Night Ranger, fireworks close out 2025 Red, White and BOOM

KINGSPORT — Saturday was a Night Ranger night in the Model City, the second one of sorts since 2017. But this time the band founded in the early 1980s closed the night's musical three-band performances instead of opening a two-concert Fun Fest concert night eight years ago. Crowds swarmed the west end of downtown Saturday, July 5, at the free Red, White & BOOM music, food and fireworks event in downtown Kingsport on the Cardinal Glass Industries Stage set up just north of Centennial Park's water feature, near the Main Street intersection with Broad Street. Main Street was closed off for the event for block, and the event is sometimes styled Red, White & BOOM! Food trucks and trailers opened by 5 p.m, and the music started at 5:30 p.m., with the second band at 6:45 p.m. and the headliner at 8:15 p.m. Fireworks then wrapped up the night starting a little after 9:45 p.m., shot from Cement Hill but viewable across much of Kingsport because of the elevation of the hill. The final musical performers to take the stage Saturday were members of headliner Night Ranger, an arena rock band marking the 43rd anniversary of its 1982 beginning. {{tncms-asset app="editorial" id="e182c0d3-9f87-5a95-b1b7-660520385720"}} NIGHT RANGER The band last performed at Kingsport's Fun Fest in 2017, opening a Friday night Sunset Concert Series followed by Rick Springfield. Night Ranger has sold 17 million albums, according to its website, and its hit singles include the well-known "Sister Christian," as well as "(You Can Still) Rock in America" and "Don't Tell Me You Love Me," all three of which the band performed Saturday. The band also also did a "Star Spangled Banner" guitar solo a la Jimi Hendrix, as well as an informal medley of "na, na, na" songs including the Beatles Hey Jude, "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osborne and other non-Night Ranger songs. Members are Jack Blades on bass and vocals, Kelly Keagy on drums and vocals, Brad Gillis on lead and rhythm guitars, Eric Levy and keyboards and Kerie Kelli on lead and rhythm guitars. DONNIE AND THE DRY HEAVERS Donnie and the Dry Heavers, an Indie-Rock/Jam band based in Kingsport, kicked off the music by taking the stage first. Formed in 2018, the band consists of Chancellor Lawson on guitar and vocals, Cameron Hite on drugs and vocals, Andrew Kramer on guitar and vocals and Magus Vaughn on bass and vocals. BOB ICKES AND TREY HENSLEY Second to take the stage were Bob Ickes and Trey Hensley, an acoustic duo. Ickes is a 15-time International Bluegrass Music Association Dobro Player of the Year, while Hensley is a Tennessee-born guitar prodigy who made his Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 11. The two meld together blues, bluegrass, country rock and other string band music of all kinds to form a signature blend of music defying restrictions of genre, according to the duo's website. Sponsors of the Saturday event were Cardinal, Eastman Credit Union, This is Kingsport, Visit Kingsport, Tractor Supply, Food City, the Spivey King Spivey LLC law firm, Express AV and Electric 94.9 FM radio. In addition to a horizontal video from the evening embedded in the online version of this article, shorter vertical reels from it are on the Kingsport Times News Facebook and Instagram pages.