Feature

This year has been great for experiencing big label acts in the Port City. The aural wheels began to pick up speed in January, and the momentum is still at full force as we head into summer.

To really appreciate this, all you have to do is compare June 2006 to June 2005. Regional faves such as Friday Night Gigolos and Malcolm Holcombe were making their usual pass through the Port City, and former filth meisters 2 Live Crew were set to take the stage at Cell Block. Fast forward to June 2006. This month brought nationally-touring acts to Mobile such as: Blues Traveler, John Hiatt, North Mississippi All-Stars, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Shawn Mullins, Marc Broussard, Robert Bradley, Nickel Creek and Sister Hazel. And on an even brighter note, each of these shows has been a resounding success.

Before its extensive interior and exterior makeover, Mobile’s Saenger Theater was known more for bringing in various musicals and the occasional folk act, such as Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum. When Alan Sanders took over as General Manager of the Saenger, he decided to give the theater a new personality, but that was not a mission that could be accomplished overnight.

“I have been in the business for thirty-something years,” Sanders explains. “Since I moved back to Mobile and came here to the Saenger Theater, this is something that you have to nurture and plant the seed with agents and artists. Everything now has started coming about. I have the agents and artists calling me about dates wanting to play the Saenger Theater.”

Since the beginning of 2006, the Saenger has brought in Merle Haggard, John Hiatt and Willie Nelson, just to name a few.

The Saenger has also developed a reputation of being laid-back and honest with the artists and agents, and they have walked away from the Saenger with a new view of Mobile. So much so, bluegrass goddess Allison Krauss called Sanders after Hurricane Katrina to see if everything was OK.

The majestic theater has even bigger shows to come with Lyle Lovett Aug. 29 and Bonnie Raitt with Keb Mo’ Sept. 27.

And this explosion is being seen in the smaller venues as well.

Even in its former (and smaller location), Soul Kitchen was able to bring in acts such as Robert Randolph, Galactic and North Mississippi All-Stars. They were able to pack the house for these bands and become a favorite music hall, especially among the jam fans. But with a move to a larger building, just a few blocks east, owners Brad Young and Dan Merker knew they would be able to accommodate much larger crowds, so they decided to gamble on the bigger, national acts on a more regular basis. Since Mobile is not considered a “primary market” in the touring business, they had their work cut out for them.

“The most common things I hear when I talk to big agents are ‘this band is only doing primary markets’ or ‘the band is not looking to pick up Mobile at this time,’” Young explains. “These agents think it’s not worth their while to play here. We are going to prove them wrong.”

June 2006 was Soul Kitchen’s month to prove just that. For a venue of their size, they took a major gamble featuring major acts such as Blues Traveler and Sister Hazel in the same week, but it paid off in full.

“The numbers we were able to do with Blues Traveler and Sister Hazel prove that Mobile can be a healthy stop for large national acts on a constant basis,” Young says. “The morning after Sister Hazel, I e-mailed every national agent I’ve done business with in the past few years to let them know the numbers we just did for Blues Traveler and Sister Hazel in such a short time frame. I got a very surprised and positive response from all of them promising to look closer at Mobile when they are bringing their acts through I-65 and I-10.”

Young also applauds other venues such as Saenger, The Blue Gill and Felix’s for their success. Even though competition exists, there seems to be an air of camaraderie among the venues for the common good for all the venues. Young hopes that Soul Kitchen’s success pushes agents to bring bigger acts to his fellow venue owners.

Mobile has definitely been attracting out-of-town promoters such as Tampa-based Sound Stage Live. SSL’s co-owner Frank Giglio has worked in cooperation with the Saenger, Soul Kitchen and WZEW to bring bigger names into the Port City in 2006. Giglio even did the unthinkable when he joined forces with WZEW to bring ZEWtopia to the Greater Gulf State Fairgrounds, a day full of nationally-known acts, such as Cracker, the subdudes and Dr. John.

“We saw the Fairgrounds as a well-equipped venue with staging and all the amenities to produce a quality outdoor event,’ explains Giglio, and he was more than correct with the success of ZEWtopia and plans on bringing David Lee Roth there Aug. 30. So, what was it about Mobile that attracted Sound Stage Live?

“We saw the potential for Mobile and quickly made arrangements with Allen Sanders to bring acts into the Saenger,” Giglio says. “We have been excited to continue to bring events to Mobile whether it be the fairgrounds, a club or the Saenger.”

Not only has 92 ZEW done a great job of partnering with Soundstage, but their own “Summer Concert Series,” has certainly been an integral part of the improvement of the music scene. They have brought in such acts as the John Butler Trio, Brandi Carlisle and Matt Kearney and Shawn Mullins. And I hear they have a few more left up their sleeves for this season.

So, things are finally on the up and up for the Port City concert scene, and each venue deeply thanks the public for their support. I predict that we will see more and more national acts coming into the Port City as long as the public continues to show up, and the venues, promoters, artists and media all continue to work together in “concert.”

Stephen Centanni is Lagniappe music editor. Contact him at scentanni@lagniappemobile.com.

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