Big River Broadcasting President,Jerry Phillips goes over last minute stage details with Lane Southerland, of Southerland Sight and Sound.
FLORENCE – The final stages of preparation are underway for the 7th Annual Sam Phillips Music Celebration. The National Weather Service predicts a cool but dry evening in The Shoals… Just right for spending an evening out listening to some of the best musical acts ever.
Those who haven’t gotten their tickets can purchase them at On The Rocks on Court Street, or they can be gotten at the gate, which opens at 5 o’clock.
Music starts at 6:00 pm with Second Creek. They’re a rising star on the Shoals Music Scene. Then it’s The Atlanta Rhythm Section, remember “Spooky”? That’s the band. Then, it’s Muscle Shoals Music’s own favorite son, Mac MacAnally, winner of CMA’s Musician of The Year Award – for 4 years running, and long time member of Jimmy Buffett’s, Coral Reefer Band. Following Mac is the show headliner, Wet Willy with founder Jimmy Hall, “Keep On Smilin'”.
It is guaranteed to be a great evening of fun. This is one show you will not want to miss. See you at 5:00!
If you wish to read our earlier story and see a video with Jerry Phillips, please CLICK HERE.
1 comment
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE move the event indoors, so we, from out of town, can enjoy the benefit of traveling to participate and not waste our time and money. We drove from out of state, paid $40 for two tickets, got a suite at the downtown Hampton Inn, to be close to the show, and planned a two day weekend around the music festival and Florence/Muscle Shoals sites. The cold, wet, rainy, miserable October night was so uncomfortable, we set up our chairs and went to our hotel room to wait for the cold rain to end. Once it did, we went back and watched all of about 15 minutes of the Atlanta Rhythm Section, before packing up and going to our car, where we tried to get some enjoyment listening from the dry warmth of our car, behind the stage. When Wet Willie came on, we went back out to try to watch him, but the miserably cold wind, ending with rain starting, again, ruined any enjoyment of them. There was no enjoyment to be found on the cold, October night. The event had a great line-up and would have been so enjoyable if it had been indoors. As it was, the typical October weather totally ruined the evening and left us hating that we had even driven to Florence and wasted money trying to attend the event. Though I still have an interest in attending future Sam Phillips Celebration events, we won’t even attempt the trip, if it is set to be held outdoors on an October night again. An afternoon event the first weekend in October would probably be good, but you would be competing with the long established Tennessee Valley music festival in Athens, AL. Of course, it is a different music style, so those of us who enjoy both genre would have to make a choice. Please move it up a couple of weeks or back indoors. Otherwise, you and we will all be gambling if we plan the October night around an outdoor event.