Singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun will continue celebrating the release of her new album Proof of Life, which dropped in May, with a headlining slot at a new Nashville festival that will be free to attend. AB Block Party will take place over Labor Day weekend at Hillsboro Village with a lineup highlighting diverse musicians from Tennessee and the greater South.
The festival will be put on by by AB Hillsboro Village co-owners Marcie Allen and Derek Van Mol, and will be held outside nonprofit film center the Belcourt Theatre. Guests of all ages can attend at no cost, with a suggested donation of $20 to support the Belcourt Theatre’s ongoing mission to provide independent cinema and arts education. You can secure your ticket and learn more at AnzieBlue.com.
“We’re excited to bring an inclusive array of performers to the festival as we celebrate the return of live music to Hillsboro Village,” says Marcie Allen. “Folk, rock, pop, R&B, soul, and country are just some of the genres represented. And It’s no accident that the artists are even more diverse than their genres. One thing they do have in common, though, is that many hail from Nashville, with most of the rest from other points in Tennessee and the South. Nashville has more than one sound, and we want people to hear their voices.”
Speaking about her record earlier this year, Oladokun shared, “This album is evidence of how I live. I hope these are helpful anthems. I started making music because I wasn’t hearing from the ‘everyday human being’ on the radio. I hope this resonates with anybody who feels normal and needs a little musical boost to get through the day. I’m average. I do this job because I love what I do. I put so much care, craft, and intention into it. I’m making music to live to.”