The Stews Lead Stacked Lineup at Avondale Brewery on Saturday June 17, 2025 09:36
Photo via The Stews
Article by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen
The Auburn-born, indie-rock sensation known as The Stews is all set to return to Birmingham's Avondale Brewery on Saturday night, and they're bringing a slew of talented friends along this Summer Solstice Spectacular. Transformational rockers Stop Light Observations will provide direct support, while local Birmingham acts Portico & Zion Goins will set the tone for the night, which is presented by Big Friendly Productions.
While The Stews may feel like a relatively new band on the scene, they have cemented themselves as a successful touring powerhouse over the past five years. What started as a group of friends jamming during COVID lockdown quickly turned into one of the hottest acts in the American college market. Within just a few years, The Stews began playing hundreds of shows a year, selling out iconic venues such as Washington DC's 9:30 Club, The Windjammer (Isle of Palms / Charleston), and The Bowery Ballroom (New York City).
Whether you've caught a show in an iconic club or on stage at Bonnaroo, SweetWater 420 Fest, or Rooster Walk, you know these guys are a force to be reckoned with. They've certainly made their mark on Avondale Brewery, as they previously set the venue record with 800+ day of show ticket sales. All signs point towards one of the biggest nights of the summer in Avondale, and it would be a wise move to secure your tickets in advance for this one.
We recently had a chance to catch up with the band and discuss a little history, as well as all of the latest Stews happenings here in 2025. Check out the conversation below and make sure you're following the band on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok if you're not already doing so.
I know that the band formed at Auburn University several years ago, and you guys really took off quickly from there. Could you tell me more about the formation of the band and those early days at Auburn?
The Stews: We started jamming at the beginning of Covid and by the end of the pandemic everyone had moved to Auburn. Once we all joined together, we started taking any gig available and finding any excuse to play in front of people. From there, word-of-mouth helped out and we started playing out of town more often.
The band went from playing college parties to selling out venues across the country in impressive fashion. When was the decision made to leave school and pursue the band full time? What did that process look like?
The Stews: We all looked at our calendars and realized the class wasn’t possible for the foreseen future. It didn’t take much convincing past that. They make it surprisingly easy to drop out of college these days! Definitely a leap of faith in the moment but a great decision in the long run.
The band's debut album What Was hit the streaming world in April of 2022. Since then, there were a number of singles released leading up to Chicken Fight, the band's 2nd album in 2024. How different were these studio experiences? Can you share any details on plans for the next release?
The Stews: The recording experiences were very different. For What Was, we recorded it in two sessions of two separate weeks and completed the album in a very timely fashion. For Chicken Fight, it was quite the opposite. We were in the studio over the course of a year and a half in between touring dates, and with that extra time we were able to get more experimental. As far as new music, we’ve been testing out new songs live while we figure out what the recording process will look like for our next project.
You've had some incredible opportunities to share the stage with a number of notable nationally touring acts early on in your career. What have been a few of the major highlights from the road? I'm sure there are some festival plays that come to mind.
The Stews: We’re very lucky to have toured with some amazing bands and be able to travel all over the country doing what we love. A recent highlight would be our run of shows with Flipturn, whose fans were so receptive and welcoming. Other than that, some favorite sets have been Hangout Fest, Bonnaroo in 2023, our Chicken Fight album release show at Irving Plaza in New York City last summer, and the couple of times we’ve played at 9:30 Club in DC.
2025 is already proving to be a massive year for the band. You're closing out the summer tour with Bonnaroo & the Avondale Brewery show in Birmingham. A major 'Who's Hungry' Fall Tour is right around the corner. What are you guys most excited about when looking over the months ahead?
The Stews: We are so stoked to be getting back on the road playing some of these new songs. It’s been really fun playing fresh sets and seeing the energy from fans!
Speaking of the Avondale Brewery show, you have another killer national act in Stoplight Observations on the bill. Two very strong local acts in Portico & Zion Goins. What can fans expect from this show, and just how vital has the Birmingham market been for the band's success?
The Stews: Birmingham has been a long-standing favorite of ours and we’re super lucky to have such talented acts on this bill! People can expect a mix of genres and a really high energy day overall.