TARA FLETCHER: OK, Albany, here’s your something to do
Tara Fletcher
Special PhotoBy Tara Fletcher
[email protected]
How many people remember when a relatively unknown artist named Chris Stapleton came to Albany and only a handful of people came to see his show? Why didn’t people come? He wasn’t less talented then. Maybe it was because he wasn’t “famous” yet.
Again and again, I have seen people like Sam Shugart, Evan Barber and Alison Cleland put their time, money and talent into choosing great musicians to bring to Albany, then watch as the community sat at home and continued to complain that there’s nothing to do around here.
In spite of that, we’ve decided to bring a show to Albany. Anyone who knows us, knows we aren’t rich by anyone’s standards, but we’re risking some of our savings and depending on the support of local businesses and the community to sponsor and buy tickets so we can at least come close to breaking even.
We are music lovers who want to grow a small event into a multiday, full-on, festival that would bring business to Albany, give other music lovers a chance to see great shows locally, and provide an outlet for deserving musicians all over the nation to showcase their talents here. And there is so much talent out there: Musicians who are on the verge of becoming mega-stars and equally talented musicians who will never be famous but put on a helluva show.
On Oct. 9, we’re hosting “Honey Jam 2022” at Chehaw Park. We carefully chose the lineup for the hometown southwest Georgia crowd. Dead City Collective, a group of sideshow performers, will kick everything off while “Far 2 Fresh” from Thomasville set up to do their wide array of covers. Dead City will perform between each set. Their show is amazing and gets the crowds involved. The Page Brothers Band will open for the Honey Jam headliner. We thought the Page boys were the perfect segue leading up to the Honey Jam headliner, Handsome Jack.
Based out of Lockport, N.Y., Handsome Jack is a band I have played on every radio station I have worked and a band I have always wanted to share with this area. They’re amazing, and like Chris Stapleton was all those years ago in Albany, they’re about to blow up.
We’re not just asking people to support us. All of our printed materials — T-shirts, banners, etc. — are being done through local, independent companies.
We’re bringing an event here that we want everyone to see … one that we can be proud of. Tickets are on sale at eventbrite.com. Please support us if you can, and don’t forget to find me at Honey Jam and say hello so I can give you a big hug and say thank you.
Author
Related Articles
Southwest Georgia artists recognized at packed opening of exhibition
The annual juried exhibition, one of the region’s largest showcases of visual art, features approximately 46 artists and nearly 90 works spanning painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography and mixed media.
Powerful performances drive Theatre Albany’s ‘The Color Purple’
From the street, strands of purple ribbon wind around the white columns of the historic theater, hinting at the story waiting beyond its doors. Inside the foyer, a carefully curated slideshow flickers across a large screen, cycling through the faces of the cast. Some are seasoned performers. Others are stepping onto a stage for the very first time. Teachers stand alongside former students. Parents perform beside their children. People who worship in different churches, work different jobs and come from different corners of Southwest Georgia gather beneath the same lights to tell the same story.
Annual exhibition showcases southwest Georgia talent, community connections
Now in its 26th year, the exhibition features work by artists from across Southwest Georgia and offers residents an opportunity to engage directly with the area’s creative community.
