Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Now Playing
WEGL Live
Listen Live
WEGL FM

Secret Stages Music Discovery Festival 2021

A review and recap of Secret Stages 2021.

  

The 10th annual Secret Stages Music Discovery Festival took place in Birmingham, Alabama last weekend, August 6th and 7th. 

billy_woods_08.07.2021-33.jpg


After having to cancel last year’s 10 year anniversary, Secret Stages returned to the Avondale Entertainment District with its usual swath of upcoming, underground, and local artists. Taking over Avondale Brewing Company, Saturn, and an additional outdoor stage with a diverse selection of sounds from indie rock, underground hip-hop, americana, and more. WEGL was able to cover all 31 artists who performed over the two days.

Day one kicked off at Avondale Brewing Company with Rude & True, a Birmingham indie soul duo with a charm like no other. Mixing together great songwriting, keys, ukulele, xylophone, and more. Simultaneously, listeners were hit with resort realism’s psychedelic instrumental set across the street at Saturn. The day would then open up with hip-hop acts, singer/songwriters, and rock bands. Some notable sets were Oxford Con’s (an Auburn alumni), Mad Mike Martinez, Nick Shoulders, and Waltzer.

oxford_con_08.06.2021-01.jpg


The next day, after what felt like a very short break from the music, festivities kicked back off with Ryan Sobb and the Dead Mall at Avondale. Day two brough some amazing acts to the stages, from S.G. Goodman’s electric folk/rock set at Avondale to billy wood’s and EUCLID’s closing set as Armand Hammer at Saturn late that night. WEGL got to catch Rose Hotel, who we previously covered opening for SUSTO at Standard Deluxe as well as fellow radio DJ Jackie Lo’s set with her band Dree Leer.

Overall, there’s no festival out there doing quite what Secret Stages does. We got to speak with the promoter of the festival, Sam, and he’s someone you just know if passionate about music. The festival is able to bring in such a wide array of music from a diverse group of artists from all around the country. You can walk from seeing Thelma and the Sleaze, a gritty true to self rock’n’roll band from Nashville, to Cipherella, a lyrical hip-hop performer based out of New York City. 

Thelma_and_the_Sleaze_08.07.2021-05.jpg


WEGL is a variety station, so this festival was right up our alley. We’ll definitely be headed back next year. Who do y’all want to see in 2022?

Here’s the Secret Stages lineup, check out a couple of these acts! We’ve bolded a few that we particularly loved.

Rude & True (Birmingham, AL) – indie soul

resort realism (Birmingham, AL) – psychedelic, instrumental

The Monastery (Birmingham, AL) – rap duo

Oxford Con (Nashville, TN) – RnB, alternative

Zach Austin & the Stepdads (Birmingham, AL) – country, americana

Big Lo (Pensacola, FL) – hip-hop

Mad Mike Martinez (Asheville, NC) – indie, soul, hip-hop

Mel. Crozby (Birmingham, AL) – hip-hop, rap

Nick Shoulders (New Orleans, LA) – country, folk

Allie Baby (New Orleans, LA) – hip-hop, rap

Katie Toupin (Nashville, TN) – singer/songwriter, rock

DeeOhGee (Nashville, TN) – Appalachian rock

Ian Noe (Beattyville, KY) – country, americana

Waltzer (Chicago, IL) – indie rock

Ryan Sobb and the Dead Mall (Nashville, TN) – rock

San Alexander (Charlotte, NC) – hip-hop, rap

Kate Teague (New Orleans, LA) – singer/songwriter

Thelma and the Sleaze (Nashville, TN) – rock’n’roll

Cipherella (New York, NY) – hip-hop

S.G. Goodman (Murray, KY) – folk, rock

billy woods (Brooklyn, NY) – underground rap

Versailles The Everything (Charlotte, NC) – hip-hop

Thad Saajid (Florence, AL) – RnB, soul

John Hart (Nashville, TN) – singer/songwriter, rock

GT (Birmingham, AL) – hard rock

R.A.P. Ferreria (Nashville, TN) – rap

Becca Mancari (Nashville, TN) – singer/songwriter, indie

Rose Hotel (Atlanta, GA) – indie rock

Dree Leer (Birmingham, AL) – rock

Banditos (Nashville, TN) – alternative rock

Armand Hammer (Brooklyn, NY & Washington DC) – underground rap duo


Stay tuned on our website for more coverage from Secret Stages 2021.


Pictured: billy woods, Oxford Con, Thelma and the Sleaze. © Dylan Basden Photography.

Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2024 WEGLFM