forever and that can only happen with the help of our presenting sponsor, Axle Logistics and our other generous sponsors: KUB Fiber, First Century Bank and Tennessee Entertainment Commission.
We have five stages this year: Yee-Haw Brewing, Central Filling Station, Schulz Brau, Corner Lounge and Next Level Brewing
We’re grateful our sponsors and venues believe in our vision for the festival and continue their support year after year.
