News

Big Friendly Productions Announces Live Stream Series in Birmingham March 17, 2020 12:00

-
Words by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen
Photo by Craig Baird: Home Team Photography
-
We have officially entered uncharted territory, as the reality surrounding COVID-19 increases throughout each day. The devastating effect that this virus has had on industries across the globe is immeasurable at this point. For the first time in American history, we've seen a total shutdown on all public gatherings, including professional sports, NCAA March Madness, and live music as a whole.
-
The widespread cancellations have put the well-being of so many in jeopardy. The music industry is one of many which has come to a complete halt; leading to a very harsh reality for musicians, managers, booking agents, promoters, venue employees, and so many more. How long will this last?  When will it be safe to return to our normal lifestyle? These are perfectly reasonable questions, which seem impossible for anyone to provide a definite answer.
-
We do have a bit a good news to share today. Our friends at Big Friendly Productions have officially launched a new live stream series called Hunker in the Bunker, which kicks off on Friday, March 20th with performances from Little Raine Band and Desert Island Monster Mash. The series will continue on Saturday with Winston Ramble and Zach Austin & The Lonesome, while Taylor Hunnicutt and The Yellow Dandies will close out the weekend on Sunday. HITB will continue on a Thursday through Sunday basis for the foreseeable future. 
-
-
Here's the really cool part. This series gives you the opportunity to financially support all parties involved. As the amount of cancelled gigs continues to pile up, the music industry's total revenue is plummeting. Hunker in the Bunker allows you to make a donation of any amount to support both the artists and Big Friendly Productions, while enjoying the luxury of live music from your couch. Make sure to follow Big Friendly Productions on Facebook in order to tune in to all future live streams.
-
We caught up with Alex Cape, the founder of Big Friendly Productions, to learn more about the specifics of this unique live stream series. Check out the quotes below to learn more about Hunker in the Bunker, and feel free to reach out to Alex@bigfriendlyproductions.com for further details.
-
"In the past four days, we have had all shows in until May 9th cancel or postpone until further notice. It is hitting the pause button right at the beginning of our very busy spring / summer season."
-
"It's massive for us. We have been planning and preparing for the last 3 months for the spring and summer festival and private event seasons.  We have had over $100k in lost revenue in the last four days."
-
"We have activated a rehearsal space in downtown Birmingham to host local and regional artists that have also had cancellations. We have started with many of the bands that we work with on a regular basis. We plan on streaming as much as we can until whenever we can go back to work."
-
"Our first live stream will be this Friday, March 20th from 7:00 PM - 10:30 PM. We are going to broadcast from our company's Facebook page. We will take donations via Venmo, PayPal, and Cash App and hopefully pick up local business sponsors. Donations will be split appropriately between Big Friendly Productions and the participating bands"
-

Big Friendly Takeover Tour Kicks off Friday at Avondale Brewery May 8, 2019 12:15

 

Photo by Craig Baird: Home Team Photography

Three of Alabama's hottest rising acts will join forces at Birmingham's Avondale Brewing Company on Friday night. Winston RambleLittle Raine Band, and Taylor Hunnicutt will kick off what is sure to be a special tour, which also includes stops in Asheville (NC), Atlanta (GA), Montgomery (AL), and Mobile (AL). These three bands are certainly no strangers to one another, as their roots run deep across the greater Birmingham area. Based on what we've seen in the past, we should expect numerous collaborations throughout all three sets. 

This has been a busy year, to say the least, for all three of these bands thus far. Winston Ramble continues to draw impressive crowds across the southeast, while having recently completed multiple successful runs out to Colorado. Their most recent single, "1000 Miles," alludes to the band's increasingly busy tour schedule and is more than worthy of an addition to your latest playlist. Back in early March, Little Raine Band released Dreamwalker, their first full length album since 2016. As expected, they have been grinding across the southeast in support of the release, which is one of our favorites of 2019. You can check out a detailed review of the entire album by clicking hereTaylor Hunnicutt has been one of Birmingham's brightest rising stars in recent years, and she sure seems bound to break out in 2019. You simply can't look away when she starts singing, and her "supporting cast" is as strong as any. Click here to check out her latest feature on al.com.

Click Here: Purchase tickets to the Avondale Brewery show!

As an added bonus, Friday night's show in Birmingham will feature an opening set from Atlanta's Bird Dog JubileeIf you're planning on heading over to the brewery, you definitely don't want to miss these guys. If that wasn't enough, you can walk across the street to Saturn and catch LUTHI, The Pearl, and Dirty Lungs immediately after the music ends at the brewery. Long story short: Avondale is the place to be on Friday night.

We took a few minutes to chat with members of Winston Ramble and Little Raine Band to learn more about their vision for this tour. See below for a few quotes from the conversation. Click here to purchase your tickets to see all three bands on Friday night in Birmingham.

There’s nothing quite like playing music on the road with people you love. We’re all close friends and love making music together, so this is kind of like a family vacation in a way.. We’ve thrown around this idea for a while now and it’s awesome to see it finally come into fruition. There’s really no telling what you could expect from this tour, we have some fun surprises in store, other than that we know it’s going to get rowdy! Davis Little of Little Raine Band

"This run has been a long time coming, and I know we're all excited to make it happen. We've been lucky enough to share the stage with each other many times The Avondale show was so much fun last year, and we had to take it on the road. If I could pick any bands to travel and play with, it'd be these two. We love the music these two bands make and love the people who make it. Expect a show full of a many genres, original music, re-imagined covers, and collaborations. It'll be a damn good time." - Justin Oliver of Winston Ramble

Check out the official promo video for the BFT tour here:


Little Raine Band, Winston Ramble, & Taylor Hunnicut Joining Forces May 9, 2018 09:52

-
Photo by Craig Baird: Home Team Photography
-
Friday night looks to be another major night for the Birmingham music scene, as local favorites Little Raine Band, Winston Ramble, & Taylor Hunnicutt team up at Avondale Brewery. All three groups have built substantial, loyal followings in recent years, while also being known for some unforgettable collaborations. Taylor Hunnicutt, one of the area's most promising young talents, is set to kick things off at 6:30 PM, with sets from Winston Ramble and Little Raine Band to follow. With an absolutely perfect weather forecast in the mix, this is sure to be an electric occasion full of jams from several of the best Alabama has to offer. 
-
In preparation for this special night, we recently caught up with Jud Mize, Ben Benefield, and Justin Oliver from Winston Ramble for a quick interview. This past year has been a big one for this band, as they have ventured out across the country while continuing to expand their fan base across the southeast. See below for the full interview, and make sure to RSVP to this show's official Facebook event page for all of the latest updates.
-
Share this post directly from the Live & Listen Facebook page and tag a friend in the comments section for a chance to win a pair of tickets to see Little Raine Band, Winston Ramble, & Taylor Hunnicutt at Avondale Brewery on Friday, May 11th.
-

-
-

How has this past year of touring treated the band?

Jud: Overall, it’s been productive. We have learned a lot about ourselves and are figuring out all the little things that help to bring the big picture together.

Ben: It’s definitely made us a lot closer as a group. Musically and otherwise. I think more than anything it’s shown us what we’re capable of and the potential that we really do have as a band

What has life on the road taught you as a musician?

Justin: It’s been great playing so much and getting the sound tight. I can really tell a difference, musically, if we’ve been playing on the road for a couple weeks. It makes it really fun for us to be firing on all cylinders and frees us up to be a little more experimental live. When someone hears us for the first time and we’ve been on the road, I know they’re going to hear the best version of us.

Where do you find inspiration when writing new material?

Ben: From everyday situations really. That’s a tricky question, because I could give you a different answer for almost every song. I wish I could say only happy things, but honestly when the inspiration hits, you just have to be ready to ‘receive’ it. I’ve had lyrics come to me at work in the middle of a big project and even woken up from a dead sleep in the middle of the night with an idea. Same with the music. A lot of times riding down the road with the radio off, a rhythm will come to my mind and it just builds from there.

Does the band have plans to hit the studio in 2018?

Jud: Yes...we have already recorded three songs at The Nuthouse in Sheffield (AL) and plan to record more tracks before fall.

Justin: Absolutely. We’ve been waiting on all the pieces to fall into place to release two new singles we already recorded in the Shoals. Russ Randolph (formerly of Boom Box) produced those tracks for us at The Nutthouse in Sheffield, and we had some of the guys from Little Raine Band and Tragic City help us throw some magic on em. They’re definitely a progression from the last album, we wanted to showcase more of our electric side with these. We’re also looking to hit the studio again with more before the year is over. You’ll be able to get a sneak peek at live versions for some of those at Avondale.

What's on the horizon for Winston Ramble this summer and fall?

Ben: The sky’s the limit as far as we’re concerned. We just signed with Nimbleslick Entertainment Agency, and we absolutely love what we do and the team we have in place right now. We have so much fun meeting new people and playing for them, especially for their ‘first Ramble.’ All of the guys in the band have a unique style and, since knowing each other for so long, we’re all pretty comfortable and confident with each other and with what we can do with each other musically. 

Hopefully, we can hit at least a couple festivals this summer and have a new album or EP released sometime this fall. People always ask us about our name, and we like to think of it as a Winston-County Ramble coming to town. Hopefully we can bring it to you soon.

Watch Winston Ramble perform "Miss You" with members of Little Raine Band here:
-
-