Live from Huddleston
By Casey Gillis on Aug. 13, 2008
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I’ll be honest: I’m one of those people who complains about the fact that we don’t have a big-deal concert venue, like a civic center or amphitheater, here in Lynchburg.
So the Mariner’s Landing Summer Concert Series, which kicked off last weekend with country singer Sara Evans, and plans for the Sweetwater Amphitheater in Moneta are music to my ears. Literally.
I was sent to cover the Sara Evans concert Friday night in Huddleston - I know, I know; my job is hard - and what I saw got me really excited about the future of live music in our area.
Holly Sweet and her husband, Darrin Snyder, own Sweetwater Entertainment Group and are hosting the concerts as a prelude to their plans for the amphitheater, a 7,000-seat facility in Moneta.
The couple know what they’re doing. They both moved to the area from Nashville after pursuing separate music careers, and Snyder is the current production manager and audio engineer for country singer Darryl Worley.
“We’re very excited,” Sweet, a Moneta native, said in June after the concerts were announced. “It’s something we hope the community will embrace.”
For the most part, they did on Friday night. More than 2,000 people came out for the concert, and those in attendance were excited about the possibilities an outdoor venue can create for our community.
“It’s fantastic. It’s what we need,” Johnny Ford, who has lived at the lake for six years, told me before the concert began. “Something like this is perfect. People can go out and relax, listen to some music. Having it open like this is kind of cool, too.”
The summer concert series is being held outside across from the entrance to Mariner’s Landing in Huddleston. It’s festival-style seating, which means you bring your own chairs and blankets and sit wherever.
It’s a really easy ride up to the venue from Lynchburg. Take U.S. 460 West to Virginia 122 South and after about 12 miles, take a left onto White House Road. Go six more miles and take a right on Smith Mountain Lake Parkway, and you’re there.
Parking is super-close, which is refreshing. I’m too used to hiking miles and miles to get from the lot to the stage.
FYI: tailgating in the parking area before the show isn’t allowed. But don’t worry; you don’t even need to tailgate. They’ve got concessions on site: burgers, hot dogs, pizza and pretzels, all for $5 or less.
No alcoholic beverages are sold there, and you can’t bring any in, which I did hear some grumbling about.
But for every person who was upset that there was no beer, there was another who was OK with it.
“It’s a good, family environment,” said Franklin County native Kate Perry, who brought her 9-year-old daughter, Sarah, to the concert. “I can bring her and not have to worry about fighting the drunk crowd.”
The night was something of a bonding experience for mother and daughter, as it was Sarah’s first concert.
“I think it’s great because I’m a product of all the gazillion concerts I went to as a teenager in the ’80s,” Perry said.
She and Sarah even got to experience a concert rite of passage: waiting in a long line to get into the venue.
When I pulled up just before 6 p.m., a line snaked from the main gate into the parking area.
But once the gates opened, there were no problems getting everyone inside in an orderly fashion. Then the race was on. As the workers began letting people in, many made a mad dash toward the stage to secure front-row spots.
You’ve got to admire their commitment, even though it wasn’t necessary. There really isn’t a bad seat in the place. I sat off to the right side of the stage and was closer than I’ve been at most concerts in my life.
Before the show began, I learned an interesting tidbit. About 12 years ago, before she was famous, Evans performed at the old Boodles (where Mudpuppies and Jazz Street are now located). It was pretty neat to hear she had that Lynchburg connection.
Evans hit the stage around 8:30, just after the sun had gone down, and got the crowd on its feet as she sang hits like “A Real Fine Place to Start,” “Born to Fly” and “I Keep Looking” - all with a sparkly, pink microphone.
“It’s absolutely gorgeous here,” she said, referring to the unseasonably cool weather. “I’m so glad to be back in your lovely state.”
After about five songs, Evans introduced some family members on stage with her. Two of her four sisters are back-up singers and her brother plays bass guitar in the band.
“We grew up singing together,” she told the crowd. “I’m the oldest girl, even though I don’t look like it.”
Then she and her sisters plopped down onto stools and sang a rendition of a bluegrass favorite, “In the Pines.”
I stayed in my chair for most of the show and still had a good view. Hey - don’t judge me for being a party pooper. I have no rhythm and choose not to subject the general public to my awkward concert swaying.
With a nice, cool breeze, the weather could not have been better, and the view is pretty amazing. The mountains aren’t directly behind the stage, but they’re still in the background and make for a nice setting.
Huddleston resident Sue Mason, who regularly attended outdoor concerts when she lived in Northern Virginia, came to check out the show with her husband, Bob.
“All you’ve gotta do is look around,” she said, motioning to the mountains. “Just being out here is enough.”
Next up in the concert series are ’80s rockers Styx on Friday and country band Lonestar on Saturday. Both shows start at 7 p.m. Tickets to Styx are $30 in advance and $35 at the gate. For Lonestar, they’re $25 in advance and $30 at the gate.
The rest of the lineup:
Aug. 22: Grand Funk Railroad. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the gate.
Aug. 23: Blake Shelton. $30 in advance and $35 at the gate.
Aug. 28: TobyMac. $25 in advance and $30 at the gate.
Aug. 29: Diamond Rio. $25 in advance and $30 at the gate.
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