HeadCount’s southeastern region got off to a great start in 2016 when we kicked off the year with a Grace Potter show at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA. This historic venue located in the heart of downtown hosts a range of shows.
The staff is kind and the fans are always excited to be at their show. We reached out to the venue in February about a possible residency, and without hesitation Brandon, the venue manager, welcomed us. Throughout our time at this venue, we always felt welcome and like a part of the family.
The residency at the venue also allowed ATL HeadCount to gather some of the most solid HeadCount volunteers in the nation. Jess Distad showed up for her first ever HeadCount show at Grace Potter in January. It was one of her most memorable experiences because she got to meet one of her favorite musicians, learn about HeadCount and contribute to breaking a record for the number of registered voters, all in one night. It lit a fire in her and she’s been a killer team player for these residency shows since.
Although we spent most of the year registering voters at concerts, we branched out one night for the Comedy Bang Bang tour. The Tabernacle wasn’t sure how a seated comedy show would do registration wise (we weren’t sure either), but they still encouraged us to come out and get some conversations started. We managed to still register an impressive 13 voters.
One of our greatest successes was recently gathering new voter registrations at the Flume show. Two of our volunteers traveled all the way from South Carolina. We all joined forces to register more than 40 volunteers total.
Through HeadCount’s residency at the Tabernacle this year, we have not only been able to register new voters, but we’ve been able to spark necessary conversations about being involved in the democratic process. I believe that thanks the support of the Tabernacle, HeadCount was able to make an ever greater impact than ever before in the ATL.