This year’s 23rd annual festival promises to be the biggest and best ever
It’s summer so it must be time for Alabaster CityFest. To help celebrate, we’ve compiled information on the festival including interviews with two headliners along with sponsors, bios, schedules, and an FAQ, all to whet your appetite for the real thing on June 7th. For the most up to date information though on Alabaster CityFest visit alabastercityfest.com.
When: June 7thth opening at 9 a.m. Local and regional music acts will continue throughout the afternoon, with the headliners beginning at approximately 5 p.m.
Where: Thompson High School, 1921 Warrior Parkway 35007
Cost: The full day of music an arts for the entire family is absolutely free, but bring money for food, drink, t- shirts and more.
KidsFest returns with rides and activities for the whole family.
Cruise-In Car Show: A lineup of classic cars will be on display from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Vendors and food trucks will be on site throughout the event. More info on vendors: alabastercityfest.com/vendor-application/
Sponsors: Without the support of generous sponsors, CityFest would not be possible. Here is a partial list of sponsors who will have information booths at the event:
Alabaster Arts Council
Alabaster Water
Birmingham Coca-Cola
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama
Burton Campers
Byars | Wright Insurance
Central State Bank
City of Alabaster
FOX 6
Full Moon Bar-B-Que (Alabaster)
iHeart Radio – 102.5 The Bull. Q 103.7, Magic 96.5
Kona Ice
T-Mobile
UAB Callahan Eye
Schedule
5 p.m. Eric Essix
Eric Essix has released 28 full-length albums over a period of more than 32 years, maintaining a steady flow of new music that continues to push the boundaries of contemporary jazz. He has toured with his own Eric Essix Group and with dozens of A-list artists as a sideman, constantly refining every aspect of his craft. Gospel music and jazz have influenced Eric’s musical sensibilities since childhood and throughout his career. He grew up in Birmingham, playing in quartet gospel groups for many years.
6 p.m. Five for Fighting
In the two decades since his first major single, “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” hit the top of the charts, John Ondrasik—the songwriter and performer known as the platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated, Five For Fighting—has both evolved and come full circle. Five For Fighting has released six studio LPs, including the platinum certified America Town and The Battle for Everything; and the Top-10 charting Two Lights, along with an EP and live albums. Ondrasik has penned major hits, including the chart-topping “100 Years,” “The Riddle,” “Chances,” “World,” and “Easy Tonight,” which have earned over one billion streams and place him as a Top-10 Adult Contemporary artist.
7:15 p.m. Maddie & Tae
Award-winning duo Maddie & Tae channel their unbreakable bond, honest songwriting, and “some of the tightest harmonies on Music Row” into their music. Together as longtime friends and collaborators, Maddie Font and Taylor Kerr have been named winners of the “I Wish I Wrote That Song,” award from the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and Song of the Year in the Nashville Scene’s Country Critics Poll for “Girl in a Country Song.” Touring internationally, they have racked up gold, platinum and multiplatinum certifications. They have just announced their fourth studio album, Love & Light, due out May 2 on Mercury Nashville. The 16-track album features previously released songs “Free Like,” “Sad Girl Summer,” “Heart They Didn’t Break,” and their latest tune, “Kissing Cowboys.”
9 p.m. Parmalee
As the most-played group/band on country radio last year, Parmalee has scored five #1 singles, multiple platinum records, and over a billion streams. Comprised of brothers Matt and Scott Thomas (lead vocals /guitar and drums, respectively), Cousin Barry Knox (bass), and life-long friend Josh McSwain (guitar/keyboard), the North Carolina natives first topped the charts with “Carolina,” followed by their platinum certified No. 1 single with Blanco Brown, “Just the Way.” They followed with “Take My Name,” Billboard’s Most-Played Country Song of 2022. “Gonna Love” topped the country singles chart in December 2024. The band released their new single, “Cowgirl,” from their album, Fell in Love With a Cowgirl, on April 4.
Other Acts with times still to be determined:
Dug featuring Sean “Rockstar” Heninger
Sean Heninger has been a popular fixture on the Birmingham singer-songwriter scene for years. Known as “Rockstar” with The Next Round Sports show, Heninger left the podcast to pursue other interests yet continues to perform soulful music around Birmingham. He has also performed with Black Jacket Symphony singing Pearl Jam among other artists.
Take 7
Take 7 is a seven-piece ensemble with horns whose energetic performances and wide range of musical styles make them a favorite for weddings, banquets and events around Birmingham.
Jesse Crow and the Unrest
Jesse Crowe and The Unrest is a Birmingham-based folk and roots rock band. Their latest release on Spotify is called Valley of the Bones. They seem as comfortable with ballads as they are with no holds bar rocking blues.
alabastercityfest.com/schedule/
Alabaster CityFest 2025 FAQ
Alabaster CityFest has been around for over two decades, but often we see questions from festivalgoers both leading up to the event and on social media about how it all works. We asked the Alabaster Arts Council to weigh in on some of the most common questions folks have about the event.
I have seen a lot of events like this come and go. How does this one stay fresh and continue to be successful after all these years?
We are in our 23rd year, and there are several factors that keep it going and growing: community support, sponsor support, great volunteers, and the willingness to change. CityFest has changed a lot in its 23 years, but the things that stay consistent are the fun, the free admission, and the family atmosphere.
How is Alabaster CityFest free every year?
The short answer is sponsorships, but the longer answer involves both financial support AND “in-kind” support. Obviously, the financial support from sponsors is important; without the cash, we can’t book music artists or bring in the rides for the kids or even keep the lights on (it takes a lot of electricity to put on a big show). Our title sponsors—Central State Bank and Coca-Cola—help provide the dollars to keep the show going. But there are also dozens of in-kind sponsors who provide products and services. For example, employees from the City of Alabaster—police, fire, parks and rec, leadership—all work tirelessly to get ready, maintain, and clean up after the event, as well as to keep it safe and accessible. That’s on top of the financial support provided by the city through arts funding. Discover Shelby also provides sponsorship and in-kind services. And then there are the vendors that are on-site at the festival. When you spend your dollars on the foods, crafts, and products on sale at CityFest, you’re helping support everything else that happens there.
Are the workers all volunteers?
The organizer of the event, the Alabaster Arts Council, from the leadership on down, is 100 percent volunteer and do the work because they love the festival and the community. And it’s year-round work. Gathering sponsors and booking music and entertainment starts right after CityFest ends every year and happens all through the following fall and winter. By spring, the festival is taking shape! And that’s before you even get to the lead-up and weekend of the event, which takes literally hundreds of volunteers to succeed.
How do you choose music acts?
We have a very diverse community with diverse tastes, which we try to accommodate throughout the day. Unlike some other festivals around the state, CityFest is not ALL country or ALL rock or ALL jazz, etc. … we try to pick great artists from every genre. And every time slot won’t be for every taste, but you will hear something you like. And because we are an ARTS council, we also want to introduce the community to something new now and again. Budget is a huge factor, of course. If a musical act costs $50-$100 per ticket to see elsewhere, it’s probably not reasonable to expect to see them for free at a festival. But we encourage folks to come sample the music all day long. It’s part of what makes our festival great.
How can I purchase VIP passes?
VIP passes are reserved for sponsors only. If you are interested in supporting CityFest, visit alabastercityfest.com/sponsor-benefits/ and review the sponsor application. Sponsorship levels start at $500. On occasion, we do offer VIP passes to individuals through contests or promotions with our sponsors. These are generally announced on our Facebook page. Be sure to follow us on Facebook @alabastercityfest to catch these opportunities.
Do you recommend bringing children to the festival?
Absolutely! Alabaster CityFest is one of the state’s premier family festivals. We are proud of our KidsFest area that includes inflatables, healthy eating demonstrations, hands-on arts and crafts, and various other activities.
What is not allowed at CityFest?
Coolers, pets and firearms are not allowed by City Ordinance. Same goes for smoking. And we are on school property, so we don’t sell alcohol or allow it, period.
Smooth as Silk
Eric Essix brings 34 years of jazz excellence to Alabaster CityFest
By Lee Hurley
Over the past 34 years—and with his 29th album release due soon—Birmingham’s own Eric Essix has maintained a steady flow of new music that continues to push the boundaries of contemporary jazz. His live performances have taken him all over the world as a guitar slinger for others and as the leader of his own bands. Along the way, he served as the program director for the Aly Stevens Center and became an avid photographer. His short- and long-terms goals are to get out on the road more and reconnect with his instrument.
How did you get into music?
I started off singing before I ever played guitar. Sang in the church choir and male quartets and quintets, learning harmonies and that kind of stuff. Then I picked up the guitar when I was 10 years old. I didn’t perform in church until I was, like, maybe 13 or 14 years old. We played in churches all over Birmingham and a few out of the city limits and in different states.
Did you have other jobs before you decided to make music your career?
I started working for UPS in 1979. I was 19 years old. I stayed there for 11 years, but during that time, I really started to get interested in going to Berklee College of Music. All the great guitar players that I listened to at the time like Pat Metheny, John Scofield, and Emily Remler either taught at Berklee or had gone to Berklee. I got accepted but sat on that application until it expired, and I had to reapply. The second time I applied, my first album had come out, so they offered me two scholarships to go. I entered the music production engineering program, which was crazy because they only allowed 40 students a year. I spent most of my time at Berklee in the studio, literally. I got my Bachelor’s degree in music production engineering in May 1993, and I was the most focused I’ve ever been as a human being. I came out with a degree and had a record deal at the time. I hit the ground running.
Tell us about your role at the Alys Stevens Center?
I started off as the artist coordinator in 2013 and eventually became the program director until I retired in 2023. My role was to look for artists who would amplify the center’s message and also serve and elevate our community. I curated artists for each season, which lasts from September until May. I booked between 25 and 35 artists per season. It’s an incredible responsibility. A lot of stress and work goes into making it happen. But I really enjoyed it.
Top three influences?
My number one is George Benson. Numbers two and three are Pat Metheny and Jimmy Hendrix. I’ve met Pat several times. Every time he comes to town, we get a chance to sit down and talk. And those conversations have gotten longer over the years. I told him how much of an influence he has been on me as a guitar player, composer, and just the way he goes about music. He does his own thing and doesn’t care what anybody else thinks.
You have done a lot of touring.
I’ve been lucky enough to tour all over Europe and the world, and a lot of it has been with other artists. I was with Peabo Bryson for many years. I’ve been able to play with some really great musicians.
Will your band be with you at Alabaster CityFest?
Absolutely. I have what I call the Eric Essex group. It’s five people, including myself, Sean Michael Ray on bass, Cameron Sankey on keyboards, Kelly O’Neal on saxophone, and James PJ Spraggins on drums. Sean and Kelly have been with me from the very beginning back in 1988. PJ has been with me going on 20 years now. I met Cameron when he was 18 years old. He’s become pretty much a fixture in the band.
How do you decide what you will play at an event like Alabaster CityFest?
Pretty much everything that we play, whether it’s a mixture of cover tunes or my own tunes, is rotated in and out of stuff that’s on my records. For a few months I might play a given set, and then the next few months, I might add or subtract different tenants from my catalog.
What is your favorite guitar?
My red guitar is my number one. Chances are if you see me playing live, I have that guitar on stage. It’s a 1961 reissued Gibson ES 335. That thing plays like butter. The guitar that was my number one for 24 years is now in the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. It’s a Howard Roberts Fusion Gibson.
How did you get into photography?
My wife Tomiko is a professional photographer, and she got me into it. I’m very intentional about the photography. I usually take a trip with Tomiko, and we’ll go together to different locations and shoot. My goal is to photograph interesting spots in all of the counties in Alabama. I’m over halfway there at this point.
Anything else we should cover?
I have another album coming out on May 24.
Still About the Song
A conversation with Five For Fighting’s John Ondrasik.
By Brent Thompson
If you’ve been anywhere near a pop music radio station in the last 25 years, then you know Five For Fighting’s music. The musical engine for singer/songwriter John 
Ondrasik, Five for Fighting is best known for its two smash hits, “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” and “100 Years.” And while Ondrasik still gladly obliges his audiences by performing these songs in concert, he does not rest on those laurels. These days, the creatively ambitious Ondrasik presents Five for Fighting’s music in two disparate formats—traditional rock band and string quartet.
“We’ll be bringing the rock band to Alabama,” Ondrasik says, speaking by phone from his Los Angeles home. “By the time you do 20 or 30 intimate quartet shows—which is so fun and musical—you’re ready to throw the guitar on and stomp around.”
I ask Ondrasik if each given format dictates a tour’s specific set list. “There are probably six or seven songs that both permutations do, but the quartet certainly allows me to pull out some deeper cuts that have fantastic arrangements from composers I’ve worked with during my career and that I wouldn’t play with the rock band,” he offers. “At the same time, ‘’65 Mustang’ and ‘America Town’ are rock songs we don’t do with the quartet. So, yeah, it does change what we are thinking. Every year we go out, I try to add a song that we’ve never played before, and I rearrange it for the quartet. We always add a couple of new covers to make it fresh for us. We actually played ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ with both the rock band and string quartet, and one day I look forward to doing it all together. The string quartet show is a much more intimate show, so you can talk about where the songs came from and tell some stories and have more interaction with the audience than the rock shows.”
And, circling back to his comment about keeping things fresh, I ask Ondrasik how he finds the inspiration to perform songs that he’s played literally thousands of times to this point. “It’s a good question. I got so mad at Billy Joel when he stopped playing ‘Piano Man,’ but I kind of get it,” he admits with a laugh. “The difference is, I have two songs people know, and he has 40. Luckily for me, I can still find meaning and resonance in ‘Superman’ and ‘100 Years’ to this day. I just did an event two nights ago to recognize the firefighters here in Los Angeles, and ‘Superman’ of course was the song. It still has meaning in so many different ways, and there’s a new generation of young people who embrace the song and weren’t alive when I wrote it. I still enjoy playing those two songs, and playing them with the different permutations of the band also keeps them fresh. The quartet adds a totally different dynamic to the songs and so does the rock band. There are songs in my catalog that, if I never played them again, I wouldn’t shed too many tears. But I’m grateful that those two have stood the test of time.”
When asked about his songwriting approach, Ondrasik says that his process has evolved over time. “When I was a young writer, I’d write 200 days a year—it was certainly about the work ethic,” he recalls. “I’m not a prodigy songwriter, so I’ve got to write a lot of songs to get a few to rise to the top. Since I’ve gotten older, and I’m doing other things, I don’t do that anymore. I’m not sitting and writing every day, and I’m not planning for a record. It’s now more if I’m inspired to write something or [about] a world event or a personal event or if someone approaches me to do a song for a television show. So, it’s more about when the spirit moves me, and that’s reflected in the last few songs that deal with world events like Afghanistan, Ukraine, and October 7. I’m looking to go back and do a five- or six-song EP that doesn’t focus on world events—it’s certainly more pleasant. These real events are pretty rough. But the impact of these songs gives me the energy to keep doing it. Music gives a voice to the voiceless and provides solace in a unique way, and those songs seem to have done that.”
Having forged his musical career in the ‘90s, Ondrasik has seen a wave of change in his industry, specifically with technology’s impact on it. I mention that some artists applaud the current model that offers easy accessibility, while others say it’s a difficult time to be found among the crowd. “I think they’re both right,” he quickly says. “The playing field is more level—you don’t need a record company to get heard, and you can do it yourself. You can compete and get your music out there. The downside is we don’t have artists making full records anymore—it’s all about singles. What I loved about albums was the seventh song that was never going to be on the radio. Whenever I made a record, I said, ‘I need two songs so I can make another one. It’s not easy to write those two songs, but if you’re fortunate enough to have a hit or two, then those other eight or nine songs are where you can express yourself and express your art and not be constrained by what you need to do to have popular songs. I also miss tour support. People forget that Bruce Springsteen broke on his third record, and the artist development of giving people time to grow and learn has gone away. My daughter is a young songwriter, and it’s amazing what you can do technology-wise, but I say it’s still about the song at the end of the day. To have the song, you need to develop the songwriter, and it might not be as conducive for that in this age as it was for me. It’s like anything, the world changes, and you have to grow with it.”
Away from the stage and recording studio, Ondrasik gives back to the music community by promoting music programs in schools. He has partnered with the nonprofit Let Music Fill My World on a contest and awareness project called the Music Matters Challenge. “We’re in our third year of our Music Matters Challenge,” Ondrasik says with pride. “The backstory is that I when I was in fifth grade, [school district] L.A. Unified cut our music funding. My mom volunteered and started putting on full musicals at our elementary school. You talk to classmates years later, and they recall what a powerful experience it was. Our mission is to have music in every school. If you look at the metrics, students in schools that have music and music teachers do better in math and reading, and they’re socially better and some of the behavioral issues are diminished. Not everybody plays sports, so the thing to keep kids out of trouble and give them a voice that inspires them is music.”
