Secret Stages 2018 – Birmingham AL
BIRMINGHAM, AL —
Secret Stages Music Discovery Festival returns to Birmingham this Aug. 3-4, showcasing a vibrant music scene that’s caught the attention of The New York Times, Uproxx and Performer Magazine (link).
The eighth annual two-day festival, which is presented at multiple venues in the city, will feature 60 acts, including local performers as well as acts from around the state, region and nation.
Tickets to the event grant access to the participating venues, which are located within walking distance of Birmingham’s many restaurants and attractions. Those venues include 41st Street Pub; Avondale Brewery (with performances upstairs and downstairs); Saturn; and The Hangar. Tickets are on sale now in tier-pricing fashion; the first batch of tickets were sold out at the time of publication.
The 2018 Secret Stages lineup includes Birmingham acts Phantom Limb, and Seriously, along with Caroline Says (Austin, Texas); Chew (Atlanta); and Ex-Gold (Nashville, Tennessee). Acts range from psychedelic instrumentals, such as Chew, to soulful singer-songwriters including Huntsville’s Jovani Occomy, to jazz and R&B-influenced hip-hop such as Birmingham’s Roscoe and New Jersey-based TiDUS.
For listeners searching for an edge, there are alternative rock and garage acts including Birmingham’s Me and My Knife, and Captain Kudzu, as well as Nashville acts Airpark, and Reality Something.
The beauty of this festival lies largely in the intimacy of the venues – you can use it as an excuse to explore Birmingham and connect with the local music scene. Another unique aspect of Secret Stages is the general lack of true headliners. Compared to larger festivals with finale-style headliners, Secret Stages emphasizes an in-the-moment approach to the shows. You could stay in one location and enjoy a night of music, but the ability to explore different music, new hangouts and the city itself is the key to the festival’s appeal.
–CGS
