Concerts In The Park At Big Spring Park Starts June 7th

The sun is shining, the temperature is rising, and the humidity has come out to play. Typically this abrupt reintroduction to Summer would have us hiding in our homes with four fans pointed at us, but the season does hold one very particular advantage – the return of Arts Huntsville’s Concerts in the Park.

This free summer-long series has been a staple in Huntsville for years, providing a fun weekly entertainment option for families, couples and friend groups alike.

Beginning June 7th and continuing over ten weeks, local bands will be set up outside the Huntsville Museum of Art while music-lovers hang out in Big Spring Park on lawn chairs, blankets, or whatever seating arrangement your heart desires.

Some of our favorite food trucks and vendors will be parked along Williams Avenue and Church Street for you to turn your concert into a picnic, or you’re free to bring your own food and drink to enjoy.

Some of the food trucks you can expect to see are Hippea Camper, which is plant-based comfort food; all-beef hotdogs and treats from Golden Years Ice Cream Parlor & Diner; Happi Pappi beignets and more; Yum Yum’s Gourmet Popcorn & Lemonade Stand; O Taste & See BBQ; Mac & Snacks gourmet mac & cheese; mega-burgers from The Piled High Grill; and Iceworks shaved ice.

And bring your four-legged friends, too – leashed dogs are welcome to come and groove with you.

Staring June 7^th, mark your calendars for your new Monday night tradition and meet us at Concerts in the Park every Monday from 6:30-8:30pm through August 9^th!

MUSIC LINEUP

JUNE 7 – The Unique Live Band / JUICE

JUNE 14 – Victoria Jones and Jordan Moore / JED Eye

JUNE 21 – Luke and Jay / Kat Elizabeth

JUNE 28 – Maneuver Center of Excellence Band (MCoE)

JUNLY 5 – A.M. Brown / Darien Omar

JULY 12 – Chelsea, Who? / Remy Neal

JULY 19 – Seeking Babylon / Groove

JULY 26 – Kristoffer Leshaun / Rocket City Latin Band

AUGUST 2 – Jimmy Henderson Trio / .45 Surprise

AUGUST 9 – Weather Make-Up Date (bands TBD)

Alex Hendrix

Alex is a native Huntsvillian and a singer/songwriter, culture promoter, and content creator.

Got ideas on how we can help build Huntsville’s music scene? We’re all ears. Send us an EMAIL with any questions, comments, or suggestions, and SiGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER for important updates. Don’t worry – we won’t overload you. Important stuff only, promise.

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Interviewing Patterson Hood About The Princess Theater, Songwriting, and His Ties To Huntsville

Southern rock fans, listen up – Patterson Hood (of the Drive-By Truckers) is playing the Princess Theater in Decatur, Alabama on June 26th, and he may be more excited than we are about the show – and that’s saying something.

HuntsvilleMusic.com’s Tom sat down with Patterson for an exclusive interview to talk about all things music, performing, and what’s to come, and wound up lucking into an in-depth conversation spanning politics, family, Kendrick Lamar, and more.

Patterson was especially passionate when reminiscing about his ties to Huntsville, saying of the growing city:

“I grew up in Florence, Alabama and the Muscle Shoals area, so […] I’d see concerts at the Von Braun Civic Center. I saw Kansas more times than I can count. Eddie Money, Billy Squire, I went to all those shows. When Cooley [of the Drive-By Truckers] and I formed our first band 36 years ago, Adam’s House Cat, we used to play the Tip Top.“

Watch the full interview below to hear Patterson shed light on what it was like to write music during a pandemic, how his songs and their meanings have changed over time, and what upcoming projects he has in the works.

As for us, Tom, the man behind the interview, is an avid Truckers fan and has been following Patterson’s career for some time. He knows the old adage ‘don’t meet your heroes,’ but in this case, he says it couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“He’s one of those instances where you don’t have to worry about separating the artist and the art – he’s just an all around genuine, thoughtful person,” enthuses Tom.

And Tom plans on bringing his enthusiasm to the Princess Theater, where he’ll see Patterson Hood play solo live for the second time.

There are still a few tickets to the June 26th show at the Princess Theater in Decatur, Alabama, so grab them before they sell out. And if you see us, come say hey – we’d love to sing a few bars of our favorite Patterson Hood chorus with you.

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Tom Patterson

Tom is the Creative Director of HuntsvilleMusic.com and lives in Huntsville, AL with his two boys Danny and Jackson.

Got ideas on how we can help build Huntsville’s music scene? We’re all ears. Send me an EMAIL with any questions, comments, or suggestions, and SiGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER for important updates. Don’t worry – we won’t overload you. Important stuff only, promise.

huntsvillemusic.com

A Taste of Panoply’s Live Music

I think we can all agree that as 2021 progresses, things are seriously looking up – vaccines are rolling out, the weather is beautiful, and, best of all, Panoply is back on.

Panoply is Huntsville’s famous three-day arts festival that takes place every spring at Big Spring Park and is a round up of local artists, food and drink vendors, and awesome music that brings the community together. This weekend, Panoply’s back, and it’s going to look a little different – but one thing that remains the same is the presence of local musical talent.

We had the privilege of spending an evening with Lana White and her bandmate, Kira Hughes, of Lana and the Seekers, who’ll be performing in the coveted Saturday afternoon spot to open for Southern rock sound the Vegabonds. They gave us some insight on what to expect not just from their act but from the festival as a whole.

First, though, let’s dive into what this year’s Panoply will look like and why Arts Huntsville is referring to it as ‘A Taste of Panoply.’

‘“A Taste of Panoply,’ a scaled-back version of the annual three-day arts festival, will be held from April 23-25, 2021, in Big Spring Park in downtown Huntsville. This year’s event will look different from previous years while providing the community with an opportunity to safely interact to celebrate and support the arts community.” – Arts Huntsville

This means a few major changes, most of which focus on social distancing, increased cleanliness and sanitizing protocols, and a donation-based pay structure. Find out more details here at the Arts Huntsville Panoply page.

What this year’s Panoply isn’t scaling back, however, is music. Their weekend lineup is an astounding collection of local and national talent, outlined in detail by Arts Huntsville:
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FRIDAY APRIL 23

“The ticketed “A Taste of Panoply” Friday Festival Preview event kicks off with the Lamont Landers Band. Closing out the evening is Nashville-based headlining act The War And Treaty. The dynamic husband-and-wife duo were named emerging artists of the year by the Americana Music Association and were featured on the Today Show and at the 2021 Rose Bowl Parade Spectacular. The War And Treaty has previously performed with Mumford & Sons, toured with Jason Isbell and will be opening for John Legend on multiple tour dates this summer.
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SATURDAY APRIL 24

Saturday on the Showcase Stage features local and regional talent throughout the day including the following acts: Tyler A.K., Them Damn Dogs, WANDA, Joe Cagle, DMRSoul and Lana White. Saturday night, the Unique Live Band will open for the headlining act The Vegabonds, who will close out the evening with a night of Southern rock music. The Alabama-born, Tennessee-bred group of five musicians released their fifth studio album “V” in 2019 and have previously opened for acts such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and the late Gregg Allman.

The Lamont Landers Band

The War & Treaty

Them Damn Dogs

WANDA

LANA WHITE

SUNDAY APRIL 25

On Sunday, “A Taste of Panoply” celebrates a day of Alabama Music, featuring a full-day lineup of artists from North Alabama with the following acts: Cotton and Clover, Alan Little and the Giants, Ally Cat and the Stray Dogs, Midlife Chrysler and The Beasley Brothers to the Showcase Stage.”

HuntsvilleMusic.com sat down with Lana White and Kira Hughes of Lana and the Seekers to talk Panoply, the Huntsville music scene, and women in music.

Lana and the Seekers is a Huntsville all-girl band comprised of Lana White, Kira Hughes, Canita Rogers, Alli Johnson, and Kim Coffey, all talented Huntsville musicians who play in other acts or solo but who are coming together with the shared vision of creating Huntsville’s own all-female rock group. And, for most of the band, it’s their first time playing Panoply – a fitting starting point for the 256 fixtures.

LANA AND THE SEEKERS INTERVIEW

They promise rock with intricate melodies, harmonizing, and ear-pleasing guitar riffs to kick off the Saturday evening lineup. I ask Lana about the band and their sound and she is, as always, easy to talk to, warm and open as if she’s an old friend and not someone I’ve only met once before. She and Kira have easy rapport and volley compliments back and forth with a genuineness that you can’t help but lean into, charmed by their earnestness.

“She’s the best drummer I know,” Lana enthuses at one point, as Kira, shyer by nature, affectionately shakes her head. Fewer than five minutes later, however, Kira’s giving it right back, describing how easy it is to put together a set list from Lana’s original music – “It’s all so good, there’s so much great stuff to choose from.”

And Lana and the Seekers will be playing their original music at Panoply, along with a few ‘girl rock’ power anthems to get the crowd singing along.

“We wanted to pay tribute to other all-female rock groups that have paved the way, so we’ve got the Bengals, the Go Gos, Heart,” Lana says, Kira nodding along as she speaks. This cohesion comes from years of knowing one another, though Lana and the Seekers haven’t gotten the chance to play together yet.

And we can think of a better stage to debut than Panoply’s.

Panoply arts festival will be happening at Big Spring Park this weekend, April 23^rd – 25^th, and will feature all manner of eclectic art from local and regional talent as well as good food, cold drinks, and fantastic music. Visit Arts Huntsville to learn more about ticketing, safety, and more – and we’ll see y’all there.

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Grace Treutel

Grace is the Content Director of HuntsvilleMusic.com and lives in Madison, AL, which really isn’t that far, guys.

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First Annual Tennessee Valley Music Showcase, Free At Mars Music Hall

April 9, 2021 by Grace Treutel

Art, Culture, Huntsville, Live Music, News

alabama, huntsville, huntsville al, huntsville alabama, huntsville culture, huntsville opera, live music huntsville, mars music hall, rocket city, tennessee valley, tennessee valley music showcase

Get ready to rock, Tennessee Valley – Huntsville’s hosting the first Annual Tennessee Valley Music Showcase, a free event happening at Mars Music Hall on April 17^th, 2021 all day long. This free event is the first of its kind at Mars Music Hall and will be showcasing local talent from all over the southeastern region.

Derek Welsh

Southern rocker Derek Welsh of McQueen Street fame and award-winning country star Paige King Johnson will be headlining the show and setting the tone for genres, which will be a mix of southern rock, country, and classic rock ‘n roll. Supporting regional acts include Inclination of Direction, Bad Ethyl, Cameron Dubois, Zoe Burdett, Michael Clark, Tyler AK, and more.

Paige King Johnson

The event will also include vendors Serengeti Guitars of Hartselle, Redstone Harley Davidson, Copper Top Bar & Grill, and more. Doors will open at 12 to browse the vendors and showcase, with music beginning at 2 and going until 10. There will be merch giveaways throughout the day.

The showcase is organized by long-time Alabama native and music enthusiast Steve X, whose mission in hosting such a large-scale event is simple.

“[This showcase] is all about bringing people together and having a good time. Showing them that Huntsville’s alive and vibrant in the music scene. This is gonna be an annual thing, so this is the first of many showcases to come in the city of Huntsville.”

His mission echoes ours at HuntsvilleMusic.com – to show the Tennessee Valley that you don’t have to make a drive to a neighboring city to hear great music.

“All these artists are gonna be playing some of their original music and it’s such good stuff. It’s gonna be a great time to come and discover your next favorite band. There will be some covers for everyone to enjoy, but we really want to showcase our local talent.”

The event was conceptualized by Steve and the Von Braun Center’s Mike Vojticek, who worked together to create this unique, tailor-made experience to promote music and culture within Huntsville, by Huntsville.

Mars Music Hall

“We’re very grateful to Mars Music Hall for letting us do this, as well as Mike and his staff. We really just can’t thank them enough and all the bands, of course. We have no idea what to expect for the showcase – we’re ready for 300 people and we’re ready for 1700 people. We’re excited to see how Huntsville embraces this.”

For many of the bands, this showcase will be their first experience playing on such a large stage, and for others, it will be a return to humble roots. Most of the acts will be available to the public after their sets to sign autographs, take photos, and talk shop.

The event is a come-and-go, free event, so music lovers can pop into Mars to hear a set, then take a walk downtown to eat, drink, or soak up the sun in nearby Big Spring Park. The showcase is open to all ages, so bring your rock ‘n roll mini-me’s, and get ready to enjoy some live Huntsville Music.

“It’s the first showcase of many, our first annual Tennessee Valley Music Showcase. It’s a free show and I just hope it’s a great night for everyone.”

We’re with you, Steve.

For more information, visit the Mars Music Hall site.

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Grace Treutel

Grace is the Content Director of HuntsvilleMusic.com and lives in Madison, AL, which really isn’t that far, guys.

huntsvillemusic.com/

Gilbert And Sullivan In Rocket City: An Upcoming Outdoor Operatic Experience

Huntsville is about to get a whole lot more cultured thanks to Opera Huntsville’s upcoming series, an operatic performance bespoke to the Rocket City called Gilbert and Sullivan in Rocket City.

We sat down with Erin Huelskamp, stage director of the production, to get some insider insight on challenges, highlights, and what to expect, but first, some background on this eclectic experience.

According to Opera Huntsville, “Gilbert and Sullivan in Rocket City is a one-of-a-kind production set in Huntsville and highlighting each of the 14 operas created by the iconic duo W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan (G&S).

This show combines some of G&S’s best-known pieces such as Three Little Maids, The Matter Trio, and Poor Wandr’ing One with brand new, clever dialogue by G&S lover and expert, Jaie Deschene. Tailor-made for Opera Huntsville, the three little maids transform into three little engineering nerds from UAH. The nerds wander through Rocket City building robots, spaceships, and, of course, looking for love. Hilarity ensues.

This fully staged, hour-long production features ten stellar singers alongside the Calhoun Chorus and a nine-piece orchestra. Set outside, performed with masks, and socially distanced, it should be an experience that brings musical excellence and a sense of joy to Huntsville. The singers and the orchestra will be amplified in order to hear them clearly while outside and masked.”

HuntsvilleMusic.com got a chance to interview stage director Erin Huelskamp, who shed some light on why this production is a must-see for opera lovers and Huntsvillians alike.

“I think that one of the coolest things on earth about Huntsville [is that it’s the Rocket City], and to have an opera that engages with that is just really fun. There are lots of little things that reference Rocket City in the show. In some of our opening lyrics, we say, ‘if you marry me, a rocket I will build you.’ Of course, that’s not the original lyric, but you’ll notice lots of cute things like that.”

Lyrics aren’t the only thing that were changed to accommodate the current climate, however – the show will be performed outdoors, something that’s unusual for an operatic performance. But Erin and her troupe aren’t deterred – in fact, they’re excited.

“[Our outdoor venue choices] were definitely influenced by the pandemic since we knew we needed someplace safe. Burritt on the Mountain and the Huntsville Botanical Gardens are so iconic in Huntsville, and it was exciting to be able to partner with them and present a show in a way that we hope is going to be as safe as possible for everyone involved.”

And when Erin says everyone involved, she means everyone – musicians, chorus members, and singers included. Which means masks for performers, which in turn calls for bigger performances.

“We’re going to have to engage a little bit more in what would be considered a grand opera staging where you use your body in its entirety to tell the story. If you can imagine how operas are usually performed, you would have people in nosebleed seats who could only kind of see the performers on stage through binoculars or what have you. People who are performing in those venues have to use big gestures because you’re playing to a house that’s huge. Even though we’re small, we’re masked, so we’re going to have to engage in a similar way.”

But Erin doesn’t sound deterred by the twist on a traditional smaller-scale operetta performance. In fact, she sounds excited by it, eager to share her and writer Jaie Deschene’s brainchild with the city that inspired it. Her enthusiasm is infectious, especially when she promises pirates – “you can’t do Gilbert and Sullivan without pirates!” – and spills over as she promises a good time for everyone, regardless of age or familiarity with opera as an art form.

“It’s intentionally kooky, it’s intentionally fun and random. I hope people enjoy it and have a good time. We want to make you laugh – there’s been too much heavy. We hope to make you laugh and enjoy our city.”

For more information and to grab your tickets, visit https://www.operahuntsville.org/gilbert-and-sullivian.

Gilbert and Sullivan
in Rocket City

Friday 4/9/21, 7:00 PM, Huntsville Botanical Gardens
Saturday 4/10/21, 2:00 PM, Huntsville Botanical Gardens
Sunday 4/11/21, 7:00 PM, Burritt on the Mountain

And for more information regarding instrumentalists and additional artistic staff members, please contact ebohn@operahuntsville.org.

*denotes Huntsville-based performer

Performers:

Shane Kennedy, tenor*

Charles M. Anderson, tenor

Amanda Nelson, soprano

Rachel Eve Homes, soprano

Celese Sanders, soprano*

Sierra Hammond, soprano*

Rachel Gibson, mezzo soprano

Chauncey McGlathery, tenor*

Justin Colon, baritone

Xavier Joseph, baritone

Erin Huelskamp Bohn, stage director*

John South, music director*

Calhoun Chorus, directed by Granville Oldham*

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Grace Treutel

Grace is the Content Director of HuntsvilleMusic.com and lives in Madison, AL, which really isn’t that far, guys.

huntsvillemusic.com/

rocket-city

Concerts In The Park At Big Spring Park Starts June 7th

MUSIC LINEUP

Interviewing Patterson Hood About The Princess Theater, Songwriting, and His Ties To Huntsville

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A Taste of Panoply’s Live Music

FRIDAY APRIL 23

SATURDAY APRIL 24

The Lamont Landers Band

The War & Treaty

Them Damn Dogs

WANDA

LANA WHITE

SUNDAY APRIL 25

LANA AND THE SEEKERS INTERVIEW

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First Annual Tennessee Valley Music Showcase, Free At Mars Music Hall

Derek Welsh

Paige King Johnson

Mars Music Hall

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Gilbert And Sullivan In Rocket City: An Upcoming Outdoor Operatic Experience

Gilbert and Sullivan in Rocket City

Performers:

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Gilbert and Sullivan
in Rocket City