Music fans across the Alabama Gulf Coast are gearing up for one of the region’s longest-running live music traditions, as the Frank Brown International Songwriters’ Festival returns for five days of performances spanning venues in Gulf Shores and Perdido Key. The festival, which has been held every year since 1984, draws touring and local songwriters alike for a mix of intimate acoustic sets, songwriter-in-the-round showcases and open jam sessions.
The event takes its name from a longtime security guard at the Flora-Bama Lounge who became a beloved fixture of the beach music scene before his death. What began as a small gathering of songwriters swapping songs has grown into a multi-day celebration that pulls in performers from Nashville, the Gulf Coast and beyond, all sharing stages across several restaurants, bars and outdoor venues along the state line.
Organizers say the appeal of the festival lies in its format. Rather than a single headliner playing to a crowd, most sets are built around songwriters-in-the-round performances, where several artists take turns playing their own material and trading stories about how the songs came to be. That structure gives audiences a rare, up-close look at the creative process behind the music, and it means festival-goers often have to plan carefully to catch as many acts as possible across the many simultaneous shows.
The festival kicks off with an opening night lineup at LuLu’s, the Gulf Shores restaurant and entertainment venue founded by Lucy Buffett. Songwriters including Lauren Murphy of The Krickets, Ross Newell of the Mulligan Brothers and Tanya Gallagher are scheduled to perform in a songwriters-in-the-round format, bringing a modern Americana sound to the evening. Later in the night, blues songwriter Johnny Barbato takes the stage alongside country writer T-Bone Montgomery and songwriter H. Jack Williams.
The following evening shifts to Woodside Restaurant at Gulf State Park, where the mood turns lighter with a collaborative set from Brent Burns and Bill Whyte. Burns has built a national following with his humor-driven “trop rock” songs, while Whyte, known for his comedic bent, has written for numerous other performers over a long Nashville career. Also on the bill is Taylor Craven, who will perform songs from his “Workaholic in Recovery” material, along with veteran Nashville songwriter Cass Hunter, who brings decades of experience to the lineup.
Perdido Key becomes the focal point on the festival’s third night, with a lineup at the Purple Parrot Tiki Bar & Grill that spans several genres. Bobby Solberg opens the evening with a blend of country, gospel and bluegrass, followed by Abe Partridge, whose raw indie-country songwriting has earned him a devoted regional following. Eric Erdman, a longtime favorite among Gulf Coast audiences for his soulful original songs, rounds out the night for the hometown crowd.
For songwriters looking to get in front of a festival crowd rather than just watch from the audience, the Flora-Bama hosts an open mic session on the festival’s fourth afternoon. Sean Gasaway will host the session, which runs for two hours in the venue’s Main Room and welcomes performers who bring an instrument and a song or two to share. Because open mic slots are typically filled on a first-come, first-served basis, organizers encourage anyone hoping to perform to arrive early to sign up.
The festival wraps up where it began, back at the Flora-Bama, with a Sunday Funday All-Star Jam that has become something of a tradition in its own right. Big Earl & the Sexual Biscuits headline alongside the Bruce Smelley Band, backed by an extended lineup of Flora-Bama regulars including Cathy Pace, Jose Santiago, Rhonda Hart, Davis Nix, Lefty Collins and Wes Loper, among others.
Across its five days, the Frank Brown International Songwriters’ Festival touches on a wide range of styles, from traditional country and bluegrass to trop rock and blues, giving audiences a chance to discover new artists alongside familiar Gulf Coast names. Organizers recommend that festival-goers check the full performance schedule in advance, since many of the shows overlap and venues fill quickly for the more popular sets.
The festival has become an economic and cultural anchor for the local hospitality industry each fall, drawing visitors to Gulf Shores and Perdido Key restaurants, bars and hotels during a period that falls just after the peak summer tourist season. For many of the venues involved, the event has grown into one of their busiest weeks of the year outside of the summer months.