In Photo: (LT to RT) Gavin Parker, Blake Hall, Cole McKinion

By: Stephanie Huynh, Editor-In-Chief
Photo by: Jason Harbison, Photographer

The Gulf Coast is known for its rich culture and vibrant art scene. Music is particularly central to the southern Alabama region, featuring events like Hangout Music Festival and prominent local bands like Mobile’s award-winning The Red Clay Strays. With all of these ties to music, there is something for all ages to enjoy. “The Vanguard” spoke with Grand Bay group, The BIG Reveal, about their musical journey and what the future of music on the Alabama coast might look like for them.

Local teens Gavin Parker, Cole McKinion, and Blake Hall make up The BIG Reveal, an alternative rock band that performs covers and original songs across the southeast. They became an official group in February 2024. At the time of this interview, they were between 15 and 17 years old; in addition to hours of practice and numerous performances per month, they also balance high school classes and a social life.

Parker is the lead vocalist and guitar player, McKinion plays the bass, and Hall is their drummer. Parker and McKinion both attend Mobile Christian School, while Hall attends Alma Bryant High School. Depending on the band’s progress, college or trade school could be in the stars for these musicians, but right now, their focus is music.

The BIG Reveal has been featured on three radio stations: the Alabama Druid City Rock Show, The Junction Radio at Mississippi State University, and 92.1 ZEW. Oftentimes, they can be found at restaurants and smaller venues in south Alabama and south Mississippi. On Dec. 18, they performed at Soul Kitchen in downtown Mobile for 92.1 ZEW’s Locals All Star Christmas Jam.

While they haven’t performed at South Alabama’s campus yet, they were one of four groups selected to perform at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s 2024 Arts Block Party out of over 150 artist submissions. Their biggest crowd, however, was the 2024 Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo.

When asked about whether or not the group gets stage fright, Parker responded, “I don’t get nervous about playing and performing. I get nervous about the technical things going wrong, like if the speakers go out.” This sentiment was shared across the band.

Growing up in the South has instilled many values in these young musicians, including the importance of family and faith. Each of the boys shared that they wanted to get better at their instruments and get closer to their faith through their music. They also take inspiration from artists before them, being influenced by bands such as Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin, SwitchFoot, Sister Hazel and Silverchair.

Chad Parker, father to Gavin Parker and band manager, has high hopes for The BIG Reveal. “I believe in the band’s unlimited potential as their popularity has exponentially grown over the last year and 2025’s schedule is shaping up greatly with bookings all the way out into July so far.”

The BIG Reveal shared with “The Vanguard” that one of their main goals is to open for a small tour, and with their booked-and-busy schedule and plenty of time ahead of them, it’s easy to root for these young men as they make their name known across the Gulf Coast.

The BIG Reveal plans to release a full album by the end of March 2025, and they hope to travel outside of the southeast throughout this year. To keep up with their events, be sure to check out their Facebook and TikTok at @_thebigrevealofficial. They are also streaming on Spotify.