The historic Star Theatre in Stuart will reopen on March 3 for a special event, The Friday Night Backroads Show.
The show is a release party for Michael Ray Fain’s newest album, “Rye’s N’ Shine,” and a video premiere of “America, I love,” one of the songs featured on the new album.
Fain will perform all of the songs on his new album, as well as some old favorites from past projects. The concert features special guests such as Redd Volkaert, Tommy Moss Morse, Spencer Strickland, Jason Malone, Jacob Eller, Jeanette and Johnny Williams.
Members of Fain’s Rye Cove Band also will perform, Fain said.
A Patrick County native who grew up in the Rye Cove area, Fain said he recorded the songs over the past several months. All of the music is original.
“This is a country album intentionally filled with songs of encouragement and rising to the occasion, hence the album title Rye’s N’ Shine, which is also a playoff of the area I grew up in and currently reside, Rye Cove,” Fain said.
“The mirrored reflection you will see when looking into this album is the roots of our being and what this country was built upon, Faith, hope, love, and a whole lot of hard work,” he said, adding musicians that played on the album included Sammy Shelor, Redd Volkaert, Josh Shilling, Jenee Fleenor, Jared Easter, Spencer Strickland, Jason Malone, Jacob Eller.
Jeanette and Johnny Williams sang all Backing Vocals and played on the song, “Jesus Saved Me Again.”
To produce the video, Fain worked with Hubbard 1 Productions, another local business partner.
The process and the resulting video “have been good for both of us,” Fain said, adding that Hubbard “is real good to work with.”
The video itself “is a lot of Patrick County scenes. Most of the video was shot in Patrick County, and we used a lot of local folks” in its production, Fain said.
Fain said releasing the album and the video in Stuart was important to him for several reasons.
“This is the first event the Star Theatre has held in the past several years,” he said. “We are all looking forward to seeing it filled with friends and adding another show to this historical venue.”
Additionally, Fain said he wanted to release his new album “here for local folks because I wanted people in the county to come out and be able to enjoy the historic building.”
Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased at Stagecoach Uptown in Stuart, by calling (276) 692-8838 or (276) 692-4395, or online at www.eventbrite.com.
A limited number of tickets will be offered at the door, Fain said, “but we encourage everyone to purchase them early due to limited seating.”