More than 80 bands are preparing to perform at this weekend's annual Bragg Jam, and one group says they are honored to play at an event that has grown from a small jam session to a jam-packed lineup.
Four local guys make up The Bearcats. They all met in Macon a few years ago.
They live just two blocks from the iconic Big House museum, and say their music is influenced by the sounds of the 1960s and '70s.
This weekend, they'll be rocking out at Bragg Jam for the first time.
"You forget that it's not just a big concert for the town," says drummer Dustin McDeadmid. "There is a meaning behind it.
In 1999, two Macon musicians, Brax and Tate Bragg, died in a car wreck during a cross-country road trip.
Friends back in Macon held an impromptu jam session to honor the brothers' lives, and that's when Bragg Jam was born.
By 2003, it had expanded into a citywide music festival, and today, it's Macon's biggest music event of the year.
"A bunch of our friends knew the brothers and it's cool to just be a part of something like that. It's cool that it's continuing on," says McDeadmid.
So now as a new generation of Bragg Jammers stand ready to take the stage, the Bearcats remember what's most important.
"Just to have as much fun as we can while it lasts," says the band.
The Bearcats are performing Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at the 5/4 Music Space.
For the full concert crawl schedule, click here.