Music Midtown
Music Midtown is a large music festival held in Atlanta, Georgia, annually from 1994 to 2005, after which it returned in 2011 following a six-year hiatus. The festival ran consecutively from 2011-2019 with a cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival returned briefly in 2021, before a cancellation in 2022. In May of 2023, it was announced that Music Midtown would return. The festival runs for one weekend each year, typically in September. The event drew in excess of 300,000 attendees per year during its peak years.[1]
Music Midtown
Annual
- Undeveloped Land in Midtown at 10th and Peachtree, Atlanta (1994–1998)
- Area Around Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta (1999) Central Park, Atlanta (2000-2005)
- Piedmont Park, Atlanta (2011–2022)
1994–2005, 2011–2021, 2023–present
May 13, 1994
September 17–18, 2022
September 15–17, 2023
The festival began as a two-day event with three stages, and later grew to a three-day event with six main stages. Each of these stages were typically sponsored by a local Atlanta radio station and were used to present dozens of bands playing a wide variety of musical genres. Due to a decline in attendance and rising expenses after the 2005 festival, promoters placed the festival on hiatus in 2006.
In 2011, the festival returned as a one-day event, and expanded to a two-day format the following year. On August 1, 2022 the festival was cancelled due to Georgia gun laws preventing organizers from banning firearms at the event, which was held in a public park.[2] Upon the return of the festival in 2023, it was announced the event would now take place over 3-days and occurred from September 15-17, 2023.[3]
Lineups[edit]
1996 lineup[edit]
Friday, May 3, 1996 - Sunday May 5, 1996 - One Day Pass: $17; Weekend Pass: $27.00
3 lb. Thrill, 3 Lost Souls, Aimee Mann, Adrian Legg, Anti Heros, Anders Osborne, Becky Sharp, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Big Fish Ensemble, Bill Morrissey, The Black Crowes, Bob Dylan, The Bobs, Bone Pony, The Bottlerockets, Brother Cane, Buddy Guy Big Band, Cake, Catfish Jenkins, Chambers Brothers, Chief Seattle, Clay Harper & The Rhythm Tyrants, Cornershop, Cracker, Dallas County Line, Dash Rip Rock, Dirty Dozen, Doublewide, Dry County, Edwin McCain, Evan & Jaron, Fiji Mariners, Fishbone, Fleming & John, For Squirrels, Francine Reed, Fred Schneider, Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie, Goose Creek Symphony, Gracie Moon, Gren, Groundscore, Gurufish, Hip Heavy Lip, Howard Jones, HoHum, Ian Moore, Jake, Jan Smith, Joan Baez, Joe Ely, Joe Satriani, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, John Wesley Harding, Johnny Hyde Quartet, Josh Joplin Band, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Kool & The Gang, Larry McCray, Law of Nature, League of Decency, Leftover Salmon, Lift, Lisa Loeb, Lil Red Rocket, Lonesome Jones, Loudflower, Lounge Flounders, Luther Allison, Mary Fortune Express, Memory Dean, Moonwater, Morris Day & The Time, Norman Blake, NRBQ, Ohio Players, One Without, Poe, Ride the Wood, The Roches, Robben Ford & The Blue Line, Root 88, Ruby, Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women, Schtum, Shadowcaste, Shawn Colvin, Sightseers, Sister Hazel, Snapdragon, Sparklehorse, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Steel Pulse, Stir, The Stowes, Super X13, Syd Straw, Tabu Ley Rochereau, Tender Idols, This Living Hand, Toadies, Umajets, Uncle Mark Reynolds, Urban Shakedancers, Vertical Horizon, Wailing Souls, Wanderlust, Zachary Richard
KIDS STAGE: Planet Earth Inc. Lee Bryan's Premier Puppets, Juggling Dou Dan Thurman & Philip Solomon, Joanie Bartels from the Disney Channel, Mario "The Laff Master",Rick Hubbard & His All Star Kazoo Band, Plus Activity areas with arts & crafts, games and more.[10]
1997 lineup[edit]
May 2, 1997 - May 4, 1997 - Weekend Pass: $27.00
Number 1 Family Mover, 3 Lost Souls, 702, Acoustic Workshop, Alicia Bridges, Al Jarreau, Angie Aparo, Automatic, B Rock & The Bizz, Barenaked Ladies, BeauSoleil, Ben Folds Five, Better Than Ezra, Billy pilgrim, Boobytrap, The Boo Radleys, Cake, Cheap Trick, Christion, Cindy Lee Berryhill, Continentals, Cool For August, Cowboy Envy, Cowboy Mouth, Cravin' Melon, Dash Rip Rock, David Ryan Harris, Dayroom, Delbert McClinton, Dinosaur Jr., Edwin McCain, Kevn Kinney & Warren Haynes (together in a rare acoustic appearance), Emmet Swimming, Eric Johnson, Expanding Man, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Fernando Aragon, File´, Five-Eight, Fleming & John, The Floyds, Francine Reed, Fuel, funky Meters, Geno Delafose & French Rockin Boogie, George Clinton & The P Funk Allstars, Gibb Droll, Glass Candle Grenade, Gov’t Mule, Gravy, Hazel Virtue, The Hazies, Hip Heavy Lip, Hobex, Jonny Lang, Johnny Hyde Quartet, Jonatha Brooke, Jump Little Children, K's Choice, Kelly Hogan & Lee Jeffrey, Leroy Jones, Local H, Lonesome Jones, Lonnie Brooks, Los Lobos, Los Straitjackets, Madfly, Michelle Malone, Mishap, Modern English, Monica, Muse, Musique, Neilson Hubbard, The Nields, Pascal Bokar, Patty Griffin, People Who Must, Radiant City, Reuben Anderson, Rockapella, Root Doctors, Royal Crown Revue, Santana, Saw Doctors, Seek, Sevendust, Shinehead, Shock Lobo, Silverchair, Sister Hazel, Six Ways To Sunday, Skirt, Slim Fatz & Uprighteous, Sons of the San Joaquin, Soul Miners Daughter, Sounds of Blackness, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Steve Miller Band, Stir, String Cheese Incident, Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band, Tender Idols, treehouse, Trinket, Velmer Watkins & The Angelic Community Choir, Vigilantes Of Love, Wallflowers, War, Wild West Picture Show, Young Gary, ZZ Top[11]
1998 lineup[edit]
May 1, 1998 - May 3, 1998 - Ticket Price $30
2 Skinnee J's (5/1), A Flock of Seagulls (5/3), Agents of Good Roots (5/3), Alana Davis (5/2), Alejandro Esoveda (5/3), Al's Not Well (5/2), Andy Offutt Irwin (5/1), Anne Murray (5/3), Another Man Down (5/3), Anson Funderburgh (5/3), Athenaeum (5/3), Austin Lounge Lizards (5/2), The Backsliders (5/2), Bela Fleck & The Flecktones (5/3), Beth Wood (5/3), Big Wreck (5/3), Billionaire (5/2), Bio Ritmo (5/1), Blue Mountain (5/1), Booker T & The MG's (5/3), Charlie Mars Band (5/2), Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band (5/2), Cracker (5/2), Creedence Clearwater Revisted (5/3), David Byrne (5/2), Day By the River (5/3),Dayroom (5/2), Dee Snider's S.M.F's (5/2), Dee Dee Bridgewater (5/2), Derek Trucks Band (5/1), Destiny's Child (5/2), Dixie Hummingbirds (5/3), drivin’ n’ cryin’ (5/2), Duke Ellington Orchestra (5/2), Econoline Crush (5/3), Emm Gryner (5/1), Etta James (5/3), Evan & Jaron (5/2) Eve 6 (5/1), Fastball (5/2), Foo Fighters (5/2), Francine Reed (5/3) Freddy Jones Band (5/2) Fuel (5/2), Garrison Starr (5/1), The Gary Steer Ensemble (5/2), God Lives Underwater (5/2), Goodie Mob (5/1), Gov’t Mule (5/2), Gra’ (5/3), Gracie Moon (5/2)Haynes, McCain, Kinney (5/3), Henry Murphy & the son's & brother's band (5/3), The Iguanas (5/1), Indigo Girls (5/1), Isaac Curry (5/1), Jagged Edge (5/2), Jimmie Dale Gilmore (5/2), Jolene (5/1), Josh Joplin Band (5/2), Juggling Sons (5/1), June Victory & The Bayou Renegades (5/2), Jupiter Coyote (5/2), Keb’ Mo’ (5/3), Kenny Wayne Shepherd (5/2), King Slender (5/1), Kingsized (5/3), Koko Taylor (5/2), Kool & The Gang featuring JT Taylor(5/2), La Bottine Souriante (5/2), Letters To Cleo (5/3), Little Jack Melody & His Young Turks (5/2), Loud American Tourists (5/2), Lysette (5/1), Marvelous 3 (5/2), Mavis Staples (5/3), Memory Dean (5/1), Michelle Penn (5/2), The Mike Karp Band (5/3), Montel Jordan (5/2), Morphine (5/1), Neilson Hubbard (5/1), Overlook (5/2), Pain (5/3), Paula Cole (5/1), Paydirt (5/2), The Penetrators (5/1), The Pleasantdales (5/2), Reggae Cowboys (5/1), The Road Hawgs (5/2), Rick Hubbard & His All Kid Kazoo Band (5/2 & 5/3), Robert Cray Band (5/1), Robustos (5/1), Sam Salter (5/2), Larry Johnson & Adam (5/3), Semisonic (5/2), The Silent Kids (5/2), Sister Hazel (5/2), Sixteen Horsepower (5/1), Sixty Cycle Hum (5/2), Skwzbxx (5/3), Son Volt (5/1), Speech (5/2), Tinsley Ellis (5/3), Tito Puente (5/3), Tonic (5/3), Troutfishing In America (5/3), Tuscadero (5/3), Ugly Americans (5/2), Urban Grind (5/2), Velmer Watkins & the Angelic Choir (5/3), Violent Femmes (5/3), Vonda Shepard (5/1), Wild West Picture Show (5/3), Wil’'s Drama (5/2)[12]
1999 lineup[edit]
Friday 30 April 1999 – Sunday 2 May 1999 - $30.00 Three-day weekend ticket
60 Cycle Hum (5/1), 98 Degrees (5/2), Aaron Hall (5/1), Amanda Jones (4/30), Angie Aparo (5/1), B*witched (5/2), Bare Jr. (5/2), Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals (5/1), Berlin (5/2), Big Atomic (5/1), Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (5/2), Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys (5/2), The Black Crowes (4/30), BlackPerl (5/1), Blacklight Posterboys (5/2), Bloque (5/1), Blueground Undergrass (5/2), Bobby Blue Bland (4/30), Boozoo Chavis (5/1), Branford Marsalis (5/1),Brave Combo (5/1), Buckcherry (5/2), Burlap To Cashmere (5/1), Chris Duarte Group (5/1), Count Basie Orchestra (5/2), Cubanismo (5/2), Dance Contest/Deney Terrio (5/1), Deney Terrio (5/1), Deney Terrio & Motion (5/1), Destiny's Child (5/1), Digital Underground (4/30), Double Drive (5/2), Dovetail Joint (5/1), Dr. John (5/2), The Duke Robillard Band (5/1), El Caminos (5/2), Everclear (5/1), Fairfield Four (5/2), Fiji Mariners & Col. Bruce Hampton (5/2), File’ (5/1), Film (4/30), Francine Reed (5/2), The Funky Meters (4/30), Galactic (5/2), Gary Steer (5/1), George Thorogood & the Destroyers (5/1), Gibb Droll (5/2), Goodie Mob (5/1), The Gufs (5/2), Hole (5/2), Iggy Pop (5/1), Isaac Hayes (5/2), Jessica Simpson (5/2), Jonathan Richman (4/30), Joshua Redman Band (4/30),Kid Rock (5/1), Leftover Salmon (5/1), Lizardmen (5/2), Mandorico (4/30), Marvelous 3 (5/1), Mojo Nixon (5/1), Musique (5/1), New Immortals (5/1), Norman Blake (5/2), Otis Day & The Knights (5/2), Outkast (4/30), PJ Olsson (5/1), Peter Frampton (5/1), The Pleasantdales (5/1), Poor Little Fools (4/30), The Prodigals (5/1), Push Monkey (4/30), Randall Bramlett (4/30), Reel Big Fish (5/2), Reel Tight (5/1), The Rent Boys (4/30), Rick Springfield (5/1), Robin Trower (5/1), Ruthie & the Wranglers (5/2), Salt-n-Pepa (4/30), Shock Lobo (5/1), Soul Miner's Daughter (5/1), Soup (5/1), Sponge (4/30), Stereo Popsicle (4/30), Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys (4/30), The Tendor Idols (5/1), Toots & The Maytals (4/30), Train (5/1), The Trammps featuring Earl Young (5/1), Trinket (4/30), Truckadelic (5/1), Ultraphonic (5/1), Urban Grind (5/1), Vedado (5/2), Velmer Watkins & The Angelic Choir (5/2), Vinyl (5/2), Virgo's Merlot (4/30), War (5/1), Widespread Panic (5/2), Wilco (5/1), Willie Nelson (4/30), Xavier Cugat Orchestra (4/30)[13]
2000 lineup[edit]
Friday 5 May 2000 – Sunday 7 May 2000 - $30.00 for a three-day weekend pass
3 Doors Down (5/5), 6 Piece (5/6), Adom (5/7), Albita (5/7), The Allman Brothers Band (5/7), Angie Aparo (5/6), Another Man Down (5/7), Baby DC (5/6), Bayou Dimayo (5/7), Bela Fleck & the Flecktones (5/6), Belmont Playboys (5/6), Ben Torres (5/6), Bend (5/5), Beth Hart (5/7), Beth Wood (5/7), Big People (5/6), Billionaire (5/7), Bio Ritmo (5/7), Bjorn Again (5/6), BR5-49 (5/7), Brand New Immortals (5/6), Captains of Industry (5/7) Celia Cruz (5/7), Charlie The Magician (5/7), Chocolate Kiss (5/7), Collective Soul (5/6), Comedy Response Unit (5/6), Controlled Airspace (5/7), Cracker (5/5), Creed (5/7), Darling Machine (5/5), Dave Dault (5/7), Dave Sloan (5/5), Deacon Brody (5/7), Donell Jones (5/6), Dropsonic (5/6), The El Caminos (5/7), Fabulous Thunderbirds (5/6), Fernando Sanchez & Kim Richards (5/7), Film (5/6), Foreigner (5/5), Francine Reed (5/7), Franklin & The Magic Fiddle (5/6&7)Fred Astaire Dance Studios (5/6&7), Geno Delafose & French Rockin Boogie (5/6), Georgia Mass Choir (5/7), Georgia Satellites (5/5), Giwayen Mata (5/5), Gretchen Gigly (5/6), Guster (5/6), Heirs of Promise (5/7), Injected (5/6), Italian Bistro Act (5/6), Jagged Edge (5/5), Janah (5/6), Jazz Mandolin Project (5/5), The Jeff Healey Band (5/7), Jimmy Cliff (5/5), Joe Satriani (5/6), Joe Walsh (5/6), Johnny Hyde (5/6), Jungle Brothers (5/6), Kathleen Turner Overdrive (5/5), Kenny Wayne Shepherd (5/7), King Sunny Ade (5/5), Kingdom Kids (5/7), Kitty Snyder (5/6), Koko Taylor and Her Blues Machine (5/6), La Bottine Souriante (5/6), Left Front Tire (5/7), Lil’ Malcolm & the House Rockers (5/6), Liquid Soul (5/6), Lisa Lisa (5/6), Little Jon & the Eastside Boyz (5/6), Lotustarr (5/6), Macha (5/6), Mary Delaney (5/5), Meshell Ndegéocello (5/5), Metrolanta Steel Pan Band (5/5), Metroscene (5/6), Modern Hero (5/7), moe. (5/6), The Music Class (5/6&7), Myssouri (5/6), NAS (5/6), Natalie MacMaster (5/5), Nickelback (5/6), Oasis (5/5), Oleander (5/6), Our Lady Peace (5/6), Owsley (5/5), Paul Rodgers (5/7) PDQ (5/6), Peter Searcy (5/7), Pimpadelic (5/6), Radford (5/5), Ratdog (5/5), Reggae Cowboys (5/5), Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca (5/7), The Road Kings (5/6), Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise (5/5), Sergent Garcia (5/7), Sevendust (5/7), Sick Speed (5/6), Slam 2000 Team (5/7), Slim Fatz & Barefoot Dave (5/7), Som Brasileiro (5/7), Southern Belles (5/6), Southern Culture on the Skids (5/6), Speech (5/5), Splender (5/6), Steep (5/6), Stir (5/7), Strangefolk (5/6), String Cheese Incident (5/6), Stroke 9 (5/7), he Supremes feat. Mary Wilson (5/7), Susan Tedeschi (5/7), Taj Mahal (5/7), Theresa Morton (5/7), Tinsley Ellis (5/7), The Tom Collins (5/5), Travis (5/5), Tyrese (5/5), Ultrababyfat (5/7), US Crush (5/6), Velmer Watkins and The Angelics (5/7), Vocal Tonic (5/6)[14]
2001 lineup[edit]
Friday 4 May 2001 – Sunday 6 May 2001
John Mayer, Train, Bob Dylan, Ludacris, The Offspring, Erykah Badu, Foreigner, Ben Harper, Al Green, Kansas, Kool & The Gang, Cheap Trick, Talib Kweli, Blue Öyster Cult, Live, Five For Fighting, The Black Crowes, O.A.R., The Cult, Patti Smith, Musiq Soulchild, Run DMC, The Wallflowers, Fuel, The Sugarhill Gang, Steve Earle, En Vogue, Less Than Jake, Lucinda Williams, Arrested Development, Our Lady Peace, Indigo Girls, Bilal, Loverboy, Night Ranger, Rehab, American Hi-Fi, Cracker, Gov't Mule, Little Feat, Eric Johnson, Galactic, Carl Thomas, Days of the New, Booker T. Jones, The Derek Trucks Band, Tantric, North Mississippi Allstars, The Smithereens, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Evan And Jaron, The Connells, Jerry Cantrell, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Oleander, Jackyl, Delbert McClinton, The Gabe Dixon Band, Drivin' n' Cryin', Dexter Freebish, Marcia Ball, BeauSoleil, Sonia Dada, Shemekia Copeland, David Lindley, Marvelous 3, Injected, Josh Joplin Group, Johannes Linstead, Minus, Left Front Tire, Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks, Aerial, Soup, Francine Reed, The Senators, Blueground Undergrass, Jennifer Nettles Band, Treephort, L'il Brian And The Zydeco Travelers, The Forty Fives, Georgia Sea Island Singers, Greg Hester, Col Bruce Hampton And The Code Talkers, Young Antiques, Miller's Tale, Victoria Williams & Mark Olson, Original P, Nillah, X-impossibles, Kenny Howes & the Yeah, The Moto-litas, Craig Ellis, Shola Lewis, Andy Browne[15]
2002 lineup[edit]
Friday 3 May 2002 — Sunday 5 May 2002
Earth, Wind & Fire, 30 Seconds to Mars, Acres, Adema, Alastor, Albita, Angie Aparo, Asphalt Blaster, Avant, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Better Than Ezra, Big People, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Bo Diddley, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Bonnie Raitt, Brizz, Bruce Daigrepont, Bubba Sparxxx, Bush, Butch Walker, CeeLo Green, Charivari, Cindy Wilson, City High, Cornbread, Counting Crows, Course Of Nature, Darius Rucker, David Dunning, David Lee Roth, Disco Biscuits, Don McLean, Doria Roberts, Dropsonic, Earshot, Edwin McCain, Familiar 48, Flickerstick, Francine Reed, Garbage, Geno Delafose and French Rockin Boogie, The Georgia Satellites, Giwayen Mata, Greta Lee, Headstrong, Hoobastank, Hot August Knights, Incubus, Injected, Israel Vibration, Jack Johnson, Jad, Jaheim, Ja Rule, Jethro Tull, Jim Crow, Jimmy Bosch, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Joe Bonamassa, Journey, June Carter Cash, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Kid Rock, Lake Trout, L.O.A., Mark Farner, Metroscene, Michelle Malone, Mike Mills, Mother's Finest, Mystikal, Nathan & The Zydeco Cha, No Doubt, O.A.R., Ohio Players, Oliver Mtukudzi, Perpetual Groove, Pete Yorn, ph balance, Producers, Puddle of Mudd, Rana, Remy Zero, Res, Rick James, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Rosie Ledet, Royal 7, Rubyhorse, Savoy Brown, Sean Costello, Sense Field, Sharissa, Skid Row, Slim Fatz, slowEarth, Stone Temple Pilots, Supermatic, The John Butler Trio, The Rantings of EVA, The Wood, Yard, The Zydeco Boneshakers, Tinsley Ellis, Tony Rich, TrancesArc, Uncrowned, War, Zydefunk[16]
2003 lineup[edit]
Friday, May 2, 2003: Bob Dylan, Cracker, LL Cool J, Live, Sheryl Crow, Steve Winwood, The Les Claypool Frog Brigade, Unwritten Law, and Sound Tribe Sector 9
Saturday, May 3, 2003: Aimee Mann, Buddy Guy, Tony Bennett, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Dave Mason, Evanescence, Godsmack, Joe Cocker, King's X, Marc Broussard, Matt Nathanson, Medeski Martin & Wood, Mrnorth, Revis, Saliva, Sixpence None the Richer, Spookie Daly Pride, The Isley Brothers, The Mavericks, The Time, Tonic, Trapt, and doubleDrive.G Love and Special Sauce, Tony Bennett
Sunday, May 4, 2003: Aimee Mann, Antibalas, Ashanti, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Caitlin Cary, Cowboy Mouth, Def Leppard, Drive-By Truckers, Eve, Everclear, Gipsy Kings, Gomez, Gov’t Mule, Jack Johnson, Ratdog, Seether, Skerv Susan Tedeschi, Tonic, and Zwan.[17]
2004 lineup[edit]
Friday, April 30, 2004: Hoobastank, Ludacris, REO Speedwagon, and Tantric.
Saturday, May 1, 2004: Big Boi, Chris Robinson & The New Earth Mud, Doors of the 21st Century, Drive-By Truckers, Foo Fighters, The Offspring, The Strokes, and Wyclef Jean Train.
Sunday, May 2, 2004: CeeLo Green, Courtney Love, Fuel, Jason Mraz, Jessica Simpson, Journey, Twista, and Ween.[18]
2005 lineup[edit]
Friday, June 10, 2005: