The Sound Wall Music Initiative

Ticket Information:
Tickets $25
non-refundable
Event is BYOB

Schedule:
7pm – 7:30pm Cocktail reception (bring your own beverage)
7:30pm – Concert Abe Partridge with Cat Ridgeway

“Abe Partridge has established himself as one of the most respected songwriters and visual folk artists in the southeast.”

—  American Songwriter Magazine

Abe Partridge is a heralded musician, singer/songwriter, visual artist, and podcaster based in Mobile, Alabama. His 2018 debut, Cotton Fields and Blood For Days earned him rave reviews, with Tony Paris saying in The Bitter Southerner: “He plays guitar the same way he writes lyrics, bashing the strings with abandon until they are just about to come loose, then beautifully picking the notes until every last word falls into place. More to the point, Partridge writes to make you sit up and think. He wants to jar your reality.  Sometimes, his lyrics are sly and subtle. Sometimes they come at you with a roar and thunder, as if the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were approaching, and the heavens were opening up to herald a warning.” Since the release of his debut, Partridge has toured relentlessly, including several tours of the Netherlands and the U.K. developing a reputation for moving, passionate, and sometimes comedic, performances at prestigious songwriter festivals and a regular at Nashville’s Bluebird Café. He has performed on the syndicated radio programs, Mountain Stage and Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour.

Most recently, Partridge and partner Ferrill Gibbs released the Alabama Astronaut podcast, where they explore songs previously undocumented at churches in Appalachia. The podcast finds Partridge chatting with Holiness preachers and looking into the practice of snake handling. It was in the Top Ten documentary podcasts on Apple Podcasts within days of its release.

When Partridge is not writing or touring, He is creating his folk art paintings, which now hang in art galleries around the southeast and in the private collections of Tyler Childers, Mike Wolfe (American Pickers), and Rick Hirsch (Wet Willie). His artwork was featured in Stephen King’s 2019 sequel to The Shining – Dr. Sleep. He painted the cover art for Charlie Parr’s, Last Of The Better Days Ahead (Smithsonian Folkways). He also created art for Tyler Childers’ 2022 release, Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven? 

American Songwriter Magazine said, “Abe Partridge has established himself as one of the most respected songwriters and visual folk artists in the southeast.”

In November of 2022, Partridge released the EP Alabama Skies on Baldwin Co. Public Records label which includes “Abe Partridge’s 403d Freakout”. Partridge told Songfacts the story behind the song: ” ‘Abe Partridge’s 403d Freakout’ was a song I wrote in about 20 minutes. It took me two weeks to make it rhyme, and then it took me about six months to learn it. I just sat and wrote a couple of pages of thoughts as they came to me. It was my attempt at describing my thoughts chronologically as they sometimes occur in my head before I filter them. It is those thoughts that I often have if I allow myself to mentally wander.”

Partridge is now gearing up for an exhibit of his artwork at the Alabama Contemporary Art Center in Mobile in January of 2023 and the release of his full-length studio album, Love In The Dark, on BCPR label on April 14, 2023.

“Occasionally [helping an up-and-coming artist] happens. It hasn’t happened in a long time… you know I gave John Mayer’s demos to Columbia Records back in the day… when you see something and you hear something that’s really great, it’s just part of your duty to pass it along to the people that need to hear it – and especially when people are nice…she’s totally got it going on, and she’s just a phenomenal singer/songwriter and guitar player and horn player…”

— Shawn Mullins

Recently voted Orlando’s Best Singer/Songwriter and Best Rock Act, Cat Ridgeway is a powerhouse performer from Orlando, FL, known for her soulful vocals, high energy, and magnetic stage presence. Her 2020 release, Nice to Meet You, marked her debut as a fully independent artist on commercial radio and brought her and her band on tour. The record jumped up 59 spots to #66 on the Americana charts, and her lead single “Giving You Up” tied for the #5 most-added Americana single nationally – quite impressive numbers for an independent artist pitching to commercial radio for the very first time.

After seeing her perform live, hit songwriter Shawn Mullins (known for his 1998 chart-topper “Lullaby”) became one of Cat’s biggest fans. The two have since collaborated, and their first joint single “Give Me Love” has received critical acclaim and broken into both the top 100 AAA and Americana singles charts. Shawn also featured Cat on his (virtual) Cayamo Cruise Variety Show.

Cat has played many notable stages (30A Songwriters Festival, Okeechobee Music and Arts Fest, The Bearsville Theater, and House of Blues Orlando), sharing bills with acts such as Arcade Fire, Leon Bridges, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, the Indigo Girls, and Rock & Roll Hall-of-Famer Marty Balin (Jefferson Airplane/Starship). She has most recently opened for Mac McAnally (who’s written hits for Kenny Chesney, Alabama, and many others and is a member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band), Paul Thorn, and Brett Dennen and was met with a great reception from each of them and their entire teams. Additionally, indie rock duo Tegan and Sara personally selected Cat as the winner of their worldwide cover contest after being impressed by her prowess across five different instruments. Cat and her band have also recently been voted Orlando’s Best Singer/Songwriter and Best Rock Act, respectively, by local music lovers.

Aside from her own songs getting airplay, Cat is also highly sought after to record radio jingles and recently sang on an energetic reinterpretation of Heart’s classic “Love Alive” for potential placement in a major motion picture movie trailer. Additionally, she has lent her voice to many notable causes, including Tunes for Tots, Make a Wish Foundation, and Hospice of the Comforter. Her song “Drift” was licensed by Nemour’s Children’s Health Systems for a national commercial.

Cat has a contagious smile, unmatched work ethic, and a voice much bigger than she is. Anywhere she plays, a buzz is sure to follow.

Music lovers can enjoy a true listening room experience as The Sound Wall Recording Studio is transformed into an intimate concert venue.  This cozy, state-of-the-art facility offers guests an up-close-and-personal opportunity to engage with the artists in a warm, BYOB atmosphere.  Housed in a historic Victorian home in downtown Opelika that was lovingly renovated by proprietors Rob and Jen Slocumb (AKA the duo Martha’s Trouble), The Sound Wall Music Initiative (SWMI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting musicians and music education in the Auburn/Opelika area. Ticket purchases are tax deductible, as they fuel SWMI’s efforts, such as the annual Opelika Songwriter’s Festival, grants to school music programs, educational workshops and more.  Join your friends and neighbors for “Live! At the Wall!”Music lovers can enjoy a true listening room experience as The Sound Wall Recording Studio is transformed into an intimate concert venue.  This cozy, state-of-the-art facility offers guests an up-close-and-personal opportunity to engage with the artists in a warm, BYOB atmosphere.  Housed in a historic Victorian home in downtown Opelika that was lovingly renovated by proprietors Rob and Jen Slocumb (AKA the duo Martha’s Trouble), The Sound Wall Music Initiative (SWMI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting musicians and music education in the Auburn/Opelika area. Ticket purchases are tax deductible, as they fuel SWMI’s efforts, such as the annual Opelika Songwriter’s Festival, grants to school music programs, educational workshops and more.  Join your friends and neighbors for “Live! At the Wall!”