Take us back to the Sloss Music & Arts Festival! (2018)
After attending my first Sloss Music & Arts Festival (Sloss) last year, I realized that this little jewel in Alabama was going to be on my radar as long as I live in the south. This year’s lineup was no exception boasting a Big 4: Chris Stapleton, Arcade Fire, GRiZ, and Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit. Now I do not know about you, but I do listen to just about every genre (but I am VERY picky when it comes to artists in those genres). Sloss is always coming with a strong lineup that is a little something from every genre spread out over the weekend. Over the weekend, I did manage to catch a few artists that I have wanted to see live for some time now; Flagship, Nikki Lane, Margo Price, and Walden.
Flagship – Hailing from Charlotte, NC, Flagship is a rock band that consists of Drake Margolnick (vocals/guitar) and Michael Finster (drums). They have released two (2) LPs since forming the band 2011. Want to hear some of Flagship? Then check out their Official Bandcamp page today!
Nikki Lane – This Greenville, S.C. native has been a mainstay on the outlaw country circuit since 2010 and she doesn’t seem to be letting up. She has three (3) LPs to date with Highway Queen being the most recent release. Check out some of her tunes at her Official Soundcloud page.
Margo Price – Born Margo Rae Price in Aledo, Illinois, Margo has become a constant in Nashville and has even been hailed as “country’s next star”. Signed to Jack White’s label, Third Man Records, Margo has released two (2) LPs, one (1) live LP, and one (1) EP since joining the label in 2016. Check out her music over at her Official Soundcloud page today.
Walden – Hailing from Athens, Ga. (GO DAWGS!), Walden has been on my radar for quite some time given the short distance between us. After winning the 2017 Road to Bonnaroo competition, Walden’s popularity skyrocketed giving them the chance to open for Moon Taxi and Twiddle for example. Check out their music over at their Official Soundcloud page and see what you think.
This year did come with some nasty, inclement weather including lightning strikes within a 5 mile radius which caused delays both Saturday (2 ½ hours) and Sunday (4+ hours). Unfortunately, this also led to some artists not being able to perform at the festival. Such notable artists that were omitted: Big Freedia, LANY, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, The War on Drugs, PVRIS, and St. Paul & The Broken Bones to name a few. This was a huge blow to the weekend but the festival organizers cannot predict the weather. And they must look after the safety of thousands of festival goers who are attending, the many artists performing, and all the people behind the scenes at Sloss. One saving grace, St. Paul & The Broken Bones played a free show at Saturn in downtown Birmingham on Sunday night since they could not play the festival.
The weather is inevitable and cannot be avoided (especially in the south). I hope to see you all back next year for the Sloss Music & Arts Festival in 2019… is it too early to start thinking about the lineup? Don’t forget to check out our redesigned website over at www.concerthopper.com and tell us what you think! We would love to get some feedback from our readers. ‘Like’ our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and stay up to date in 2018 on all music related events/festivals such as: Digable Planets: Live at The Masquerade, Glassjaw/Quicksand: Summer Tour 2018, Vans Warped Tour: The Final Run (N.Y. Edition), Slayer: The Final Tour, Monolord: Returns to Atlanta, Muddy Roots Music Festival, Jim James: Solo Tour, & Khruangbin: Live at Variety Playhouse by following us on all social media formats: Concerthopper on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also, you can follow my personal concert hopping on Facebook and Instagram for even more photos not available on Concerthopper.com.
Remember don’t think about it, just buy the damn ticket! As always, hope to see you at a show or festival soon!