On the scene since 2017, the Huntington-based WhizzbangBAM! (Booking and Management) team has built a solid roster around an eclectic mix of musical artists hailing from West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky.
In addition to year-round management support, WhizzbangBAM! produces a week-long culture fest, The Huntington Music and Arts Fest, each Labor Day week in Huntington fostering the regional scene. WhizzbangBAM! also produces the annual Healing Appalachia concert in late September during Recovery Month to support opioid recovery. In 2021, their non-profit Hope in The Hills gave out more than $50,000 in grants to recovery-based non-profits.
HMAF, Healing Appalachia and Whizzbang’s supportive services are all built around lifting up the wild mix of talent coming out of this corner of central Appalachia. Whizzbang BAM is: founder Ian Thornton, Keebie Gilkerson, Charlie Hatcher, Sean Kinder, & Tyler Cooper.