Folk fans have a treat coming this spring to Decatur — Melissa Etheridge headlines Amplify Decatur Music Fest along with a lineup of fantastic folk musicians.
Etheridge, the critically acclaimed folk rock band Dawes, and five-time Grammy Award winners Blind Boys of Alabama will appear at the 2024 Amplify festival on Saturday, April 13, in downtown Decatur Square. The festival will also feature Run Katie Run and a performance by the winners of the Decatur High School Battle of the Bands. The weekend will also include a series of events in and around Decatur Square on Friday and a tribute to Bruce Springsteen at Eddie’s Attic on Sunday evening.
All proceeds from the festival will benefit Decatur Cooperative Ministry and Decatur Education Foundation. DCM’s mission is to help families facing homelessness settle into safe, stable homes and build healthy lives, and DEF works together with the City Schools of Decatur, Decatur Housing Authority, and City of Decatur to bolster community efforts and ensure that all students have the resources, opportunities, and experiences to foster their growth and ensure their academic success.
Etheridge will be performing her biggest hits, like “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window” from her hit 1993 album, “Yes I Am.” She will also be performing a song from her upcoming project, which will include an album and documentary about a concert she performed at a women’s prison — both of which come out this summer.
The Grammy-winning folk singer is looking forward to coming to Georgia, a place that holds an important place in her heart.
“I love Georgia,” she said. “I love Georgia a lot. I grew up in Kansas, I grew up in the Midwest, but I had roots in Louisiana and I had an aunt that lived in Georgia, in Marietta, Georgia. I really have fond memories of that in my childhood. Georgia just loves its rock and roll and its live music.”
In all, the festival promises to be a night of great music — something Etheridge believes is crucial not only to fostering community, but also breaking down walls put up by bigotry.
“I just think our human race is designed to be in relation with other people, and I think that we love gathering together with one common rhythm,” she told Georgia Voice. “Ancient cultures have always had rituals, and I think that today’s rituals are our live concerts … Music does cut through all of all of the bigotry walls that can be put up by fear of the other, which is the basest of fears. You reach people’s hearts that might not be reached. We can share an experience, even though there’s many other things that we don’t agree on. Music is extremely important in the dealings of politics, I think. I think music rises above all that.”
The 2024 Amplify Decatur Music Festival featuring Melissa Etheridge, Dawes, Blind Boys of Alabama, and Run Katie Run will be held from 3 to 11pm on April 13 at 101 East Court Square, Decatur, Georgia 30030. Tickets start at $75. Learn more and buy your tickets at AmplifyDecatur.org.