City Stages
City Stages, called "Birmingham's World Class Music Festival," was a downtown 3-day music festival held annually between 1989 and 2009. It was produced by George McMillan through his non-profit Birmingham Cultural and Heritage Foundation and, with a few exceptions, took place on Father's Day weekend each year.
The first year's festival occupied three stages arranged around downtown's Linn Park. City Stages was an immediate success with music lovers and downtown promoters. At the time the idea of holding a major music festival on city streets was relatively novel. It inspired the creation of Atlanta's Music Midtown, Chattanooga's Riverbend Festival, Mobile's BayFest, and others (several of which have been managed by McMillan's company).
Over the years City Stages grew to a dozen or more stages occupying several blocks of the city. Its growth, however, was later accompanied by financial problems and the festival repeatedly reached out for public and private funding to sustain itself. After drastic shortfalls in corporate sales and day tickets in 2009, the festival's organizers announced they would cease doing business.
Management
The Birmingham Cultural and Heritage Foundation paid McMillan an annual salary and expense account and contracted with his firm, McMillan Associates to manage food vending and secure corporate sponsorships. Festival vice-president Guy McCullough served as marketing director, and his firm, McCullough Advertising was contracted to promote the event.
Between 2001 and 2003 the festival was moved to a weekend in May in hopes of milder weather and more flexibility in securing bookings. Inclement weather in each of those years contributed to mounting debts which threatened the continuation of the event. It was returned to its "traditional" Father's Day schedule and the scope was somewhat reduced (while ticket prices crept up incrementally). Talent bookings were pursued more scientifically and fund-raisers were instituted as part of an unsuccessful three-year plan to eliminate the festival's debts.
In 2004 the law firm of Vines & Waldrep signed on as "title sponsors," providing a significant boost to the balance sheet. The firm split the following year, but both successors continued as title sponsors through 2006. Ticket sales continued to fall below expectations and recent festivals have managed only to break even. In 2007 it cut its overall budget to $2.25 million and raised the price of weekend passes to $50. Through fund-raising and benefit concerts, the festival's debts were reduced from over $800,000 to less than $60,000. In 2008 the 20th anniversary festival was given a total of $700,000 in city funding and expected to break even. However, the festival ended 2008 with $168,000 in debt for the year and a total of $400,000. In June 2009 festival organizers asked Birmingham to increase its support of the festival from $300,000 to $550,000, citing a 60% drop in corporate ticket sales.
The festival operated as a non-profit and awarded music scholarships for high school seniors and participated in AmeriCorps' INTUNE program in Smithfield and West End.
| City Stages |
|---|
1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
See also
References
- Pelfrey, David (May 29, 2008) "Hat in Hand: After 20 years, City Stages is still panhandling." Black & White
- Colurso, Mary (July 18, 2008) "Grousing's not the way to build a better City Stages." Birmingham News
- Colurso, Mary (January 23, 2009) "Birmingham's City Stages $168,000 in the red for 2008, about $400,000 total." Birmingham News
- Bryant, Joseph D. (June 16, 2009) "Alabama's City Stages asks Birmingham for $250,000 more." Birmingham News
- Colurso, Mary (June 25, 2009) "Organizers: City Stages will not be back." Birmingham News