Georgia musicians band together to support Chastain Park

With Ed Roland and the Sweet Tea Project, Fred Schneider of the B-52s, Cindy Wilson of the B-52s with Ola Moon, Drivin' N Cryin' and Mudcat and the Atlanta Horns. 7 p.m. Thursday. $75 (general seating advance), $100 (general seating at the door), $125 (box seating with dinner basket) and $1,200 (table for six including food). Tickets are 80 percent tax-deductible. Chastain Park Amphitheatre, 4469 Stella Drive N.W., Atlanta. www.xorbia.com.

It’s not unusual for the Chastain Park Conservancy to host an annual fundraiser.

But its 10th anniversary is a milestone and will be treated as such with an evening-long, multi-act concert at Chastain Park Amphitheatre.

“A Night Unplugged” will emanate a deliberate Georgia feel with a lineup of Ed Roland and the Sweet Tea Project; B-52s alums Fred Schneider and Cindy Wilson, who will perform with her side band, Ola Moon; rockers Drivin’ N Cryin’; and blues outfit Mudcat, who will open the Thursday show.

Each act is expected to perform a 40-50-minute set; Jeff Dauler of Q100 will emcee the event.

“We’re in the midst of a lot of concert activity, and this is just a little gem that’s part of it,” said Rosa McHugh, executive director of the conservancy. “We wanted to keep it local and celebrate Chastain as a jewel of Atlanta.”

All of the acts are volunteering their time, and Roland was a particularly easy sell given his affection for Chastain Park.

"I live in Sandy Springs and I love Chastain," he said. "My boys go to Galloway (School) and I take them to the park all the time. It's a very important part of my life. They've done a good job getting this together and bringing the community together to help with the park."

While the concert is dubbed “A Night Unplugged,” that doesn’t necessarily mean the bands will sit quietly with acoustic guitars.

“Since it’s a smaller concert, it’s unplugged in the sense that it will be a very familiar and intimate event,” McHugh said.

The 268-acre city park, the largest in Atlanta, receives about 2 million visitors a year and operates on a $300,000-per-year budget, according to the conservancy. The nonprofit also enlists volunteers for about 12,000 hours of work each year to rake leaves, cut grass, remove fallen trees and other tasks.

Chastain Park Amphitheatre seats about 6,500, and organizers are hopeful that at least 1,500 music fans will attend to support the park.

“The conservancy has been working behind the scenes,” said McHugh, “and this will help people understand what Chastain is about and how we all work together.”