Judah + the Lion, a band made up of Belmont alumni, visited campus on Feb. 8 to discuss their upcoming release and the band’s beginnings.

The release, “Folk Hop N’ Roll,” is set to come out on March 4. When asked about the album, Judah Akers, the main lyricist and singer for the band, said the album is definitely more honest than “Kids these Days,” a previous album. He said that album is “fun and happy, due to just getting out of college.” Nate Zuercher, banjoist, agreed and said that the sonic change was due to “growth as individuals and as a band.”

After 30 minutes of teasing the new album, the group played one of their songs from it, “Take it All Back.”

Afterwards, Judah + the Lion took their discussion back to their early days as a band. The member discussed the evolution of the band’s image from a clean-cut Christian band to the progressive, Americana folk band heard today.

The band departed after passing along advice for those in management–believe in the project, not the dollar signs. This will lead to an honest devotion of energy to the project and vision, which Judah + the Lion said is critical. For the group, following this formula has allowed management and the artists to blend together to create an unshakable team.

Curb College recently hosted industry professionals from War Memorial Auditorium (WMA) for a seminar on building a venue’s brand. Brent Hyams, chief operating officer of WMA and TPAC and Roger LeBlanc, talent buyer for WMA and other venues served as guest panelists. Both discussed how they have contributed to the organization’s brand.

Hyams began with a brief lesson on the rich history of WMA. It was built in 1925 to honor Tennesseans who fought and died in World War I. The venue served as the Grand Ole Opry’s home from 1939-1943, a frequent stop in the African American Theater Touring Circuit and the Nashville Symphony’s site from the time it opened in 1925 until 1980.

A new brand for the venue was built in 2010. “Our new objective was to empower the WMA brand and identify and cultivate the WMA audience,” said Hyams. This brand included the creation of WMA’s first logo, an independent website, direct phone number, documentary and an incorporation of history and meaning into the venue.

Hyams told students that they renovated whatever they could, whenever they could from backstage to front of house. This included a full revamping of the dressing rooms, backstage area and main lobby.

According to Hyams, A venue brand doesn’t lie just within the venue itself, but also in the talent it puts on stage. WMA’s new brand included the creation of a WMA Talent Buyer to do just that.  LeBlanc was hired for this position in July of 2011.

LeBlanc stressed the importance of selling shows that people want to see and the experiences they want to have. “Find the acts that are right for the room,” LeBlanc said. “Sell that experience.”