Florence, Alabama: A Small Town with a Big Sound

"Florence, Alabama, a place where the population is about half of what you’d see at a major Taylor Swift stadium show, still earned a spot on Garden & Gun’s new list of the South’s best music towns. The magazine highlighted other southern gems such as St. Augustine, Florida; Macon, Georgia; Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia; Clarksdale, Mississippi; Layette, Louisiana; Kerrville, Texas; Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee; and Greensboro, North Carolina. While Athens, Georgia didn’t make the main list, its rich musical history is explored elsewhere in the issue through an oral‑history feature. Garden & Gun’s coverage also includes larger, iconic cities like Nashville, Atlanta and New Orleans in a sidebar series called “A Bigger Beat. ” The Florence piece was written by Jim Beaugez, a Mississippi‑based journalist who has contributed to Rolling Stone and Guitar World. He focuses on the city’s key music spots, such as Sun Drop Studio—run by Grammy‑winning songwriter John Paul White and Alabama Shakes’ Ben Tanner—as well as local venues Lava Room, Swampers Bar & Grille and FloBama. At FloBama, Beaugez notes that “on weeknights, over hickory‑smoked barbecue, burgers, and overstuffed spuds, you’re likely to catch one of the region’s active studio musicians performing. ”Florence is part of the Shoals area, which also includes Muscle Shoals and Sheffield. Beaugez ties in the historic FAME Studios and the famed Muscle Shoals Sound, mentioning the 2013 documentary “Muscle Shoals, ” which tells the intertwined stories of those studios. He quotes Ben Tanner saying, “People started to realize they needed to tell the story. ” The article also references legendary artists who recorded there, such as Etta James, Wilson Pickett and Percy Sledge, and highlights the W. C. Handy Birthplace Museum & Library. A new Rolling Stones memorabilia exhibit at the Renaissance Shoals Resort is also mentioned. The story features a photo of Shoals Fest, the music festival founded by folk‑rock star Jason Isbell and his manager Traci Thomas. Dining options like the modern Southern spot Odette, Bunyan’s Bar‑B‑Q and Trowbridge’s Ice Cream & Sandwich Shop are spotlighted. For lodging, the piece recommends the boutique GunRunner hotel, where rooms are named after local figures such as native son Sam Phillips and Sun Records impresario.