The 2018 Sigh in July Music and Arts Festival featured musical talent on three stages, art all over the venue and a variety of new activities for this year's attendees. Even though the second night was cut short due to an unexpected hailstorm, the festival at Live Wire delivered a weekend of memorable moments.

Playing the outdoor stage Friday afternoon was Athens-based funk-fusion trio Harvey Funkwalker. The audience was mesmerized by the soulful sound coming from bassist Greg Surratt’s groovy riffs, guitarist Johan Harvey’s incredible solos and Adam Funk’s killer percussion.

All the way from Starkville, MS, psychedelic funk-rock four-piece Tesheva drew a dancing, hula-hooping, toe-tapping crowd to the indoor stage. Known for a high-energy sound and unforgettable bass riffs, the band's short but sweet set left attendees wanting more. 

Headlining with a two-hour set Friday was Savannah-based solo act Zach Deputy, nationally known for his unique island-grooving, funk-popping sounds and incredibly wide vocal range. Performing everything with his guitar and looping techniques, Deputy delivered just about every sound imaginable and meshed them all into a style of music that kept the crowd moving. 

Kicking things off Saturday was Athens trio Sono, joined on bass by Universal Sigh’s Steve Terry. This instrumental jam-funk outfit played a variety of covers and originals, using a combination of unique guitar riffs and engineered sound effects. Taking the stage with its foot-stomping rhythm, melodic harmonies and high energy was Athens' own The Broken String Band, which blended traditional folk and new rock sounds. 

Sigh in July’s stages were filled by many other bands throughout the weekend, including Atlanta’s A Merry Prankster, Athens’ Dream Culture and Misnomer, and many more. 

Check out a gallery of photos from the festival below: