On a spring evening in 2024, roughly 3,000 people spread lawn chairs and coolers across the grass of the Halstead Amphitheater in downtown Fairhope to watch the Red Clay Strays, a Mobile band then in the middle of a meteoric national rise, play a sold-out Live at Five concert. The night was a milestone for the Live at Five concert series, a volunteer-driven nonprofit effort that grew from a modest college-sponsored program into one of the Eastern Shore’s most dependable live music draws, and that channels its profits into grants for local musicians.
The story of how the series got there is a story about Fairhope itself: a town with a long habit of supporting the arts, a handful of neighbors who refused to let a good idea die, and a community college that kept opening its gates.
Built on Fairhope’s Creative Streak
Fairhope has cultivated an artistic identity for more than a century. Founded in 1894 as a single-tax colony by idealists from the Midwest, the town drew reformers, educators, writers and artists, and it became home to Marietta Johnson’s School of Organic Education, an early experiment in progressive schooling. That creative, slightly unconventional spirit still shapes the bayfront city’s galleries, festivals and downtown streets.
Writer, editor and former dance studio owner Gina Lanaux is one of the residents who carry that tradition forward. Like many people who chose Fairhope as home, she was drawn to its arts scene, its colorful personalities and its easygoing way of bringing people together. She was involved in the earliest stages of Live at Five, helping raise money to build the Halstead Amphitheater on the Fairhope campus of Coastal Alabama Community College and playing a role in producing the first concert series there in 2017.
In those early seasons, under director John Corcoran, the college underwrote the concerts. Admission was free, and organizers asked for donations to help cover costs.
From College Program to Nonprofit
That model did not last. In 2019, the college told Lanaux that the series’ structure was not sustainable and that it would stop producing the shows itself. Lanaux and the others who had helped launch the concerts were not ready to walk away.
“The director of the college, Mandy Bezeredi, suggested that we make the organization a non-profit and assemble a board of directors to keep the music going. We had just taken a pandemic break and were fired up to bring the series back stronger than ever,” Lanaux said.
A team of local volunteers with a variety of backgrounds stepped in. One of them was Clifton Mosteller, a Mobile native whose connection to the Scenic 98 area dates to his childhood in the early 1980s. Lanaux and her husband, Martin, lived across the street from Mosteller in Fairhope, and during a front-yard conversation in the spring of 2021, she asked whether he would join the board of Friends of Halstead, Inc., the 501(c)(3) nonprofit created to take over production of Live at Five.
He agreed. As chairman from 2021 to 2023, Mosteller added structure to the young organization and helped write its bylaws. He remained on the board after his term as chairman ended.
Mosteller has described the mission as continuing “Fairhope’s storied history of supporting the performing arts by providing an outlet for the local music community, both its patrons and the artists.” He added: “We want our shows and non-profit organization to be profitable, but only so that we can be charitable.”
The Jacob Hall Memorial Music Grant
The charitable piece of that mission is the Jacob Hall Memorial Music Grant Program, created and administered by Live at Five. Profits from the concerts are directed to vetted local musicians who have a specific need.
The program is named for Jacob Hall, who was known in Mobile music circles as one of the area’s most talented multi-instrumentalists. He died during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was also the brother of the Red Clay Strays’ founding drummer.
“I’m told that in his junior year in High School, Jacob didn’t have the money to join the school band. Fortunately, his high school music teacher saw his potential and love for music and paid his way. It was an act of kindness that we wanted to perpetuate in his memory,” Mosteller said. “We created the Jacob Hall Memorial Music Grant Program in memory of Jacob and his music teacher’s legacy. After all, musicians provide so much joy for us, the least we could do was support them in return as our organization began to grow.”
As of spring 2024, the grant program had awarded $38,000 to local musicians of all ages in its first three years. Recent awards at that time included piano lessons for an 8-year-old with perfect pitch and a new tuba for the Alma Bryant High School band, gifts that echo the generosity of Jacob Hall’s own teacher.
Applications for the Hall grants have been accepted through the end of May, with reviews over the summer and awards presented at the first fall Live at Five concerts. In fall 2023, five awards were given. Musicians interested in applying should check with Live at Five for current deadlines.
A Pandemic-Era Break
Mosteller says the series’ turning point came, ironically, from the pandemic. “Recall that the entire live music industry came to a proverbial record player screeching halt in 2020. No one could gather in large crowds, but in 2021 in Fairhope life was a little more open. Certain bands were eager to perform, even in small town venues that they would otherwise not consider if they could still take the stage in larger cities.”
The organization had been producing shows on what Mosteller called “a meager four-figure budget.” It raised money from local sponsors and booked the biggest name it could afford: the Spin Doctors, the band behind multiple top 20 Billboard hits and a 1993 Rolling Stone cover.
“Few venues were considering live music in the Spring of ’21, but we wanted to let our local music community decide if they were ready. They were. The show was a huge success,” he said.
That concert gave Live at Five something it had lacked: a résumé. “After the Spin Doctors, we had an answer when asked by large booking agencies, ‘Who have you booked and hosted before?'” Mosteller said.
National and regional acts followed, including Sister Hazel, North Mississippi Allstars, Drivin N’ Cryin, Taylor Hicks, Anders Osborne and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. “We then began building credibility on our resume, but would always make sure to include local bands on the bill,” Mosteller said. Between its 2021 reorganization and spring 2024, Live at Five produced more than 30 concerts in Fairhope and sold more than 35,000 tickets.
The Blues Traveler Night
In October 2022, Live at Five had its first sellout with Blues Traveler. At $30, it was the series’ most expensive ticket to that point, still a bargain compared with many venues.
The day nearly went sideways. Lead singer and harmonica player John Popper was sick and still in his hotel bed an hour before showtime. “Yes, we were a bit concerned given we had sold over 2,000 tickets and this was arguably the show that would elevate the series to the next level,” Mosteller said.
“With about 10 minutes before showtime, a car pulls up to the backstage area and Popper slowly climbs out with a cane to steady himself. After a few steps with his cane, he immediately makes eye contact with a guy I didn’t know and rushes over to hug him. Almost immediately he made a miraculous recovery and the band played a 90-minute set with as much energy as they had in 1995 when they won a GRAMMY.”
The man Popper embraced was Ben Jernigan, a Mobile native and musician who has played with Popper and many other well-known artists. Jernigan had come simply to see his friend’s band and knew nothing about Live at Five. After a set that included a harmonica take on “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” Mosteller introduced himself and asked Jernigan to join the volunteer board.
“I have been to dozens of venues and this is a special situation, I want to help,” Jernigan said.
Professionalizing a Volunteer Operation
Jernigan became Live at Five’s executive director, overseeing talent buying and day-of-show operations. He said the series stood out as a rare chance to make an impact. “The location of the venue, the bring your own chairs and cooler atmosphere, the history of Fairhope’s support of the art community at large, and bringing musicians and music to the Eastern Shore grabbed my attention.”
Mosteller credits him with raising the organization’s game. “Ben has experience producing music festivals for cities, stadium shows for universities, was instrumental in building Dauphin Street Sound, a state-of-the-art recording studio in Mobile, and has shared a performing stage with the surviving members of the Grateful Dead. In other words, Ben’s experience, connections, and work ethic help professionalize our organization.”
“Before Ben, Live at Five was admittedly a novice at negotiating with agents, understanding the intricacies of sound systems, and such,” Mosteller said. “That said, producing 10 concerts a year does not just happen on its own. The entire Live at Five volunteer board, as well as critical support from the College, play a critical role in every detail of the event experience. It is the definition of a team effort.”
The Red Clay Strays Come Full Circle
On March 29, 2024, Live at Five hosted the Red Clay Strays before a sold-out crowd of 3,000. It was the band’s third time playing the series, but the first since it had become one of the hottest acts in the country. Local songwriter Sumerlyn Powers and the River Dan Band opened.
The Strays’ surge had been dramatic: one of their songs went viral on TikTok, taking the band from about 100,000 monthly streams to 5 million. For the Fairhope show, 75% of tickets were sold to people from outside Baldwin County, many of them visiting Fairhope for the first time, bringing a significant economic boost to the area.
The evening also closed a loop. Live at Five board members met with the members of the Red Clay Strays and the Hall family, and the band presented the organization with a $5,000 donation for the Jacob Hall Memorial Music Grant.
The Strays’ momentum has only continued since. The band is now slated to headline the grand opening of Mobile’s new Regions Arena on March 26, 2027.
The College Partnership and the Concert Experience
Mosteller is emphatic that the series owes its existence to Mandy Bezeredi, director of Coastal Alabama Community College’s Fairhope campus. “Quite honestly, if it were not for Mandy and the continued support from Coastal Alabama Community College, there would be no Live at Five,” he said. After the college chose not to continue producing concerts itself, Bezeredi became one of the founding members of Friends of Halstead and has served as the organization’s secretary. She also helps with the Hall grant awards.
The college provides the Halstead Amphitheater as an in-kind donation. Student ambassadors scan tickets, and Coastal police officers work the events. Bezeredi has said the concerts strengthen the college’s relationship with the community and give it valuable exposure. Coastal Alabama Community College, formed in 2017 through the consolidation of several South Alabama two-year colleges, has the oldest continuously operating fine arts program in the state.
Friends of Halstead members coordinate food trucks and seek sponsors to cover band costs and grant awards, with several tax-deductible sponsorship levels listed on the Live at Five website. The City of Fairhope supports the series by providing extra trash cans.
For concertgoers, the format has been part of the appeal:
- Gates have opened at 4 p.m., letting attendees stake out spots on the lawn.
- A wrist stamp allows guests to leave and return.
- Bringing chairs and coolers is part of the tradition.
- A designated area is set aside for golf cart parking.
- The events are dog-friendly.
With capacity of around 3,000, the amphitheater offers an intimate scale and easy access, and the crowds help drive late-night business in downtown Fairhope after the music ends. The spring 2024 season continued with the Marshall Tucker Band on Friday, May 10, another sellout. Readers interested in future shows, sponsorships or the Hall grant should check Live at Five directly for current schedules and details.