Southbound Music Festival at Avondale Brewing Co. (July 20)
On Saturday, July 20, Birmingham Mountain Radio will host the 2nd annual Southbound Music Festival at Avondale Brewing Company!
The festival is the product of a late night conversation between Southbound Internet Radio hosts David and Michael Seale. “We had the idea for the first festival when we were driving back from a trip March of 2012,” says David. “In the course of about three hours had created the basic framework.” The idea caught momentum around Birmingham Mountain Radio and leapt form drawing board to stage with the help of the BMR team. “Jeff Clanton, Birmingham Mountain Radio station manager, has been instrumental in making the festival happen,” says Seale. “All of the staff at BMR lent a hand, so much that without BMR, the festival couldn’t be successful.”
The BMR staff has plenty to be excited about this summer. In addition to the festival, the station recently launched its own terrestrial radio channel, 107.3 FM. This marks a rare occurrence of an online station successfully going terrestrial after first launching online. “All of that lies with the very tireless work of those folks who have been with BMR from the start,” says Seale, “three years of long ours, as well as the city of Birmingham who showed how much they wanted an independent radio station with good music. A team effort, truly.”
This year’s festival will feature a new roster of great local talent, including bands from local labels like Communicating Vessels and Skybucket. “We have always said that we want diversity to be a main component of the festival,” says Seale. “This year you will see rock, indie, hip hop, country, alt. country, and singer-songwriters on the bill, all from Birmingham.”
The music was hand-picked from a wealth of incredible performers, form established acts to rising artists. The bands featured represent the amazing skill and variety that can be found in Birmingham scene and surrounding cities. “I think there is this terrific younger group of musicians and songwriters that will make Birmingham a musical force for years to come,” says Seale. “We are also seeing neighboring areas really start to strengthen in terms of an original music scene, places like Montevallo and Tuscaloosa, and that is making Birmingham even more vital.”
Seale and the BMR staff are optimistic about this summer’s event, recalling the success of the inaugural festival. “It exceeded all of our expectations,” he says. “The music was terrific, and the crowd was larger than we had even hoped.”
Following a successful first year, the festival will return to Avondale Brewing Company’s outdoor stages. Seale and company found the brewery to be the perfect venue for Southbound, and it’s easy to see why. “The administrative staff there is fabulous: organized, helpful, efficient, accommodating, really on top of things,” he says. “Also, the two stages outside is key, allowing for us to do things we couldn’t do if we were at a club. And their beer is excellent!”
Here’s the musical talent at this year’s festival:
The variety of artists and genres showcased at Southbound offer plenty of opportunities to discover new music. “There were a lot of people there who came to see one artist, but after seeing others, found new bands they liked,” says Seale. “In the end, it’s that kind of exposure we want to promote with this festival.”
The Southbound Music Festival will begin on July 20 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10.
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