Cathead puts on a wide variety of events at their spacious home base in Jackson, which comfortably accommodates both indoor and outdoor live shows. These include the annual Cathead Jam<\/strong>, which hosts some of the country\u2019s hottest \u201cjam\u201d bands, as well as enormous crawfish boils and fish fries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Cathead also helps put on events elsewhere, and their iconic name and logo (originated by Clarksdale, Mississippi, bluesman Pat Thomas<\/strong>) have become practically ubiquitous throughout the area. Also, their eye-catching swag, varying from t-shirts and hats to stickers, seems to be stuck on the walls of about every liquor store and bar around the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTo be able to partner with a non-profit like the Hill Country Picnic, and truly support authentic roots music in a very positive way, means a lot to us,\u201d said Cathead co-founder and Mississippi native Austin Evans<\/strong>. \u201cThe festival itself carries a lot for the music of the region, and it\u2019s put on in one of the most genuine manners that any could achieve, in my opinion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Evans, who began a relationship with the festival first as a patron, said that it wasn\u2019t before too long that he began to gain an \u201cunderstanding of what they\u2019re achieving,\u201d and the \u201cimportance of partnering with the Picnic, and Kenny and Sara Brown.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n About to embark on their twelfth year as a sponsor, Evans reflected back on the early days of his distillery\u2019s partnership with the Picnic. \u201cWhen Cathead goes to sponsor events, we really look towards the mission statement, and the direction or the purpose, and this one checks all of the boxes,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s perfect for us, as appreciators of the blues and the roots of Mississippi music.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What also makes their relationship with the Picnic special for Cathead is that it\u2019s one of the only sponsorships they participate in where they don\u2019t actually sell their beverages to patrons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Above all, Evans and the rest of the Cathead family\u2014including other co-founder Richard Patrick<\/strong>\u2014are fans of the music, and quite enjoy being in attendance. The pair can usually be found soaking in the atmosphere and holding court from their very welcoming VIP tent at stage side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being a lifelong music lover, Evans had some difficulty picking a favorite band or act from his many times in attendance, but he regards last year\u2019s headlining performance by legendary blues harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite<\/a><\/strong> as a standout. \u201cTo witness his appreciation, respect, and commitment to blues firsthand,\u201d Evans said, \u201cI mean, he played well over his set allowance time, which was awesome. It was a really cool thing that happened out there last year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Evans also remarked that the communal jams led by Kenny Brown are always among his personal highlights, as well as the people who attend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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