HIGHBALL ATLANTA
Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 11/27/23
On a beautiful autumn weekend in October, Atlanta music lovers descended on the Pullman Yards to be mesmerized and moved by the Futurebirds carefully curated line-up at the first annual Highball Atlanta! Featuring headliners like indie rock gods Band of Horses, indie folk sensations The Head and the Heart, and of course two nights of psychedelic country rockers Futurebirds this was one high energy rock fest! On top of that, they boasted a local food truck park featuring Grindhouse Burgers and a large “High, There” activation from our friends The Georgia Hemp Co with CBD seltzers to try! Plus, opt for VIP for access to lounge area, separate restrooms, and bar!
On Saturday, we arrived to get our passes and roamed the grounds, but we so glad to catch a new, American rock band, Wednesday. Out of Asheville and formed in 2017 by lead singer Karly Hartzman, they incorporate great reverb guitars, strong lyrics, all with that rock edge. The last song brought me chills as it was reminiscent of Deftones. Next up was Futurebirds, a band out of Athens, GA that formed at the University of Georgia between King, Womack, Johnson, and Miles. They are a high energy indie rock, psychedelic country mashup band with their first album, Hampton’s Lullaby, in 2010.
Of the headliners, Friday was Band of Horses. This is a band that John and I listened to a lot when we first got together and when we first bought our home, so they are special to us! Lead by Ben Bridwell, they had a unique sound that no one was really tapping into at the time, an indie, alternative rock for sure but with long, soft, mellow, mesmerizing interludes that followed by classic rock guitar or piano! We have their first album that came out in 2006, Everything All The Time and fell in love with “The Funeral” and “Is there a Ghost.” The second headliner was The Head and the Heart that performed on Sunday. ️ Lead by singer Josiah Johnson, they’re a lovely, energetic, indie folk band! Out of Seattle, they boast albums like their It’s, the Head and the Heart and most current is Every Shade of Blue. The singer jumped into the pit and engaged the crowd!
The night before the big two-day festival, Highball threw a pre-party at the Loft in the Center Stage complex with the Jerry Garcia Cover Band out of Athens, GA. Starting with a VIP band meet and greet and special lounge area, we got to hang out with the band for a while. The music started and the band covered famous Garcia tunes for eager fans. It was a fun night of psychedelic rock.
We can’t wait to see what next year holds.
