Rock Candy Tours

09/04/2024

📣 BIG NEWS! 🎸✨

We are thrilled to announce that Macon's iconic Rock Candy Tours is now powered by Visit Macon! After 13 years of celebrating the rockin' spirit of Macon's historic music heritage, we're excited to embark on this new journey together. Founded in 2011 by Macon natives Jessica Walden and Jamie Weatherford, Rock Candy Tours has been committed to keeping the legacy of Macon's rich music history alive on our city's streets.

🚌🎶 Join us for our weekly public tours or book a customized private tour and discover the stories that make Macon the birthplace of Southern Rock. Check out our themed tours including the Free Bird & Night Owl Walking Tour, Rock & Soul Riding Tour, Macon Macabre Walking Tour, and more. Don’t miss out on special tours like the Kegs & Stills Tasting Tour and the Macon Macabre Tour w/ Special Ghost Hunt! Plus, hop in the “Little Richard PenniVan” for one of Visit Macon’s existing tours and experiences, featuring Soul Sights Van Tours (also available in Spanish), African American Heritage Tour, and the African American Music Experience.

👉 Experience the history that lives on our sidewalks and street corners. Tours are available to book NOW at at VisitMacon.org!

08/05/2024

The Macon Film Festival is live! Such a great event.

Consider this your official invite...
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Our 2024 Schedule is LIVE!
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Grab your friends and head to the link in our bio to plan your fest!

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📸 : Cross Kodak

08/01/2024

Evidently Anderson Cooper came to Macon's Tubman Museum to interview undecided voters and it airs tonight.

08/01/2024

Looks like Shy Company has something fun coming down the pipeline. Video drops September 27.

07/30/2024

Exciting news from Tony Tyler. He's excellent, y'all.

Musician Tony Tyler returns with his band to Capricorn Studios, where his father would take him as a kid.

07/27/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/eAn5bPVVNro2Rej1/?mibextid=WC7FNe

07/26/2024

Friends & , the following is from Rock Candy Tours co-founder Jamie Weatherford:

"Bragg Jam is near and dear to Jessica and I. We met while serving on the Bragg Jam Board of Directors together. It's been a chaotic but extremely fun annual date night for us ever since. I love learning about the bands Bragg Jam brings every year. Here is what I have learned about the 2024 Concert Crawl Bands. Look in the comments for songs from my (recommended) artists.

The Parking Lot Stage is serving as the Country / Americana stage for 2024. It is located next door to the Blacksmith Shop on Poplar Ave. I'm a big fan of Heart of Pine (recommend). They mostly play in Georgia right now but they are about to release a new album that I believe will expand them into regional success if not national. Scoot Teasley is a young bro country artist form North Georgia. He was recommended by our friend Travis Denning so clearly he is getting some Nashville attention. Taylor Hunnicutt (recommend) can sing y'all! According to most sites dedicated to country music and americana Taylor was the break-out artist of Mile 0 Fest in Key West last January. I believe she will be big one day so this is a performance I am definitely going to try and catch. Hayden Coffman is from the Knoxville, TN area and seems to straddle the line between bro country and old school country. I don't know his music very well but somebody loves him because he has very strong streaming numbers. I hope his fan base shows up for this show.

JBA is again serving as the Hip Hop / Indie Rock stage. There are a ton of very talented Hip Hop artists in Macon but sometimes it's unclear if they are passionate about the art or are just trying to gain notoriety and hopefully some cash money. Sabir (recommend) is a legit artist and producer who works with a lot of artists in the Southeast. He has a new album coning out soon so for fans of Hip Hop there is where I would start the day, for sure. When I think of Marle Blu' I think of Lil' Kim. Marle Blu' (recommend for the spectacle) is not afraid and it shows. This show is going to be high energy and maybe a little bit of a spectacle. If you are looking for back up dancers and b***y shaking this is the show to see at Bragg Jam 2024. Ash Tuesday is local alternative / indie. I've never seen her perform live and she doesn't have a lot of material out so I'm intrigued by this one. I always try to support local so I'm going to to try and catch some of this show. I am thrilled about Torres (recommend) first show in her hometown of Macon. A nationally touring queen (king?) of alternative / indie rock right now in America I have been a big fan of Torres for a while now; particularly her "grungier" full band Rock N Roll; and she is performing with a full band so my hopes are high. I will also state that she is the most iconic LGBTQ artist out of Macon, Ga. since Little Richard. I hope she gets wild at this show. Shout out to Macon Magazine for featuring Torres in their recent "The Music Issue." Post S*x Nachos (recommend) are also a nationally touring act and are actually stopping at Bragg Jam on their way to perform at Lollapalooza! There is no doubt that these guys may break into the mainstream indie scene sometime soon.

Serenity Entertainment Complex is stacked this year with amazing R&B / Soul bands. Zach Wilson (recommend) and his band are incredible AND local. They are big supporters and instructors at The Otis Redding Foundation. Think Stevie Wonder tight but with less vocals. Phillip Michael Scales (recommend) is a nationally touring act out of the Memphis area where he considered BB King his Uncle. He leans a little more into R&B / Soul than the Blues but as you know all three are cousins. Having been on the Ellen show and more, I think Phillip Michael Scales is poised to be too big for Bragg Jam soon. Soul Cartel is a fan favorite of Serenity's patrons and are a great R&B / Party band out of the ATL. They are guaranteed to get you dancing. DJ Ad is a disc jockey from Power 107.1 in Macon and will keep Serenity lively all throughout the evening and hopefully into the late night. Dance Party!

Capricorn Sound Studios and Museum is the evenings premier Americana stage. It's like seeing The Creek 100.9 FM jump out of your radio and onto the stage. Last year, the "Guitar Pull" (recommend) was one of my favorite performances. This year's guitar pull is unique because Caleb Melvin normally plays drums (with four or five bands in Macon) unless he is singing Indie / Rock N Roll with Tier Blue; Eli Carter was in Mahalo Band and now has started a new project called Bodyart; Hughes Taylor is an electric blues maestro so it's going to be different to see him on an acoustic; and Jackson Griffith released an Indie album earlier this year with one of my favorite singles of the year: "Running in Place." Seeing them in a "Guitar Pull" setting is going to be really cool and unique. I was amazed when I saw Bragg Jam was bringing Peter One (recommend) to Macon. He is a West African who immigrated to the United States in the 1990s. This is probably going to be the "kindest and gentlest" show of the evening. I hope the audience keeps their mouth shut and allows Peter One to take them on a journey. I may shed a tear at this one. Nat Myers (recommend) released the album "Yellow Peril" (Dan Auerbach produced) in 2023 and he has been climbing the Americana / Folk charts ever since. The fact that Bragg Jam got Peter One and Nat Myers performing back to back blew my mind. This guy is going to surprise a lot of people. Billy Allen + The Pollies (recommend) are going to bring the R&B / Rock to Capricorn Studios. Think Alabama Shakes. This band will become nationally known soon. To see them in a setting like Capricorn Studios is a treat that won't be available much longer.

The Capitol Theatre is Bragg Jam's premier music venue and also it's largest. I was thrilled to see Bragg Jam selected local band The Open Seas (recommend) to kick off The Capitol. It will be interesting to see how the band carries the stage but most importantly for me, it made me super happy to see lead singer Justin Cutway is going to get a chance to shine. Justin is the voice behind The Creek 100.9 FM's "Local Load In" which showcases local talent in Macon. It's great to see him get a chance to showcase his. I admit Evan Honer (recommend) is new to me so I was a little surprised to see him (he's bringing a full band) at The Capitol but after researching him I discovered that he sold out every 300 person capacity show he did on his last nationwide tour and by the end of his tour he was being promoted into 500 person capacity shows. Evidently he is super hot right now and is being looked at by many as the next Noah Kahan. I don't know what to expect but I will catch some of this performance. I hope his fanbase shows up. Digable Planets!?! WOW! There are not many other bands that appeal to as diverse of an audience as Digable Planets (recommend!). What I am most excited about is that they are bringing a full 8 piece band: think upright bass, two drummers (?), three mc's, Dj, and what else?? There are not many bands that can marry jazz, funk, and hip hop like Digable. I cannot tell you how many parties I attended at College of Charleston back in the day where Digable provided the soundtrack. I am so glad I finally get to see them live. Thank you Bragg Jam.

Grant's Lounge, Macon, GA: what an iconic venue. I always start at The Buckleys (recommend). This was the band Brax was in at the time of his passing and it was this band who started Bragg Jam. To me, The Buckleys (and the Braggs who always try to attend this performance) are the heart of the festival. This performance serves as the annual reunion for a group of performers and fans I love dearly. Bragg Jam always tries to book a second act at Grant's that appeals to The Buckleys audience. This year it is Stewart & Winfield (recommend), a band that reached borderline national success in the 90s out of Athens, Ga. They are coming in strong with a six piece and a large audience so I know the energy will be high and I'm excited to see the guys harmonize again. Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown (recommend) will probably be the most straight forward Rock N' Roll act of Bragg Jam's 2024 Concert Crawl. These guys bring it to every show and as a result will have a long and successful career in the music industry. I think the opportunity to see them in a venue as intimate as Grant's Lounge won't be around much longer. The Psycodelics (recommended) are a band out of the Charleston, SC area. I'm not super familiar with them because they are recording their first album right now but I have been told they play incredible funk. Hopefully a lot of Digable Planets' crowd will come see them when that performance is over. If I'm out late night and want to boogie this is where I will end my night.

Pace yourself; drink water; wear close toed shoes; have fun; be kind; and thank a Bragg Jam volunteer if you see one. See you tomorrow night!"

07/23/2024

Karla Redding-Andrews and The Otis Redding Foundation are da bomb, y'all.

07/22/2024

If you didn't know, Aaron Buzza of Visit Macon has started a podcast. This one is special as he speaks with Justin Andrews of The Otis Redding Foundation; an organization that is doing great work in Macon, Ga. and beyond.

Justin Andrews, grandson of the legendary Otis Redding, is Director of Special Projects and Outreach at the Otis Redding Foundation. Justin's work with the Foundation focuses on event planning, leading student activities and camps, creating the Foundation's Otis Redding branded merchandise. Justin t...

07/21/2024

“Maconite” Russell Henley is in contention at The British Open! Go Russell GO!

07/19/2024

Happy Birthday to Caleb Melvin! Caleb is an anchor of Macon's local music scene performing in Macon Music R***e, Collective Sp8ce, Tier Blue, and a few other great local bands. He is a hero of ours.

07/17/2024

Bragg Jam is bringin' the heat! Check out all of these great events.

07/15/2024

If you are not keeping up with what GABBA - The Georgia Allman Brothers Band Association has cooked up for September 26 through the 29th you should. They have some amazing events lined up for these four days. Check them out.

GABBAfest 2024 - The GABBA Slide Summit!
Featuring local, regional and world-renowned slide guitar players. All proceeds benefit our non-profit mission of preserving and promoting the music and legacy of The Allman Brothers Band!

07/12/2024

It's going to be almost as fun as the night before.

July 12, 2024 - Join us the morning after Bragg Jam, for live music by Sisters of the Blue Moon, Dean Brown and the DubShak Reggae Band, bottomless mimosas, bloody marys, brunch favorites provided by Fountain of Juice and, of course, the full Fall Line Brewing Co. line-up as well! There's no better....

07/11/2024

Mike Mills dropping some shout-outs for Macon Magazine.

Mike Mills grew up in Macon before becoming the founding bassist of R.E.M. in Athens, Georgia, with Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, and fellow Maconite Bill Berry.

Since his days, the multi-instrumentalist has stayed active, recently returning home to record the Emmy-winning “A Night of Georgia Music.”

Here are a few of the rockstar’s favorite hometown places and people.

1. H&H Soul Food is always offering up good food and good vibes.
2. Grant's Lounge, Macon, GA in the 70s it was one of the only places Black folks and white folks could hang out and listen to music together.
3. Wedding of the century with Christopher Howard and Carey Pickard where Robert McDuffie and Mike Mills played “Nightswimming.”
4. James Galloway was a teacher at McKibben Lane Elementary. He made school something to actually look forward to.
5. Mary Lillian White was a ninth-grade humanities teacher at Northeast high school. She was a Star Teacher.
6. The Capitol Theatre is now a great music venue but back in the day it showed inexpensive movies.
7. Macon City Auditorium, where Mike Mills and Robert McDuffie recently played.
8. Grand Opera House I saw BB King there, among many other great shows. Recorded “A Night of Georgia Music” there.
9. Macon Coliseum, saw KISS in 1976 and played there in 1989.
10. Rose Hill Cemetery where many days and a few nights were spent thanking Duane and Berry for the music while watching the muddy river flow by.

See page 64 of The Music Issue, on stands and online now.

Photo by Christopher Ian Smith for Mercer University

07/10/2024

Two wonderful Macon visual artists in Adam Smith and John Mollica (our Kegs & Stills tour guide!) and fantastic performer Brotha Ric Patton will be holding a joint art reception at Macon Arts Alliance Friday August 2nd.

Documenting the Music & Landscape of the deep South for almost 30 years!

07/04/2024

We’ve got plans for you this holiday weekend! In the land of the free, join us for the FREEBIRDS and Night Owls music history walking tour, this Friday starting at 7 pm outside of in America’s greatest ! 🦅 🇺🇸

Reservations accepted at rockcandytours.com or text 478.955.5997.

07/02/2024

Congratulations to Washed Out on his first album in years! We are so excited he and his family now call Macon, Ga. home.

'Notes from a Quiet Life,' out June 28th on Sub Pop Records Pre-Order: https://merch.ambientinks.com/collections/washedoutTour Dates: https://washedout.net/T...

07/01/2024

The All Blues Music and Arts Revival returns October 5, 2024. 2023 was fantastic. Mark those calendars!

06/30/2024

Macon, Ga has lost some historic authenticity with the passing of Arthur “Bo” Ponder. He was a joy to know and a thrill to watch on stage. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and fans.

It's with a heavy heart that we learn of Bo Ponder's passing today. A Macon legend and music icon, he will be deeply missed.