Anyone that knows me knows how big of a festival nerd I am. Festivals are my jam. I mean, you get to see a ton of music over the course of a few days with each day stacked from head-to-toe with performances. Yeah, sometimes the crowds can damper the experience, but for any live music lover, the many payoffs are more than worth it. So with this being the dead season for most music fests, I took it upon myself to craft my own little two-day music-thon for myself this past weekend.
Friday night was all about the bass with Subtronics coming to town with five other EDM artists in tow. It was a high-intensity show with plenty of pyrotechnics and sweaty dancing. For me, however, the real draw was the Third Annual Big Ass Gig (BAG) on Saturday. Organized by Joe Warren and Ian Joshua Riley (abandcalledlove., Tenth Row, Harm), this year’s rendition of the BAG was held at Heaven at the Masquerade and featured a stacked lineup of 15 local bands. It was a lot to take in, for sure, but the substantial talent on display was undeniably impressive.
Ghost Moths / Credit: KT Claire Photography
Okay Kenedi / Credit: KT Claire Photography
There were some very notable standouts in the undercard. Ghost Moths, a band I saw play a basement show last year, crushed their set. I’m a huge fan of guitar and drummer duos such as the Blue Stones, Black Pistol Fire, and Fury in Few (one of the other bands on the lineup), and the band did not disappoint. I am really excited to see how Ghost Moths continue to develop.
Another highlight was Okay Kenedi. I had no idea who they were before their set but I fell in love with their sound and showmanship. Their performance resonated because of the energy they put into it, from sending beach balls into the crowd to tossing out a box of Gushers snack packs. That kind of fun-loving moxie won’t be forgotten by those who saw that show, converting many of them into fans.
Misty Eyed / Credit: KT Claire Photography
Challenger Deep is another artist that really shone through. Claiming to be the “tallest band in Atlanta,” these instrumental wizards held their own against a lineup of bands with vocalists. The last time I saw them was when they opened for the Norma Jean house show right before the pandemic. It was refreshing to see them continue to hone their sound and really hype up the crowd.
Immediately following them was Misty Eyed, a rising star within Atlanta’s hard rock scene. Having already wowed the crowd at Blue Ridge Rock Festival in 2021, vocalist Megan Burke and company brought the same fire to this show, really turning some heads. They played several bangers off their newest release Samsara, including “The Bargain” which has been generating a lot of buzz since the video dropped on YouTube. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for 2022.
The Funeral Portrait / Credit: KT Claire Photography
The headliners all brought the heat. The Funeral Portrait played their first show in four years, and if their vocalist Lee Jennings hadn’t mentioned it I wouldn’t have been able to tell. The group was as tight and dramatic as ever.
Sarah and the Safe Word came out after to put one on a hell of a show with plenty of classic cutting up by Sarah Rose in-between songs. Rose is a rock star I have been following for a while ever since I covered the band back in 2018 for a 99x benefit show. With a new album in the works and an upcoming tour, Sarah and the Safe Word fans have plenty to get excited about.
glimmers / Credit: KT Claire Photography
Next up was glimmers, a rock band that started off as Maggie Schneider and a motley crew of backup musicians but has since grown into one of my favorite bands in Atlanta. Schneider pours her heart and soul into each of her performances, with the band’s set at the BAG being one of her best yet.
And last but not least was Stay Here who closed out the night with a full playthrough of their 2019 album Grow. Despite it being late in the night and nearly 10 hours into the BAG, the band was able to keep the intensity turned up with plenty of dancing to go around. I loved their album playthrough so much I had to buy a signed vinyl for my collection.
Stay Here / Credit: Haley Mewborn
With Joe Warren handling the booking for BAG the foreseeable future, I feel like he could evolve into the next Tim Sweetwood, the man behind Shaky Knees who also got his start booking at the Masquerade. After such an impressive 2022 event, I can’t wait to see what Warren comes up with for the next Big Ass Gig.