Fester Hagood, who performed at No. 3 Railroad Street on Jan. 14, continued the Mojo Confessional Songwriter Showcase in honor of his friend “Mojo” Mark Wilmot.
The warm lights from the interior of No. 3 Railroad Street illuminate the empty street. Inside, a sizable crowd gathers to attend the first Mojo Confessional Songwriter Showcase of 2024, a night of original music by local artists.
Fester Hagood has been organizing these performances, called “confessionals” due to the intimacy and personal nature of the lyrics, for almost two years.
“I try to bring original music and people, and the crowds are always great. They’re always really appreciative,” Hagood said.
The first confessional of 2024 featured local musicians Pickled Holler and Julie Gribble, in addition to Hagood’s opening set.
No. 3 Railroad offered a quiet listening space; the delicate melodies and intricate guitar picking resonated, even reaching outside the building.
While they enjoyed the music, patrons ate a potluck dinner of homemade dishes with a suggested donation of $10. Mary Nouri, who owns No. 3 Railroad, often cooks for the attendees.
Nouri “does a lot for the musicians,” Hagood said.
The performers appreciated having the full attention of their audience.
Jessica Williams, bassist, flutist and vocalist of Pickled Holler said, “musicians really appreciate the listening room-type vibe” that No. 3 Railroad offers, compared to the rowdy bars of Athens, where performers are often “fighting over the crowd and football on the TV screen.”
Hagood’s confessionals have helped artists connect with residents of Oglethorpe County. He said there is always a decent-sized local crowd at these shows.
“It’s kind of a big family jam,” he said.
Hagood said his tradition of performing confessionals started about 10 years ago in venues such as Nowhere Bar and the Foundry in Athens. Each week, Hagood booked three or four songwriters to showcase their original music to a local audience.
A good friend and frequent performer at the Athens shows was “Mojo” Mark Wilmot. Wilmot was inspired by Hagood’s confessionals and decided to bring this tradition to the No. 3 Railroad in 2018. He called this event “Mojo’s Sunday Revival” and brought in two songwriters every Sunday to play original music.
In 2019, briefly before the COVID-19 pandemic, Wilmot died. Hagood decided to rekindle the tradition after pandemic restrictions were lifted, naming the event in honor of Mojo.
The Bluegrass Americana family band Pickled Holler played first on the evening of Jan. 14. Jessica Williams and her husband Matthew Williams, guitarist and vocalist, performed songs they had written with Hagood, who sang lead vocals.
Their set was followed by an acoustic set by Gribble, who performed a few soulful country ballads solo before Matthew Williams joined her, performing backing guitar. Pickled Holler then returned to play its original songs.
At the end of the night, all of the performers got onstage together for one final song.
The three artists became good friends through the local music scene. They have all toured around the country, but enjoy Hagood’s confessionals as a low-stakes, fun night of community engagement.
Jessica Williams said the event “takes a lot of the stress out of performing.”
Hagood is intentional about inclusion when crafting his lineups as well. With each confessional, he reaches out to both a male and female performer.
Gribble said misogyny has been a challenge to her career in folk music, but her experience performing with Hagood and Matthew Williams was positive.
Gribble said everyone at No. 3 Railroad is “so supportive and cool.”