CorndogOrama at 18

For 18 years, a few tossed corn dogs and one man’s birthday party have been an unofficial rite of passage for many Atlanta bands. The buttery legacy began in 1996 when David Railey, a promoter at the now-defunct Dottie’s Bar, threw himself a birthday party by stuffing as many bands as possible onto one stage.

As the legend goes, some of the more rambunctious attendees, on stage and off, engaged each other in a corn dog fight, thus forever branding Railey’s birthday “CorndogOrama.” The festival became an annual excuse to give bands a stage, an audience, and gradually heart disease. Railey’s one-off corn dog-chucking party grew into an 18-year legacy that spanned multiple venues, brought in internationally renowned talent, and often seesawed from certain death to new beginnings.

For CorndogOrama’s 18th anniversary, Railey’s aims are humble. Gone are the days of big-ticket headliners such as the Avett Brothers and past incarnations that would stuff 140 bands over four days. This year’s CorndogOrama spans two days, and while the lineup is more than 20 bands strong, Railey has kept his sights local with performances from resident favorites such as Zoners, Spirits and the Melchizedek Children, and many others, including a headlining set from PLS PLS on Saturday night.

Considering the influx of Atlanta festivals, from corporate giants such as Music Midtown to DIY fests such as Deer Bear Wolf, CorndogOrama’s relevance remains threatened more than ever before. “Atlanta is on the map now,” Railey says.

Unlike the heyday of Dottie’s, Atlanta now offers local music diehards an abundance of festivals that showcase the city’s lesser-known talent. Yet even in its stripped-down form, CorndogOrama retains its vitality as a window into an Atlanta lost on recent generations. The festival hearkens back to a time when the Black Lips were still urinating onstage, when the prospect of a gentrified Cabbagetown was laughable, and when the identity of an “Atlanta” band was crude and undefined. CorndogOrama was born when Atlanta’s hip-hop domination was in full swing, before the city’s punk and experimental undercurrents attracted hints of outside recognition.

“Older musicians would never say they were from Atlanta, they said they were from Athens,” Railey says. “Now people are proud to say they’re from here, and I can say I’m proud that CorndogOrama reflects just a part of it.”

Since its inception, CorndogOrama has taken on a number of incarnations varying in venue, attendance, and notoriety. After 2000, Railey moved the festival from its birthplace to the Earl, where fans flocked every year for the cheap ticket prices, lovingly trashy parlor games, and the diverse array of local talent.

Yet as CorndogOrama’s deep-fried fame exploded, Railey’s ambitions grew out of step with the whims of Atlanta’s indie fan base. The event was moved to the (also now-defunct) Lenny’s bar, where the festival enjoyed the apex of its greasy glory. It was 2007, and local metal luminaries Mastodon had just returned from a triumphant tour with Iron Maiden to headline CorndogOrama for a grand homecoming performance. Railey estimated attendance at 3,000, a sizable feat considering the festival’s dive bar roots. But bigger names brought bigger ticket prices, and a perfect storm of a failing economy, smaller lineups, and brutal heat waves ate away at CorndogOrama’s prominence.

Railey looks back at his cholesterol-inducing lovechild through rosy red glasses. “The two years people focus on the most involve the financial problems I had,” he says. “Those were two years out of 13, so we had 11 amazing years, but for some reason everyone focuses on the two negative years.”

Despite years of personal financial losses and bitter Internet chatter, Railey continues to revive and reshape CorndogOrama to accommodate growing crowds while staying faithful to the festival’s local credo. “From what I’ve heard from bands and fans, they want to keep it going,” he says. “It’s not about the biggest bands but about the bands that are hungry and want to play, have a good time, and entertain.”