11 minute read

ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?

Big Music Returns to Louisville

by G. Douglas Dreisbach

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Bourbon & Beyond and Louder than Life are two of the region’s biggest music festivals, and both are returning to Louisville in September for back-to-back weekends — and for what will surely be a great time for any music connoisseur.

We were excited to catch up with two of the team members from Danny Wimmer Presents, the company that makes it all happen — Chamie McCurry, who handles marketing and communications, and Del Williams, who is the head of talent.

We hope you enjoy the conversation, and we’ll see you there!

G. Douglas Dreisbach: Danny Wimmer Presents produces Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life here in Louisville, as well some of the biggest music festivals in the country. We are super excited about the lineup for both festivals this year, and look forward to another two weekends of music and fun. Why did you all decide to land in Louisville for these events, and has the market lived up to your expectations?

Chamie McCurry: Danny Wimmer first started visiting Louisville because he wanted to create a bourbon, so that was sort of his entry into the marketplace. After spending time there, he decided that he didn’t just want to create a bourbon, he wanted to create a movement in this city, with live entertainment that pulls in the bourbon, pulls in artists, and pulls in the local community. He wanted to create something for multiple weekends to really highlight and showcase this amazing city and bring in fans from all over the country to experience Louisville and fall in love with it the way that he did.

He quickly pivoted from bourbon and started Louder than Life. This company was built on rock festivals, so after a couple years of success with Louder than Life, he added Bourbon and Beyond into the mix, which really was sort of a love letter to the city of Louisville and the state of Kentucky, in terms of mixing bourbon and making that be just as much of a headliner as the artists that play it.

GDD: Initially, Louder than Life was held down near the river at Champions Park. Mother Nature didn’t cooperate, creating several challenges due to heavy rain and flooding. The festival has been moved to a totally new space that you created at the Kentucky Fair & Expo Center that has plenty of parking, and the logistics of getting in and out have been great. How was the transition, and has it been an easier space from a management and production standpoint?

Del Williams: It has. And with the former venue, we had some issues we really couldn’t control, and the whole fan experience is the top priority for all the Danny Wimmer Presents festivals. We want the fans to have an incredible experience across the board from every little detail, from individual blades of grass (no kidding) to the way the restrooms are laid out, to the excellence in the entrances, the parking, all the lifestyleoriented exhibits that we have, the festival village, the vantage points for seeing the fans.

And the previous venue did have some challenges, but we love where we’re at now, because as you’ve already pointed out, some things are superior to the previous venue. Now, we just feel like we can offer, as with all of our shows, a more complete experience that really is in line with the philosophy of DWP, where people know that when they go to one of our shows, that regardless of the lineup, they’re going to have an amazing time because we have factored in everything that is important to them. And this venue really allows us to do that.

CM: To echo what Del was saying, the team at the Kentucky Exposition Center have been incredible partners to us. The infrastructure they have with their full-time staff in developing the grounds and really identifying the best use within the space, they have really been great partners to us, and we’re incredibly thankful for that relationship.

GDD: For years, you have brought in the biggest names in the industry to the festivals. For Bourbon & Beyond this year, we’re going to see Pearl Jam, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell,

Greta Van Fleet, and many more. These are major household names that a lot of people have either seen before or have listened to a lot.

When you find some of the “undercard” bands, or lesserknown names on the bill, how does the hierarchy of booking go? Do you also book them with other festivals as part of the pitch to play? And how does the makeup of the nonhousehold-name-band booking go?

DW: We look at several things when we book bands. We look for passion. We look for artists that are great musicians and have great musicianship, as well as showmanship. We love the discovery aspect of a festival, where you go to a show, and you discover an act that you hadn’t heard of, and you come away going like, “Oh, my God, I saw the greatest new artist.” That is just as important to us as it is to the headliners.

But every single slot really has a purpose. To mirror the community of Louisville having so much soul and pride, we want to instill that into our festivals in Louisville. So, yeah, every slot’s great, and I’m really glad you mentioned that. Chamie and I talk about this all the time, about why the undercard is so key.

There are acts like, for example, S.G. Goodman, who is a Kentucky artist and has a really good following in the state. She’s an up-and-comer, and again, lots of passion and a cool act. A lot of people will walk away having discovered someone they will hopefully start downloading their music and getting into. Jocelyn and Chris is another set you will see and feel like you just discovered the next big act. Jocelyn’s a superstar just waiting to be embraced. Those are both acts that are earlier in the show, but ones you will want to check out.

It’s all about balance, too, where Bourbon & Beyond is about Kentucky and Louisville, in that it’s a combination of elements, personalities, and genres. So, we balance it with classic rock, blues, soul, alternative, Americana, and mix some country crossover in there as well. We kind of blend it all together, so that it is just a really compelling mix of great variety that represents that heart and soul that is indicative of what Louisville and Kentucky are all about.

GDD: Festivals like these create a great exposure for the bands, whether big or small. The marketing of music has become more direct with somewhat of a micro-marketing approach. Ultimately, putting them on a stage in front of this many music fans is equivalent to them having to play 20 smaller bars or sets to get that kind of exposure. Does part of your pitch to the bands include helping them get exposure? And do you facilitate any post-festival production and marketing for the bands you discover?

CM: We love spotlighting up-and-coming artists, and we love educating our fans who maybe bought a ticket for the top one or two bands in the hopes they discover something new while they’re at the festival. I know I’ve personally discovered a lot of bands by going to festivals, getting there early and being surprised by some of the performances that I’ve seen.

We do work on the marketing side with the artists to get access and information about them, to get video and content from them and really try to educate our fans and get them excited about experiencing them. We also have an amazing public relations team that, post-event, works to push up a highlight.

We have an onsite content team that does backstage interviews and behind-the-scenes content, and a lot of that is focused on our up-and-coming bands and to put that spotlight on them to all the fans that are at home via our Twitch channel. We push it out on YouTube post-event because our hopes are always that someone that we book maybe in the second or third slot on the third stage is, in five years, a headliner. That’s a Cinderella story, and that’s what we love, when stories like that happen.

GDD: Is there much interaction between the bands backstage, as far as the up-and-comers and the superstars? Or do they kind of stay in their own world?

DW: It’s like a big family, and we really try to create that environment where there is a big fraternity feel and the artists are getting together. I’ve never seen so much unity, just having the backstage have so much warmth for a show. It’s just really cool because there are some artists that have already collaborated, like for example Chris Stapleton and Brandi Carlile. And there are a number of artists that are really excited about The Doobie Brothers being there with their complete lineup, with Michael being involved with the show, as well. And then, a lot of younger acts who love the opportunity to meet each other and possibly parlay that into some touring together down the road.

GDD: Every year, the festivals seem to get bigger and better. What are some of the things fans can expect this year? What’s new? I heard something about a big bourbon bar, which I know will be well-received. Also, are there any differences between the two festivals from an experience, non-music perspective?

CM: Yes, at Bourbon & Beyond, we’re going to have the world’s largest, rare-bourbon menu, which is exciting. So, all of the bourbon fans out there could just spend a whole day in our Silver Dollar Hunters’ Club, sampling bourbons. We are also excited about having the Always Sunny podcast on site filming their podcast for the very first time at a live event, right in front of our audience.

Soon, we will also be announcing our full culinary and bourbon programming. That is the one thing that sets Bourbon & Beyond apart, is that we have a culinary stage. We have a bourbon stage. We have the Bluegrass stage. We have a lot of things going on outside of the main stages and performances for fans to be able to step away and have a more personal experience through some of our activities. We also have speakeasies and other things where fans can have fun and just kind of explore the venue, explore the site, and get lost in the bourbon world for a little bit.

GDD: Do you have any festival tips for fans to navigate and plan their day or weekend?

CM: The best way to plan and navigate your weekend is to download our app, which you can find on iTunes or Google Play, and create your own personalized schedule. We won’t announce set times until about two weeks before, but once that happens, you can actually create your own schedule and get a push notification when a band you want to see is taking the stage, a couple minutes before, so you get that reminder to head to that stage. You’ll be able to get familiar with the map, so you understand where everything is going to be, and you can just really plan your weekend with a very personal touch. I definitely recommend downloading the app for the maximum festival experience.

GDD: We can’t wait for another couple of great weekends at Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life. Is there anything else you would like to add about the festivals?

DW: I will tell you that Chamie and I and the entire Danny Wimmer Presents team are so proud to bring these shows to Kentucky. We always have the fans in mind for everything we do, we’re very honored to be there, and we’re looking forward to it. We’re excited to bring this program back, and that live events are back in full force. We know they’re going to be amazing shows, and the fans are going to be extremely happy.

For tickets and more information, visit BourbonandBeyond.com or LouderthanLifeFestival.com.

EVENTS CALENDAR

Audience is your connection to the performing arts and entertainment in Louisville. Below are some of the events we are looking forward to in the coming months and we hope you enjoy them all!

AUGUST

11

Boz Scaggs - Out of the Blues Tour 2022 7:30PM, Iroquois Amphitheater ProductionSimple.com

14

Kansas with Blue Oyster Cult 7:30PM, Iroquois Amphitheater ProductionSimple.com

17-21

The Chicken Coop Theater Company Presents Stephen King's Misery 7:30PM, Bomhard Theater kentuckyperformingarts.org

27

Weird Al — 2022 Return of the Ridiculously SelfIndulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour with Emo Phillips 8PM, Iroquois Amphitheater ProductionSimple.com

27

Southern Momma Tour with Darren Knight 8PM, Brown Theatre kentuckyperformingarts.org

31

The Lumineers 7:30PM, KFC YUM Center Ticketmaster.com Aug. 31- Sept. 1

PNC Broadway in Louisville Jagged Little Pill The Kentucky Center kentuckyperformingarts.org

SEPTEMBER

7

Daughtry: The Dearly Beloved Tour 8PM, The Louisville Palace LiveNation.com

9

Modest Mouse with The Cribs 7:30PM, Iroquois Amphitheater ProductionSimple.com

15-18

Bourbon & Beyond Highland Festival Grounds at Kentucky Expo Center BourbonandBeyond.com

17

Petty Nicks — The Iconic Tribute to Tom Petty & Stevie Nicks 8PM, Bomhard Theater kentuckyperformingarts.org

17

Louisville Orchestra Opening Night Swing, Swagger & Sway 7:30PM, The Kentucky Center louisvilleorchestra.org Sept. 23- Oct. 2

Kentucky Opera La bohéme Brown Theatre kyopera.org

OCTOBER

5

Judah & The Lion – Happy Again Tour 8PM, Old Forester’s Paristown Hall kentuckyperformingarts.org

15

Louisville Orchestra Teddy Talks Schumann 7:30PM, The Kentucky Center louisvilleorchestra.org

18-23

PNC Broadway in Louisville Fiddler on the Roof The Kentucky Center kentuckyperformingarts.org

For more of our preferred arts and entertainment recommendations, visit Audience502.com/audience-events

At #yourSpeed for a limited time only.

Exhibition season sponsored by: Cary Brown and Steven E. Epstein Paul and Deborah Chellgren Arthur J. and Mary Celeste Lerman Charitable Foundation Debra and Ronald Murphy DavFam Art Fund Claude Monet (French, 1840 – 1926) Nymphéas, 1897–1899 Oil on canvas Loan courtesy of Friends of the Speed Art Museum SUBSCRIBE TO AUDIENCE FREE! L2022.1

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