Sand & Song

So you're hanging around the stretch of coast between Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, and there's gentle music everywhere you go, and you get the feeling that something's up but you can't quite put your finger on it? Fret no more: You've been surrounded by the most low-key festival the coast has to offer, the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival. Following kick-off ceremonies held Thursday, it runs through Nov. 19 with performances in more than two dozen venues. There's no mystery to the Frank Brown faithful. And these are numerous, from the dozens of songwriters who make an annual pilgrimage from Nashville and other locales to the scores of listeners who come from all around the country to hear them in intimate settings packed by respectful fans. The event began nearly 30 years ago as a tribute to its namesake, the longtime night watchman at the famed Flora-Bama Lounge & Package. And though it has grown by leaps and bounds, particularly in the last decade, the focus has remained squarely on the songwriting experience. Here it's not about the celebrities who turn the songs into hits, it's about the craftsmen and -women who catch that initial inspiration and put it into words that resonate.
Check the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival site for up to date information on artist’s and venues.