To quote The Who, “The song is over. It’s all behind (us).” The Strut is at an end, and as usual, it was a smoky evening of food and fun.

From the newspaper’s office on East 11th Street, we’ve got an excellent view of the preparations for the Bessie Smith Strut going on down on M.L. King Boulevard.

I caught up with 34-year-old Jason “Lefty” Williams, the Atlanta-based blues singer/guitarist while he was setting up for his performance as part of the Bessie Smith strut to talk about why he loves the blues, his inspirations and what it’s like playing with only one hand.

Today, while waiting on the Coke Lawn with podcaster Sean Phipps for Christabel and the Jons to take the TVA Showcase Stage at 6:30 p.m., I saw a sight that just begged to be blogged about.

Today I’m refusing to let a little nerve damage keep me from the festival for the duration, and neither should you because the weather is looking fantastic and the lineup is full of must-see artists.

I’d love to say I was able to keep my promise and make it back out to the grounds to hear the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera share the stage with Three Dog Night, but unfortunately trying to walk around the festival Sunday only exacerbated the pain in my foot to near crippling levels.

At the end of Riverbend last year, I made a life-altering decision to leave my lonely apartment perched at a precipice at the end of the world (East Brainerd Road) and relocate to a swank apartment downtown.

I’ve attended Riverbend pretty much from the beginning.

Armed with nothing more than a pedometer, a notebook and a grim resolve to have fun, I kept a detailed log today of my Riverbend activities.

OK, so yesterday started off a little slow but ended with a bang when Willie Nelson took the stage (or in a more literal way if you were the man behind me who was punched unconscious). Today promises to be even better.

Best act you probably didn’t see today — Deep Blue Sun. When this Atlanta-based group of psychedelic jammers opened up the Bud Light Stage, podcaster Sean Phipps and I were blown away.

I had a momentary sense of profound guilt shortly after the gates to Riverbend opened Friday.

I was still five blocks out when I heard the first distant strains of Willie Nelson’s headlining performance on the Coke Stage tonight, and things only improved the closer I got.

If I’d known someone was paying attention when I wished for more comfortable weather at Riverbend, I might have requested something a little more lavish. Then again, with temperatures in the upper 60s at the moment (!!), I’ll settle for not dripping sweat tonight when Willie Nelson takes the stage.