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Music Midtown records

Music Midtown records

Descriptive Summary

Title: Music Midtown records
Creator: Conlon, Peter
Inclusive Dates: 1994-2011
Language(s): English
Extent: 11 Linear Feet 5 cartons, 9 oversized folders
Collection Number: ms3743
Repository: Hargrett Library

Collection Description

Historical Note

The festival was conceived by Atlanta-based music promoters Alex Cooley and Peter Conlon who sought to create an event similar to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and which would present the wide variety of music they both had come to enjoy during their careers in the music industry.

In 1994, the festival launched on a parcel of undeveloped land in the heart of Midtown's business district. After a few years at this site, the festival was forced to move to a less desirable location downtown just north of Centennial Olympic Park (now home to the new Georgia Aquarium and the new World of Coca-Cola museum). The festival later moved to the current 42 acre (170,000 m²) location adjacent to the Atlanta Civic Center and grew dramatically, attracting around 300,000 attendees in its peak years.

Although independent promoters when the festival was created, Cooley and Conlon sold their company, Concert/Southern Promotions, to Clear Channel Communications' subsidiary SFX Entertainment in 1998. This sale and the unsuccessful attempt of Conlon and Cooley to adapt to Clear Channel's corporate culture made for difficulties. Traditionally held on a weekend in May, the 2005 festival was moved to June by Clear Channel, which was considered a poor decision for an outdoor festival considering summer weather in the South. A price hike on tickets that year and competing music festivals scheduled nearby may also have had a negative impact on the 2005 festival.

On January 5, 2006, Conlon announced that there would be no Music Midtown in 2006, but in July 2011, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Conlon announced that the festival would return for 2011 as a one-day event held in at Piedmont Park. The festival was such a success that the 2012 festival is planned to be a two-day event with a more diverse lineup.

Scope and Content

Collection consists of photographic, audiovisual and promotional material (including posters autographed by musicians and performers) for the Atlanta music festival Music Midtown, which ran from 1994-2005 and started again in 2011.

Organization and Arrangement

This collection is unarranged. A container list is provided below for temporary access.


Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Music Midtown records, ms3743, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Georgia Libraries.


Related Materials and Subjects

Subject Terms

Muiscians -- Photographs
Posters.
Rock festivals (Music festivals)

Series Descriptions and Folder Listing

 

Photographs

carton
194 MM pics
195 MM pics
196 MM pics (2)
197, 98, 99 MM slide show and films
carton
297 MM pics (books 1-4)
297 MM pics- Pete Kerez
295, 97 MM photo release
297 MM pics
297 MM pics (2 in envelope)
200 MM pics
carton
398 MM pics RD (books 1-2)
398 MM pics- Jonathan Burnham
398 MM pics- TO
399 MM slide show pics
399 MM pics- C.J. Parker
399 MM pics envelope
carton
499 MM pics- Rick Diamond (books 1-4)
499 MM pics- Frank Mullen
carton
500 MM pics (3 sets, 1 by Frank Mullen)
 

Audiovisual

carton
500 CSN&Y promo tape
500 Kiss promo tape
501 MM pics (4 sets)
501 Madonna tape
502 Ratdog tape
502 Paul McCartney tape
502 MM stage set up pics
503 Audioslave tape
503 Elton John tape
503 Avril Lavigne tape
503 Sum 41 tape
599 Magestica tape
 

Posters

oversized_folder
1C9th Annual Midtown Music Festival poster
oversized_folder
2BAutographed posters for 1st Annual (1994), 9th Annual (2003), 1998, 2001, 2004, and 2011 festivals, 1994-2011
oversized_folder
3BMounted autographed festival poster , 2000
oversized_folder
4CMounted autographed festival poster , 1999
oversized_folder
5CMounted autographed festival poster , 1997
oversized_folder
6CMounted autographed festival poster , 1998
oversized_folder
7CMounted autographed festival poster 1995; festival poster featuring David Dean painting
oversized_folder
8BMounted festival poster 1999; mounted display of badges and passes 2004
oversized_folder
9CMounted festival poster autographed by Todd Murphy, 1996
oversized_box
1Festival banner
 

Subject files

carton
6Artist contracts
box
1Festival planning documents