By Staff Reports
Sammy Shelor’s Banjorama will feature Shelor and his The Lonesome River Band, a contemporary bluegrass band with more than 15 albums, on Saturday, Dec. 11 in Stuart.
Shelor is a five-time International Bluegrass Music Awards (IBMA) winner and has worked with the likes of country artists like Alan Jackson in the past.
Shelor also is among those performing on Jackson’s current album, “Where Have You Gone.”
Banjorama also will include the top banjo players within a 100-mile radius of Patrick County, according to Denny Alley, organizer of the Patrick County Music Association (PCMA).
The event is sponsored by Hopkins Lumber.
“We wanted to do something to get the people in the county to come out of their homes to a high-dollar event,” Alley said, adding that admission to the show is free.
Given the local economy, “everyone can enjoy the show and they don’t need to spend a dime,” Alley said, adding tickets to a Lonesome Rover Band concert generally cost $30 per person.
“This band costs thousands of dollars to hire. Not hundreds of dollars, thousands of dollars,” Alley said. “What you’ve got December 11 is a free Lonesome River Band concert in Patrick County for an hour-and-a-half, after the other guys play.
“This is a major event for this year,” Alley added.
In addition to Shelor and his group, banjo players slated to appear include Jay Adams, Clyde Bailey, Charlie Chaney, Barry Collins, Ronny Harrison, Larry Mabe, Darrell McCumbers, Hersie McMillian, Tommy Morse, Gene Parker, Sidney Watson, and more.
‘We’re also going to try and bring in a young banjo player to promote the youth of Patrick County,” Alley said.
The show will be held in the Rotary Building at 420 Woodland Drive in Stuart. Doors open at 5 p.m.
Lawn chairs are encouraged, and masks are preferred.
Concessions will be available from the Patrick County Shooting Education Team, with proceeds going to teach children in the area firearm safety.
Prizes will be awarded throughout the night. The music will end when the players or the crowd gets tired.
Although the Banjorama will close out the lineup of 2021 shows, Alley said the PCMA already has its sights on next year, with a series of three shows set for the first few months.
A Fiddle Fest is set to be held in January; a mandolin show, slated for February and a guitar festival in March with a Nashville-based band to headline, Alley said.
Each show will include top players of the respective instruments from a 100-mile radius, he added.
“We’ve got big things planned next year. Keep a watch out, and get ready to put on your dancing shoes,” he added.
For more information, or to watch past music performances, visit Facebook.com/PatrickCountyMusicAssociation.
