Welcome to Alabama's Freshwater Coast

A Summer of Live Music at Lake Martin

Summertime is here at Lake Martin! Which also means its time to kick off our full schedule of live music and concert series.

We love live music here at Lake Martin – so much in fact, it is immortalized in brass and gold! Literally. At Strand Park in Alexander City, you can actually see the “Jazz Fest Sculpture,” which is made up entirely of donated instruments celebrating our local talent and love for music.

Lake Martin and the surrounding areas are proud to be home to some of the greatest up and coming musicians around! We are so excited to welcome many of them back on stage – and new artists too – as we kick off a full summer of live music.

Here is our lineup of some of our favorite music festivals, events, and live series around the Lake Martin area this year!

Music Festivals

band on stage

RXR Fest

Town Green at Russell Crossroads

May 27th and May 28th, Starts at 6:30 PM

Kick the Summer Music Festivals off with RxR Fest at Russell Crossroads! Over the course of two days, this free event features highly popular local bands that are sure to get you on your feet and dancing the night away! RxR Fest kicks off on Friday night with a local Lake Martin favorite, Dixie Red – a lively Southern rock band from Lee County.

Then taking the stage will be the high energy, skate folk band “Happy Landing”, traveling in from Oxford, MS to close out the night.

Saturday night continues the fun with the well-known local artist, Russell Craig. Russell Craig has played many shows at the popular “Fridays on The Green” music series, but this will be the first time his full band will take the stage and perform at Russell Crossroads.

Closing the festival will be Lauren Jenkins, a singer-songwriter who has been named an “artist to watch” by New York Times, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Pandora, and many more.

RxR Fest is free and family friendly! Your leashed pet friends are welcome too.

Alexander City Jazz Fest

Strand Park and The Amp

June 10-11, Starts at 6:00 PM

Wrap up a fun week of the Sun Festival with the 32nd Annual Alexander City Jazz Fest! Bring out the whole family and get ready to rock with an entire lineup of talented musical guests all weekend long.

The Alexander City Jazz Fest will run for two nights and is set to host 5 unbelievable acts. Night One will be held at Strand Park in downtown Alexander City, featuring musical guests “The Talismen” and “The Hot 8 Brass Band”- who recently performed at the NOLA Jazz Fest.

Kicking off Night Two will be Alabama’s very own, Tristen Gressett! After making it to the final 11 on American Idol, Gressett will take the stage at The Amp along with two additional acts, Joslyn & the Sweet Compression, and none other than the famous American Idol winner, Taylor Hicks.

Jazz Fest is family friendly and free to attend! Vendors will be onsite; however, you are also welcome bring your own food and beverages.

Concert and Fireworks at The Amp

The Amp

July 4, Starts at 6:30 PM

Every year Russell Lands puts on the largest firework show in the Southeast for the 4th of July! And it takes place right here at The Amp. The Amp is an open-air music venue, located on a rolling grassy hill with the shores of Lake Martin as the backdrop behind the stage.

People come from all over the lake to come sit on the grassy lawn and watch the spectacular firework display – however, the concert leading up to the main event is equally as exciting! The Amp holds their annual live-music celebration before the fireworks, and has been known to bring in big name acts such as Sister Hazel, Kansas, Corey Smith, Blackberry Smoke, The Charlie Daniels Band, and many others.

Gates open at 5PM with the live music kicking off at 6:30PM, followed by fireworks at 9PM. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online.

With the amazing lake views and great live music, this is one event you won’t want to miss!

Lake Martin Songwriter’s Festival

July 27-31

Various locations

The 2nd Annual Lake Martin Songwriter’s Festival is a multi-day event, featuring 20 artists at multiple venues across the Lake Martin area. These highly talented songwriters will be coming in from near and far, including Nashville, Texas, Oklahoma, and right here in Alabama of course! All of these artists have had great success in the music industry and are so excited to be rocking the stage right here at beautiful Lake Martin.

Over the course of 5 days, these artists will be performing at venues across the Lake Martin area, ranging from intimate room settings to large, outdoor stages. The venues will be some of your favorite places to visit around the lake too, such as Lakeside at Bay Pines, Zazu’s Verandah, Chuck’s Marina, The Local at 41 Main, Niffer’s Place, The Social, Lake Martin Pizza Co., The Mitchell House, and many more!

Labor Day Weekend Concert 

September 2-3

Russell Crossroads

This year the annual Labor Day concert is being extended to two nights! YES, two nights of music on the Town Green at Russell Crossroads.  Oh and by the way, there is no charge!

We are so excited to announce the stellar lineup of musicians for Labor Day Weekend 2022!

On Friday night, we are over the top excited to bring two bands from the Auburn area. We’ll start the night with a relatively new band, at 6:30, Supper Club will take the stage. Also Friday night from the Auburn area, but playing all over the country – The Stews! They will take the stage around 8pm and we are just getting started.

On Saturday we again will kick the music off at 6:30. The Bank Walkers, Lake Martin’s favorite cover band, will get things started! Then at 8 o’clock get ready for some of the best harmonies that you have ever heard! As we welcome to Lake Martin, from Athens, Georgia – Hotel Fiction.

Oh yes, we have a great weekend of music scheduled for you and your friends! We know that you won’t want to miss a single note!

Weekly/Monthly Live Music Events

band playing music

Friday On The Green

May through September, Starts at 6:30 PM

Friday On The Green is a free weekly live music series that takes place at the Town Green at Russell Crossroads.  It’s fun, family friendly, and the perfect way to unwind from the work week.

Live music plays from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM every Friday on the Russell Crossroads stage from May until September.  Along with a few new bands and local talent, Russell Crossroads is excited to welcome back popular musical acts such as Cameron Dubois & Bama Soud, Jonathan Bloom, and many more. 

Grab your lawn chair, pack a cooler, and unwind on the Town Green.

Strand Sessions

Strand Park, Alexander City

First Thursday of the Month,  Starts at 6:00 PM

Hosted by the Lake Martin Young Professionals, Strand Sessions are free, outdoor live-music events held at Strand Park during the summer, that brings local talent to the main stage in the heart of Alexander City. Not only can you enjoy a fun evening of live music, it’s also a great opportunity to get downtown and visit the local shops.

Strand Sessions are the first Thursday of every month and runs from May through August. This is one local summer music series you won’t want to miss!

Music on the Dadeville Square

Zazu’s Veranda

Every Thursday through mid-August, Starts at 6:30 PM

Pull up a chair and enjoy a show right in the heart of Dadeville Square! Zazu’s Verandah hosts a variety of weekly entertainment and local musical favorites, such as Smoke and Mirrors, Suzanne Scholz, Chasing Shadows, and many more.

These live music events are free for all to join and take place every Thursday starting at 6:30 PM under the Zazu’s Verandah awning. Be sure to bring a chair and come early! Zazu’s will also have beverages for sale. Check out their Facebook page for this week’s entertainment!

A Few Of Our Other Favorite Local Live Music Hangouts 

Our local Lake Martin music venues are front and center for some of the best live-music shows around! Check out the line up at a few of our favorite local spots for a full summer of good food and live entertainment!

Chuckwalla’s Pizza at Chuck’s Marina

You may know Chuckwalla’s for their incredible pizzas, raspberry Chipotle wings, and tropical atmosphere. But did you know that Chuck’s also has live music?

During the summer, you can catch live tunes Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings starting at 6PM. Visit their Facebook page to keep up with their live music lineup.

The Social 

As one of Lake Martin’s newest hangouts, The Social is open for brunch, bushwhackers, and of course… live music! They bring in some of Lake Martin’s favorite acts, such as Suzanne Scholz, Smoke and Mirrors, David Jones, and many others. The Social is open Thursday through Sunday, with live music daily. Check out their Facebook page for their full weekly lineup.

Lake Martin Pizza Company

Lake Martin Pizza Co has one of the coolest backyard setups in the area! With a full stage, lighting, and outdoor seating, guests can catch shows from wildly popular bands such as Blackberry Breeze and Face the World during their “Reggae Sunday” music series, along with other local musical artists and duos. They also serve beer and wine for guests who are 21+ and up. Come for the pizza, stay for the music! Check out their Facebook page for an updated list of live music.

The Local at 41 Main

This is the newest hotspot in downtown Alexander City.  Stop by and try some of their craft cocktails, and enjoy live music every Friday and Saturday night 8p-11p.  Check out their Facebook page to learn more.  

For a complete listing of all local events, visit our Lake Martin Area Events Calendar.  

If you are a venue in the Lake Martin area that would like to have your events listed on our events calendar, please fill out the form here.