And the Echo performs at last year’s Jackson Indie Music Week.

Rock, hip-hop, blues, EDM, and independent film and video. That’s what can be seen and heard at the 2nd annual Jackson Indie Music Week.

At the kick-off party and bonfire Sunday at Lucky Town Brewery Company, Jackson hip-hop artist Mildred Noor and the Jason Daniels Band, an American Roots group also from Jackson, are scheduled to perform.

Over the subsequent seven days, JIM Week will showcase more than 60 independent musicians and filmmakers across all genres at about 20 different venues. That’s up from last year’s 50 acts performing at 10 venues.

JIM Week director and founder Brad Franklin

JIM Week director and founder Brad Franklin felt that it was only right that Mississippi, “the birthplace of American music,” shed light on the talent within the state. What better place than Jackson, the “entertainment capital” of the state?

“Everyone that travels through Mississippi travels through Jackson, and we wanted to give them a reason to stop,” said Franklin.

Last July, Franklin and what he calls his “Olympic dream team of great minds” began scouting for this year’s JIM Week talent. Approximately 150 musicians and filmmakers from various states, including California and Michigan, sent in submissions in the hopes of taking their talents to Jackson. That’s triple the number received last year. 

When selecting which artists made the cut, it was all about keeping it local. The JIM Week team’s main goal: showcasing the wide range of Mississippi talent.

“Mississippi has a very large musical scene that hasn’t been tapped into,” said JIM Week film coordinator Melvin Robinson. “We want to showcase that there’s a lot of dope artists in Mississippi doing music, doing music videos, doing film. Being here in Mississippi, we’re kind of overshadowed by the negative connotations of the state.”

Devmaccc performs at last year’s Jackson Indie Music Week.

Get a taste of the blues on Monday at Hal & Mal’s. Later that evening, take it on over to CS’s for the Rock Showcase. The women take the mic Tuesday with a Women in Music panel at Thalia Mara Hall followed by the Women’s Showcase at Hops and Habana. The week continues with a hip-hop concert, a short film showcase, an EDM dance party and more.

Franklin encourages artists from all backgrounds and genres to join in the celebration.

“If you’re an independent filmmaker, an artist or someone in the business, this is where you need to be,” he said. “Jackson, Mississippi, is where you need to be and plant your flag for seven days.”

For more information about JIM Week, including a detailed schedule of events, visit jxnindiemusic.com.

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Sereena Henderson managed Mississippi Today’s social media and reported on Mississippi culture from August 2016 until June 2020. She was also a member of the engagement team and curated and delivered the daily newsletter. Sereena, a native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, is a graduate of the Ole Miss School of Journalism and New Media.