Live music off the grid

When it comes to outdoor music venues, metro Atlanta doesn’t have anything as avant-garde as the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago or as iconic as the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. But venturing off the beaten track you can find some intimate, one-of-a-kind spots with a mix of homegrown charms and laid-back attitudes that offer surprisingly atmospheric alternatives to the big shed summer concert series.

On a recent sultry Saturday night at Music On Main Street in Lilburn, a middle-aged man in a tie-dye T-shirt saunters up to a group discussing the recent Grateful Dead reunion concerts. “This must be where the freaks are,” he says.

Elsewhere, kids with birthday balloons race around an obstacle course of picnic tables, lawn chairs and coolers, while their parents stroll down a grassy hillside to the edge of a barn-like stage, where Atlanta singer-songwriter Ralph Roddenbery and his band are jamming on a cover of “Feelin’ Alright.”

With the aroma of grilled hot dogs and hamburgers wafting in the air, the convivial community atmosphere could be a church social or a town picnic. Except there’s plenty of beer and wine to add to the good vibes.

Dressed in shorts and a “Lilburn Is Hip” T-shirt, the co-owner and founder of Music On Main Street, Scott Mecredy, may be having more fun than anyone.

Four years ago, Mecredy and his wife, Alicia, bought the historic white house at 113 Main St. and turned it into a full service music store, selling instruments and accessories, and offering repairs and lessons.

And with the help of musician friends like Roddenberry, they transformed the terraced backyard into a music venue that hosts a summer concert series.

In honor of Mecredy’s mother, who inspired the project but lost her battle with cancer shortly before it opened, the venue and store are referred to by its acronym, MOMS.

“MOMS really is one of Atlanta’s golden secrets,” Roddenbery says. “With the crowd and the vibe, it’s about as much fun as I’ve had playing anywhere. On a 1-to-10 scale, it’s a 10.”

Recently Lilburn has been redeveloping its old town center, and new businesses, including the 1910 Public House restaurant, have sprouted up in a row of vintage brick storefronts on Main Street.

Mecredy says that has helped bring more people out at night for dining and entertainment. “We see a good, strong showing of local folks who may not have even cared about live music before.”

In addition to familiar local acts such as Col. Bruce Hampton, Jimmy Hall, Oteil Burbridge and Carolyn Aiken, the venue books local talent and musicians that are just coming up.

“Teaching music is our focus,” says Mecredy, “and encouraging playing music live is a big part of that.”

For nearly a decade, gallery owner Mary Jane Potter has been presenting live music behind her Matilda’s Cottage art gallery in Alpharetta during the summer months. But in all that time, the South Main Street venue, known as Matilda’s Under the Pines, still remains something of a hidden gem.

Housed in three cottages, Matilda’s looks like a colorful roadside attraction with metal chicken sculptures and ornate bird houses on display among fanciful American flag paintings and fiddle playing frogs. Out back, that giddy art environment continues in a grove of tall pine trees that create a bucolic setting with strings of lights casting a mellow glow over concert crowds and the wildly decorated back porch stage.

“Part of my reason for wanting to do the music venue was to get more people into the art gallery,” says Potter. “But now, even though it’s only seasonal, the music has become more and more popular.”

Regular performers have included Mudcat, Donna Hopkins, Michelle Malone, Bill Sheffield and Swami Gone Bananas. Later this summer, look for the Villain Family, Heather Lutrell and Blair Crimmins and the Hookers.

“As a musician you can really appreciate a place like Matilda’s because it’s a little bit more of a relaxed atmosphere,” says Nashville songwriter Elizabeth Elkins, who’s played the venue several times, most recently with Farewell Angelina. “There’s a built-in crowd that are fans of the venue and they trust the venue to bring in bands they will like. So it’s a great way to build a fan base.

“It’s also a really beautiful, quaint setting. You sit among the pines trees and there’s all this cool Americana kind of art around. There’s a great little backstage area full of art, and you play out on a porch, so it feels almost like a backyard jamboree. Really, Matilda’s is unique to any venue I’ve played across the United States.”

Like Music On Main Main Street, Matilda’s is popular with families. Bringing your own food and drink is encouraged, children under 16 get in free with their parents, and dogs on a leash are welcome.

With help from her husband Mark, Potter has a hand in almost every part of running the music venue, from cleaning up the grounds to booking the bands.

“It really is a mom and pop business,” she says. “And it really is a labor of love. I love art and I love music. But I can’t play an instrument and I can’t paint a picture. I guess this is my way of enjoying it and being a part of it.”