1992 City Stages

1992 City Stages poster by Patti Harris Googe

The 1992 City Stages was the 4th annual edition of "Birmingham's World-Class Music Festival", held June 19-21, 1992. 180 acts performed on 10 stages. The daily ticket went up to $7 while the weekend pass climbed to $10. The estimated attendance for the weekend was 225,000. The City Stages/Hibbett Run premiered in 1992.

The Alabama Sampler Stage included a crafts area coordinated by Georgine Clark of the Alabama Crafts Council which featured the work of 35 Alabama artists, focusing on items relating to "The Front Porch", such as furniture, bird houses, garden sculptures, baskets and pottery. Participating artists included Jerry Brown, Steve Burrow, Susan Brown Freeman, Larry Allen, Nora Ezell, Bettye Kimbrell, Dorothy Chambless, the Heart of Dixie Quilt Guild, Tommie Bass, Lomia Nunn, Alligene White, the Alabama Forge Council, Dale Lewis, Esther Banks, Wright Buchanan, Cotton Brown, and Dennis Brickell.

The "Talking Tent" featured storytelling and demonstrations of checker, dominoes, harmonica playing, playground chants, hand games, quilting, Arabic dancing, shape note singing and barbecuing.

Artwork

The 1992 City Stages poster was designed by Patti Harris Googe.

Artists Carl Calderone, Chris Davis, and Jeff Gregory provided some of the designs for the 1992 City Stages selection of t-shirts.

Line up

• James Brown
• Wild Child Butler
• Rick Carter and the Loveland Orchestra
• Cracker
• Kent Duchaine
• The Fabulous Thunderbirds
• The Four Tops
• Front Porch String Band
• Joe Giattina and the Bama Cardinals
• Al Green
• Buddy Guy
• Richie Havens
• Henri's Notions
• Don Henry
• George Jones
• Kanda Bongo Man
• Sonny Landreth
• Luke Lucas
• Albert Macon
• John Mooney
• Kenny Neal
• Mark O'Connor
• Red Barn
• Charlie Robison and the Millionaire Playboys
• Spanic Boys
• Sugar La-Las
• Texas Radio
• Robert Thomas
• Three on a String
• Robin and Linda Williams
• Wiregrass Sacred Harp Singers
• Whited String Band

Talking Tent

• Saturday
  • 11:30 AM: Smithfield Checker and Domino Club tournament
  • 12:30 PM: "What's the Difference Between a Fiddle and a Violin?"
  • 1:30: "Mary Mack, Dressed in Black: Playground Chant and Hand Jive"
  • 2:30: Nora Ezell, narrative quilter
  • 3:30: Gandy Dancers, railroad songs, stories and work demonstrations
  • 4:30: "Come and Dance" with the Magic City Boppers
• Sunday
  • 1:30: Harmonica Gathering
  • 2:15: "The Classics: Tracing Alabama's Gospel Music Heritage"
  • 3:00: St George Dancers, Folk Dance Traditions from the Arabic World
  • 3:45: Tommie Bass, mountain herbalist
  • 4:30: "The Secret's In The Sauce: Owners of Dreamland BBQ, Tired Texan Barbecue and Green Top Bar-B-Q talk about barbecue"

References

• Cobb, Mark Hugues (June 14, 1992) "Sampler Stage to feature traditional Alabama." Tuscaloosa News
• Carlton, Bob (June 12, 1998) "City Stages retrospective." Birmingham News

External links

• Excerpt from Festival Program in Alabama magazine at digital.archives.alabama.gov