Flashback photos: 25 years ago, Music Midtown debuts in 1994

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Flashback photos: 25 years ago, Music Midtown debuts in 1994

On May 13, 1994, a brand new music festival was born in Atlanta. An estimated 85,000 people attended the fest that year, when the headliners included James Brown and Al Green.

970502 - Atlanta, Georgia - People sit on the grass and stand with the crowds as they listen to one of the music acts at one of the seven stages at the 4th Music Midtown Friday evening, May 2, 1997. (AJC Staff Photo/Frank Niemeir)

970502 - Atlanta, Georgia - People gather around the Miller Lite 99x stage as they listen to Muse, one of the acts at the 4th Music Midtown Friday evening, May 2, 1997. (AJC Staff Photo/Frank Niemeir)

970502 - Atlanta, Georgia - Members of the band Muse perform at the 4th Music Midtown Friday, May 2, 1997, evening at the start of the three-day music festival. (AJC Staff Photo/Frank Niemeir)

980502 - Atlanta, Georgia - The mosh pit at the Budweiser/99X stage during the performance of Fastball on Saturday, May 2, 1998 at Music Midtown 1998. (AJC Staff Photo/Molly Stevens)

At the Midtown Music Festival, the crowd gave most of their attention to the punk rock band Gen. 05/04/96

970502: Members of the band Muse perform at the 4th Music Midtown Friday 5/2/97 evening at the start of the three-day music festival. (FRANK NIEMEIR/Staff)

970504 - Atlanta, Georgia - Artist Me'Shell N'degeOcello performs on the V-103/Coca-Cola stage at the 4th Annual Music Midtown Festival, Saturday, May 3, 1997. (AJC Staff Photo/AKILI-CASUNDRIA RAMSESS)

970504-ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Artist Me'Shell N'degeOcello performs on the V-103/Coca-Cola stage at the 4th Annual Music Midtown Festival, Saturday, May 3, 1997. (Photo by AKILI-CASUNDRIA RAMSESS/AJC STAFF)

970504 - Atlanta, Georgia - An enthusiastic crowd display their enjoyment of the performance of Francine Reed Sunday, May 4, 1997 at the Midtown Music Festival. (AJC Staff Photo/Akili-Casundria Ramsess)

Concert promoter Alex Cooley holds signed poster of First Annual Music Midtown festival. He wass at Roxy Theatre in Buckhead. 1995 photo

970314 - Atlanta, Georgia - Music concert promoter Peter Conlon has almost singlehandedly defined the music scene in Atlanta. Photo taken, March 14, 1997 in his temporary office. (AJC Staff Photo/Jean Shifrin)

980415 ATLANTA, GA.: Atlanta music promoter Alex Cooley talks with the AJC's Russ DeVault about the 1998 Music Midtown Festival. (JOEY IVANSCOI/staff).

970421- ATLANTA, GA.: --Alex Cooley, the promoter of the Music Midtown Festival poses on the roof of the building where his office is, with part of the Mid-town skyline behind him, Monday 04/21/97. (RICH MAHAN/Staff)

Sharon O'Keefe from Lake Lanier gets down & extremely happy as she listens to Arturo Sandoval and his Jazz band on the Coca-Cola Crescent Stage. May 15, 1994.

Joan Baez performs at Music Midtown on Sunday, May 5, 1996. (AJC photo/Sylvia McAfee)

Bob Dylan closed out the Midtown Music Festival Sunday evening 5/5/96. (AJC photo/Sylvia McAfee)

980501-May 1, 1998-JOHN SPINK/AJC staff-ATLANTA/FULTON- Darryl Porter strolls past the multi colored pottys on 10th street which lines the outskirts of ' Music Mid Town' where tonight armed with more toliets, space for children and more room reserved for dancing the new and improved venue will have more security to fend off would be gate crashers. Porter was on his way to work at Front Page News and was contemplating, weather permitting, attending the event Sunday.

980503 ATLANTA, GA.: Anne Murray performs Sunday, 5/3/98 to an appreciative crowd during the last day of Music Midtown in Atlanta at the Hard Rock Cafe/Fox 5 tent. (PHOTO BY CELINE BUFKIN/STAFF)

970504 - ATLANTA-- Carlos Santana performs Saturday night at Music Midtown. (photo by Akili-Casundria Ramsess/staff)

990502 ATLANTA, GA: Francine Reed (cq), one of the performers at the Music Midtown festival Sunday afternoon, came a little early to catch Velmer Watkins and The Angelic Choir. (JEAN SHIFRIN/staff)

980502 MIDTOWN, ATLANTA: Music fans crowd around the 99X Bud Stage during the Midtown Music Festival on Saturday afternoon on May 2, 1998. The weather was beautiful, the crowd large, and the music loud at this three day festival being held in Midtown Atlanta. (ALICIA HANSEN/AJC STAFF)

980502 MIDTOWN, ATLANTA: Indigo Girls Amy Ray, left, and Emily Saliers, right, perform during the Midtown Music Festival on Saturday afternoon on, May 2, 1998. The weather was beautiful, the crowd large, and the music loud at this three day festival being held in Midtown Atlanta. (ALICIA HANSEN/AJC STAFF).

980502 ATLANTA, GA -- Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls plays guitar at the Midtown Music Festival Friday night. (ALICIA HANSEN/STAFF)

990501- ATLANTA, GA-Thousands of music lovers crowd into the seven stages at the Midtown Music festival Saturday. (CATHY SEITH/AJC STAFF)

990501- ATLANTA, GA-Thousands of music lovers crowd into the seven stages at the Midtown Music festival Saturday. This is at the Budweiser 99X Stage. (CATHY SEITH/AJC STAFF)

990501- ATLANTA, GA- Hundreds of music lovers crowd into the Powertel/Mitsubushi 96 Rock stage stage at the Midtown Music festival Saturday. (CATHY SEITH/AJC STAFF)

990502 - ATLANTA, GA.: Courtney Love <cq>, frontwoman for the alternative rock band Hole, flirts with the rowdy Music Midtown crowd Sunday night, 5/2/99 on the 99x stage. (PHOTO BY CELINE BUFKIN/STAFF) for LOCAL/LIVING

990502 - ATLANTA, GA.: A young woman is passed through the increasing rowdy crowd at the 99X stage at Music Midtown on Sunday evening, 5/2/99. (PHOTO BY CELINE BUFKIN/STAFF) for LOCAL/LIVING

990430-DCS-ATLANTA--Willie Nelson celebrates his birthday with a close out performance Friday night, April 30th, 1999 at the Music Midtown Festival on the 96Rock stage.(PHOTO BY AKILI-CASUNDRIA RAMSESS/AJC STAFF)

990430-DCS-ATLANTA, GA -- Willie Nelson celebrates his birthday with a close out performance Friday night, April 30th, 1999 at the Music Midtown Festival on the 96Rock stage. (AKILI-CASUNDRIA RAMSESS/AJC staff)

Christina Ward 26 of Atlanta enjoys the band Donkey s show from atop her friend Scott Tangeman s shoulders on Saturday during the Music Midtown Festival Thousands of festival goers listened to a variety of music

9905010--ATLANTA- Long lines around Wild Bill's Saloon were common to all of the vendors in the food court at Music Midtown Saturday, May 1, 1999. (PHOTO BY AKILI-CASUNDRIA RAMSESS/AJC STAFF)

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