The 2nd annual Savannah Stopover Festival will be held from March 7th-11th in - you guessed it - Savannah, GA. Featuring over 60 bands, a number of sponsorships, design contests and volunteer opportunities, the festival promises to elevate the small town's music scene even further.
Savannah, GA is a pretty small town. It's also a pretty town - and a pretty strange town - full of conflicting classes and circumstances. I express these sentiments from a firsthand perspective, because I spent 5 years becoming familiar with that place - 1st as a visitor; then as a student at the Savannah College of Art & Design; and lastly as an affiliate of the local music scene.
In addition to being possessed (Yes, I'm using the term loosely...) with the qualities listed above, Savannah is also a place filled to the brim with talented, dedicated musicians and artists, who are determined to firmly place their pin on the great indie rock map of the world. While involving myself with the Savannah scene, I had the privilege of working with such seasoned local acts as Dare Dukes, General Oglethorpe & the Panhandlers, Cusses and Jamison Murphy, as well as a number of awesome bands from surrounding cities. My experiences there have obviously had a lasting influence on my personal and professional lives. That's why, when the Savannah Stopover Festival was launched last year, though I'd since moved back to frigid New York, I felt a feeling of accomplishment and happiness on behalf of the city that had become my 2nd home.
The Savannah Stopover Festival has been designed as a means for up and coming indie bands to trampoline their way to Austin's SXSW, and according to the festival's official site, events will take "place across multiple venues within walking distance of all Savannah has to offer." This year's line-up includes Turbo Fruits, Spanish Pioneers, Sleepy Vikings, Country Mice and The Minutes, as well as many others.
Based out of Dublin, Ireland, The Minutes are Mark Austin (Vocals/Guitar), Tom Cosgrave (Bass/Vocals) and Shane Kinsella (Drums/Vocals). They describe their sound as being that of "...proper rock n' roll, born in the 50s, dragged kicking and screaming through the late 20th Century, a ragged flag passed from generation to generation under the stewardship of true believers...". The Minutes have recently played alongside Flogging Molly, and were noted by HotPress.com in the site's write-up of 50 Irish Acts You Have to Hear .
I initially came into contact with this band during the 2011 CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival, held in New York City this past October. They were part of the 1st night's line-up at Brooklyn Bowl, at which I was scheduled as a photographer. I also had the opportunity to engage in some casual conversation with Austin, Cosgrave and Kinsella in between sets. Despite their current industry success, the guys from The Minutes struck me as being a pretty down-to-earth group. That's always a nice thing to encounter.
Their debut album "Marcata" drops in the UK on January 30th, and you can download a free preview track of their new single 'Heartbreaker' here. Below are some of the pictures I snapped of them during CMJ.
Tickets for the 2012 Savannah Stopover Festival are still available. Single day passes, as well as VIP options, are being offered, and prices range from $15-$120. In addition, Stopover is still accepting gig request forms from bands via the festival website. The submission deadline is January 27th, and it costs just $5 for artists to process that such request. If you and your band would like to contribute to this year's shenanigans, follow this link. Good luck to all who apply!
No comments:
Post a Comment