Myriad of music in May is must-see
The main dishes are the supersize three-day music festivals in Birmingham and Atlanta. We've compared the festivals before, though at least one reader has cried foul. After all, you have to pay hotel and travel expenses to see Music Midtown, but not for our own festival.
True, to an extent. Both festivals draw visitors from around the region who pump money into the local economies. Both festivals compete for musicians, dollars, vendors, tourists and media coverage.
But the main difference is that City Stages is a non-profit organization, while Music Midtown is a mammoth for-profit venture. (And Clear Channel books City Stages and produces Music Midtown.) A Stages three-day pass is $30, but a Midtown three-day pass is $45 � both for roughly 120 acts.
Enough chit-chat. What about the performers?
City Stages has already announced a great lineup, fitting for its milestone 15th festival: Willie Nelson, Nickel Creek, The Roots, Ludacris, Bela Fleck, Luther Vandross and Caitlin Cary (who will also be at Midtown). According to Pollstar.com, a few more have slipped into the lineup. They include up-and-coming artists Kathleen Edwards (Canadian singer-songwriter), Marc Broussard (rock-and-soul artist from Louisiana) and veteran artist Chuck Prophet (roots music).
Not bad � with some rock headliners yet to be announced.
And just feast your ears on Music Midtown's A-list: Sheryl Crow, Ashanti, Fat Joe, Godsmack, Saliva, India.Arie, Tony Bennett, Everclear (pulling double duty at the Crawfish Boil that weekend), Ben Harper, Aimee Mann and Shaggy.
Even the B-list is impressive: Bob Dylan, the B-52s, Joe Cocker, 3LW, Sixpence None the Richer, Live, Def Leppard, Cracker, Buddy Guy, the Isley Brothers, LL Cool J, Crosby, Stills and Nash, K-Ci and JoJo, Steve Winwood, Ratdog and Medeski, Martin and Wood.
Complete lineups can be found at www.citystages.org and www.musicmidtown.com.
Wade Kwon/March 12, 2003
Birmingham Post-Herald