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The '''1989 City Stages''' was the inaugural edition of "Birmingham's World-Class Music Festival". The entire festival took place on five stages within [[Linn Park]] on June 16-18 with about 70 acts. Tickets cost $3.00 per day or $5.00 for the weekend and beer was served in re-usable yellow plastic mugs. The estimated attendance for the weekend was 38,000.
[[Image:City Stages 1989.png|right|thumb|225px|Poster for the 1989 City Stages]]
The '''1989 City Stages''' was the inaugural edition of [[City Stages]]: "Birmingham's World-Class Music Festival". The entire festival took place on five stages within [[Linn Park]] on [[June 16]]-[[June 18|18]] with about 70 acts. The event was organized by the [[City Stages|Birmingham Cultural and Heritage Foundation]], and incorporated the annual [[Alabama Folklife Festival]] as a component of the larger production.  


==Line-up==
Festival director [[George McMillan]] raised $160,000 in sponsorships and public funding, including $25,000 each from the [[City of Birmingham]] and [[Jefferson County]]. Major corporate sponsors included Coca-Cola, [[Food World]], and [[AmSouth Bank]]. Several large contributions to the event were made by individuals.
 
Advance weekend passes were available for sale at [[Food-World]], [[Highland Bank]] and several [[AmSouth]] branches for $5, or for $5.50 by telephone through Fastix. Daily tickets were sold on site for $3 per day for adults and $1 for children under 12. Beer was served in re-usable yellow plastic mugs, though vendors were unable to keep up with long lines in the evenings.
 
The weekend included a [[City Stages Jazz Camp]] with Ellis Marsalis, held on Friday and Saturday at [[UAB]]'s [[Cudworth Hall]]. A "poetry room", moderated by [[Rob Collins]], was located in the Woodward Room at the [[Hampton Inn - Tutwiler|Tutwiler Hotel]].
 
In addition to the Children's Stage, the [[Birmingham Museum of Art]] coordinated hands-on activities, a clown troupe, "Surprize Party", roamed the site, and a book walk was sponsored by the [[Birmingham Public Library]]. A "street strut" parade with giant puppets opened the festivities on Saturday.
 
The event was blessed with clear, mild weather. Visitors enjoyed the newly-renovated city park, deemed an "oasis" in contrast to its former "seedy reputation". Organizers anticipated that the weekend would draw around 30,000, and later estimated that 38,000 actually attended. McMillan later reported that the inaugural City Stages cost about $300,000 to produce, and netted $215 in profits.
 
[[File:1989 Chuck Berry City Stages.jpg|right|thumb|375px|Chuck Berry performing on Saturday evening at Linn Park. Photo by [[Joe Songer]] for {{BN}}]]
==Line up==
{|-
| valign="top" |
===Friday===
===Friday===
* [[Tim Dewitt]]
* Heritage Stage:
* [[Plaid Camels]]
** [[Tom DeWitt]] and the Bounty Hunters (7:00)
* Webb Wilder
** John Prine (7:40)
* John Prine
** Webb Wilder and the Beatnecks (8:50)
* Georgia Satellites
** The Georgia Satellites (10:00)
 
| valign="top" |
===Saturday===
===Saturday===
* The Nighthawks
* Jubilee Stage
* Chuck Berry
** The Cast (12:30)
* Alex Chilton
** [[Proxy]] (1:30)
* John Hiatt
** Ellis Marsalis with the [[City Stages All-Star Band]] (2:35)
* [[Sun Ra]]
** Beausoleil (3:55)
* Beausoleil
** Alex Chilton (5:30)
* Ellis Marsalis
** The Snakes (7:05)
* [[Birmingham Heritage Jazz Band]] featuring [[Erskine Hawkins]]
* Heritage Stage
* The Cast
** [[Lolly Lee]], [[Pete Nice]] and [[Don Tinsley]] (12:00)
* The Snakes
** [[The Locust Fork Band]] (1:00)
* [[Locust Fork]]
** [[Erskine Hawkins]] with the [[Birmingham Heritage Band]] (2:00)
* Steve Forbert
** Steve Forbert (3:15)
* The Wagoneers
** [[Sun Ra]] and his Intergalactic Arkestra (4:30)
* Travis Tritt
** The Wagoneers (6:15)
* [[Bounty Hunter]]
** John Hiatt (7:55)
 
** Chuck Berry, with local back-up band featuring [[Rick Kurtz]] on lead guitar (10:00)
* Folklife Stage
** [[Whited Old-Time String Band]] (11:00)
** [[Jerry McCain|Jerry "Boogie" McCain]] (11:30)
** [[The Four Eagles]] (12:00)
** Madison County Ramblers (1:00)
** Baldwin County Polka Band (1:45)
** [[Albert Macon]] / [[Robert Thomas]] (2:45)
** [[National Sacred Harp Convention]] singers (3:30)
** The Bluegrass Four (4:00)
** [[Johnny Shines]] (4:45)
* Children's Stage
** [[Children's Dance Foundation]] (11:00)
** [[Cousin Cliff|Cousin Cliff Holman]] (11:45)
** Tae Kwon Do demonstration (12:30)
** storyteller (1:15)
** Arlen Moon Family (2:00)
** [[Birmingham Suzuki Violins]] (2:45)
** [[Alabama School of Fine Arts]] (3:30)
** [[Alabama Youth Symphony]] (4:15)
** [[Birmingham Boys Choir]] (5:00)
** rappers/steppers (5:45)
* Talking Tent
** [[Kathryn Tucker Windham]] (12:00)
** [[Jesse Culp]] (1:00)
** [[Gandy Dancers]] (2:15)
** [[Kathryn Tucker Windham]] (3:00)
* Poetry Room
** [[Blair Hobbs]], [[Janet McAdams]], [[Michael Rosen]]
* other
** The Nighthawks
** Hipp and Hicks
** Radical Network
| valign="top" |
===Sunday===
===Sunday===
* Nicolette Larson
* Jubilee Stage
* [[Corinth Baptist Church]] Choir
** [[Mt Canaan Full Gospel Choir]] (1:30)
* [[Mt Canaan]] Full Gospel Choir
** [[Corinth Baptist Church]] choir (2:30)
* Johnny Adams
** [[Johnny Adams]] (3:30)
* [[Eric Essix]]
** BeBe and CeCe Winans (4:55)
* Bebe and Cece Winans
* Heritage Stage
* [[UAB SuperJazz]]
** [[Eric Essix]] (1:00)
* The [[Temptations]] with the [[Alabama Symphony Orchestra]]  
** [[SuperJazz Big Band|UAB Super Jazz Band]] (2:00)
** [[Three on a String]] (3:00)
** Travis Tritt (4:15)
** Nicolette Larson (5:55)
** [[The Temptations]] with the [[Alabama Symphony Orchestra]] (7:00)
* Folklife Stage
** Alabama Fiddle Champions (1:15)
** [[Greene County Bluesmen]] (2:00)
** [[Charlie Louvin]] (2:45)
** [[John Alexander]]'s [[Sterling Jubilee Singers]] (3:30)
** [[Gospel Harmonettes]] (4:15)
** [[James Bryan (fiddler)|James Bryan]] (5:00)
** [[Birmingham Sunlights]] (5:45)
* Children's Stage
** storyteller (12:45)
** [[Southern Danceworks]] (1:30)
** Tae Kwon Do (2:15)
** [[Draper Gymnastics]] (3:00)
** [[Arlen Moon Family]] (3:45)
** [[Alabama School of Fine Arts]] (4:30)
* Talking Tent
** [[Kathryn Tucker Windham]] (1:00)
** Sacred Harp Singing School (2:00)
** [[Kathryn Tucker Windham]] (3:00)
* other
** Bessie Woodward
** [[Steve Sedberry]]
|}


{{Start box}}
{{City Stages}}
{{Succession box|before=none
|title=[[City Stages]]
|years=[[1989]]
|after=[[1990 City Stages]]}}
{{End box}}


==References==
==References==
* Carlton, Bob (June 12, 1998) "City Stages retrospective." ''Birmingham News''.
* Troup, Randy (June 10, 1989) "Music takes Stage in B'ham." ''Anniston Star'', p. 7–8
* Troup, Randy (June 9, 1990) "City Stages— 36 hours of fun for $5." ''Anniston Star'', p. 7-8
* Carlton, Bob (June 12, 1998) "City Stages retrospective." {{BN}}


[[Category:City Stages 1989|*]]
[[Category:City Stages]]
[[Category:1989 events|City Stages]]

Latest revision as of 13:25, 30 March 2023

Poster for the 1989 City Stages

The 1989 City Stages was the inaugural edition of City Stages: "Birmingham's World-Class Music Festival". The entire festival took place on five stages within Linn Park on June 16-18 with about 70 acts. The event was organized by the Birmingham Cultural and Heritage Foundation, and incorporated the annual Alabama Folklife Festival as a component of the larger production.

Festival director George McMillan raised $160,000 in sponsorships and public funding, including $25,000 each from the City of Birmingham and Jefferson County. Major corporate sponsors included Coca-Cola, Food World, and AmSouth Bank. Several large contributions to the event were made by individuals.

Advance weekend passes were available for sale at Food-World, Highland Bank and several AmSouth branches for $5, or for $5.50 by telephone through Fastix. Daily tickets were sold on site for $3 per day for adults and $1 for children under 12. Beer was served in re-usable yellow plastic mugs, though vendors were unable to keep up with long lines in the evenings.

The weekend included a City Stages Jazz Camp with Ellis Marsalis, held on Friday and Saturday at UAB's Cudworth Hall. A "poetry room", moderated by Rob Collins, was located in the Woodward Room at the Tutwiler Hotel.

In addition to the Children's Stage, the Birmingham Museum of Art coordinated hands-on activities, a clown troupe, "Surprize Party", roamed the site, and a book walk was sponsored by the Birmingham Public Library. A "street strut" parade with giant puppets opened the festivities on Saturday.

The event was blessed with clear, mild weather. Visitors enjoyed the newly-renovated city park, deemed an "oasis" in contrast to its former "seedy reputation". Organizers anticipated that the weekend would draw around 30,000, and later estimated that 38,000 actually attended. McMillan later reported that the inaugural City Stages cost about $300,000 to produce, and netted $215 in profits.

Chuck Berry performing on Saturday evening at Linn Park. Photo by Joe Songer for The Birmingham News

Line up

Friday

  • Heritage Stage:
    • Tom DeWitt and the Bounty Hunters (7:00)
    • John Prine (7:40)
    • Webb Wilder and the Beatnecks (8:50)
    • The Georgia Satellites (10:00)

Saturday

Sunday

City Stages
Site: Linn Park and Downtown Birmingham
By year: 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998
1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009
Miscellaneous: Gallery of City Stages posters

References

  • Troup, Randy (June 10, 1989) "Music takes Stage in B'ham." Anniston Star, p. 7–8
  • Troup, Randy (June 9, 1990) "City Stages— 36 hours of fun for $5." Anniston Star, p. 7-8
  • Carlton, Bob (June 12, 1998) "City Stages retrospective." The Birmingham News
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