AURA Fest is a Savannah institution by now. For years, the annual heavy rock and metal festival has brought some of the biggest names in those genres to town, and delivered consistently great lineups year after year.

These days, founder and organizer Tim Walls is branching out with some smaller shows, keeping the AURA Fest brand going with non-festival events at clubs in town. His most recent outside venture is a series of shows at the Sentient Bean, and he’s got a big one planned on Nov. 9.

Atlanta’s The Funeral Portrait, who has played multiple AURA Fests in the past, is headlining the night alongside Augusta-based band Lumen and Savannah’s own Ember City.

Walls tells Connect that rock fans who haven’t heard this impressive lineup can expect a seriously great night of music. The Funeral Portrait, in particular, is a band known for their engaging show.

“They have a very energetic live show. They like to rock out,” Walls says.

“Their sound keeps evolving; they started out with a post-hardcore meets My Chemical Romance sound. They’ve shed some of the heavier elements, and I think they’re going more in a rock driven direction but it’s still got an edge to it.”

Lumen, Walls says, is more along the lines of the heavier music that AURA Fest fans are most accustomed to.

“They have a melodic rock side that fits on the show, but expect some metalcore stuff and breakdowns,” he explains.

Ember City is a local band that has been making a serious name around town over the last several years, and they’ve evolved their sound to something that’s linked quite closely to the grunge and post-grunge bands of the 90s.

Overall, it’s shaping up to be a special night of rock music, and it’s only the beginning of an AURA Fest and Sentient Bean partnership. For Walls, the chance to branch out and do some diverse shows separate from his long-running festival was something he felt was important for a multitude of reasons.

“it gives me a chance to bring a lot of bands to Savannah I haven’t been able to at AURA Fest. One day festivals are a bit limiting on space and time,” he says.

“Another thing I’m glad to be able to do, is give some of these up and coming young bands a place to perform and see shows. I’ve been harping on how important that is for years.”