It’s been refreshing recently to see festivals popping back up, specifically young, smaller festivals. September Days Festival, in particular, began in the wake of the cancellation of last year’s AthFest Music & Arts Festival, which left musicians suddenly without gigs. Despite the tragedy, the public hunger was still very much present and unsatisfied. So the first September Days Festival, which took its name from a Modern Skirts song, was born. Cobbled together by Aubrey Entertainment in a relatively short period, the festival featured a roster of AthFest-worthy talent.
Now, almost a year since its humble beginnings, September Days is back with a stacked lineup headlined by nationally recognized groups. Headlined by Florida indie-pop band Flipturn, Sept. 16 will include local bands The Getaway Company, A.D. Blanco and Well Kept, plus former Athenian bands Neighbor Lady and Hotel Fiction. Sept. 17 sees T. Hardy Morris, Girlpuppy and Vision Video take the stage as headliners. The Head, Drew Beskin & The Sunshine, The Echolocations, CannonandtheBoxes, Five Eight, Wim Tapley & The Cannons, lighthearted and Heffner will perform earlier in the day.
It seems that despite its growth in the intervening year, September Days has been intentional about maintaining the focus on the community and its artists. Plenty of local talent will take the stage, and a portion of proceeds from ticket sales will go to The Goodmood Fund, an organization dedicated to providing emergency aid for independent touring musicians suffering financial hardships. Launched in 2021 by musician Jack Shaw (The Head), the Atlanta-based nonprofit distributes grants that can be used for rent or mortgage payments, home repairs stemming from natural disasters, funeral expenses, stolen or damaged equipment and more.
WHO: September Days Festival
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 16 & Saturday, Sept. 17
WHERE: Southern Brewing Co.
HOW MUCH: $20 (adv.), $25 (door), $35 (two-day pass)
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
4 p.m. – Doors open
5 p.m. – The Getaway Company
6 p.m. – A.D. Blanco
6:45 p.m. – Well Kept
7:45 p.m. – Neighbor Lady
8:45 p.m. – Hotel Fiction
10 p.m. – Flipturn
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
12 p.m. – Doors open
1 p.m. – The Head
1:45 p.m. – Drew Beskin & The Sunshine
2:30 p.m. – The Echolocations
3:30 p.m. – Cannon & the Boxes
4:15 p.m. – Five Eight
5 p.m. – Wim Tapley & the Cannons
6 p.m. – Lighthearted
6:45 p.m. – Heffner
7:45 p.m. – Girlpuppy
8:45 p.m. – T. Hardy Morris
10 p.m. – Vision Video
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