Live Music in Our Own Backyard: A Conversation with Live Music West Cobb

Before we dive into the interview, I want to introduce you to Ange, the face behind Live Music West Cobb.

As a fellow local blogger, I instantly felt connected to her mission. Where Merry in Marietta focuses on helping small businesses, restaurants, shops, and experiences thrive through storytelling and promotion, Ange is creating the same awareness for bands, musicians, and venues. We’re running in parallel lanes with the same heart: making it easier for people who live here to love living here.

When I scroll her page, it feels like a total bonus that we don’t have to go far for quality live music. I feel that same pull she does: if I can use content, photos, and promotions to lift up local businesses, then our whole community wins. Ange is doing that every week for the artists and stages that give West Cobb and Marietta so much character.

I genuinely think we’re lucky to have someone so passionate curating a centralized live music hub in our own backyard.

This interview is my little way of saying thank you to Ange for the work she’s doing and shining an extra spotlight on her, the musicians she loves, and the venues she supports. We’re not competing; we’re cross-promoting, cheering each other on, and building something special together.

If you’ve ever wondered where to find a great band on a Friday night without driving into the city, chances are you’ve already crossed paths with Live Music West Cobb.

What started as one local music lover’s New Orleans–rooted obsession has become a go-to resource for fans, venues, and musicians in West Cobb, Marietta, and beyond. From curated lineups to intimate songwriter nights, Live Music West Cobb has quietly helped build a real-deal music community right here at home.

We sat down with the woman behind the page to talk about how it all began, why “music in our own backyard” matters, and how you can support the local scene.

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The Beginning

1. What inspired you to create Live Music West Cobb?

Growing up in and around the New Orleans area, music was just part of daily life. We always had something spinning on the record player, and there were several musicians in the family. I played piano, and as I got older, I was always seeking out live music—Jazz Fest, Tipitina’s, Maple Leaf, Bon Temps, and all the little venues around town.

One of my most memorable music experiences was at Snug Harbor in the French Quarter when I was in grad school at Tulane (Social Work ’91—Go Green Wave!). The Marsalis family was playing together—Ellis and his sons—all crammed onto a tiny stage in a tiny room. It felt like we were just hanging out in their living room. I was never a big arena-concert person, but I’ll never forget my first concert: Duran Duran in 1985.

Fast forward to 2010 when our family moved here after living in Europe for six years (Army life). I was desperate for live music close to home and had a really hard time figuring out where to go. I didn’t know which venues had live music or which bands were local, so we kind of stumbled into things. Johnnie MacCracken’s quickly became home base for us—the vibe reminded me of home, and I’ve always gravitated to dive bars. We heard our first live music in Georgia there: the band 808 in the beer garden. It was an awesome day.

I wanted more people to enjoy live music, but first people needed to know where to go. Honestly, I needed to know where to go and who to see—without driving far. That’s when my motto really took hold: “Music in our own backyard.”

2. How did the idea become a reality, and what motivated you to support the local scene?

I sat on the idea for a couple of years before I finally acted. At our staff Christmas dinner in December 2022, we went around the table sharing New Year’s resolutions. I decided this was it. If I said “start a music page” out loud, it was out in the universe and I’d be committed.

One month later, in January 2023, Live Music West Cobb was live.

My message from day one has been:
“You don’t have to go far. There’s live music in your own backyard.”

The page focuses on West Cobb with a little spillover into Woodstock, Paulding, and South Cobb. It’s really for people who love live music but don’t want to drive more than 10–20 minutes.

I wanted things to be simple and easy:

• Facebook: quick resource with daily lineup posts and flyers

• Instagram: mostly Stories with gig announcements and videos of musicians and bands

The Mission

3. What is the mission of Live Music West Cobb, and what do you hope it brings to the community?

I’d sum it up in two major goals:

1. Support local live music, musicians, and small venues.

2. Cultivate a sense of community and bring people together.

Music makes people happy. It lets you let go, relax, and relieve stress. People love to gather, talk, dance, and make friends. We’ve made so many friends through this page—both music fans and musicians.

Another big part of my mission is to give exposure to local songwriters. I try to use their original songs with their flyers so fans know what to expect and can follow them on streaming platforms. When I go to a show, I’m usually focused on capturing quality video so fans and venues can see what the artist is like live and hopefully book them, follow them, and keep the momentum going.

4. How do you decide what to feature or promote?

I have a set list of venues I cover every week. Most of what I do is very straightforward: I’m scrolling, screenshotting, and sharing directly from a venue’s or artist’s page.

My goal is to have more venues and artists tag me so I don’t miss anything. That’s happening more and more, which helps a lot.

A few guidelines:

• I cover gigs and songwriter/open jam nights.

• I don’t cover karaoke.

• About 98% of what I share is in true West Cobb.

5. How have you seen Live Music West Cobb impact local artists and venues?

I really believe live music is growing in West Cobb.

I regularly get messages from musicians and venues thanking me for the page. I share their flyers; they reshare my posts—it all helps get the word out to music fans.

Self-promotion is a lot of work for musicians. I’m just there to help carry the load a bit.

Some of my favorite messages are from people who say they use my page to plan their weekend—or when someone comes up to me at a gig to introduce themselves and thank me. The funny part? I’m just like them. I use the page to plan my own weekend too!

Passion for Music

6. What’s your personal connection to music? Do you play an instrument or have a favorite genre?

I grew up playing piano, and I still have my grandmother’s 1940 Chickering baby grand. I keep it tuned, but I don’t play it as much as I should.

As a kid and teen, I mostly played classical, but in high school I got the Pink Floyd: The Wall songbook and learned all the songs. Beyond that, I’ve always had music playing around the house. Our kids grew up that way, so they both have great taste in music, too.

7. Any favorite local artists or bands people should know about?

I have way too many favorites to list them all, but as far as songwriters playing original music (and covers) around West Cobb, here are just a few:

• Anna Calvin

• Ryan Boss

• Nick Watson

• James Hall

• Nate Nelson

• Sweetie Pie

• Hannah Murphy

• Aspen Lee

• Steven Brooks Band

• Clayton Wyatt / Trappers Pass (patiently waiting for more!)

Also, check out BB Palmer on Spotify—he’s based in Alabama but plays at Dixie Tavern sometimes. For rockabilly, I love Slim & the Gems and Hot Rod Walt & the Psycho DeVilles.

For cover bands, we’re big fans of Nü Wave ATL, 808, Sarah Nova, Material Girl, and so many more.

Suggestion:
👉 Make it a goal to see a new musician or band every week.

8. What’s been your most memorable live music experience in West Cobb or Marietta?

For me, the magic often happens the first time I hear a songwriter whose music just grabs me. I’ll follow them on Spotify, put their songs on repeat, and suddenly their music is part of my daily life.

I feel incredibly lucky to live in such a music-rich area. Every December when the “Spotify Wrapped” lists come out, my Top 5 is loaded with local songwriters, and that makes me so happy.

Some of my top meaningful experiences:

• Garage Door Sessions at The Third Door

• Hunt House Listening Room

• Southern Troubadours Songwriters in the Round at The Alley Stage

• Intimate “small spaces” shows at private residences like Carrie’s Corner and Lakeside Lounge

I’m clearly drawn to songwriter nights—the intimacy, the small audience, the vulnerability, the risk, the support, the creative energy.

On a bigger scale, a killer live music experience for me is when the energy from the band and the energy from the fans meet in the middle. It’s magical and palpable, almost like it has its own life. When you feel that fullness in your chest and you get goosebumps, you know it’s special.

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Growing the Platform

9. How has Live Music West Cobb grown since it started? Did you expect this kind of recognition?

Absolutely not!

I had no idea how much people wanted a one-stop shop for live music in our area. Musicians, venues, and fans have been incredibly supportive.

The page grew quickly after launching in January 2023. By January 2024, I had won 1st Place in Best of Cobb for Best Blogger/Influencer. In 2025, I placed 2nd. I had so many nominations—all from supporters. I don’t think of those as my wins; I see them as wins for our local musicians.

Personally, I had no idea there was so much live music within a 25-minute radius of my house. Right now, the Facebook group and Instagram combined have over 4,000 followers.

I focus on getting information out quickly, not making everything look perfect. Most of the time I just screenshot flyers, tag the venue and artist, and post. Sometimes I’ll create a quick flyer if one doesn’t exist, but this is a hobby, and my time is limited.

A couple fun add-ons:

• I’d love to eventually do more flyer design and low-cost gig videos for musicians.

• I created a Live Music West Cobb Spotify playlist featuring music by local artists. Please listen and share!

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10. What’s been the biggest challenge of running the platform, and how do you handle it?

Time was the biggest challenge in year one. I got very creative (maybe too creative!) and didn’t yet have a solid list of venues or a handle on who was playing where. Now, I’ve streamlined things: I plan my weekend and everyone else’s at the same time.

My biggest ongoing challenge is not knowing about gigs until it’s too late—thank you, algorithms.

Some musicians are fantastic at promotion; they always have clean flyers with all the necessary info, and they tag me. Others are still figuring it out, or don’t promote at all.

There’s so much behind-the-scenes work for bands now—learning how to navigate social media, trying to increase followers, getting people to shows, getting them to listen on streaming platforms.

The best thing I can do is share their flyers, share their music, and keep amplifying their efforts.

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Favorite Places & Events

11. Are there any venues in Marietta or West Cobb that hold a special place in your heart?

So many. A few highlights:

• The Crack Outback at Johnnie MacCracken’s
  Our home base. An open-air beer garden with an amazing late-night live music vibe—“The Live Music Late Shift.” The new stage they added about three years ago was a game changer. Everyone wants to play there. Great fire pit on chilly nights, and who doesn’t love the occasional snow machine?

• The Hunt House
  An incredible music venue at the base of Kennesaw Mountain. I’ve seen shows on all three stages: the intimate listening room, the outdoor pavilion, and the ballroom. Owner/chef Marc Sommers does an amazing job.

• The High Note (above Hamp & Harry’s)
  I love this second-floor setting. They’re known for their pop-ups (especially at Christmas), and the stage and seating are perfect. I would love to see them host songwriter nights—it would be a fantastic listening room.

• Lumiere Lounge at The Strand Theatre
  A beautiful, cozy spot for a quiet date night. We often start our evenings there. During warmer months, Brew With A View on the rooftop is live-music-with-a-sunset perfection overlooking Marietta Square.

• 278 South (Dallas/Hiram)
  A late-night west-side favorite. Fantastic for people-watching, a packed dance floor, and great bands on the weekends. Thursday nights are a nice acoustic option. Great stage, rowdy, and fun.

And honestly, I could go on and on—there are so many venues I love.

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Personal Touch

12. How do you balance running Live Music West Cobb with your personal life?

It was overwhelming at first. It took time to figure out the rhythm.

Now I have a schedule:

• Tuesdays are my main lineup day. It’s also my day off from my website photography job at Urban Renewal Consignment in Kennesaw (come shop and consign!).

• I collect most flyers on Tuesdays, post them as lineups, and then reshare the same flyers on the day of the gig.

Instagram is where you really experience the page—lots of Stories and videos.
The Facebook group is the quick, no-frills resource with lineups by date. I keep it simple, organized, and not over-posted. I require approval before things are posted so followers don’t feel overwhelmed. They get exactly what they need and nothing more.

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13. What’s your go-to music for winding down? Does your playlist reflect the local music you promote?

I’m a big jazz and blues fan—Muddy Waters, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Louis Armstrong, Sinatra, David Sanborn, Miles Davis, and locally, Nathan Nelson.

I also love Pink Floyd, Queen, Bowie, The Cure, The Smiths, The Smithereens, and Sade’s first four albums. Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads is one of my all-time favorite albums. Songs About Jane by Maroon 5 is another—there’s a fun story there. I actually bought the CD from Adam Levine himself at a tiny show in Colorado Springs when they opened for another band. There were maybe 20 people in the room. A year later, it was nosebleed seats in Kansas City.

Lately my daughter has gotten me into Father John Misty, and I like Nick Cave as well. According to my Spotify Wrapped, I listened to a lot of yacht rock this year. My top genres were Yacht Rock, Dream Pop, Gothic Country, Ambient, and New Wave. I’m all over the place.

And yes—over the last three years, my top artists, songs, and albums on Spotify Wrapped have consistently been local. I listen to my Live Music West Cobb playlist all the time: James Hall, Nate Nelson, Steven Brooks Band, Ryan Boss, Bradley Cole Smith, Cody Bolden, Anna Calvin, Hannah Murphy, Nick Watson, Sweetie Pie, BB Palmer, and more.

My husband Dan’s all-time favorite concert memory is Rod Stewart in the late ’80s. He loves Buffett, Jelly Roll, Johnny Cash, and a lot of country—though when we met in 1990, he was a big ’80s New Wave fan. Between the two of us, we had around 200 CDs; the only overlaps were Mariah Carey’s first album and one David Sanborn album!

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Looking Ahead

14. Where do you see Live Music West Cobb going in the future? Any exciting plans or ideas?

Right now, I’m focused on keeping things simple and continuing to get the word out so more people go support local live music.

I’d love to see more songwriter nights and listening room events in West Cobb. I occasionally get invited to collaborate on social media, and I love those opportunities—they bring more eyes to the page and connect me with other people who are passionate about local culture.

At some point, I might look for sponsors to help with merch and to support my music adventures. So if anyone’s interested… I’m all ears.

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How to Get Involved

15. How can the community support local music—whether they’re fans, artists, or venue owners?

For fans:

• Make it a goal to see a new band or musician every week.

• Try a new music venue.

• Follow musicians on social media and streaming platforms.

• Like and share their posts.

• Take videos and tag them and Live Music West Cobb.

For musicians and venues:

• Tag Live Music West Cobb on flyers and posts.

• Mention the page at your gigs.

The exposure isn’t for me—it’s for you and for the local live music community as a whole.

Now go listen to live music. 🎶
Support local live music!

Follow Live Music West Cobb here:

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