Country Star to Headline New Fall Festival in Alabama

If you missed Tyler Childers’ sold-out show in Birmingham earlier this year, don’t worry. The country music star is returning to Alabama on November 9th to headline a new festival in the Auburn-Opelika area.

Childers, a rising talent in the country and Americana music scenes, will be the main act at Live on the Plains, scheduled for Saturday, November 9th, at Sistrunk Farms in Opelika. This location was previously used for the Auburn Rodeo, a one-day festival that featured Parker McCollum as the headliner in April 2024 and Zach Bryan in October 2023.

The Live on the Plains festival lineup also includes performances by the Mountain Grass Unit, Braxton Keith, Bayker Blankenship, and Hudson Westbrook. Tickets are currently available for presale, with general admission priced at $99, a section with elevated seating at $189.99, and VIP tickets at $249.99.

Ticket prices are expected to increase on Monday, August 26th, when the presale ends, and tickets go on sale to the general public. Parking passes are also available during the presale, with prices yet to be announced.

Live on the Plains is organized by Shane Quick and Nathan Baugh, who also own Rock the South and Rock the Country. According to the festival's website, Quick and Baugh bought the Auburn Rodeo in 2023 and transformed it into a festival-style concert event, replacing the rodeo with a pre-show concert.

Live on the Plains seems to be a further evolution and rebranding of the Auburn Rodeo, focusing more on music and food while dropping the rodeo aspect. The Auburn Rodeo website, as well as its Facebook and Instagram pages, are promoting the new Live on the Plains festival.

Live on the Plains has its own website and Instagram page, where it promises an outdoor concert experience that is not just high-end but also unforgettable. The festival is designed for everyone, whether it's families dancing together, parents enjoying a night out, businesses entertaining clients, or friends gathering for a memorable weekend during Auburn’s football bye week.

Tyler Childers, a singer-songwriter from Kentucky, will bring his strong fan base and growing popularity to Live on the Plains. His Birmingham concert on April 15th at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC sold out very quickly.

Childers’ music combines traditional country with bluegrass, Southern rock, and folk influences. He is known for his thoughtful storytelling and won an Americana Music Award for Emerging Artist of the Year in 2018. He has released six studio albums and received seven Grammy nominations.

Childers has never been afraid to tackle controversial topics in his songs. In his 2020 album "Long Violent History," he addressed issues like racism, civil unrest, and police brutality. In his 2022 album "Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?" he pointed to religious intolerance.

His sixth studio album, "Rustin in the Rain," released in September 2023, features the song "In Your Love," which stirred controversy with a video that depicted the relationship of two gay coal miners in the 1950s. The video’s script was written by Silas House, a Kentucky author known for highlighting LGBTQ+ issues in Appalachia.

"In Your Love" has earned three Grammy nominations this year, including Best Country Song, Best Country Solo Performance, and Best Music Video. "Rustin in the Rain" was also nominated for Best Country Album.