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Ben Lovett, Amphitheater

Ben Lovett, Venue Group On Huntsville Amphitheater Progress

February 23, 2021 by Grace Treutel
Art, Culture, Huntsville, Live Music, News
alabama, amphitheater, ben lovett, huntsville, huntsville al, huntsville alabama, huntsville amphitheater, huntsville venue, live music, midcity, midcity distract, mike luba, ryan murphy, venue group

In late 2020, HuntsvilleMusic.com covered some of the biggest news of the year for our city – the official announcement of Huntsville’s newest park, the Amphitheater at MidCity.

And today, Huntsville Venue Group, the driving force behind the amphitheater, dropped an update on its amphitheater plans, complete with a video to stoke your excitement for the venue-recreation-entertainment juggernaut.

Plus, we got a chance to talk to Ben Lovett, founder of Venue Group and member of Grammy-award winning band Mumford & Sons, about all things amphitheater and Huntsville.

The shiniest, most exciting piece of Venue Group’s update was their video – a video showcasing Huntsville in all its vibrant, colorful glory, produced with the help of Knoxville-based videographers Loch & Key.

“This is unique,” says Devyn Keith, City Council Member, about the Amphitheater. “And if done correctly, the world will see it.” He’s sitting in his newly opened coffee shop, Dark Side Coffee, an endeavor that further cemented his reputation for not just saying but doing. And Keith, like so many others representing our city, is ready to do.

 A quality that Ben Lovett recognizes about our leadership, and much of what brought the amphitheater here in the first place.

In the video, Ben enthuses about Huntsville, his passion and excitement for this project sparking on screen. When I interview him about this, I ask him why – specifically, why Huntsville?

“There’s quite a lot of elements that make Huntsville a very special opportunity for growth and culture,” says Ben, with the fluency of someone speaking from the heart. “This region of North Alabama has such a rich history when it comes to music. You’ve got the story of Singing River, the Shoals – and you connect all of this with the administration in Huntsville that really values the results.”

The administration he’s referring to is represented in Venue Group’s video, matching Ben’s excitement about this massive project. And Ben doesn’t pull punches, calling them out by name, giving praise where he feels praise is due – to Huntsville itself.

“[The administration] is clear-minded in their goals to make Huntsville a better place. They’re just exactly what leaders should be – these people like John Hamilton and Mayor Battle and Devyn Keith. They’re pure of heart and you can tell there’s no bullshit, if you pardon my French. The people leading the progress are doing it for the right reasons. The administration plus the history and the people, it all creates this perfect storm of a moment to do something special.”

And the video showcases this. Making up the rest of the motley crew of Huntsville champions represented in the five-minute watch are musical artists Translee and DEQN SUE, Mayor Tommy Battle, Venue Group founder and president Ben Lovett and Ryan Murphy, Tangled String Studios owner Danny Davis, producer Mike Luba, and city administrator John Hamilton.

“The premise is we’re gonna build the best venue in the world,” says Ben on-camera, as if it’s simple. And to Ben, a concert-venue veteran, it is. “I’ve spent a lot of time over the last 5 years trying to figure out what it is about a venue that makes it special. A really critical part of that is the food and beverage experience.”

I ask him to expand on this – specifically, I ask him which dish he’s most excited to eat once the amphitheater is open.

“We’ve been throwing around some concepts. The thought that turns my head is this noodle bar, and just… having a noodle bar in the concourse. It’s so far from what you expect from a venue. You can go get a healthy meal that actually makes you feel good at a show instead of eating something heavy that makes you feel like you need to take a nap.”

This desire to make ‘better’ on the biggest scale possible is woven throughout the project, as evidenced by Ben’s excitement over creating this ‘food village.’

Amphitheater quote

“[Curating this food experience] is the next big challenge for the project over the next three to six months. I like that we can widen the palate of what’s available to the community; we can sort of bring in the best of London, of Austin, of New York City, and bring all of this to Huntsville and create this cross-pollination of culinary experience.”

Throughout the video, the rest of the amphitheater team echoes this sentiment. Ryan Murphy, president of Huntsville Venue Group and a good friend of HuntsvilleMusic.com, emphasizes the long-term effects this will have on shaping and creating the culture of our city.

“Right now, there’s a great opportunity for people to be taking that heritage and that history and not only amplifying the past but really writing the future for this whole area,” he says, sitting in his office, walls covered with blueprints of all the great things to come.

The video closes with Ben’s words as he earnestly tells  the audience, “One of the greatest joys of my career has been working on the Huntsville amphitheater. I mean, there’s so much to come; we are just at the starting line.”

I ask him why, exactly, working on this particular project counts among the greatest joys, and Ben is characteristically forthcoming.

“I’ve done a lot of things in the last 15 years. I’ve written songs, gone on tours, started a record label that’s done well, founded a publishing company. But I realized six years ago that I was still missing something. I wanted this thing – I had this idea that my grandchildren could one day step inside a place of mine and feel me, feel family. Venue Group has a lot of family, it’s who we are. Generations from now, we’ll have this space that can be a part of not only our lives but other people’s lives.”

He’s referring not only to the many families that make up Venue Group but also the families within it. He and his brother, Greg Lovett, are prominent leaders within the company.

But Ben’s desire to create something lasting goes beyond family. It’s all about experience, and creating spaces where life can unfold in all of its beauty.

Amphitheater Blue Print 3
Amphitheater Blue Print 2
These are the blueprints that decorate the office of Huntsville Venue Group.
Amphitheater Blue Print 1

“I had this experience once, when I was seeing a show in a London venue we built. And it was this brilliant singer, Frances, performing. And she invited a friend on stage… [and] he ended up proposing to his boyfriend there, on that stage. And I just thought, ‘this stage didn’t exist a year before.’ It was just rubble. But now it’s this place where these moments are happening.”

And it’s all about looking forward and building for the future.

“I love the idea that people will have local legacy stories about the Huntsville amphitheater. It could be as simple as, ‘Oh, I saw the Alabama Shakes play at the amphitheater in 2023.’ And by then it’s 2070 and that seems so long ago – it just seems so crazy. We’ve been building [the Huntsville amphitheater] with this longevity in mind. And this is going to be the most grand music venue that’s been built in the last five or so years in the world.

Along with the video, Venue Group also released a press release with amphitheater news. We distilled down the four major takeaways from the press release:

  • Construction is officially underway for the amphitheater, which is going to boast a completely unique design inspired by classical architecture but with a modern twist. ‘It looks almost Roman coliseum-like,’ says Mayor Tommy Battle.
  • Doors are set to open in April, 2022 – that’s only a year and some change away, guys. I am ready.
  • Ben Lovett, founder of Venue Group and member of Grammy-award winning band Mumford & Sons, hand-picked Huntsville as the ‘perfect location for their first foray into the U.S. market’ for building ‘a new era of world class music venues combined with significant community growth and amenities.’
  • Venue Group is hard at work curating an experience that swells beyond ‘just’ music – their focus is on creating a ‘food village’ surrounding the amphitheater that will be open year-round and provide dining and recreation options for Huntsville, regardless of what’s going on at the amphitheater.

You can find the full press release on the Amphitheater’s website.

Mardi Gras at MidCity

Mardi Gras Concert At The Camp Giveaway

February 11, 2021 by Grace Treutel
Art, Culture, Huntsville, Live Music, News
alabama, events, huntsville, huntsville al, huntsville alabama, live music, local, Mardi Gras, mardi gras at the camp, midcity, midcity distract, The Camp, The Camp at MidCity

Laissez les bons temps rouler, Huntsville – let the good times roll and celebrate Mardi Gras at the Camp with a socially-distant festival including good drinks, great food, and live music!

Wear Your Mask

Best of all?

We want to send two of you to Mardi Gras at the Camp for free, and the rest of you to Mardi Gras at the Camp with a special discount code.

Read on to find out more about this COVID-cautious celebration and how to score two free tickets or $10 off to celebrate Fat Tuesday Louisiana-style!

This Saturday, February 13th, the Camp at Midcity presents Mardi Gras at MidCity 2021, their second annual Mardi Gras celebration. The event will feature authentic Cajun food including world-renowned Randazzo’s king cakes and Cajun staples like gumbo and crawfish Monica, authentic Nola décor and elements, and a cacophony of New Orleans cocktail favorites like Purple Drank, Nola Bloody Marys, and the Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane. All themed cocktails are served in fancy specialty glasses that are yours to keep! Plus, there’ll be a Mardi Gras market comprised of over a dozen local vendors for you browse and buy.

Of course, the biggest draw for us at HuntsvilleMusic.com is the lineup of Grammy-recognized live music.

“Guests can expect […] 6 incredible, award-winning local and regional bands. Entertainment includes Grammy-nominated CHA WA, Grammy-winning Rebirth Brass Band, funk-rock band Flow Tribe, and the Young Fellaz Brass Band coming from New Orleans. Local artists include Huntsville-bred hip-hop recording artist Translee and the St. Bartley Gospel Choir for a powerful start to the festivities.

The day kicks off at 11:00 am with St. Bartley’s Choir and the Mardi Gras Artisan Market. Guests will enter through the East entrance where the street between the concert viewing area and The Camp will be closed to vehicle traffic.

Music-lovers can walk south to the concert lot where nearly 100 circles have been drawn in the terrain to maintain a safe and distanced viewing experience. MidCity staff have marked these socially distanced “Krewe Circles” for guests to dance the day away. The 5′ Krewe Circles marked in green are suggested for groups of 2-4, and the 10′ Krewe Circles marked in purple are perfect for groups of 6-8. Krewe Circles are first-come, first serve.”

Cha Wa at SXSW

Flow Tribe

Translee 16 Bars

Rebirth Brass Band

Mardi Gras at Midcity

Mardi Gras at MidCity 2021 Schedule

10:30 AM: Doors open
11:00 AM : Mardi Gras Market begins
11:00-11:30 AM : St. Bartley’s Gospel Choir Begins
12:00-1:00 PM : Cha Wa
2:00-3:00 PM : Translee
4:00-5:00 PM : Flow Tribe
6:00-7:00 PM : Rebirth Brass Band

Pro-tip: arrive early to snag the best dancin’ spot!

Young Fellaz Brass Band and the famous Mardi Gras Indians will be entertaining guests throughout the day.

If this sounds like your kind of party, HuntsvilleMusic.com agrees. We want to sweeten the deal by giving out two free tickets to one of our followers – and, just for having amazing taste as evidenced by you reading this blog, give you a $10 off code to use if you’re buying tickets!

To enter our giveaway, visit us on Instagram @huntsvillemusic or Facebook @HuntsvilleMusic, find our giveaway post, and follow the rules to enter.

To purchase tickets and get $10 off, visit the Mardi Gras at MidCity purchasing link and enter HSVMUSIC at checkout for $10 off of your ticket.We can’t wait to see you there!

Tickets, details, COVID-19 precautions, lineup, and menus may be purchased and viewed at MardiGrasatMidCity.com.

Plus, check out the Mardi Gras at MidCity Facebook event page to get all the details and see behind-the-scenes photos and videos of what to expect.

Pro-tip: arrive early to snag the best dancin’ spot!

Young Fellaz Brass Band and the famous Mardi Gras Indians will be entertaining guests throughout the day.

If this sounds like your kind of party, HuntsvilleMusic.com agrees. We want to sweeten the deal by giving out two free tickets to one of our followers – and, just for having amazing taste as evidenced by you reading this blog, give you a $10 off code to use if you’re buying tickets!

To enter our giveaway, visit us on Instagram @huntsvillemusic or Facebook @HuntsvilleMusic, find our giveaway post, and follow the rules to enter.

To purchase tickets and get $10 off, visit the Mardi Gras at MidCity purchasing link and enter HSVMUSIC at checkout for $10 off of your ticket.We can’t wait to see you there!

Tickets, details, COVID-19 precautions, lineup, and menus may be purchased and viewed at MardiGrasatMidCity.com.

Plus, check out the Mardi Gras at MidCity Facebook event page to get all the details and see behind-the-scenes photos and videos of what to expect.

Dueling Pianos

Huntsville’s Dueling Pianos On Going Virtual

February 10, 2021 by Grace Treutel
Art, Artists, Culture, Huntsville, Live Music, Musicians, News
alabama, claire johnson, dueling pianos, dueling pianos huntsville al, huntsville, huntsville al, huntsville alabama, huntsville barber, huntsville dueling pianos, huntsville stories, local, newt johnson, stephen johnson

The #iHeartHSV campaign is back, and this year, HuntsvilleMusic.com is getting in on the digital lovefest by shining a spotlight on one of Huntsville’s most unique, badass acts – Dueling Pianos.

#iHeartHSV

WHAT IS #IHEARTHSV?

“Celebrating its eighth year, Huntsville’s biggest “digital lovefest” once again offers visitors and locals alike the opportunity to share what they love most about Huntsville/Madison County. This year, the CVB (Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau) is specifically shining a light on the area’s “heroes of hospitality,” local representatives across a variety of hospitality sectors that went above and beyond to rise to the challenges of the past year. Everyone is invited to join the CVB in celebrating all things travel and hospitality in the Rocket City by using the hashtag #iHeartHsv on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Starting Monday, February 1, and lasting through Sunday, February 14, social media users who respond to daily prompts posted via the CVB’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram channels using the hashtag #iHeartHsv could win big during the two-week campaign. The Huntsville/Madison County CVB will pick a daily winner each night at 8:00 p.m. CST, awarding them with $150 towards the local restaurant, attraction, or hotel stay of their choice.”

For more details on how to participate in the #iHeartHSV campaign and potentially win real money to spend at awesome local businesses, visit Huntsville.org/iHeartHSV.

See Know Huntsville’s interview with the Huntsville/Madison County CVB about the #iHeartHSV campaign below:

Throw out what you know about dueling piano acts – Huntsville’s own Dueling Pianos is an act unto itself, taking the traditional formula of two pianists battling it out with duets and crowd-pleasing classics and twisting it on its head.

Huntsville’s Dueling Pianos consists of Newt Johnson and Stephen Johnson on piano with Claire Johnson as the host and coordinator, a three-person act that is part dueling pianos, part game show, and all fun.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Claire on a chilly, windy Thursday at Stovehouse, where we talked about how she and her groupmates – one of whom, Newt, is her husband – formed Dueling Pianos and how it’s evolved over time.

“It started as standard dueling pianos where they were going back and forth, but it quickly became something else – this themed game show where the guys would play and we’d have trivia questions, we’d play games, we had prizes. It became this whole other thing. Now we always tell people, ‘this isn’t your typical dueling pianos show.’”

And she’s right.

Traditional dueling pianos shows involve two pianists playing duets, taking requests, and indulging in piano ‘battles,’ oftentimes at designated piano bars. Think the Big Bang bar in Nashville, Tennessee, one of the south’s most famous dueling piano bars. But Huntsville’s Dueling Piano group has taken this formula to the next level, incorporating games and prizes and finding ways to pull the audience into the show beyond just taking requests – and, despite all odds, they managed to keep this going during COVID.

I ask Claire how they pulled that off, and her tone is humble and grateful as she places credit for their success where she feels it belongs – with the people of Huntsville.

“During our very last show before [the initial COVID shutdown], we had a feeling that everything was going to shut down. And we had this audience that would always come out – we call them our family – and we thought you know, we want to be able to keep doing this, we want to still provide something.”

It was this desire to continue providing entertainment to a loyal fanbase during a time where, arguably, they needed it most that motivated Claire, Newt, and Stephen to figure out a way to keep the spirit of Dueling Pianos alive via a virtual platform.

“We set up our usual setup in our basement and we changed the format to be entirely virtual. Where people would usually fill out their paper trivia forms and hand those in, we built an online form they could use to submit their answers and suggestions. We took all of the audience participation games like Spin the Wheel and Name that Tune and created online versions [by building] this landing page with the games and the song request list that all came directly to us so we could perform the show on Facebook live.”

Divider

And their prediction was right – their usual fanbase did turn out to support their favorite local piano show from the comfort of their own homes, and they brought friends. I ask Claire if she felt Huntsville was supportive of this new format, and her answer is a resounding, unhesitant, “Yes.”

“The amazing thing is not only did we have our regular fans [supporting us] but doing it online opened [the show] up to so many people who couldn’t come before. Say they had kids at home, or it just got too late for them, or they had other activities that were going on; all these new people got to experience it for the first time. We saw our numbers grow.

Plus, we started to see people tune in from all over the country. We’d have our friend from South Huntsville say, ‘my sister-in-law is joining us from Destin and my brother’s in New Hampshire’ and we’d just have all these people – I mean, my mom watched from New York! People were tuning in and saying, ‘hello from Dallas, hello from wherever’ and we’d be just like, ‘oh my gosh, this is so cool’. To be sitting in our basement during a pandemic and getting to have a shared experience with people all over the country and playing along with us.”

Claire’s face brightens as she speaks of the support they’ve received from their fans, old showgoers and new alike. It’s clear that she feels passionate about this project – and not only this project, but the community that supports it. When I ask her about what she thinks of the music culture in Huntsville, she considers the question for a moment before answering thoughtfully.

“I have seen not only so much growth what with so many incredibly diverse different acts, but [also found] they’re all so supportive of each other. When you go to a local gig, whether it’s our show or concerts in the park or a brewery on the weekend, you can almost always find two or three local musicians in the audience supporting them. Or sharing [the gig] on social media and saying, ‘hey, I can’t make it out but y’all should go to this.’ And that’s one of the things I really love about [the Huntsville music scene] – it doesn’t feel overly competitive, it’s very supportive and very nurturing of its own.

With so much growth in the city through all the new restaurants, venues, bars, grills, outdoor spaces, everything – there’s more and more opportunity there [for musical artists]. I think if you just look for it, you’ll find that there are not only opportunities but a lot of support. And a desire for it.”

It’s this passion and dedication that we at HuntsvilleMusic.com believes makes Huntsville’s Dueling Pianos the prime example of #iHeartHSV’s Heroes for Hospitality recognition, since they found a way to take the difficulties of 2020 and create a silver lining to provide entertainment and a little bit of joy to our city when it needed it most. Congratulations to Stephen, Newt, and Claire – we can’t wait to tune in to your next show, and to come out in person to support this local talent!

Follow Dueling Pianos on Facebook to catch their next virtual show.

 

 

Review of Good Vibrations

Review of Good Vibrations Barber Shop

February 3, 2021 by Salina Brilla
Huntsville, News
alabama, barber shop, barbershop, emy, good vibrations, huntsville, huntsville al, huntsville alabama, huntsville barber, huntsville stories, local, narrative, salina brilla

Salina Brilla is a prominent member of the local Huntsville music scene and recently visited Good Vibrations Barber Shop. In it, she found an unexpected and much-needed sense of community and love for the Huntsville arts scene.

My youngest son Ian has a favorite barber in Chicago, Ahmed at Hobobo Fades. Ahmed is like family; he’s been cutting Ian’s hair since Ian was small, and we have to stop in to see him every time we’re in Chicago. Because of this, Ian is never satisfied with haircuts here in Huntsville – not the barber’s fault, they just aren’t Ahmed. But at this point, he was way past due for one.

Enter Emy.

I have known of Emy Butler for about 10 years now. One night, a couple of years ago, X.Y. Spaces was playing at CopperTop. They brought in a barber’s chair and she gave a guy a haircut while they performed. After watching her Instagram for quite a while, I decided it was time to make an appointment for my picky son, and I made an appointment for myself as well. I usually cut my own hair, but since we were going to Decatur I thought, ‘fuck it, let’s do this!’

Emy’s shop, Good Vibrations, is on a corner in downtown Decatur. There are old trolley car tracks in the street. It is quaint and, by the looks of it, has been a barber shop for a while. Emy and her apprentice are both masked and greet us warmly. She is wiping her chair with disinfectant wipes as Ian and I get comfy, and she tells me there is free beer in the cooler and to help myself. Next to the cooler, there is a wall of local art for sale. Emy also lets me know there is a local ‘zine, Chum, I can read while I wait. I’ve loved ‘zines ever since I was young in Chicago, so I dive in while she starts on Ian’s hair. We chat about the zine,  its creator, and its content.

Emy is so warm and gorgeous. She’s wearing a New Orleans t-shirt with her curly hair styled in a side-shave and her head tattooed on one side. The tattoo is a pink straight razor, done by another Huntsville legend Carsten Templeton who ordered that particular shade of pink just for Emy. Carsten at Black Hearts Tattoo has tatted me, my sons, my nieces, my ex-husband, and even my mother. Just one more person Emy and I share.

Johnny Wolfsberger

Johnny Wolfsberger

Way No Bueno

Way No Bueno

We also share Johnny Wolfsberger, a dear friend to both of us and a local legend, most famously of Way No Bueno, who we both love and recently lost. As I write this I still want to cry. He helped so many people; he helped Emy get started with cutting hair, he helped me purchase Copper Top’s PA. We reminisce about the last times we saw him. There aren’t words for when someone so amazing leaves us but it feels good to have these moments of morning with Emy about our shared person.

Way No Bueno Live on Know Huntsville

I was showing Ian pictures from Emy’s Instagram before we came in so he could see her work, and there are so many great photos on there. Lots of great local musicians and artists; pictures of both Johnny and Carsten. As Ian sits in the chair talking about what cut he wants, I know… this is the cut he is going to finally be satisfied with.As Emy works we talk of shows, of course. She says the first time she went to a show at about twelve years old, it was the first time she didn’t feel alone. She tells me how bands would come to town and ask for haircuts and how it’s the one thing she found that made sense for her to do.

When the pandemic started she was working at Bandito Burrito until one day she decided, ‘I’m gonna open a barber shop.’ And she did. At the most daring, crazy time to decide to follow your heart, your dreams, and your intuition, Emy did it! And Ian and I are here, experiencing it.

Emy Butler

Emy Butler

We talk about the last shows we saw before the pandemic: Emy saw Terror and I saw the Goddamn Gallows, both in Nashville. She tells me how one time the Goddamn Gallows had stayed at her house after playing Copper Top. I remember that night. I had booked one of the members at Copper Top and they went Decatur after – to Emy’s house, I now know. I loved so much how things were then; the network of people helping was so large and bands always found a place.

Emy works on Ian’s hair for a while. I drink a couple of beers and finish reading the ‘zine. It has a fantastic poem as well as some cool photos and even a mad libs. When I take a break, I find the bathroom has even more cool art and posters along with writings from other patrons. Good Vibrations is a fitting name for a cool space that began during a pandemic where people could come and hang out, get cleaned up, and enjoy good company while being safe – and this positive energy is all over the walls.

Ian loves his cut and now, it’s my turn to get into the chair. As she works, Emy talks about her first memory of me. She was coming into Copper Top before she was of age for shows. She doesn’t remember what band was playing but remembers I was dancing and says she thought so highly of it, and I just love that I made an impression on her. Those were good times in the old Top.

Emy finishes and, no surprise, my haircut is fire! Ian is satisfied, I’m satisfied, and I purchase the first 3 CHUM ‘zines. The first CHUM has a playlist made by Judson Law, another Huntsville Legend, that you can find on Spotify called CHUM. Dude, Fela Kuti is on it and I am so impressed!

Overall, Ian and I had a fantastic experience at Good Vibrations. What a cool place Emy has created that supports art and culture.  This is exactly what people can be for one another. We can be these beautiful lights in each other’s lives. Barbers, bartenders, musicians, artists, gas station attendants, the lady you see every time you visit the ABC store, your waitresses and baristas. People like Johnny, Carsten, and Emy.

Even though right now we are masked, we are still so much to each other. We are the experiences that transform, influence, and make Huntsville great. In a world of so much fear due to COVID-19, political turmoil, racism, and other adversity, we still stand strong. Even the ones we’ve lost are with us when we share them with one another.

So go get a haircut; go buy a coffee; go grab  a drink and talk with people. If you see someone you love, stop what you’re doing and tell them so. I know it’s a time to mitigate and be diligent but it’s not a time to stop loving people. It’s never that time.

Thank you Emy, your courage is inspiring what you do is important. I commend you for it! I look forward to a long patronage at Good Vibrations and recommend it to everyone.

Blog - Trust 2

Guide to Songwriting in 2021: The Year None Of Us Trust Yet

January 20, 2021 by Alex Hendrix
Art, Artists, Culture, Live Music, Musicians
alabama, guide, how to, huntsville, huntsville al, huntsville al live music, huntsville alabama, huntsville live music, huntsville music, live music huntsville al, live music huntsville alabama, songwriter, songwriting
Blog - Will Not Wait

Over the past 11 months, a platitude I’ve frequently heard is how many great songs and works of art will come from this horrific time. There seems to be a confused optimism about how artists are handling the world events. Do you people not remember that we are the most fragile of you all? I understand that as the resident tragic figure in the shadows, you assume that I am well equipped to deal with the chaos that has existed, but hello, no thank you. I like to be the only one with trauma around here! What exactly do I bring to the table if we’re all equally messed up?

It has been much more difficult than expected to find the emotional energy to write and create, what with the entire world on fire around us. After so long, it almost feels impossible to return to a normal songwriting process. But we must pull ourselves up by the bootstraps- the streaming services simply will not wait. That’s why, for the sake of us all, I put together this helpful How-To Guide to Songwriting in 2021.

1. Categorize Your Art Immediately

First, let’s pick what genre you’ll be writing in. If there’s one thing I learned from High School Musical, it’s that labels are very important. Thanks to Spotify and their list of over 5,000 options (this part is not a joke, there are literally 5,071 options available on Spotify), genres are now very vague and offer no actual indication of what the music will sound like. In fact, you can basically just pick three random words, stick them together and say it’s a genre. No one is going to know. Now let’s get started on your Southern Glitter Serotonin hit single!

2. Choose A Topic That You Are Mildly Passionate About, But Not A Topic That Is Too Uncomfortable for Your Mother, Who Will Want To Share This On Her Facebook

They say to write about what you know, but what I know is how to accurately sort my pets into their Hogwarts houses based on their predominant personality traits. Songwriting is all about saying what other people want to hear, so you need to find a solid topic that will play well with a large audience of people you don’t know, and a disproportionately small audience of people you do know. Sometimes it helps to gather inspiration from the world around you when searching for the right song topic. Unfortunately, the world around us is currently an absurd combination of the absolute nothingness of quarantine and somehow every single bad thing from 1918 on. I implore you, do NOT gather inspiration from the world around you, it will only overwhelm.

3. Cultivate the Perfect Environment

You accidentally looked at the world around you. Now you must stare blankly into the void. Shhhh, it will be over soon. You’re doing great. Do you have a candle? I guess maybe light that.

Water

4. Create Your Chord Progression

As a woman, I only know four chords – making this part of the writing process a breeze! My close friend and accomplished songwriter, Matt, has Synesthesia and can see the colors of music. Matt once told me that his brain processes each note as a different color, so he is able to arrange beautiful melodies through both an audio and visual experience. That sounds way better than what I do, which is generally just scrambling the order of my four chords and hoping for the best. I recommend Synesthesia, if you can.

5. Medicate, But Not Like That

Many songwriting legends have admitted to using drugs or alcohol to fuel their creativity but I’m almost 30 now and I simply don’t have the time or energy for a midday hangover. I don’t bounce back the way I used to; one writing session could put me out of commission for days. Instead, I recommend clinging to the intoxicating aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Plus, you can drink as much as you want, because at least it isn’t whiskey.

6. Countermedicate, You Moron

Your hand is now trembling with the force of 5 cups of coffee and 100 bad song ideas. You need water. Water is pure, water is elemental. Michelle Obama warned us about this, and like fools we did not listen.

7. Write Your Hook and Forget the Rest

Now we’ve moved on to my favorite part: the lyrics. Everyone knows that the most important thing a song can do is rhyme, so I recommend choosing a few rhyming words and simply making up the rest. Every word that does not rhyme is just filler; they do not matter. As I always say, “if the words don’t rhyme, I don’t have the time.” For an even easier experience, just stream-of-consciousness your entire song onto a sheet of crumpled notebook paper (paper is so retro) and strum languidly as you take time to feel proud of yourself. You’ve created something meaningful.

8. Get Ready To Go Viral

Editing is for chumps, why mess with perfection? This song is DONE. Sit back and get ready to be lauded.

Gone Viral
What to expect during covid: Symphony Edition

What to Expect During COVID: Symphony Edition

December 2, 2020 by Grace Treutel
Art, Culture, Live Music, Musicians
alabama, classic, classical music, hso, huntsville, huntsville al, huntsville al live music, huntsville alabama, huntsville amphitheater, huntsville live music, huntsville music, huntsville orchestra, huntsville symphony orchestra, live music huntsville al, live music huntsville alabama, music venue, orchestra, outdoor event, outdoor venue, symphony, symphony orchestra, venue
Orchestra Image

In late September, we told Huntsville that the Huntsville Symphony was back – with a few modifications. And, in mid-November, HuntsvilleMusic.com decided to check these modifications out and report back so you, the lovely people of this weird rocket city, would know what to expect if you decided to hit up the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall at the VBC.

Our consensus on the modified symphony experience?

Awesome.

Our night kicked off with a few pre-show drinks at one of our favorite bars, the Poppy. Tom and I had both been to the symphony before, but we wondered aloud what it would be like in this COVID-cautious atmosphere. He guessed that there would be fewer musicians; I mourned the intermission, since we knew that the concert would be one full hour, start to finish, with no break.

After we warmed ourselves up with Guinness, we walked the short distance to the concert hall. Masks were a must, and we were in good company as we stepped inside, noting that the rest of the show-goers were masked as well. According to very clear signage, it was a requirement.

Orchestra

Another requirement was staying in your assigned seat since the seating is spread out to allow for deliberate social distancing. In between each group of audience members were at least two empty seats to ensure the health and safety of everyone in attendance.

We were helpfully directed to ours by an excited usher, who called out after us as we edged into our seats, “It’s so good to have you here!”

This level of cheer was infectious; you could tell that everyone around us was buzzing with excitement and had missed attending concerts put on by their beloved symphony.  The greeters at the door had been just as peppy, with crinkled-up eyes that belied big smiles beneath their masks. (And all this joy with the concert hall’s cocktail bars closed!)

Even the musicians seemed more animated than usual: fidgeting on stage, jiggling legs, glancing out at the audience. The excitement was palpable. There was distance between them, too – each individual musician was spaced out from his or her fellow artists to allow for social distancing, and I whispered to Tom that I was curious how that would affect the sound. “Do you think it will be thin?” I asked.

But before Tom could answer, the lights dimmed, voices dropped to whispers, and it was showtime.

Music Director and Conductor Gregory Vadja took to the stage and, after a brief introduction, lifted his arms and rounded out a swell of anticipation that popped with the first clear, perfect note.

I can tell you – the sound was far from thin.

Aleksandra Kasman

It was full and gorgeous and filled up the whole hall, all the way up to where Tom and I sat in the balcony. Our concert was from the Alps to the Appalachians, and I found that I didn’t miss the intermission one bit. Especially not when Aleksandra Kasman, the piano soloist who was resplendent in a gown seemingly made entirely out of winking, glittering stars, took the stage and poured her heart and soul out across the black and white keys.

After, Tom commented to me in a tone of awe, “I wish I could be half as good at anything as that woman is at the piano.”

The concert was punctuated with a tribute to all veterans in honor of Veteran’s Day: a medley of each military branch’s fight song, during which veterans in the audience were invited to stand and received a wave of applause in recognition of their service. It was a tasteful, uplifting tribute.

In short, even COVID-cautious the symphony makes for a remarkable night out. Whatever preconceived notions you have about symphony concerts, throw them out. It’s the perfect reason to dress up (or dress down – there is no dress code!), grab a drink or two, and sink into audible art that will take you to a completely different, stress-free reality. Something we could all use right now.

Thanks, Huntsville Symphony Orchestra – we’ll be back.

To see upcoming concerts and buy tickets, check out the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra online.

Tom & Grace at the symphony
Wanda

Wanda – Huntsville’s Accessible Yet Unattainable Frontwoman

November 18, 2020 by Grace Treutel
Artists, Culture, Live Music, Musicians
alabama, gold sprint, huntsville, huntsville al, huntsville al live music, huntsville alabama, huntsville amphitheater, huntsville live music, huntsville music, live music huntsville al, live music huntsville alabama, music venue, outdoor event, outdoor venue, venue, wanda, wanda band, wanda wesolowski, wandaband

Wanda Wesolowski, frontwoman of eponymously named Wanda band, is the queer girl-next-door you wish you had and the latest musical artist to have Huntsville’s ears perking up.

At just 25 years old, the 256 native has recently dominated the Huntsville music scene with the release of her debut album, One-Hit Wanda, a self-explanatory double entendre. She and her band – comprised of guitarist Jasen Tehan, keyboardist Bransen Edwards, drummer Nick Recio, and bassist Andrew Sharpe – got together in 2019, though Wanda has been gigging around Huntsville solo for the last ten years.

She got her start playing wherever she could – Bridgetreet, Diaper Drives, Panoply – and was well-received by her hometown.

So what made her form the Wanda band instead of just continuing on as Wanda?

“Story goes, Jasen comes to me after one of my concerts in the park and says, ‘your music’s really good, I can hear a bigger sound. You should really have a full-time band.’ I said whatever, but he came in to see me regularly after that. He’d show me a new guitar, he’d ask me to come play. He told me about Nick and Bransen. When I finally went, we had such a blast and we played so well together. And here we are.”

Wanda - Rehearsal
Wanda - Rehearsal 2

This persistent appreciation and admiration her bandmates have for Wanda is evident the moment I step into their rehearsal space. It’s Jasen’s place and you can tell – the walls are covered with guitars of every different make and color.

“He has over fifty,” Andrew tells me with clear pride and affection, a hallmark of the genuine friendship between the bandmates.

The atmosphere is loose and perfumed with sweet-smelling smoke. Everyone mills about, talking and laughing with each other. But they all speak to Wanda with a particular affection and deference, making it clear she’s the leader of the pack. And it’s easy to see why.

There is something undeniably accessible about Wanda – she carries herself with a humble confidence and smiles easily, greeting me as if I’m a longtime friend instead of a stranger she’s meeting for the first time. Complementing this warmth is a dreamy quality about her that feels just out of reach, as if she moves through a self-created space that’s by invitation only. It’s the entire combination that makes you want that invitation so badly.

She tunes her guitar, glancing up at me occasionally, always smiling, and explains her new album.

“It’s abstract and weird. It goes from genre to genre. There’s a song for everyone. If you don’t like one, you’ll probably like another one.”

Her favorite song on the album is Virginia is for Lovers, a sweet, earnest song about romance, but she recognizes that most people are really digging Lazy Susan. I tell her my favorite is The Slaughter and she indulges me with the story behind it.

WANDA REHEARSES THE SONG SIMULATION OFF THEIR NEW ALBULM.
WANDA PLAYS THE CURE’S JUST LIKE HEAVEN.

“The Slaughter was actually written – it’s a little bit of a story [about heartbreak] where I turned on my voice memos, started strumming out that A minor chord, and went on a tangent of lyrics. I listened to it, took the best verses, and turned it into a song.”

This depth of feeling and honesty in her music is something she’s always valued, though it has taken her until recently to go about finding it the right way.

“When I was doing the brooding singer-songwriter thing, the solo artist, I was definitely feeding into a stereotype. You know, you’re young and naïve and you just do what you see your heroes do and you listen to songs like When I Drink by the Avett Brothers at 17 and you’re like, ‘yeah, that’s gonna be me.’”

In what sense?

“I was definitely a raging alcoholic. A lot of the places downtown give you free beer when you play, and I’d take advantage of that. In a very big way, I did that on purpose. I purposefully chose to go too deep in. And then I realized it’s not going to help me in the long run; I have to get sober. I kind of screwed up an American Idol audition. I actually talked about that [in a different interview] but they didn’t include that I got sober, so make sure to include that.”

I ask if her sobriety is a point of pride for her.

“I’m cool with talking about it because I think a lot of people think alcoholics look a certain way. And they can be anyone. I also want to feel… I want more people to realize that getting sober is a really great decision. If you think you have a problem, just give it up. For like, 30 days. Just to see how much better you feel. My reflexes got better; I was playing more, even my bass player told me I played better. And then I started the band and it was, in a way, the new addiction. Like, okay, time to hustle because if you work hard you will achieve your dreams. And I was doing that crazy thing that entrepreneurs do where it’s like, ‘if you set yourself up for success, you will find it.’”

Wanda is a subscriber to the ideology that if you manifest it, it will come – but with a healthy dose of hard work on the side.

“Manifesting things is something I really believe in. I was listening to Sound and Color by Alabama Shakes – I was driving to Green Hill [to record our debut album] and I was thinking, ‘I love these vibes, I wish we could have these vibes on our album.’ And then we’re like… four hours into this session and we’re playing Talking to Yourself and Jay, our producer, is like ‘hang on, I hear something.’ And he pulls out this big Nord piano and he says, ‘this is the same sample they used on Sound and Color.’ And I was like, ‘let’s make it happen.’”

I make note of her rainbow guitar strap, tripping over my own words in my nerves as I confess that I’m a queer woman, too, but not out. Wanda’s response is instant:

“I suggest anyone be out in Huntsville.”

When I sheepishly explain that I’m bisexual and unsure if it counts, Wanda, in keeping with her ‘accept everyone’ ethos, scoffs and empathizes: “People wanna invalidate that shit. I don’t. I hate that.”

Wanda is open about her own sexuality, candid as she strums the opening notes for Lazy Susan on her guitar.

Wanda
Wanda - The Show
Wanda - The Show 2

“This [entire album] is gay heartache in a nutshell. The longing, the yearning, the struggle with self-acceptance and self-love. People being fickle because they can’t accept themselves; their grief and joys. It’s the coming out process. The whole album is my coming out process, in a way. Every song on the album is about some woman I’ve loved in the past five years.”

I ask her how, exactly, she writes her songs, since she wrote all the music on One-Hit.

“You just play what you know. I’ve been songwriting since I was 16. Hopefully for our next album we’ll write all our songs together.”

Will they stay in Huntsville to do it?

“Huntsville is a great place for artists to live because there’s a pretty high quality of life for a pretty decent price. And I see it growing. I’ve seen slow growth – a lot of sideways and a little pivot, but moving forward. I think that Huntsville’s a place where a lot of people have invested in me and I owe it to Huntsville to stay here. I will make my home base here. I’ll stay as ‘from Huntsville.’”

Her influences become clear as the band begins to rehearse: the Alabama Shakes, Gregg Alexander of the New Radicals, the Beatles. They’re rehearsing specifically for their album release show at Gold Sprint Coffee, one of Wanda’s favorite places in Huntsville.

It’s a high energy rehearsal and I watch the way her bandmates all move as she moves, responding to her cues and watching her for instruction. They pause intermittently to tune a guitar, to laugh, to tease one another. All the while Wanda encapsulates that same air of easy, unaffected charisma, a comfortability in her own skin that makes you both want her and want to be her.

During a break, I ask Jasen if they’re all best friends.

“Yeah,” he says, grinning. “I guess so.”

“We go to brunch every Sunday,” Wanda says and Bransen nods as he walks by. “As a band, we’ve sampled every single brunch in Huntsville. We think the best one is Shagnasty’s. Make sure that gets in [to the article].”

When I suggest band friendship bracelets, Wanda laughs and enthusiastically agrees. It’s how the Wanda band seems to do everything – with laughter and enthusiasm. After all, as their van promises, ‘it’s a whole lot of fun.’

At their album release show at Gold Sprint later that week, this laughter and enthusiasm is infectious. It’s a socially distant, masked, inside-outside show with mandatory temperature checks at the door. Even despite these regulations, the show goers are in high spirits.

Them Damn Dogs, another local band, is the opening act, and Wanda is masked at the front of the audience, dancing harder and singing louder than anyone else. The musical community loves her hard and she loves it hard right back, as evidenced when she finally takes the stage and thanks everyone profusely not only for coming but for coming and being safe.

The show is a hazy, technicolor daydream complete with fog machine and most of the crowd singing along, having already memorized the lyrics after just one day of the album being released. Wanda is in a white jumpsuit and her bandmates are in matching navy jumpsuits – “We love Dickies!” she exclaims to cheers from the crowd, playing the opening notes for The Cure’s Just Like Heaven.

When I ask her afterward how the show went, she can’t temper her smile.

“I was really pleased with the turnout. I wasn’t too overwhelmed, and it seemed to be a really respectful crowd. Everyone got temperature checked at the door which I think mentally puts you in a different place.”

Wanda Live from Gold Sprint Coffee Playing Lazy Susan.

And the reception to the album?

“Oh, gosh. I’m overwhelmed with the amount of positive feedback that I’ve gotten. A lot of people told me they’ve been listening to it nonstop. I don’t know if they’re being hyperbolic but either way it’s a super great compliment.”

I reassure her it isn’t hyperbole – I’ve fallen victim to the Wanda bug, unable to stop listening to One-Hit on repeat. She laughs, audibly embarrassed by the compliment but still pleased.

“I’m hoping that it can stick. I’m hoping that it can be in someone’s regular rotation. I’m already thrilled – to me, I’ve already accomplished what I set out to do.”

And what she set out to do was make an album.

“That was the point. Because without it, I’m just a musician in Huntsville and you can only hear my music by catching my shows. Now, I actually have a real album, a real product. I can show people my band and what we sound like – and that was the goal. Just to have the product in hand and be able to share it with everybody.”

Her songs are all about real, relatable topics, mostly matters of the heart, and in listening to her album, it’s easy to apply her artfully crafted lyrics to your own personal experiences.

“That is honestly the greatest compliment you could ever give a writer. It’s one thing to be a songwriter that wants to tell everybody how they wrote the song, why they wrote the song, when they wrote the song, but to just release the song and just let everyone else tell you what it means… it’s just so much more special.”

And at HuntsvilleMusic.com, we think ‘special’ is the perfect way to describe Wanda and her Wanda band.

Wanda - One Hit Wanda

To stream One-Hit Wanda, check it out on Spotify. To grab Wanda merch and stay plugged in to what the band is up to, visit their website at www.wandaband.com and follow them on Instagram @wandaband.

4 Things Header

4 Things We’re Thankful For

November 11, 2020 by Alex Hendrix
Culture, Live Music, News
alabama, alabama amphitheater, amphitheater, huntsville, huntsville al, huntsville al live music, huntsville alabama, huntsville amphitheater, huntsville live music, huntsville music, live music huntsville al, live music huntsville alabama, music venue, outdoor event, outdoor venue, venue

‘Tis the season to count your blessings and not your calories, at least that’s what we tell ourselves as we reach for one more Good Company pastry.

2020 has been a wild one, but we’re here to say that it hasn’t been all bad. Even in the bleakest of times, we’ve found some key things to be thankful for, from quirky new jams to multi-million dollar developments.

Forward Motion

We are thankful for…forward motion

While so many cities have come to screeching halt amid the uncertainty of pandemic life, Huntsville has continued to gain momentum. The Rocket City has taken the time to innovate and reimagine, and because of that we are seeing live music return with safety measures in place. From Mars Music Hall’s local series to Humphrey’s patio shows, Huntsville venues are bringing your favorite Huntsville faces back to the stage for live performances all across town.

But we’re not just returning to the typical — we’re also making moves. And excitement for a big move, the Huntsville Amphitheater, is palpable.

At the start of the pandemic, the fate of the amphitheater, a large-scale project, seemed to be up in the air. But we’re happy to report that Huntsville’s amphitheater-slash-park-slash-community-mecca is right on track for a 2022 opening and slated to give 8,000 music lovers perfect acoustics and uninterrupted views.

We are thankful for…new tunes

Many artists have taken time during quarantine to perfect a plan for releasing new music, and we are loving the additions to our playlists. In the last few weeks alone we’ve been graced with Live Local alum Preston Watts’ long-awaited release, Distractions from the Truth, a new single from beloved duo The Beasley Brothers, and a full-length album from Huntsville transplant Andrew Loehr.

Plus, there’s even more to come in November. WANDA is releasing their debut record this month, with first single Lazy Susan already out and garnering rave reviews. Fans are encouraged to pre-order now and celebrate the milestone release of their album, One-Hit, this Saturday, November 14th at Gold Sprint for their release show.

Preston Watts
Wanda - One Hit Wonder
Andrew Loehr
New Tunes
Lines
Tireless Supporters
Lines

We are thankful for… tireless supporters:

It would be impossible to have a collaborative music effort in Huntsville without the constant support of community members who work tirelessly to build up musicians and venues. These busy hands are often working long hours behind the scenes with very little personal payoff.

Judy Allison

Huntsville locals like Judy Allison, Huntsville Music Board member and Founder of Purple19, which hosts Music Biz Mondays, education for musicians on how to navigate the music scene and SheWrites, a songwriter showcase for female writers.

Tim Miller

We also want to mention our friend Tim Miller, who has been busy promoting local artists on his podcast In Tune with T-Mill and has spearheaded many community projects during 2020.

Mario Maitland

And of course, Mario Maitland, who founded Maitland Conservatory to ensure the future of musicians themselves, helping children pursue their dreams and passions while also cultivating a knowledge and education that assists them in actually achieving their goals.

Of course, Huntsville has many more faces that deserve a full-blown Beaches moment where we sing Wind Beneath My Wings as the sun sets, though this article would go way off the rails if we tried to fit them all into it. Please know that we see you and we are thankful for you.

Deserved Recognition

We are thankful for… deserved recognition:

It’s no small feat to carve out a place for the Arts in a city built on science and technology, which is why it feels like a massive victory to be acknowledged. This is why we are overjoyed that Huntsville just won the national Scout Guide Campaign’s Top Artistic City.

We were placed in this category alongside major locations such as New Orleans, Memphis,  and Richmond, so earning the top spot is something that should not be taken lightly. This further proves that Rocket City is on the rise, quickly becoming a destination for arts and music lovers as well as artists and musicians themselves.

And lastly and most importantly, we are thankful for you. For all of you who have embraced us and joined our mission to bring Huntsville music to the forefront. Thank you, from our weird family to yours.

The Venue Group - Amphitheater

Amphitheater To Be Huntsville’s Newest Park

November 4, 2020 by Grace Treutel
Culture, Live Music, News
alabama, alabama amphitheater, amphitheater, huntsville, huntsville al, huntsville al live music, huntsville alabama, huntsville amphitheater, huntsville live music, huntsville music, live music huntsville al, live music huntsville alabama, music venue, outdoor event, outdoor venue, venue

Huntsville’s newest park is set to open its doors in 2022 — and by park, we mean amphitheater.

Ryan Murphy, President of Huntsville Venue Group and the mastermind behind the amphitheater, met with HuntsvilleMusic.com to fill us in on the big things ahead for Huntsville’s amphitheater. It’s a project that’s been two years in the making and which, as of October 2020, has been officially greenlit by Huntsville city.

“It’s going to look like nothing you’ve seen before,” Ryan promises, his excitement contagious.

The amphitheater will be a Romanesque marvel designed to hold 8,000 to 8,500 showgoers with not a single bad seat in the house. The design is intentional; the inside will be a bowl created to ‘hug in the sound,’ ensuring that everyone in attendance will be able to hear the live music regardless of seat.

“We’re lifting [audience members] up and bringing them in as tight as possible. The artist/fan experience is just mind-blowing at that point. Even in the worst seat in the house, you’re seeing the whites of the performers’ eyes.

 

And those ‘worst seats’ will be made all the better since the higher you climb in the amphitheater’s bowl, the better your view will be of Huntsville’s breathtaking skyline and sunsets.

But it isn’t just Huntsville locals Ryan and his team plan on attracting with the amphitheater. The plan is to draw in big-name performers and eventually host festivals and other events that turn the amphitheater into what Ryan refers to as a “pilgrimage spot,” further cementing Huntsville as a Music City in its own right.

“When Sound Diplomacy was here researching the idea of an amphitheater for the sound audit, my partners flew down and suggested creating an amphitheater that wouldn’t be just one of many but would be the one. The only one like it.”

Ryan Murphy - The Venue Group

Currently, the amphitheater is set to begin construction in 2021 with a projected completion date of January 2022. Its open-air structure means it will be a viable venue for socially distant events and allow for safe event-going in the current climate. The first concert won’t be for several months after construction is complete, but Ryan doesn’t plan on waiting until then to open the doors.

“By February and March [of 2022], ideally we’re doing community events. I am very much a proponent of opening this place up and literally anyone who wants to see it – wants to walk around, check it out – you’ll have a couple months to have done that before the first major concert. I wanna open this place and people go, ‘hey, I might not ever buy a ticket to see a concert there, but I can walk through and go grab a sandwich, a beer, I can go have a picnic, I can go do yoga, I can run the stairs.’”

Amphitheater Blue Print 1
Amphitheater Blue Print 2
These are the blueprints that decorate the office of The Venue Group.
Amphitheater Blue Print 3

 

Ryan’s list of amphitheater activities outside of shows isn’t merely hypothetical; all of these suggestions are rooted in experience. After all, this isn’t the first amphitheater he’s conceptualized and reinvented.

Ryan spent the last decade bringing the St. Augustine Amphitheater – colloquially and affectionately known as The Amp – into a new golden age. Along with booking star-power performers like Stevie Nicks, Steely Dan, and Santana, Ryan introduced community-minded initiatives like farmer’s markets, art shows, and smaller-scale concerts by local artists. It’s this vision he plans on iterating here in Huntsville.

“At St. Augustine, I’d get to work at 7:30 and there’d be people doing yoga in the pit. On any given day, there may be a farmer’s market, there’d be bands, there’s stuff for kids. There’d always be something going on to where you could go and not spend a dollar and still have a full day of fun.”

My question: “So… it’s like a park?’

Ryan Murphy - The Venue Group

 

“It is, yeah. It’s entirely for Huntsville, by Huntsville. We want to really drive home that point – that this is yours. Granted, we’ll still have ticketed events with awesome artists playing, but on any given day, if there’s not a concert, these gates are wide open.”

But it won’t only be big names performing in the 8,000-capacity venue. When asked about other, smaller bands and local acts, Ryan was enthusiastic about involving and showcasing this talent, too.

“We’ll have smaller bands play, too – we’ll get creative.”

Ryan draws inspiration from well-known, community-embracing venues like Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado and Forest Hills Stadium in New York, both of which encourage community involvement and have famously expanded beyond the traditional understanding of a music venue. He believes that with the right mindset and the right community, the Huntsville Amphitheater can be counted among these ranks.

The amphitheater will be located in the MidCity district, tucked into the greenway to enhance the park-going experience. It will attract shows across all genres and be home to future festivals, art installations, farmers markets, and more. To stay up to date on the amphitheater’s progress, visit huntsvilleamphitheater.com and sign up for their mailing list, or follow them on social media @huntsvilleamphitheater.

Ryan’s promise to the community (and beyond) is simple: “On any given day, there’s going to be something.”

And we at HuntsvilleMusic.com cannot wait to go.

Ryan Murphy talks about the future plans for park.
Ryan Murphy talks about the orientation of the amphitheater.
Watch Know Huntsville’s interview with Ryan Murphy.
Jayne and the Huntsmen

Interview with SarahJayne of Jayne & the Huntsmen

October 21, 2020 by Alex Hendrix
Artists, Culture, Live Music, Musicians
huntsville, huntsville al, huntsville al live music, huntsville alabama, huntsville artist, huntsville musician, jayne and the huntsmen, live huntsville music, sarahjayne
Jayne and the Huntsmen

With a voice reminiscent of Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker and emotional songwriting that blends folksy lyrics with bluesy guitar, SarahJayne has been a staple in the Huntsville original music sector since moving to Rocket City.

Stylistically, her solo sets run the gamut from one genre to another, never fitting neatly into one single box. Listeners can expect to enjoy Liz Longley-esque Americana tunes, followed immediately by unusual chord progressions and scatting breakdowns. But one theme remains no matter what song is being played: passion. SarahJayne often gets lost in her own songs in the very best way possible, taking you along with her on a ride through her memories or stories of people she met once who made an impression.

Although many musicians are having to make large changes in 2020 in an attempt to restructure to fit the new world, SarahJayne’s transformation began before quarantine even started. This introspective soul has taken on a new role as frontwoman of Jayne and The Huntsmen, a project that was temporarily derailed when COVID struck.

“Our first show was supposed to be in April, and you can imagine how that went. The guys and I have taken a lot of precautions to continue practicing together to be ready for when everything opened back up.”

After kicking off her musical career 8 years ago, SarahJayne has played across the country at dive bars and proper venues alike.

The places she’s been and the people she’s met along the way have been a major inspiration to her songwriting, which started before she even played shows at all. But she always knew she wanted a bigger energy.

“Since I was thirteen, I wanted to be in a rock band, but I didn’t really know how. There’s a certain ability that a full band has to captivate an audience and I’m a sucker for a good bass line, so to me, there’s no question why I wouldn’t want to front a band.”

Aaron
Michael
Jake

Enter The Huntsmen, full of faces already familiar to the Huntsville music scene. Aaron Bradley Anderson, a fellow singer/songwriter and soloist who you’ve undoubtedly seen playing around town, takes up lead guitar and showcases his knack for distortions and twang. Spinships member Michael Cummings grooves on the bass, and Jake Tucker keeps the rhythm on the drums (often with his boots sitting next to his kit).

We can expect exciting things from this dream team going forward, as they are actively booking shows and preparing to record an EP. They’re buzzing with excitement to bring their new sound to Huntsville music lovers. Most recently they played a gig at The Camp, and SarahJayne relayed her enthusiasm: “We’re still encouraging people to social distance when they come to our shows, but we’re so happy to see faces and hear everyone singing back!”

So what makes the Huntsville scene so perfect for a new endeavor like this? Cooperation.

“I’ve played in lots of cities across the US, but when you look at Huntsville, it’s so unique. It’s not a competition here. We’re cooperative. You see artists coming from various genres who all uplift each other. Go to the R&B show and find a folk songwriter there. Go to see that aspiring pop artist and you’ll find a metal guitarist in the crowd. That’s endlessly inspiring, to see people lifting each other up and wanting each other to succeed. And this all is not to mention the fact that – if you put in the hustle – you can make music your full-time job here. I have truly found the right place here in the people who appreciate eclectic song choices and the venues that let me do my thing.”

Photo credits to Eric of @hsvphoto

 

Jayne and the Huntsmen
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