With a lineup headlined by Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, the Amplify Decatur Music Festival is quickly establishing itself as more than just another neighborhood gathering.
The fourth annual installment of the event will take place on Saturday from 3:30-11 p.m. at the downtown Decatur Square. Joining the heady twosome of Staples and Tweedy on the bill will be Julien Baker, Kevn Kinney of Drivin N Cryin and Atlanta-based jam rockers, The Bitteroots.
General admission tickets are $45 and a limited number of VIP tickets are $149.50. An addition this year is Premium seating, which will include seating directly in front of the stage, unlimited beer, and wine and access to VIP bathrooms. Only 100 Premium tickets will be sold for $249.50 each. Tickets are available at amplifydecatur.org and eventbrite.com.
Proceeds from the festival, which is produced in partnership with Eddie’s Attic, will benefit the Decatur Cooperative Ministry’s efforts to alleviate homelessness in Decatur and DeKalb County. Nearly $200,000 has been raised for the ministry since the inception of Amplify Decatur.
In past years, the musical assembly has presented performances from Lucinda Williams, The Lone Bellow and Amanda Shires, among others.
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Staples is an especially noteworthy headliner. The gospel and soul luminary turns 80 in July and will head to Australia and New Zealand following her Atlanta date before returning to the U.S. to play the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 2.
Earlier this year, she released the new album, “Live in London,” recorded over two nights at London’s Union Chapel. The record includes songs written for her by artists including Nick Cave, Neko Case and frequent collaborator Tweedy, who produced her 2017 release, “If All I Was Was Black.”
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Tweedy, meanwhile, will have a special release arriving on Saturday for Record Store Day. Only 5,000 vinyl-only copies will be available worldwide of “Warmer,” the companion album to his “Warm” collection of original solo songs released last year.
The singer-songwriter-musician will also participate in a live Q&A with actor Jon Hamm at 1 p.m. Saturday at Eddie’s Attic.
The pair will discuss Tweedy’s memoir, “Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, Etc.,” which he unveiled in November. Those tickets are sold out.
FESTIVAL PREVIEW
Amplify Decatur
With Mavis Staples, Jeff Tweedy, Julien Baker, Kevn Kinney of Drivin N Cryin and The Bitteroots, 3:30 p.m. Saturday. $45-$249.50. Decatur Square, 119 E. Court Square, Decatur. amplifydecatur.org and eventbrite.com.
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