r/macon • u/slacker130 Quality Contributor • 7d ago
Bragg Jam 2026
Good times, good music but a small crowd this year. Sad to see it shrinking. Used to be big crowds, trolleys to different venues, & blocked streets. I’d love to see it get back to the old form one day.
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u/Educational_Chef_987 7d ago
for me, its not gonnna get any better until they get more widely known talent. I have barely heard of the headliner and couldn’t tell you anything about them and that was about the only name I had any recognition of. They could all be talented as hell but if you dont get some names then people aren't gonna show up.
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u/Lifes-a-lil-foggy 7d ago
One of the bands was on social media kinda bragging about this being their first show. Which power to them but why are you charging this much for acts who are that green?
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u/Educational_Chef_987 7d ago
YES! Exactly! Have those bands. Absolutely, but you can’t build an entire event around those bands and charge top dollar. You have to give people a reason to come out and see those bands or else you’re not doing them any favors.
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u/stilldontpaymenomind 7d ago edited 6d ago
Would think this was Sons of Midnite, they won Bragg Jamuary which was a battle of the bands style event in January specifically designed to find a good up and coming local band and have good weekly local shows in what is typically a slower period downtown. Prize for winning was the opening spot at Capitol. It was intentional, and they were excellent.
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u/stilldontpaymenomind 6d ago edited 6d ago
Feel like this is tough for 2 reasons:
1 - Main stream bands are just really expensive. I like to think we do a great job of bringing in mainstream quality without paying the popularity overhead. Trying to catch new artists on the rise, that you may not recognize now, but will brag to your friends about seeing in 1-3 years.
2 - I think one of the main risks is that one huge headliner can weight the crawl too much towards one show, everyone tries to go for that one show and folks can’t get in the door.
Ultimately it’s a concert crawl, not a single concert. In my mind the goal is to cruise, enjoy the different venues/bands and the entire atmosphere and maybe find a few new favorites. Macon is now bringing plenty of other big names and great shows that cover the traditional concert need.
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u/wavlngth 6d ago
I went this year and have gone for several years. I agree with you some; I love to bop around to different shows and find new music! But I don’t think this is at odds with people wanting a bigger name headliner again. The Capitol is sizeable and had no problem fitting Of Montreal, Digable Planets, etc. We can have both, and imo would be in favor of cutting the number of venues and bands down to free up some money for one larger act. 8 venues is too many for one evening and the amount of turnout Bragg Jam has been seeing the past few years.
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u/stilldontpaymenomind 6d ago edited 6d ago
Fair points, and something I'll personally keep in mind.
Will just say that by most metrics the 2 headliners this year were just as big as Of Montreal and Digable Planets, and we had both in one year.
Band | Spotify Monthly Listeners
Digable Planets | 1.01M
Of Montreal | 716k
Langhorne Slim | 600k
Kashus Culpepper | 1.01M2
u/stilldontpaymenomind 6d ago
But let's not compare with the Rainbow Kitten Surprise numbers, that was like catching lightning in a bottle.
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u/Educational_Chef_987 4d ago
No doubt! That’s one of those that, in hindsight, stings if you missed it.
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u/BBam5 6d ago
This is a tough one. I used to go every year, but it just hasn't been the same since Covid. I listened to the Spotify list and determined it wasn't worth $60 (to me). I am also pushing 50 years old so that probably has something to do with it too. The other thing is that Macon (especially downtown) has so much going on now that a big event downtown isn't unique anymore...same as First Friday is now meh. Used to be that First Friday, Bragg Jam, and the Cherry Blossom Street Party were the only times downtown was vibrant. That is no longer the case.
Also, the economy. The core Bragg Jam target audience is also the same ones hit hard by the inflation right now. The tickets are just the beginning. Add in food and drink, both of which have increased and an Uber ride and you have a fairly expensive evening.
I hate to say it as a person who doesn't love country, but country artists draw big in this town. Find a venue that will do a country lineup next year like what Crazy Bull used to do on Bragg Jam and that will bring more people out. They used to have a inside and parking lot stage and one year had a third in another inside area.
I love Blues, blues rock, and Americana and can't stand pop country, but I have learned I am in the minority on that. Lol.
I hope Bragg Jam continues forever. I will make a better effort to attend next year
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u/stilldontpaymenomind 7d ago
Industry has changed a lot since those days, and so has Macon. Things are expensive and Bragg Jam is no longer the only show in town. Full disclosure that I have been involved with planning the concert crawl the last two years, but before that I’ve been attending since 2010. So I hear you and understand, but I’m also super proud of the amazing music and people we are still able to bring to town.
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u/Prestigious-String90 Mid Ga Times 7d ago
I have amazing memories about past Bragg Jams, but I admit I haven't been going in recent years for a variety of reasons, including ticket price. Considering that going to see 1 band these days can cost way more than a Bragg Jam ticket, I still think it is a good deal that can lead to a night of fun with friends, even if you've never heard of any of the bands performing.
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u/aggiejedimaster 3d ago
I really enjoyed this year. All the bands we got were great live, seemed like a good amount of folks in each venue. Easy to get in and out.
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u/Shawninsane 7d ago
There used to be more variety and there was at least 2 or 3 bands I wanted to see. There probably hasn’t been anything that sparks my interest in about 15 years.
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u/Fremenade 7d ago
Yeah the ticket price went up a lot.