This past Saturday around 5 o'clock, the streets of downtown Birmingham were buzzing with the sounds of bands setting up, doing sound check, and eager Secret Stages attenders finding their way around. Our loft looks out at the Pale Eddies parking lot, where the Secret Stages Will-Call and Graffiti exhibit was setup, so we got a front row seat to the action all weekend. The great thing about Birmingham right now is that people are eager. They’re eager to join in on the fun, to share the news, to support local acts, restaurants, and venues. That was definitely the case this past weekend as Secret Stages took over downtown. People of all ages, races, backgrounds, and musical preferences gathered in the streets, hoping from venue to venue to check out the acts. Even those not attending the event joined in on the action, listening to the music and people watching in the streets. Outside of Pale Eddies, a street act complete with banjos and a washtub bass, was the icing on the cake as far as people watching goes. There is nothing quite like discovering local music in your own backyard and for all those non-downtown dwellers, getting a chance to be a part of the energy of downtown.
My favorite moments from the weekend were finally going into Das Haus (which is even more bizarre than I’d imagined…), discovering The Kernal and His New Strangers (who really needs to get some more songs out there because they were awesome!), and seeing the unlikely scene of a father and son rocking to the loud, wild sounds of the band in Easy Street (see them in the booth in the photo below? Precious.). After all, Secret Stages is about just that - discovering new music, supporting local venues and restaurants, and bringing people, of all ages, together. A big thank you to Travis and his team from Secret Stages for pulling off a great event, bringing vibrancy to downtown Birmingham, helping these great acts gain exposure, and making me feel like a bad ass with my media pass.
My advice for next year? Bring back the Morris Avenue vendors and outdoor stage, because that was awesome, and make sure that Cityfest doesn’t try to steal the show. The people of Birmingham love a great event, don’t make us choose!
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