Here’s an event you don’t want to miss: Atlanta Pop: 50th Anniversary of the Atlanta International Pop Festival is happening on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019.
There will be a stellar lineup of musical guests to mark the first rock music festival in Georgia.
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The artists will perform the music of the original festival artists, including, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, Allman Brothers Band, Joe Cocker, Booker T and the M.G.’s, Al Kooper, Credence Clearwater Revival, and MORE!
Atlanta Pop: 50th Anniversary of Atlanta International Pop Festival
The original event, considered Atlanta’s first music festival, was organized by a 17-person promotional team led by legendary Atlanta promoter, Alex Cooley.
Held at the Atlanta International Raceway in Hampton, Georgia on July 4-5, 1969, the concert, known as the “Southern Woodstock,” was attended by over 100,000 people.
The original festival featured superstars such as, Janis Joplin; Led Zeppelin; Joe Cocker; Booker T and the M.G.’s; and Credence Clearwater Revival.
The following year, over 300,000 people descended upon Byron, Georgia for the follow-up three-day festival, which included Allman Brothers Band, BB King, Col. Bruce Hampton’s Hampton Grease Band, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience (the largest American audience ever for Hendrix).
Where Will Atlanta Pop Be Held?
The event will be held at Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30307. Here is a map to help you find it.
Honoring the legacy of the two Atlanta International Pop Festivals, Atlanta Pop will feature the first ever performance by Atlanta-based super group, The Hues of Miriam – comprised of Jacob Deaton (Col. Bruce Hampton), Nick Johnson (Randall Bramblett), Kevin Scott (Jimmy Herring, John McLaughlin), Darren Stanley (Jimmy Herring), Matt Slocum (Aquarium Rescue Unit, Railroad Earth), and Duane Trucks (Widespread Panic) – all Col. Bruce Hampton alumni.
The material for Atlanta Pop will be selected from the catalogs of the artists that performed at the original 1969 and 1970 events.
Joining the house band will be a cross-section of special guests, including Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke), Jennifer Hartswick (Trey Anastasio Band), Jeff Mosier, Denny Walley (Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart), T. Hardy Morris, Sven Pipien (Magpie Salute, The Black Crows), Cicada Rhythm, Thomas Johnson, Carter King, and Daniel Womack (Futurebirds), Cody Matlock, and a few very special surprises.
The event promoters, together with their non-profit partners – the Georgia Music Foundation and Fox Theatre Institute – aim to carry forward the inspiring legacy of Alex Cooley and the Atlanta International Pop Festival fifty years after the first notes were played at the Raceway in 1969.
Explore Atlanta at your own pace
First, to find all the good things happening in the city this week, all you have to do is take a look at downtown Atlanta. That’s where some of the best restaurants are as well as where the visitors, namely tourists, are. CNN Center often has something cool going on! Check out these events in Atlanta today and this week and this weekend:
- For a month’s view: The Official Atlanta Events Calendar
- For a more immediate look, check Things to do in Atlanta This Week
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