Eddie Owen Presents at Red Clay Music Foundry

The thrill of finding new music and immediately loving it.
Three weeks ago, I scoured for an event worthy to be my celebratory birthday outing and happened upon a concert listing that caught my eye. I searched for this artist’s music on YouTube and instantly decided that I want to hear Wrenn perform live on my birthday.
While my newfound interest in Wrenn led me to «Eddie Owen Presents» at the Red Clay Music Foundry, even better, I would also hear a whopping 22 other artists in a live music competition, spanning 4 jam-​packed hours! Remarkably, this was a nonstop 4 hours (no intermissions) because «Eddie Owen Presents» respects your time. Other concert venues might open doors at 7 PM, schedule a show for 8 PM, but the opening act won’t appear until 8:20 PM or later. At the Red Clay Music Foundry, the festivities commenced like clockwork. And the stage manager transitioned performers on and off the stage so quickly that dead air was virtually nonexistent! Bravo!
The Red Clay Music Foundry is a 260-​seat concert hall that typically sells general admission tickets. There’s a bar, a merchandise stand, FREE parking, and a couple of restrooms at street level. DON’T USE THOSE RESTROOMS! Trust me when I say that you want to follow the signs for «Additional Restrooms Downstairs.» Doing so will mean walking past a backstage area wherein I saw several artists carrying their instruments in, getting dressed, applying make-​up, and sipping coffee. Although I didn’t interact with any of the artists (yet), it was extraordinary to be backstage, almost like experiencing the behind-​the-​scenes featurette of a concert DVD/​blu-​ray (or like being a creepy voyeur).
I had the pleasure of revelling in the «Songwriters Open Mic Shootout,» which exclusively features artists whom have won previous open mic nights within the past 6 months. It was a night designed to crown the best of the best, based on songwriting, stage presence, vocals, playing ability, and audience response. This show only happens twice annually, so it’s pretty darn special. Plus, the name Eddie Owen supposedly means something to Atlanta music enthusiasts. Oh, and Shawn Mullins was one of the judges!
Across 23 musical acts, the audience was treated to indie rock, folk blues, alternative pop, and country music. I get the impression that EDM and rap are extremely unlikely to be featured, not because of discrimination, but because of the nature of the competition. All songs are 100% original music, and everything heard is performed live on stage; i. e., nothing pre-​recorded or even looped. Thankfully, the sound quality and volume were superb.
If this isn’t abundantly clear, «Eddie Owen Presents» at the Red Clay Music Foundry propitiated me with its numerous praiseworthy qualities, including generous air conditioning on a hot June night. However, there is room for improvement. I’m now accustomed to front row, but I had to settle for 2^nd row because 1^st row is reserved for the judges. Also, more leg room would be a welcome renovation. I weigh 145 lbs., and my shirt size is small, but even I felt so cramped that I moved to a seat situated between 2 empty ones so I could stretch my legs and sprawl out over both arm rests.
I’ve said this before. I’ll say it again. Everyone needs something in his/​her life that consistently makes him/​her happy, not just during time of exposure, but something that uplifts his/​her mood for a couple of days thereafter, the kind of joy that puts a spring in your step and keeps you awake at night. Lately, live music has satisfied that need for me. That aside, I also need a musician to acknowledge my existence, to make me feel, and to convince me that I’m special. I love approaching and being approached by entertainers for small talk because one of the questions that I reflect on after every show is, «Did they make me feel welcomed?» EOP lauds itself as «the songwriter’s best friend,» and rightfully so, but an argument can be made that EOP is also the music lover’s best friend. EOP’s program guides facilitate connecting with and enjoying the artists’ music online, and EOP encourages fans to mingle with musicians backstage and in the lobby. When the lights came up, I immediately headed towards Wrenn and directed effusive admiration towards her. I essentially threw myself at her with an unsolicited hug. Rather than reaching for pepper spray, she embraced me and was more than gracious while I inflated her self-​esteem and fanboy’d HARD. I expressed my love of her sound and look, I bought her début CD, she personalized it, and she vowed to play «Sixes and Sevens» at all of her upcoming concerts. I couldn’t stop smiling as I held her hand, told her that I’ll see her soon, and then reluctantly left the theatre. Wrenn was amongst the final 4 and though she didn’t win the competition (SHE WAS ROBBED!), she won something that might be more meaningful in the long run: a lifelong fan.

I recently discovered this venue when one of the artists I like put on a show here. I didn’t realize that this place existed. Eddie Own of Eddie’s Attic fame runs this place and brings some pretty cool acts to the Duluth area.
This place is an actual theater. Don’t come here expecting to find the same intimate setting as Eddie’s Attic. It probably seats about 200 – 300 people so it’s still on the smaller side as far as venues go. The sound was a bit off during the early part of the show, but they rectified it during the set.
Overall, this is a solid place to check out some talent that probably won’t be able to find elsewhere. I’m looking forward to returning to hear more tunes.

Eddie’s Attic has not been the same since Eddie left and this is why… he is at the Red Clay Theater now and has great line ups. I love the singer/​songwriters at this venue, especially with great music going to Gwinnett now.
I have been here twice in the past two years and both times it was quite empty but had great music. It is too bad there are not sold out shows because the talent they bring here are great and the service is positive too.
The venue seats and flooring are old and run down. I weigh less than 200 pounds and still find it difficult to get in the old seats and get comfortable. But there are tons of seats and Eddie does remind the patrons that there are steps and other tripping hazards when the lights go down, so be careful. Tickets are general seating.
My tickets this past weekend were $ 15 listed but had a $ 3+ online fee per ticket. Phone orders were almost $ 4 fee and the tickets were $ 20 at the door. Free street parking and food/​beverage available at the bar in the lobby.
For live entertainment in Gwinnett this is the place to be. The sound and lights are supurb and the talent is top notch. Just do not expect a packed out show or venue like other places in ATL.

Not a bad seat in the house. The family enjoyed a terrific pre-​Christmas show with Joe Gransden & his Big Band, featuring Francine Reed on vocals. Her «Have yourself a merry little Christmas» will leave you tingling.
The bathrooms are clean but shabby, the beer is strictly fast service (bottles and cans) but the wine is atrocious — served in pre-​packaged plastic cups that tell you, you deserve a headache if you drink me. No food but minimal snackage but you are here for music and Eddie (originator of Eddie’s Attic) never disappoints on that score. Music listeners only please — chatters are encouraged to retire to the Lobby.
Parking is plentiful in downtown Duluth and a few eating spots, coffee shops are filling in around the downtown to make this a worthwhile destination for good music.

Great place to hear music. Theatre concert style, no tables. Be aware – no real food, only chips and nuts. Beer and Wine are a little pricey but you can save on a bucket of beer. Concession uplift helps them keep the price of tickets low. And isn’t all about the music?

GREATEST MUSIC VENUE AND OPEN MIC IN THE COUNTRY.
Eddie Owen (of Eddies Attic) and his awesome team run this place. They are the nicest people you will ever meet and will always have a good music on their stage.

This is a fantastic venue for a small area– before the show Eddie came out and promised us that the theater will always sound great and nothing on stage will ever suck. One look at upcoming and past performances lets you know he isn’t kidding.
The sound quality was excellent– this is definitely a venue for folks who care about music and songwriting craft. They also let you bring your drinks and nibbles into the theater which is nice.
My only note for newcomers is that the seating chart online didn’t seem scaled correctly once i was inside. It is a wide shallow theater so the wings towards the front feel quite close to the stage but at a very sharp angle. When choosing seats in the future i would prefer being farther back with a more straight on view.
I hope to return for many more shows!

I’ve played here as a performer at the open mic. It’s a gorgeous room and the staff is really nice and accommodating. Playing here makes you feel like a top pro even for just 10 minutes. My biggest complaint though is that this is definitely not the kind of open mic to go to if you want to meet people and talk and get to know each other. It’s a kind of frigid, competitive vibe but that’s what this is: a competitive open mic. I would love to catch a show here sometime as I’m sure it’s a great place to see a show and I wouldn’t mind playing here again as well.

With Eddie Owen behind the Red Clay Theatre, you know it’s going to be good. I was introduced to the Eddie Owen name in the mid-​2000s as I became a hardcore John Mayer fan and began to learn about Mayer’s start at venues including Eddie’s (former) Attic. That’s when I learned of Eddie and his tie to well known artists, both locally and nationally.
I’ve been to the RCT twice now, once for David Choi and once for David Ryan Harris (w/​Michael Tolcher). Two completely different audiences, but it allowed me to get a more objective view of the place. Apologies in advance for the comparisons to Eddie’s Attic, but with a name like «Eddie Owen Presents at Red Clay Theatre,» it has to be done.
Pros:
–Parking is so easy in Historic Downtown Duluth. Spaces everywhere. In Downtown Decatur, you had to worry about paying meters, getting booted and dealing with panhandlers.
–Incredible talent. Artists know Eddie and they are willing to go out of their way to perform at RCT.
–Acoustics make listening a pleasure. The sound is great in here and the crowd has been very respectful the two times I’ve been. I was a little surprised to hear through the walls the horn of a train flying past the city on my last visit, but it wasn’t a huge deal.
–257 Seats. Plenty of seating means you aren’t jostling for space like you had to do in the Attic. This isn’t always the best thing though (see below).
–Historic Downtown Duluth. Kind of like a miniature Downtown Decatur, it’s nice to be able to walk around, get a bite to eat, a cup of coffee, etc. before the show and just walk on over to the the RCT.
Cons:
–Duluth is a ways away from the city of Atlanta, but it’s really not that difficult to get to.
–257 Seats. To me, this is the most apparent difference from the Attic. This is a true theater (or theatre, if you will), so the performer is on a raised stage separated from the audience. It removes that intimate playing-​in-​your-​living-​room feel and the ability to send a drink to the artist like you could at the Attic. Similarly, it means the artist needs to work a little harder to bond with his or her crowd.
In the end, I just have to remind myself that this is not the Attic and to treat it as a new, independent venue. As long as the RCT keeps bringing in strong talent, I’ll be back to keep supporting it.

Eddie Owen’s of Eddie’s Attic runs this place! It’s awesome! Lots of live shows through our the weeks and every monday they have an INCREDIBLE open mic night! I wish there were more places like this in America! If you’re in the ATL area don’t miss out on visiting this wonderful place.

Adorable intimate theather right on main street in Duluth. Great atmosphere for an intimate concert– there is not a bad seat in the house. Also, beer ($ 5) and wine ($ 6) were much more reasonable than I expected and very good as well! We made a special trip to GA for a concert here and it was well worth the long journey. My only complaint was that it was SUPER HOT! Bring a fan if you see a show in the summer.

I can’t believe the Aurora Theater abandoned this place … but Lawrenceville’s gain of Aurora turned out to be an equal good fortune for Duluth with Eddie Owen turning his energy to open this space as the Red Clay Theater…
We were eager to try this venue after being fans of Eddie’s Attic for years and ‘Eddie Owens Presents’ does not disappoint …
this is most likely the best listening room in the entire state. The acoustics are amazing… You will find tons of parking all over downtown Duluth, even during a ‘festival day’, like when I attended a night show here
Eddie states this venue to very much a work in progress and he lays out numerous plans in when he welcomes the audience before the show…
The Aurora Theater seats remain and they are typical Suburban Multiplex plastic and cloth seats with a spot for cups on the arm rest, though the seats are oddly small, akin to sitting in ‘Coach’…
The beer list was startlingly short on the night we were there and we hope that can be some additions to that sooner rather than later (like some Georgia brews, Sweetwater-​420 please)… and I suspect this place may get really stuffy in the summer but it’s a charming spot and a great addition to downtown Duluth.

Lovely venue, parking is fine, the sound is great (thank you, Shalom). Much more comfortable than the Attic. Too bad it’s OTP. I hope there’s a market for this kind of place in the ‘burbs. I’ll be happy to go a couple of times a year if the quality of an act so moves me, but I’m not likely to be a regular as I would like to be.

Thanks so much to Eddie for bringing great music artists to this location!
Went to a show last week that was awesome. Great acoustics, comfortable seats with cup holders, and not a bad seat in the house! Limited selection of beer/​wine at this time, but it’s all about the music. So many great acts coming here soon! Definitely worth checking out! Grab a bite at a nearby restaurant then see a show. You can’t go wrong here and I will definitely be back!!!
Check it out!

Came here to see David Choi.
The convenience fee was something outrageous. 4.50 per. No big deal, but I checked to see if there were still tickets available a couple days before the show and noticed that the convenience fee was down to 2 bucks. I emailed them to inquire about the price drop and they automatically issued me a refund! These people are fantastic.
The venue is in a nice and cozy area and all of the people are nice. I really enjoy these intimate settings and I’ll definitely come back if I get a chance.

Eddies Attic OTP!!! The new arrangement between the Red Clay Theatre and Eddie Owen has resulted in a marvelous cultural opportunity for Duluth and the surrounding area and the Red Clay Theater is a perfect venue for this project.
The Red Clay Theatre is located in the heart of the Duluth Business District with ample free parking. Yes ITP people I said Free parking and nobody is going to boot your car either!!! You can grab a meal, before the show, across the street at Steverino’s
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The Red Clay has become a phenomenal listening room with singular acoustics and a more than adequate, professionally operated, sound system. The listing culture here is becoming well established partially due to kind admonishments to the crowd that talking is not appreciated during the performances. The room is larg enough to seat a larger audience than the Attic but still small enough to provide an intimate experience with the artist (s). Consequently, the venue is drawing some of the best singer/​songwriters in the country, and appears to be attract an eclectic crowd of locals and Attic regulars. As the reputation of this room grows, I expect that it will become a destination for music fans from all over the southeast.
A limited selection of beer and wine is available and I am going to gripe a bit about the selection. You would think that they could offer a little more variety since it is bottled beer. Something dark please!
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My only other complaint is that the seats are kind of narrow with strange short arm rests and giant cup holders. However, when the music starts, and you can hear every nuance and string squeak, the size of the seat becomes much less important. This is one of the best rooms in town.
Bravo!

Ouch, their convenience fee $ 4.50 phone or $ 3.75 internet per ticket, removed the small-​town friendly feeling I was getting.
On a $ 20 ticket, that is evil Ticketmaster level.
This is not a charge for will call or mail charge.
Plus an additional charge for printing it it out myself.

Ann and I recently attended a local middle school production of ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ in this facility. I think that this theater is a wonderful part of the downtown community in Duluth, bringing much a needed small venue for cultivating arts, musical, and theatrical expression and appreciation. It has a cozy lobby area, and the seating is intimate to the stage. It’s not suitable for larger plays and productions due to the lack of an orchestra area, and the sound system is not adequate for concerts, but the restaurants, shops, and safe park space all around make it a very nice cultural center for a night’s enjoyment.