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Opelika Songwriters Festival - Showcases Top Musical Talents
& The Good Times To Be Had In The Sleepy Railroad Town
By Frank Etheridge
Downtown Opelika sure is a sweet lil’ bubble to be in.
Bordered by two bridges and bisected by railroad tracks, the charming historic corridor dates back further than the town itself, as the Montgomery and West Point Railway Co. line arrived in 1848 — six years before Opelika (the Muscogee term for ‘large swamp’) was incorporated. Today, this four-block by four-block square is home to a pleasant mix of funky galleries, hip restaurants, music clubs and dive bars.
On the edge of this bohemian Bama bubble, you’ll find the Sound Wall, a top-flight recording studio and concert venue inside an enchanting old Victorian house, masterfully restored in 2017 by husband-and-wife Rob and Jen Slocumb (aka the folk-rock duo Martha’s Trouble). Already operating the state-of-the-art studio and the nonprofit Sound Wall Music Initiative dedicated to supporting musicians and music education in Opelika, the couple launched the Opelika Songwriters Festival in 2019.
“When we came up with the concept for the Opelika Songwriters Festival, we wanted it to be a destination event, something music-lovers want to travel to and enjoy an immersive experience in all that Opelika has to offer” Rob Slocumb explains during a phone interview.
After five years, it’s clear the dream has become a reality. Slocumb estimates that more than half of all festival-goers arrive from outside the region, pulling heavily from the Florida panhandle, Birmingham, and Atlanta, as well as across the country and abroad (Scotland, Canada). He credits “great hotel partners” in the stately Heritage House hosting lawn concerts and the Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa at Grand National, which hosts the 30-plus musicians coming to town as well as legendary fest parties such as the annual Sunday brunch.
The Slocumbs curated their concept in cahoots with noted promoter/talent agent Russell Carter, founder of the stellar (and substantially larger) 30-A Songwriter Festival, who serves as OSF’s co-producer. “Russell handles all artist relations,” Slocumb says. “We’re fortunate to have him; it’s thanks to Russell able to have stellar line ups each year.”
“I was drawn to work on the [Opelika Songwriters Festival with Rob and Jen] because my grandfather managed the mill in Opelika when I was a young child and my father was born and raised there,” Carter explains. “I was thrilled to meet in downtown Opelika and experience firsthand the preservation, renewal and innovations that had taken place in recent years.”
“We reached out first to Mayor Fuller,” Slocumb says of their initial pitch for community support. “He was very positive and soon we had the support of the City Council, the Chamber of Commerce, and Auburn- Opelika Tourism. Having all those entities on board from the start allowed the festival to really take root and grow.”
Slocumb is mindful to keep the laid-back, yet refined, music-lover vibe in check and avoid the paradoxical problem of too much growth. “The intimacy and access this festival provides is what makes it special,” he says, “So we’re cautious of the size and won’t let it get too big. The venues turn into listening rooms. Our whole thing is about the give-and-take between the artists and the audience. The songs. The stories. That’s where the magic happens.”
Glorious Grammy-winning, globe-trotting guitarist Larry Mitchell didn’t think such magic – the blissful balm of live music’s elixir – would ever be brewed in Opelika.
“No, I did not,” Mitchell answers when asked by phone if he could have conceived of such an “absolutely wonderful thing” as OSF 13 years ago, when the native New Yorker moved with his mom to the town where his family has deep roots.
“So many people come, park, and can walk to all the venues,” Mitchell says, adding to the laid-back atmosphere. “It’s a wonderful experience to explore downtown Opelika while catching amazing acts.”
Legendary for decades for his mind-melding, string-bending style that is perfect in bands from Tracey Chapman’s soulful folk to Billy Squire’s power chord rockers, since moving to Opelika Mitchell has distinguished himself with award-winning production/ engineer credits, composing Broadway musicals for children with Native American artist Dawn Avery, and touring with U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. So it’s not a surprise he hosted “an amazing amount of friends flying in from all over” for two birthday bashes, one at Sound Wall in Opelika, one at Warehouse 231 in Montgomery. “We hung out in Opelika for the weekend and pretty much all of my friends said they were really taken by the town,” he recalls. “They just loved it; they didn’t know what to expect, but they were very pleasantly surprised.”
A veteran teacher, Mitchell will again deliver two OSF highlights when he conducts a guitar-tone workshop then hosts its closing jam – think footloose and fancy-free covers of Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and such – at John Emerald Distilling Company. “I’ve done a few of these songwriter festivals and I really dig this festival,” Mitchell says of OSF. “It feels great. People walk everywhere and get to check out all the different venues and places. It’s really an immersive experience in Opelika, which is just a great small town.”
So, mark your calendars for the sixth Annual Opelika Songwriters Festival, happening from March 27-30. With 80 shows, 7 venues, and over 30 musicians, it’s a chance to hop on the musical express straight into the heart of Opelika. Get your wristbands — $115 for students and $140 for adults for the weekend. For more details and to snag those coveted wristbands, head to opelikasongwritersfestival.com. Join the music lovers who have already discovered Opelika’s hidden gem of a festival. It’s not just a getaway; it’s an unforgettable experience that intertwines community spirit with musical magic, leaving you longing for the next chance to return to that charming little railroad town.
Sixth Annual Opelika Songwriters Festival Friday-Sunday, March 27-30.
opelikasongwritersfestival.com
80 shows * 7 venues * 30-plus musicians
Wristbands $115 student / $140 adult for weekend, $50 student / $85 adult for single day. Experiences (workshops, film screenings, special events) sold separately. VIP $350.
** DON’T MISS ** The Duke and the King: Film Screening and Q&A with Duke Bardwell, longtime bassist for Elvis Presley and fascinating subject of this new documentary. 7 p.m. Saturday, Boxcar Theater.
