Get ready Birmingham!!! With Secret Stages just four days away, downtown is preparing itself for an influx of incredible musicians from across the country and the Audiovore wants to give you the skinny on one of the most exciting new music festivals in the Southeast. As one of the best things to happen to the Magic City music scene since the Bottletree opened a few years ago, the two-day festival is set to introduce the local population to some of the hottest new sounds around, with everything from bracing indie-rock, club-banging hip-hop, and the avant-garde ready to take over the loft district.
      With over 80 bands and 11 comedians on the docket (and a pub crawl to boot!!!), there will be a little bit of something for everyone. But don't be fooled. This is no South By Southwest hype machine. The Secret Stages crew want to bring you premium cutting edge music without all the crap and a healthy respect for both bands and audiences alike. A lofty goal? Perhaps. But it's one worth fighting for. Somebody's got to separate the wheat from the chaff.
      As a preview of the festival, I spoke with Secret Stages talent buyer - and impresario of local record label Skybucket Records- Travis Morgan about what to expect from this year's event, why South By Southwest has become a bloated albatross for up-and-coming bands, and which acts he plans on catching at this year's throwdown. This is what he said....


Audiovore: So this is the second year of Secret Stages. What's new with the festival? Any major changes to the layout or dynamic of the event?

Travis Morgan: It's about the same number of bands and comedians as last year. It's actually a few less and on purpose. We wanted to pack out the venues just a little more and flesh out the footprint. We didn't have a problem with venues being slim last year, however, we didn't want that to be in question, so there's a few less things at the same time. As we grow, that may change. We'll see what this year brings. We have a few more fixtures this time: more food vendors and visual enhancements. We moved the main outdoor stage into the street on 2nd Ave N. We've also added an experimental/improv stage at Steel on Saturday night featuring musicians on the national/world radar for the genre. Then there's the hip-hop stage that will take place at Matthew's Friday and Saturday night. Lobotomix has curated the stage there for Saturday and they're gonna have a crazy cool lineup and entertainment.

A: I heard that Third Man Records is going to have their mobile record store there. How did you get them involved?

TM: Well, we tried to have them last year, but believe it or not, the record store was in the shop.  And I imagine you don't hear "our record store is in the shop" that often. They fit well with our aesthetic- and our's with their's - so it works out. It's going to be a nice addition.

A: What inspired you to want to start something like this in Birmingham? Was there a void you all thought needed to be filled in terms of large scale music programming?

TM: I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about starting a music festival in some form here for a long time. However, the way this festival came about was through Chuck Leishman. He called together a roundtable about two-and-a-half years ago to create a pub crawl festival in Birmingham and I was one of the people invited to it. As I often do, I got excited with the idea and ran with it. I kept calling Chuck for weeks and months after the initial meeting asking how things were coming along and I guess I showed enough enthusiasm to get to book the festival, and when the timing was right, I got the job. So, I got in there at the beginning. I guess you could say there was a void, however.
        Without sounding pretentious...I don't think that Birmingham's ever had anything quite like Secret Stages. Like many kids that grew up in Birmingham, I attended City Stages most years from when I was a teenager up to its final year and I'm glad I had the opportunity to see a number of good bands there throughout that time. But, while Secret Stages is a music festival- and there are multiple stages like City Stages- we are quite different. While City Stages could be very diverse, it also could book bands that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Secret Stages doesn't see the need to spend that kind of money on one artist. Also, our concentration is on Southeastern acts and also acts that you probably haven't heard. We also showcase the best up-and-coming local acts as well. Our local music scene is strong and that's a really important part of the festival.

A: How was the turnout last year? Were you all happy with the way everything went down?

TM: The turnout was really great last year. I'd say a few thousand people attended over the two nights, and for a first year event like ours, I think that's really an achievement. Overall, I think the festival was a hit. We had problems like any festival. Much of that was being short on volunteers and being spread thin. We certainly need more volunteers this year, but we're already better off than last year. We had some issues with artist hospitality not having enough food on the first night, but that was corrected by the second night. It also rained one night a little and we shifted the last couple bands on the outdoor stage indoors. Fortunately, we're an indoor festival so rain is not as much of an issue as with having outdoor stages.

A: What were some of the highlights from the inaugural event?

TM: Some of my favorite acts were Ahleuchatistas, Velvet Kente, William Tyler, Vulture Whale, Brass Bed, the Deloreans, the Love Language, the Chad Fisher Group, Madeline, and Johnny Bertram & the Golden Bicycles. I didn't even get to see nearly as many bands as I wanted to see, however, I had a great time watching it all play out. A lot of people also raved about some of the performances I only got to catch a moment of like Howlies, Belle Adair, Futurebirds, the Great Book of John, and the Sunshine Factory.

A: South By Southwest seems like an obvious touchstone for what you all are trying to do in terms of introducing audiences to new and upcoming bands. Do you see SXSW as a model for Secret Stages or as something to define yourself against?

TM: Actually, it's funny you say that. I definitely have a love/hate relationship with SXSW. I've been going for nearly the past 10 years. I'd say SXSW is certainly a strong example of both what to do and what not to do. We're certainly nowhere near the size festival that SXSW is, but we're also not a music conference. However, I would like to see us grow in stature in the industry. Where I feel like we differ the most is we don't use hype, status, album sales, and publicity as much as a basis for booking a band.  SXSW is almost more about hype than about quality. This is not to say there aren't a ton of great bands there. There certainly are, but, it's difficult to find a filter to trust out there. It's very hit or miss. While I hope people will think within the genres they're interested in, artists performing at Secret Stages are mostly hits.
      The other aspect of booking that's different for us is that SXSW allows the industry to come showcase there, which is another aspect of its hands being tied by the companies trying to get a leg up. I personally feel like that kind of stuff can be overly political and takes away from a credible curation process. Secret Stages is careful about things like that.
      The third thing that's a major difference is that we don't have a submission process. While SXSW, in my opinion, scams thousands of bands out of $25 to $35- or more- to submit with no real chance of getting selected, Secret Stages does not. We try not to give bands false hopes. We hope that if a band is truly great that we will discover them through the process of live shows, press, and communication via music aficionados. While SXSW asks artists to submit, it does not pay bands AT ALL. Bands incur a lot of costs to travel to Texas to showcase. While Secret Stages doesn't draw nearly the amount of industry to Birmingham as Austin does for SXSW, we pay our bands as well as we can. We are super concerned with our artists being compensated and having a great experience in Birmingham. We want to know what kinds of problems they experience so we don't repeat those problems.
      On another note, I feel SXSW's credibility is getting diluted by the sheer size and amount of selected bands. If you think about it, can 1200 or more bands really all be great? Additionally, the day parties that take place also have the same effect. While I love the idea of music everywhere, there is certainly a part of me that feels that SXSW has spun off the tracks. That's why we're not having or encouraging day parties this year. That may change in the future, but we will always maintain control of our own booking. I want Secret Stages to be slow growing. I surely hope that it is a beacon for the amazing things to come in the near future.

A: Do you see a future for the festival in, say, the next five years or so? Do you think that Birmingham has the capacity to support such an endeavor on a year-to-year basis?

TM: I have no accurate way to answer that. I can't predict the future. I can only hope that enough excitement is stirred up that people want to keep coming back year after year. I can only assume that it will be even more popular this year after last year's success. I do have an underlying feeling that if we can maintain what we're doing that we will be around for a long time. I don't want to let Secret Stages spin out of control like SXSW did. And I think that will take a huge amount of work: always looking at what's best for the credibility of the festival and not for other reasons. My goal will be to help make Secret Stages a nationally reputable music festival.

A: On the other side of the coin, you all seem to be very civic-minded when it comes to integrating the local community into the festival itself. Whether highlighting local bands, getting area businesses involved, or putting a spotlight on local artisans. How important is the local community to an event like this?

TM: The whole Secret Stages crew is definitely civic minded. I think we all see the importance of local businesses being at the heart of the community and we all personally support them. I would say we are also activists and fight for the betterment of our community. I think Birmingham is truly blossoming into something unique and I attribute that to the art that is spewing out of the sidewalks, parks, local business windows, local bars, etc. Our local art is reflecting where we are as a city. I hope that Secret Stages is able to inspire local artists as much as they inspire us.

A: Finally, I know it's probably a tough question to answer, but do you have any acts that you're particularly excited about at this year's festival? Any must see shows?

TM: Hiss Golden Messenger is great. One of my favorites these days. M.C. Taylor was in a band called the Court & Spark. He has a great voice and is a solid songwriter. I'm stoked that he's making the trip. He rarely plays in the states. Dope Body from Baltimore is crazy and a blast. They deliver a hell of a live show. Shovels & Rope is amazing. You must see them if you haven't. Lydia Burrell from Louisville is a really cool band. They have a record on Jim James's label. Dennis González Yells at Eels will also be a festival highlight. They're an extremely talented trio capable of, well, really anything, but definitely leaning into the avant-garde. Terry Ohms and Them are terrific. They're a side project of Wes McDonald's from Vulture Whale. You wouldn't think it though. They are quite different than Vulture Whale, which shows McDonald's ability to effortlessly shift genres. I saw them recently and they blew my mind. City Champs are rad also. A real deal jazz trio with Memphis soul leanings. And lastly, Social Studies from Atlanta are a futuristic and smart hip-hop duo that showcase a 90's influenced rap style with early Warp Records-era IDM, amongst other things.
        I know I'm leaving some off the list, but honestly I couldn't name all the ones I'm excited about.



Secret Stages will be taking place in downtown Birmingham May 11 & 12. For more information and tickets check out their website here: http://www.secretstages.net/