By Taylor Boyd
The Kenny & Amanda Smith Band, a bluegrass chart-topping bluegrass group, will headline the Patrick County Music Association’s (PCMA) Guitar Festival on Saturday, March 19.
The event will be held at the Rotary Building in Stuart. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the music will start at 6 p.m.
Sponsored by Hutchens Garage in Lawsonville, N.C., and co-sponsored by Lowe Vintage Instruments in Burlington, N.C., the show will highlight local guitar players. It is the second in a series of three to spotlight local talent on a variety of instruments.
In addition to the headlining Kenny & Amanda Smith Band, PCMA President Denny Alley, Junior Cassady, Kyser George, Chad Harrison, Jeff Huffman, Mike Pendleton, Joe Owens, David Oakes, and more also will take the stage.
Alley said two of the Kenny & Amanda Smith Band’s songs reached the top of Bluegrass Today’s weekly airplay chart. The group’s song ‘Everything To Me’ spent two weeks at number 1 before dropping down to number 7 as of Feb. 25. The song ‘Norman Rockwell World’ also reached the chart’s top 10 for a short period of time.
The group has released seven studio records with its 2016 album lead track, ‘You Know That I Would’ staying at number one on the Bluegrass Today’s weekly airplay chart for consecutive weeks.
Kenny Smith also performed with The Lonesome River Band for five years, and during his tenure, won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) Guitarist of the Year award in 1999 and 2000. He also appeared on more than 15 albums of bluegrass artists like Alan Bibey, The Country Gentlemen, and Claire Lynch.
Before the show begins, Kenny Smith is set to hold a guitar workshop at Rotary Field. Alley from said the workshop will take place from 2-4 p.m. with registration costing $40. To sign up, call Alley at (276) 694-4232.
Co-sponsor Lowe Vintage also will be onsite, “with instruments of their own for sale,” Alley said, adding there also will be opportunities for guests to have their instruments professionally appraised and potential sales.
Admission is a $5 donation at the door. Lawn chairs are encouraged, and masks are preferred. Prizes will be awarded throughout the night.
Concessions will be available for purchase from the Patrick County Shooting Education Team, with proceeds going to teach children in the area firearm safety.
For more information, or to watch past music performances, visit Facebook.com/PatrickCountyMusicAssociation.