Home of the Free Land of the Musical
-The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on July 9, 2020
The Floyd Country Store’s 4th of July Concert on the Lawn followed a first successful Friday Night Backyard Jamboree, after the popular event and other inside gatherings were cancelled due to COVID-19. About 130 music fans, some carrying in food, drinks and ice cream from the Country Store Café and Soda Fountain, attended Saturday evening’s concert.
Free masks were passed out and required for moving about, but once attendees were seated, they could remove them. Following state pandemic guidelines, seating areas were distanced and marked in the grass.
Easing back into small live events, Country Store co-owner Heather Krantz said they were comfortable with the size of Friday and Saturday crowds, but they don’t want to get any bigger at this time.
“We got to stick together and love each other and work to make this something we can survive,” said co-owner Dylan Locke, speaking to the crowd about the pandemic and the changes they have had to make. He spoke about the impact the pandemic has had on small businesses, on individuals and on performing musicians, who he encouraged music fans to support. There was a suggested donation of $20 for the concert. Friday Night Backyard Jamborees are free but donations and tips are encouraged.
Billed as “bluegrass greats” from Floyd and Franklin Counties, the musicians performing on the Cottage Back Porch were Barry Collins, Junior Sisk, Jesse Smathers and Sammy Shelor. Smathers, a vocalist and mandolin player, introduced the award-winning recording artists to his left and right (Sisk and Shelor) as legends that he grew up listening to.
The concert was live-streamed all over the world. Enthusiastic fans who have missed their favorite music festivals that were cancelled, commented from Delaware, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia and Australia on a Facebook live stream. The crowd on the lawn was also enthusiastic and gave the musicians a warm reception. Locke later commented on Facebook how refreshing it was to see everyone’s smiling faces.
The Floyd Country Store will continue holding the Backyard Jamborees and other events, weather permitting, and “hopefully they’ll be a lot of music making in 2021,” said Locke.
