1989 City Stages

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. 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.

In addition to the musical acts, the first City Stages included the Alabama Folklife Festival and the City Stages Jazz Camp with Ellis Marsalis. A Children's Festival provided hands-on activities and a book walk sponsored by the Birmingham Public Library.

Line-up

Friday

• Tim Dewitt and Bounty Hunter
• Webb Wilder and the Beatnecks
• John Prine
• Georgia Satellites

Saturday

• The Nighthawks
• Chuck Berry
• Alex Chilton
• John Hiatt
• Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra
• Beausoleil
• Ellis Marsalis
• Birmingham Heritage Jazz Band featuring Erskine Hawkins
• The Cast
• The Snakes
• Locust Fork Band
• Steve Forbert
• The Wagoneers
• Travis Tritt
• Proxy
• Lolly Lee, Pete Nice and Don Tinsley
• Whited Old-Time String Band
• Four Eagles
• Baldwin County Polka Band
• Johnny Shines
• Jerry McCain
• Madison County Ramblers
• Albert Macon and Robert Thomas
• Bluegrass Four
• Kathryn Tucker Windham
• Blair Hobbs, Janet McAdams and Michael Rosen (poetry)
• Arlin Moon Family
• Hipp and Hicks
• Cousin Cliff Holman
• Birmingham Suzuki Violins
• Radical Network

Sunday

• Nicolette Larson
• Corinth Baptist Church Choir
• Mt Canaan Full Gospel Choir
• Three on a String
• Travis Tritt
• Charlie Louvin
• Gospel Harmonettes
• Birmingham Sunlights
• Greene County Bluesmen
• Sterling Jubilees
• James Bryan
• Bessie Woodward
• Steve Sedberry
• Johnny Adams
• Eric Essix
• Bebe and Cece Winans
• UAB SuperJazz
• The Temptations with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra

Preceded by: none

City Stages 1989

Succeeded by: 1990 City Stages

References

• Carlton, Bob (June 12, 1998) "City Stages retrospective." Birmingham News.