A correction has been made within the article to indicate a change in the date of the event.
Dawes, a nationally acclaimed folk rock band from Los Angeles, will be playing in Opelika Wednesday, October 9, as a part of their fall tour.
The Dawes concert is only one of the many shows scheduled for the new Cottonseed Live music series, which will feature a wide variety of artists and take place at locations throughout Opelika. Cottonseed Live will begin August 23 with Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons, and run through February, with a music festival finale March 1.
Dawes will be playing outdoors at the 700 Block of First Avenue in the Lebanon Arts District in downtown Opelika.
Richard Patton, owner of Cottonseed Studios, has been instrumental in organizing Cottonseed Live. He said he didn't want the music series, and the Dawes show, to be just another concert.
"This particular show will be like a street party. We're having it outside between the two blocks of old cotton warehouses in downtown Opelika. It's going to be a unique experience for the fan and the artist. Every environment and show will be a little different," Patton said.
Food trucks will be at the concert, and Patton said he hopes the crowd will get there early and stay late to enjoy the food and interact with the band and other members of the community.
Patton said pitching the community atmosphere was crucial to attracting a well-known band like Dawes to Opelika.
"It's not an easy sell. Basically we're calling these artists and asking them to play a show in Opelika," Patton said. "The first question they ask us is, 'Where's Opelika?' So we have to sell the fact that we're giving them an experience that's unique to these shows. We don't want the artist to pull in on their tour bus, do their sound check, have the fans come in to hear some music and then leave. We want it to be more than that."
Patton said he was searching for a big-name band that catered to multiple audiences and listeners to headline the concert series. On a spring trip to South by Southwest (SXSW), an annual music, film and interactive conference and festival in Austin, Texas, Patton noticed Dawes was a perfect fit for Cottonseed Live.
"We were at a couple of events that (Dawes was) playing, so we chatted them up and talked with them," Patton said. "On the way back (from SXSW) we were mulling over this series, so I started putting together a list of the artists that would fit what we were looking for.
"Even though we host a bunch of music in town of all different varieties, we wanted to make sure that this was a series that anyone could enjoy. We didn't want it to be just for the youth market or the college market. So for this series, we've gotten artists that just about anybody can enjoy."
Tickets will be priced at $20 and go on sale to the public Friday, August 2.
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