COUNTRY MUSIC
Welome to Atlanta where the playas play... Country Music
By: MacNeil Ross
Hotlanta is what the Georgians call it. Music wise, hip-hop and rap are what Atlanta is known for. However, since Atlanta is located in the South, country music is also very important to the city as well.
Located inside of Atlanta is the famous and ultra chic neighborhood, Buckhead. It is one of the richest suburbs in Atlanta. However it is also filled with an enormous population of young adults. If you recently graduated college, or still are in college then Buckhead is the place to be.
The bar scene is bursting with energy, with a variety of kinds of bars, such as clubs, taverns, and whole in the wall bars. Most of which always host live cover bands weekly. The majority of the time the bars will feature country music. So if you are looking to hear good country music in Atlanta, make your way to Buckhead.
According to some Buckhead locals, Park Bench Tavern, the Southern Club, Stagecoach, the Red Door Tavern, and the Buckhead Theatre feature the best live country music.
These bars are full of life with an authentic southern feel, which creates the perfect atmosphere to host amazing and talented live country music artists or bands. However, each one of these bars is different in their own way.
Park Bench Tavern typically has a wild crowd and Is located . This bar is known for the amazing drink specials, like dollar bourbons, to go along with country music that is played live throughout the weekend.
Lacey Johnson, alumni of the University of Georgia and resident of Buckhead, said, “My favorite place to listen to great country music in Buckhead is Park Bench Tavern. It’s a great atmosphere and a great place to meet up with your friends and listen to country music.”
Johnson said she has never has a bad time while visiting.
The Southern Club, previously known as Peachtree Tavern, has been around for twenty five years. It has always had a great reputation for hosting some of the more popular and well-known country music stars, like Corey Smith. You are almost promised to have a good night listening to good country music if you come here, especially on the infamous Welfare Wednesday when everything at the bar is a dollar.
Jordyn Cox, an alumni of the University of Georgia and resident of the Buckhead neighborhood, said that she loves going to the Southern Club, and often brings her mom along to go hear good live music that they both enjoy together.
“ I have been going to this bar for years. I love to go after Braves games because they always have amazing performers singing my favorite country music songs,” she said.
Stagecoach is mostly known for the authentic décor. It looks and feels like you are in an actual old time Western saloon. It is complete with saddle bar stools and an authentic stagecoach. It’s a guarantee to hear nothing but country music when you step foot in this bar.
“I love going to Stagecoach because they always host some of my favorite local country music artist,” Johnson said.
The Red Door Tavern is known as a good hole-in-the-wall dive bar, and is located right in the middle of the Buckhead bar triangle, so it’s always crowded. This country music loving bar is full of Southern things, including the music. The music always includes sing-a-long bar songs that everyone loves like “the Devil Went Down to Georgia” by the Charlie Daniels band .
Bar manager of the Red Door Tavern, Andrew Paget said, “As a bar manager I prefer solo artist, and I look for country music artists with the best reviews. I like to call around and see who my customers enjoy listening to, or who is on the road to fame.”
The saying “an oldie but a goody” is perfectly describes the Buckhead Theatre. If you are looking to listen to some of the greatest country songs of all time, like Johnny Cash and Shania Twain, than this is the place.
They often host country music singers/bands that play older music or ones are no anymore. However, the music is always good, who doesn’t love listening to a classic old country song
Jessica Grabiak, current student at Georgia Southern and Buckhead native, said, “ I love to go to the Buckhead Theatre. I love the atmosphere and the good vibes you get from being here.”
There are many more places in the area to hear live country music, these were just a few of the locals favorites. Buckhead proves that Hip-Hop isn’t the only important genre of music to listen to in Atlanta.
Forest O'Quinn live from Dingus Magees
By:MacNeil Ross
Here in Statesboro, live country music can be heard just about at every bar and restaurant on the weekends. Statesboro is home to a large amount of young, talented, and starving music artists. There have even been some who made it big that started out singing in little ol’ Statesboro, just like the ones you can go see locally. Luke Bryan and Cole Swindell are two of the biggest country music stars today.
Bars often hire local music artist to come perform at the bar, and they tend to be students for the most part. One rather popular country singer is Forest O’Quinn. Forest who is currently a student at Georgia Southern, and makes some extra money on the weekends doing what he does best, which is singing.
Forest is very talented and the crowd seems to love him. Tonight he is performing for a crowd full of eagles, at the most popular and oldest local bar.
This little old bar is a staple to the town. Dingus is located right in the heart of campus. Yes this bar is on the campus of Georgia Southern.
Alumnae, students, and even locals love this place for the atmosphere, the live music, and the amazing food.
Dingus hires singers and bands come play throughout the week, every week. They are paid with the cover, which is $5.00. One of Dingus’s favored singers is a student at Georgia Southern named Forrest O’Quinn.
It’s a typical college bar atmosphere. You can smell the greasy food being cooked in the kitchen along with the smell of old beer, from the night before that was spilt on the ground. Dingus is old, it looks like it has seen some good times and hasn’t changed since it opened. There is a stage in the back that is rather small, and a place for people to dance in front of it.
Forest is sitting on the stage with his guitar, strumming away to some of the hottest country songs on the charts. He has a rather raspy and deep voice, which makes for some good tunes to hear. He sounds like Dierks Bentley.
The crowd seems to love him, even though the sound system at Dingus isn’t the best.
It seems like forest has a good group of supporters who are hear to listen to him sing, mainly his fraternity brothers. All around I would have to recommend going to see Forest live if you like good country music, I could definitely see him going somewhere with his singing voice someday. You never know, he could end up like some of those famous country music stars that started in this little country town we call eagle nation.
From Nowhere to Nashville – The small-time country artist’s keys to success
By: Shane Peaster
Photos courtesy of Andy Miller, Trea Landon, and Roger Jackson
Andy Miller had never picked up a guitar until the summer after he graduated from high school in Ellaville, Georgia. After a couple of years of learning a few things from his dad and YouTube videos about playing the guitar, Miller began to play at parties and at the local bar for fun.
“Then while I was working one day,” Miller said, “my dad said to me, ‘you think you might want to go to Nashville?’”
Later that day, Miller was on the phone with Ellaville native Brent Cobb, who had just sold a song to Luke Bryan.
Miller moved to the Music City just two weeks later.
Small town artists like Miller know that becoming a famous Nashville recording artist won’t come easy, but they do have the idea of how to get there: talent, hard work, and most importantly - connections.
Nearly two years after Miller has moved to Nashville, he is working for Nashville recording artist and Georgia native Craig Campbell (“Outta My Head”) selling merchandise to sellout crowds across the country. Although this was not his plan, he knows this is “a step in the right direction.”
“I got this job just because of the people I’ve gotten to know while I’ve lived here,” Miller said. “I can’t even tell you how pivotal that is to meet people.”
Trea Landon’s story doesn’t differ much. At the age of 17, the Claxton, Ga. native played his first show at Rum Runners, a college bar across the street from Georgia Southern University.
“It was intimidating before [the show], but the minute I started playing, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.” Landon said.
Like Miller, Landon is now living in Nashville pursuing his dream of becoming a professional country artist. He agrees that it’s a business that revolves around networking.
“You’ve got to have talent, but 70 percent of [getting noticed] is about who you know. It’s a ‘luck of the draw’ type thing.” he said.
Landon attributes getting to where he is today by just meeting the right people, and he knows that’s what will ultimately get him to the next step in his career.
On the other hand, Roger Jackson, another small town Georgian and Nashville recording artist, believes that meeting the right people is only half of the battle to stardom.
“I…feel that [knowing people] refers to life in general, not just the music business,” he said. “You just have to work hard, then work hard some more…You have to be patient, ‘cause the wheels turn very slow in this business.”
Jackson is no stranger to the “weekend tour.” He travels hundreds of miles a weekend to play for just a couple of hours a night and make back the money he spent on gas. On a normal weekend, he can be found playing in Buckhead, Savannah, Statesboro, and other college towns, but he knows these shows are an important step in showing his fans that he is a hard worker.
Jackson understands that everyone in Nashville is talented and a hard worker, no matter where they come from.
“When I moved to Nashville, everyone was very nice and everyone is very talented,” he said. “I've met some great writers and written tons of songs there.
Finding Country Music on Saint Patricks Day
By: Shane Peaster
The fountain runs green, the people wear green, and if the music painted a picture – it would be green too. The third week in March brings plenty of excitement to Georgia as Savannah hosts one of the nation’s best St. Patrick’s Day festivals
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The festivities begin on Saturday, March 14 and run through St. Patrick’s Day. During this time, hundreds of thousands of people from all over the U.S. will pour into the city to enjoy Irish culture, drink with fellow leprechaun enthusiasts, and listen to music from the five stages that will be situated throughout the area.
The stages are hosted by various sponsors including Bud Light, Yuengling, Red Hare, United Distributors, and Wild Wings Café. The five stages are set to have 48 different acts perform over the four day period. The acts range from rock to bluegrass, and country to dance music DJs.
But a festival in Georgia just wouldn’t be the same without live country music. Notable country groups that will be performing during the festival are:
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The Kenny George Band - Wild Wings Café Stage, Saturday March 14, 12:30 p.m.
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Andy Velo - Saddle Bags, Saturday March 14, 8 p.m.
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Lyn Avenue - Saddle Bags, Tuesday March 17, 6:30 p.m.
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Situated right in the middle of the action, just a few blocks from River Street, the Wild Wings Cafe stage has a promising line-up for the festivities. They will introduce the first country act of the weekend when The Kenny George Band comes on stage Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
The Kenny George Band comes to Savannah from Aiken, S.C. and brings with them a sound of folk-country. The group mixes the traditional sounds of fiddles and steel-guitars with upbeat vocals and drum beats to create a sound that makes them unique to today’s mainstream country sound.
Kenny George Band’s style can be compared to the mix of tradition and modern country found in Jamey Johnson’s music, and with the slow folk-country styles of Old Crow Medicine Show.
If the streets get too crowded, Saddle Bags – “Savannah’s only Country Dancehall” – will be the place to go to hear that country sound. Saddle Bags, which is located only a couple of blocks away from the Wild Wings stage and right on beautiful River Street, will be hosting Nashville recording artist Andy Velo, and Savannah locals Lyn Avenue.
Velo is no stranger to St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah. The Georgia-boy is returning to Saddle Bags on Saturday night for a third year to share his music with people from all over who are looking for a fun atmosphere.
Velo’s music boasts the popular sounds of much of today’s contemporary country that’s heard on the radio. His music can be compared to other country newcomers Chase Rice and Jon Pardi.
Andy Velo is a fast rising artist in Nashville due to his sheer talent and the help of corporate promotional partner Jim Beam Whiskey.
Lyn Avenue will take the stage at Saddle Bags to close out the St. Patrick’s Day celebration on Tuesday night from 6pm to 8:30pm.
The pop-country band is led by female-vocalist CC Witt who brings a unique sound to the festival. Witt’s vocals and sincere lyrics create the country twist on the band’s pop-style pace.
Their combination of heartfelt country lyrics, Witt’s subtle southern twang, and a faster paced band can put Lyn Avenue in the same realm as country groups The Band Perry and Sugarland.
Although typical Florida spring break destinations may host Luke Bryan, Lil Jon, and other popular artists during this spring break time – the green-filled streets of Savannah are a great alternative to spend some time during St. Patrick’s Day and hear some local country music.