News

Rebirth Brass Band To Play Gadsden's 'Rock The River' On July 14th June 29, 2017 14:36

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The Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation is set to host it's fourth annual "Rock The River" event on Friday, July 14th, and they're confident that this year will be their strongest showing yet.  Rock the River will take place at Coosa Landing, the city's boat launch between Memorial Bridge and the railroad trestle, on the river's east side.  This year's event will feature a performance from the Grammy-award winning Rebirth Brass Band from New Orleans.  Those who have had a chance to catch this band in the past will be the first to tell you that this is a show you don't want to miss.
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Gates open at 6 pm. Soul Survivor with Alice Martin opens the show at 6:30 pm and Rebirth Brass Band starts at 8 pm. Lawn chairs and coolers are welcome and food vendors will be available. General admission tickets are $25 per person and are available at the Hardin Center and online. The funds raised by Rock the River go to support the programs and projects of the Hardin Center. Strollers are welcome, but everyone over 24 months old will require a ticket for admission.
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A limited number of reserved VIP tables of 8 seats are available for $600. VIP tables include a premium reserved table, a VIP parking pass, and vouchers to be used at the food vendors. For more information or to reserve a VIP table, please call (256) 490-7227.
Coosa Landing is an outdoor venue on the eastern bank of the Coosa River between the Memorial Bridge and the railroad trestle.
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We recently spoke with Tom Banks, deputy director of the Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation, in order to learn more about the purpose behind this annual event, it's effect on the foundation and greater Gadsden community: 
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Folks in Gadsden continue to be very supportive of Rock the River and all special events in general. We were particularly pleased that people came from outside our area to hear Anders Osborne last year. We're hoping to have an even larger crowd of both local people and people driving in for Rebirth.
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One of the best aspects of this event is that it's a relaxed atmosphere, not like so many other events with a bunch of rules about what you can bring with you and restricted areas. We just want everyone to come and have a great time. Rebirth is widely-known for putting on a hell of a show. We're looking forward to them getting people of all demographics in our crowd up and moving.
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There will be two entry gates for the event. The gate for VIP ticket holders and for those with VIP parking passes will be near Dollar General. Parking for general admission is at the former K-mart next to Ronnie Watkins Ford. The other gate will be under the Memorial Bridge (Broad Street bridge). Those parking at the former K-Mart will be able to walk the short path behind Ronnie Watkins Ford and enter that gate. General admission tickets will be sold and honored at both gates.
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Rock the River is presented by Pepsi and sponsored by Exchange Bank, Buffalo Rock, 
Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Elisabeth Hardin, and Life Insurance Company of Alabama, and the City of Gadsden. In the event of rain, the concert will take place inside 210 at the Tracks, 210 Locust Street in downtown Gadsden.
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Watch Rebirth Brass Band perform on WNYC's Soundcheck here:
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Watch Rebirth Brass Band perform "Do Whatcha Wanna" on Jam In The Van here:
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Official Bio: Rebirth Brass Band
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Simply put, The Rebirth Brass Band is an institution. Formed in 1983, the band has long since graduated from the streets of New Orleans to theaters and festivals all over the world. Rebirth is committed to upholding the tradition of brass bands while at the same time incorporating modern music into their show. Their signature brand of heavy funk has placed them among the world’s top brass bands and they are the hands-down favorite among the younger generation. In reference to the sometimes-stringent competition amongst brass bands, Offbeat magazine remarked, “…it’s clear that Rebirth, which boasts 10 albums and has traveled the world, is the band to beat (July 2001).
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Gadsden's "Rock The River" To Feature Anders Osborne On July 15th July 6, 2016 18:46

Photo by ShowLove Media

The Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation is set to host it's third annual "Rock The River" event on Friday, July 15th, and they're confident that this year will be their strongest showing yet.  Rock the River will take place at Coosa Landing, the city's boat launch between Memorial Bridge and the railroad trestle, on the river's east side.  This year's event will feature a performance from legendary New Orleans musician  Anders Osborne.  Those familiar with Osborne's music will be the first to tell you that this is a show you don't want to miss.

Gates open at 7 pm, the show starts at 8 pm, lawn chairs and coolers are welcome, and food vendors will be available.  General admission tickets are $25 per person and are available at the Hardin Center and online here. The funds raised by Rock the River go to support the programs and projects of the Hardin Center.

Click Here: Purchase Tickets to Rock The River

A limited number of reserved VIP tables of 8 seats are available for $600. VIP tables include a premium reserved table, a VIP parking pass, and vouchers to be used at the food vendors. For more information or to reserve a VIP table, please call (256) 490-7227 or email.  Coosa Landing is an outdoor venue on the eastern bank of the Coosa River between the Memorial Bridge and the railroad trestle. Click here to view a map of the venue.

We recently spoke with Tom Banks, deputy director of the Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation, in order to learn more about the purpose behind this annual event, it's effect on the foundation and greater Gadsden community:

"We do Rock the River for two main reasons. The main purpose is to raise funds for the Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation. We use the funds to support our exhibits, our children's museum, our youth orchestra, our school for the arts, and all of our community programs. The second reason is to provide a quality event for our community in a unique venue with a reasonable ticket price. We are pleased be able to bring in a talented artist and provide a great outdoor atmosphere for a show along Gadsden's beautiful riverfront.

This is our third year for Rock the River and the event has grown each year. We hope to continue to build upon the momentum each year and create a festival atmosphere that can be enjoyed by a diverse group of people.

We hope for this year's event to appeal to a broad audience and particularly to people who enjoy live music. Anders Osborne is known to be an incredible musician and a terrific performer. People of all ages and demographics like his music. We feel like Anders is the perfect fit for an outdoor concert along a beautiful river and we hope he'll bring in a large crowd of new people who may not already be familiar with Gadsden."

Click Here: Purchase Tickets to Rock The River

Watch Anders Osborne's performance at the 2016 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival here:

Bio: Anders Osborne

Between the potency of his richly detailed songwriting, his intensely emotional, soulful vocals and his piercing, expert guitar work, New Orleans’ Anders Osborne is a true musical treasure. He is among the most original and visionary musicians writing and performing today.Guitar Player calls him “the poet laureate of Louisiana’s fertile roots music scene.” New Orleans' Gambit Weekly recently honored Osborne as the Entertainer Of The Year.  OffBeat named him the Crescent City’s Best Guitarist for the third year in a row, and the Best Songwriter for the second straight year. Osborne also won Song Of The Year for his composition, Louisiana Gold.

Since the release of his 2010 Alligator Records debut, American Patchwork, his 2012 follow-up, Black Eye Galaxy, his critically acclaimed EP Three Free Amigos, and 2013’s Peace, Osborne has earned hordes of new fans. He has toured virtually non-stop, either with his road-tested trio, as a solo artist, or as a guest with his countless musical admirers, including Toots and The Maytals, Stanton Moore, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Keb Mo, The Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe. He’s appeared on Galactic’s Ya-Ka-May album, and in 2011 produced and played on critically acclaimed albums by Tab Benoit, Johnny Sansone and Mike Zito.

Since his recording debut in 1989, Osborne has written virtually all of his own material and contributed memorable songs to a wide variety of artists. Two tunes co-written by Osborne appear on Keb Mo’s Grammy-winning 1999 release Slow Down. Country superstar Tim McGraw scored a #1 hit with Anders’ song Watch The Wind Blow By. Osborne’s compositions have been covered by artists as diverse as Brad Paisley, Tab Benoit, Jonny Lang and Kim Carnes. His songs have appeared in multiple feature films. He can also be seen performing in an episode of HBO’s New Orleans-based drama, Treme.

Click Here: Purchase Tickets to Rock The River