Corey Fountain performing at the third Lit House event. Photo courtesy of Nina Morgan.Nina Morgan - Contributornmorgan@uab.edu
It can’t be helped—Birmingham is changing. Of course, new developments—for instance, the recently completed Rotary Trail in the Parkside District—dot the city, highlighting renewed corporate and local investment; but these things aren’t lone signifiers of Birmingham’s evolution. Organized and hosted by diverse groups of city-dwellers, community events are too reflecting change and illustrating a new kind of energy and vitality that seems to permeate the city and its people. Lit House is one of those events.
An emerging staple for the city’s underground scene, Lit House is held every other month at the Syndicate Lounge. The purpose of the series is to foster a social environment wherein local musicians and artists can come together under one roof to show off their skills and share information. Here, jam sessions and art exhibits (occurring simultaneously) challenge the belief that Birmingham has nothing to offer when it comes to creativity and innovation.
On May 11, I attended the third session of Lit House and I got to speak with Carey Fountain, founder of DoReMe Media Group—the organization that created and coordinates Lit House events. He shared with me stories about his past: how he began to seriously make music while attending Woodbridge High School in northern Virginia, how he went to college at the University of Alabama with a concentration in media business and began building strong connections with artists and musicians and how a diverse wealth of artistry (e.g. The Neptunes, N.E.R.D, Gary Clark Jr.) has and continues to inspire him to hone and develop his own voice.
“DoReMe Media Group is an online platform and a community outreach initiative dedicated to building a community of artists, intellectuals and musicians,” Fountain said.
This particular focus on community building is, for me, the most striking thing about Lit House. During the event, I couldn’t help but observe the presence of a multitude of collaborators (Moses Presnell, Space One Eleven, & ArtByTay) all of whom are working together in unique ways to build a strong network throughout the state with a shared goal of putting Birmingham’s creative scene on the map. UAB even has a role in this movement with the hosts of BlazeRadio podcast, The Kickback, regularly emceeing Lit House sessions, and students, like Sage Williams, getting opportunities to perform regularly. In this way, Lit House functions by not only providing a space and an atmosphere for locals to come together, it also brings people to the city center and exposes folks to parts of Birmingham’s character.
Of course, you don’t have to be an artist or performer in order to participate. Any person simply looking to have a good time and soak up some nice vibes will enjoy what Lit House has to offer.
For more updates and more information about Lit House events, follow DoReMe’s facebook page or email drmthemovement@gmail.com.
