July 17, 2023 – NASHVILLE (CelebrityAccess) – Nashville’s inaugural AB Block Party is set to celebrate the return of live music to historically music-rich Hillsboro Village on Labor Day, September 4, emphasizing inclusivity. The free festival will feature headliners Joy Oladokun and 16-year-old guitar prodigy Grace Bowers and is produced by AB Hillsboro Village’s co-owners Marcie Allen and Derek Van Mol.
AB (formerly the restaurant Anzie Blue) is a 4,000-square-foot live music and event venue co-owned by Allen and Van Mol, catering to locals and designed by Savage Interior Design to inspire creativity. With a capacity of 250, AB is equipped to host a variety of events — from live music to comedy shows and beyond.
The AB Block Party will take place in the parking lot of the Belcourt Theatre. The all-ages event will include multiple music stages plus a comedy show curated by Josh Black inside AB Hillsboro Village across the street at 2111 Belcourt Avenue. In addition to a day of music and comedy, attendees will enjoy pop-ups by diverse local businesses, food trucks, and more.
With Lightning 100 as a media partner, the festival provides a Labor Day alternative to the station’s now-paused 13-year-old Live on the Green Festival. AB Block Party tickets are free, with a suggested donation of $20 supporting the 98-year-old Belcourt Theatre’s mission to provide independent cinema and arts education. Tickets for the block party are available at AnzieBlue.com. A ticket is required for entry.
The artist line-up is Nashville-centric, including headliner Oladokun fresh from opening for John Mayer and Noah Kahan. Oladokun’s 2023 album Proof of Life was hailed as “therapeutic folk-pop” by The New York Times. Sixteen-year-old Nashville, guitar goddess Bowers recently organized a Covenant School benefit at the Basement East that raised more than $20,000. Nashville mayoral candidate and former Belcourt Theatre board member Freddie O’Connell will do a special DJ set. Paul McDonald and many other to-be-announced acts will round out the bill. WKRN anchor Blake Eason will MC the main stage.
“Our century-old neighborhood was one of Nashville’s original music hubs — the Grand Ole Opry broadcast from the Belcourt Theatre in the ‘30s, and Harold and Owen Bradley had their studio here before starting Music Row,” says block party promoter and AB Hillsboro Village co-owner Allen.
“So with AB here now, our block party celebrates the return of live music to Hillsboro Village and gives the community a rare chance to enjoy a festival created for locals by locals,” adds AB Hillsboro Village co-owner Van Mol.
