Photo courtesy of the Saenger Theater
ConventionSouth Magazine, November 12, 2024
Mobile’s historic Saenger Theatre hosts top musical acts in its 2,000-seat venue, where the acoustics make the music reverberate through one’s soul.
Musical roots run deep in Mobile, Ala., home to one of the country’s hottest bands, The Red Clay Strays, along with ‘70s Southern rock band Wet Willie, country star Walker Hayes, contemporary Christian group Big Daddy Weave, and others.
Not to be forgotten is the late Jimmy Buffett. In September, Mobile held its inaugural Son of a Sailor Fest, a tribute to Buffett, who was raised in Mobile, attended McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, and was discovered at The Admiral Hotel on Government Street. According to Mobile.org, Buffett was playing a gig after completing his shift at the Alabama State Docks.
Joseph Brennan, organizer of the Son of Sailor Fest, says the event grew out of a second line held in 2023 after the musician’s death. “We party in the street in Mobile, and we love throwing a parade,” Brennan says. “That Mardi Gras spirit is in our blood, so it was only natural that we strike up a band, throw that margarita in a go-cup, and dance in the street for Jimmy.”
Mobile’s historic Saenger Theatre hosts top musical acts in its 2,000-seat venue, where the acoustics make the music reverberate through one’s soul.
Other unique music venues include Callaghan’s Irish Social Club in the city’s Oakleigh Garden Historic District, which has hosted The Strays (as they are locally known), Wet Willie’s lead singer Jimmy Hall, Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and Alabama Shakes. You can grab a table inside or sit outside on the wrap-around porch to listen through the open windows.
Visitors can also hear amazing music at The Listening Room and Cedar Street Social. Or, take an Insta-worthy photo at the Heavenly Metal sculpture, designed by local artist Bruce Larsen, outside the Downtown Church at The Steeple on St. Francis Street.
As an events destination, Mobile offers more than 1,400 hotel rooms within walking distance of a bustling downtown, where visitors can discover dozens of locally owned restaurants, museums, art galleries, nightlife, shops, paddleboat cruises, and more. Plan an event during a second Friday, and participants can take part in the city’s monthly Arts Walk along Dauphin Street, catching street-corner musicians and great stage acts. With the connection to Buffett, a “Parrothead” theme is always appropriate for events held in Mobile.
This is an excerpt from an article that appears in ConventionSouth Magazine. Read it in its entirety here.
