Concertwire.com

I know the dates are June 19-21st. Does anyone know when the lineup will be announced?

Oh, no, are you kidding? Last year was my first attending there and I thought the lineup was great and the crowds looked large and enthusiastic and I'm sure a lot of that had to do with AC booking it. I was hoping they'd at least give it another year. Was this AC's decision or City Stages, anyone know? [HTML_REMOVED]

I know AC hoped to help boost their attendance by booking last year and although I don't believe it did as weel as hoped, I heard attendance was up from prior years and I thought they at least broke even as opposed to loosing money as in many previous years. Figured AC would hang in there and get in the black this year!

Same with me. First, I didn't get to the show last year until Sat., therefore missing Diana Ross on Fri. and then the closest I came to Al Green was seeing Marc Broussard just before him and then rushed over to the Miller stage to see Buddy Guy followed by Ben Harper. [HTML_REMOVED]

Learned what a great event it was last year and was gathering a larger group to go this year to catch the whole weekend. Now?? We'll see.

really.?
I think that is an old article even though that it is dated on Tuesday.

found this article today that states AEG is booking the festival.AEG Lands City Stages Festival

Posted: March 2, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, AL (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) -- AEG's Messina Group has pacted with City Stages in Birmingham to help produce the annual music festival. The Birmingham News reported that City Stages director Denise Lovoy Koch said the deal was worth as much as $80,000 but she declined to be more exact.

The festival is set for June 19-21 in Birmingham and the initial clutch of artists for this year's lineup will be announced in March.

"One thing that stuck out is Ali's [Messina's Ali Harnell] dynamic personality and go-getter attitude," Koch told the Birmingham News. "I had the sense that she got that our festival is different. It's a community-based festival and a non-profit festival. It takes somebody who understands that. It's hard to be all things to all people, but at City Stages, we do want to try."

The event had formerly been produced by festival veterans AC Entertainment but the event has suffered in recent years from slow ticket sales and an increasing debt burden. The 2008 event lost approximately $168,000 and subsequently, AC and City Stages parted ways in a split that was described as "amicable."

"We mutually agreed it was in our best interests not to continue the contract," Koch told the Birmingham News. "We both went in different directions." - CelebrityAccess Staff Writers