Downtown venues to host inaugural Get in Tune music festival

Downtown Gadsden will turn into a multi-venue music festival on Friday as the Get In Tune music festival kicks off at 3 p.m.

More than 20 performances will be spread across eight businesses downtown, giving concert goers the opportunity to enjoy food, drinks and art as they see each band.

“Gadsden has a lot of great local bands. This is a way to showcase that,” Ray Wetzel, curator at Gadsden Museum of Art, said.

Wetzel worked to organize the event with other venues around the downtown area, and said each business was excited to take part.

He added that the event allows the businesses to work together toward a goal they all share, but usually work toward independently — bringing more people downtown.

“We have success with First Friday and pub crawls,” Wetzel said. “This is another way to show off the entertainment district.”

The music festival was inspired by other cities hosting similar festivals, including large-scale events like the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

Wetzel said that they hope to grow the show each year, but thanks to other business owners working to get more bands in, the inaugural event will feature alternative, rock, bluegrass and other genres and bands from across Gadsden, Northeast Alabama and other cities like Huntsville and Birmingham.

A $25 all-access pass grants entry to each venue and waives cover charges at the locations.

The festival will kick off at 3 p.m. with performances by James Kelley at the Hardin Center and The Laborers at The Coffee Bar.

The full track list by venue:

• The Moxie Salon: Participation Ribbon is scheduled to play at 5:30, followed by Bible Belt at 6, Red Scare Robot at 6:30, GallantHorn at 7, Mood Room at 8:15, Russian Love Machine at 9, False Suns at 9:30, Tiger Helicide at 10 and the Old World Underground at 10:30.

• Museum of Art: Foggy Hollow will take the stage at 4:45, Stadium Drive at 6:30 and The Wolves of Chernobyl at 7:30.

• Blackstone: Black Creek Revival will play at 9.

• Back Forty: David Carns at 3:45 and Foggy Hollow at 6.

• The Coffee Bar: The Laborers will be followed by Rumbelo Music at 5:30, Myles Probus at 7:30 and Poo Too Weet at 10:30.

• Harp and Clover: Hooley at 7:15.

• Thai One On: Dr. Matt Leder at 8 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased at each participating location or online through a link on the Gadsden Museum of Art Facebook page.

The Get In Tune music festival is sponsored by the GMA, City of Gadsden, Greater Gadsden Area Tourism and Downtown Gadsden Inc.