Briar Patch Music Festival coming
Published 2:06 pm Monday, May 2, 2011
Looking for a little music indulgence May 13 and 14?
Attendees of a two-day music festival in Decatur County will be treated to the sounds of 13 different bands, with music genres including alternative country, jazz, rock and renegade bluegrass.
In addition to an amazing line-up of artists, a portion of the proceeds from the second annual Briar Patch Music Festival will be donated to Hasan Temple in Albany and local Shriners.
Jeb Tabb, co-founder, local musician, and spokesman for the Briar Patch Music Festival, said the event spawned from an idea of giving the community something to do.
“I thought that an outdoor music festival would be interesting and I mentioned it to my cousin, Brandon Lovering, and we put things in motion,” Tabb said in a telephone interview.
Tabb also contacted Albany restaurant owner and musician Bo Henry, who expressed interest in helping with the event.
Henry said the festival also gives its founders a chance to advocate for the Shriners and raise money for the children’s hospital.
“It’s all for a really good cause and there is going to be a lot of good music,” Henry said. “We have tried to make it as family-friendly as possible, so we welcome anyone that wants to come and enjoy.”
Tabb, who belongs to the Young Guns Club for recently initiated Shriners, said volunteers from the club will be at the festival to collect donations and park cars.
“We started this on a shoestring budget and it has been amazing all the support that we have received from the community,” he said.
Festival coordinators said they believe the music festival will be a great thing for the community.
“Bo, Brandon, and I are all from here, so we have close ties. Growing up I know there was never a lot to do here as far as live music goes so we are trying to change that,” said Tabb. “We want to try and grow this festival and hopefully a lot of people will turn out and the weather will be nice.”
The Shriner said the name of the music festival was inspired by the Southern folktale of Br’er Rabbit and the briar patch.
For more information on the festival, check out www.briarpatchmusicfestival.com.