Bragg Jamuary, an annual battle of bands, comes back to JBA, a bar and music venue on Cherry Street in downtown Macon at 9 p.m. Thursday for the third of four concerts. Fans vote each week for their favorite of three bands, and the four winners move on to a final vote for a $1,500 cash prize.
Thursday's lineup includes bands Robin Callaway, Strictly Liquid and Ashes. The performance times are 9 p.m., 9:45 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. respectively. Next week, JBA will host Sons of Midnite, MothaFunka and Red Oaks.
Last week, Bragg Jam announced the winner from the first round; Macon-based Buster Chrome beat out Little Gracie and Palace Rats to advance to the final vote, which will take place Feb. 5-11. The winners from the second week will be announced after voting closes today.
“Macon’s really good, it’s receptive to a lot of music, just nothing as loud as us,” said Reid Smallwood, drummer and backing vocalist for Buster Chrome.
According to their website, Buster Chrome is an alternative rock band with influences ranging from 80s rock to contemporary artists such as Tame Impala and the Arctic Monkeys. Smallwood said the group met in high school in 2022 and started playing at JBA’s open-mic.
“It was fantastic, we had a fun set. We’re grateful to have won the round and have people vote for us, because we had some great competition,” Smallwood added.
Clayton Soles ‘29 said he attended last Thursday's battle between The ID, Giant DeNiro and Sweet Diesel after his friends “dragged him over there.”
Soles, who plays the piano, said he was aware of Macon’s rich music history, but he had not yet explored downtown until that night. He said he was particularly impressed by Sweet Diesel’s country rock performance, but all the bands were “really talented.”
“I love watching other musicians, and I know how much work goes into it. To go in there and see such talent for free is pretty amazing. I’d definitely go again,” Soles said.
Anyone can vote using this link. Every dollar vote at JBA is worth five votes. Online voters receive one vote per dollar.
Nathaniel Jordan '29 intends to major in Journalism at Mercer and hopes to work as an investigative journalist. His hobbies include poetry, photography and home cooking, and you can probably find him around Macon shopping or walking through local parks with his wife and son.
