City Stages

City Stages, called "A Birmingham Festival" and "Birmingham's World Class Music Festival," was a downtown 3-day music festival held between 1989 and 2009, usually on Father's Day weekend. It was produced by George McMillan through his non-profit Birmingham Cultural and Heritage Foundation with offices in the Farley Building on 20th Street North.

History

McMillan was approached in 1988 by the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau about the possibility of having him produce and promote a large music festival in Birmingham.

The first year's festival opened on June 16, 1989. It occupied three stages arranged around downtown's Linn Park. City Stages was an immediate success with music lovers and downtown promoters. At the time the idea of holding a major music festival on city streets was relatively novel. It inspired the creation of Atlanta's Music Midtown, Chattanooga's Riverbend Festival, Mobile's BayFest, and others (several of which have been managed by McMillan's company).

Over the years City Stages grew to a dozen or more stages occupying several blocks of the city. Its growth, however, was later accompanied by financial problems and the festival repeatedly reached out for public and private funding to sustain itself. After drastic shortfalls in corporate sales and day tickets in 2009, the festival had amassed over $1 million in debts. Organizers announced they would cease doing business and would be unable to meet their financial obligations.

Management

The Birmingham Cultural and Heritage Foundation operated as a non-profit with the mission of highlighting the musical culture of Birmingham, bringing people from diverse backgrounds together to foster a sense of community, encouraging economic development, and providing cultural opportunities to the public.

In addition to producing the annual festival, City Stages awarded music scholarships for high school seniors and participated in AmeriCorps' INTUNE program in Smithfield and West End. In 2006 the amount donated to scholarships totaled $3,229.

The foundation paid McMillan an annual salary of $22,500 and contracted with his firm, McMillan Associates to manage food vending and secure corporate sponsorships. McMillan received 15% commission for the sponsorships he cultivated, bringing his total compensation in 2006 to just over $100,000. Festival vice-president Guy McCullough served as marketing director, and his firm, McCullough Advertising was contracted to promote the event until 2009 when Cayenne Creative took over festival marketing.

Between 2001 and 2003 the festival was moved to a weekend in May in hopes of milder weather and more flexibility in securing bookings. Inclement weather in each of those years contributed to mounting debts which threatened the continuation of the event. It was returned to its "traditional" Father's Day schedule and the scope was somewhat reduced (while ticket prices crept up incrementally). Talent bookings were pursued more "scientifically" and fund-raisers were instituted as part of a somewhat successful three-year plan to eliminate the festival's debts. The addition of Vines & Waldrep as "title sponsors" in 2004 helped boost the balance sheet. The festival's accumulated debt was reduced to about $60,000 in 2006 before mushrooming to $400,000 after the 20th anniversary City Stages in 2008, an event which enjoyed a record $700,000 in city funding.

In June 2009, days before the festival was to open, organizers asked Birmingham to increase its support from $300,000 to $550,000, citing a 60% drop in corporate ticket sales. Checks to contractors and vendors were bouncing. Lackluster day ticket and beverage sales over the hot weekend forced organizers to announce soon afterward that the foundation was ceasing operations.

References

• Pelfrey, David (May 29, 2008) "Hat in Hand: After 20 years, City Stages is still panhandling." Black & White
• Colurso, Mary (July 18, 2008) "Grousing's not the way to build a better City Stages." Birmingham News
• Colurso, Mary (January 23, 2009) "Birmingham's City Stages $168,000 in the red for 2008, about $400,000 total." Birmingham News
• Bryant, Joseph D. (June 16, 2009) "Alabama's City Stages asks Birmingham for $250,000 more." Birmingham News
• Colurso, Mary (June 26, 2009) "$1 million-plus debt ends Birmingham music festival City Stages after 21 years." Birmingham News
• Pelfrey, David (June 25, 2009) "Free Speech and City Stages" Black & White
• Gathings, Honora (June 26, 2009) "City Stages Founder Talks About Festival Finances" ABC 33/40
• Colurso, Mary (June 28, 2009) "City Stage's demise after 21 years draws breadth of emotions." Birmingham News