JUNE 4, 2009 ISSUE
Watauga Arts Council Concerts on the Lawn Kicks Off 17th Season Friday
Lazybirds and Crys Matthews Slated To Perform
Photo by Mark Freed
This Friday, June 5, will mark the 17th consecutive year that local musicians have ascended the wooden steps at the Jones House in downtown Boone to participate in the Watauga Arts Council’s Concerts on the Lawn. The High Country’s biggest and longest running free music series, Concerts on the Lawn features performers and bands from a variety of genres including blues, bluegrass, folk, old-time, jazz, Americana, Celtic, country and more.
This year’s season will kick off this Friday at 5:00 p.m. with performances by local blues, folk and ragtime pickers the Lazybirds and soul-folk singer-songwriter Crys Matthews.
Veterans of the Jones House porch, the Lazybirds’ eclectic sounds runs the gamut from old jug band numbers, classic country, Piedmont blues, Motown songs, jazz pieces and fiddle tunes (and that’s just the first half of the show!).
Matthews delivered a solid and heartfelt set last summer when some of her family, including her mother, came to hear her perform for the first time. With performances all over the High Country and beyond, her songwriting and music career have taken off over the last couple years.
“The first week is always exciting as we gear up for a summer of concerts,” said Mark Freed, arts council folklorist and Concerts on the Lawn organizer. “It reminds me of the anticipation of driving through a festival gate. And I cannot think of a better way to start the season than an evening of music with Crys Matthews and the Lazybirds. I think this summer is as good as any Concert on the Lawn schedule that we’ve put out there, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Freed credits series founders Cherry Johnson and Dianne Hackworth with providing it with the foundation that has kept both musicians and music lovers coming back to the Jones House every summer for nearly two decades.
“I think one of the huge things is just how long its been going on,” said Freed. “Cherry and Diane Hackworth initially thought of this idea 17 years ago. It was a couple of bands that they knew that were willing to volunteer their time and maybe 20 to 50 community members that would come out and listen to music on a nice day.”
In recent years, those small crowds have swelled, virtually filling the lawn and making Concerts on the Lawn one of the most happening places to be in the High Country on Friday evenings. Understandably, the series has also attracted a growing number of musicians. And although the series has expanded to include two acts for nearly every show, Freed still has to turn some acts away.
“When I first came into it, the worst part about it was telling people that wanted to play that they couldn’t,” Freed said. “That so many people want to come out and participate speaks to what an amazing musical community there is in the High Country.
“I think that’s been a community effort. We don’t pay a ton, but what a fun place to perform to people that really listen,” said Freed. “Being an amateur performing musician myself, I know how much fun it can be when you really have people listening to your music.”
One of the keys to the expansion of the series has been the support of area businesses through sponsorships of the concerts. While Freed admitted that Concerts on the Lawn remains a low-budget operation, the arts council stretches the dollars as far as they can to get as many artists involved as possible.
The 2009 Concerts on the Lawn series is sponsored by Alpine Storage, the Downtown Boone Development Association and Mast General Store. This Friday’s show is also sponsored by Boone Bagelry.
With the expansion of the series, virtually all shows this summer will begin at 5:00 p.m. and last until around 7:00 p.m. While Freed noted that some people still think the concerts end at 6:30 p.m., he thinks people are beginning to catch on that there’s more music to be heard at the Jones House.
“I think we’ve started to dispel that tradition,” said Freed. “I hope people stick around this year because we’re going to have lots of evenings of two hour shows.”
For more information on the Watauga Arts Council’s Concerts on the Lawn, call 828-264-1789 or click to www.watauga-arts.org.
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