Bragg Jam brings more live music to Macon

While things are always busy in Macon, it is the season of spring that really kicks my life into high gear. As I described in my last column, the weekend that encompasses both the Magnolia Soap Box Derby and the year’s first Second Sunday concert signifies the end of my “quiet” season, and the start of my “is there a way to voice-memo this entire email while folding laundry?” season.

On April 9, Second Sunday concert season kicked off with Gringo Star on stage, and also an exciting announcement from Bragg Jam. Not only did we spill the beans regarding the first wave lineup of acts for the Concert Crawl on July 29 (including Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Gringo Star, *repeat repeat and Bombadil), but we also told the Coleman Hill crowd that Bragg Jam is expanding to bring a Friday night concert at the Cox Capitol Theatre on July 28.

Two of the acts have already been announced (Cedric Burnside Project and local fellas Hank Vegas), with another coming soon, and early bird tickets are on sale now. The Friday night concert will be in lieu of the Patron Party, with our mission becoming more laser focused on bringing the most excellent live music to Macon, and attracting an ever-growing audience from throughout the region to come and experience what Macon’s downtown has to offer.

While the Patron Party was a fun way to kick off Bragg Jam weekend and to thank our supporters and sponsors, exploring ways to create more live music experiences has been imperative to Bragg Jam’s growth and survival. During recent years, we have cemented our place in Macon’s heart with programming that covers events like Second Sunday and the Robert McDuffie and Mike Mills Concerto. As this momentum continues, the idea of a multi-day festival became undeniable.

Of course, we also will have some brilliant VIP experiences to go along with certain ticket packages. Secret shows, lounge areas, a 2017 Bragg Jam T-shirt and other special treats will come with the VIP pass, which is also available as a Festie-Bestie pass in conjunction with the Macon Film Festival.

There is no doubt that those who support Bragg Jam will feel the love from us, too, no matter what level of ticket holder they may be. The experiences of Bragg Jam are changing. As we expand and create more structure to sustain the growth, we will always be working to keep the heart of the organization true to its origin — as lovers of music, lovers of our community and lovers of Macon.

For more information, visit braggjam.org.

This story was originally published April 19, 2017 at 7:12 AM with the headline "Bragg Jam brings more live music to Macon."