ASHLAND —
As the sun set behind the bridges over the Ohio River, people began pouring into Ashland’s riverfront looking for a comfortable spot to enjoy a cool evening of country music.
Ashland’s own Shane Thomas got the evening’s music underway while the heat of the day was still on the minds of many.
“We’re the first band so we’ve got to set the bar high,” said Thomas while sitting in his tour bus waiting for the show to begin. “We want to do the best we can. We want to bring it to them. If they leave knowing the words to a song, we’re doing our job.”
With a flight to Denver today, Thomas, a 1997 graduate of Paul G. Blazer High School, said he didn’t get to spend too much time revisiting his hometown.
“It is great to be home. It’s great to see a lot of familiar faces,” he said, noting he enjoyed the chance to see his old friend and former band mate Joe Hogsten.
Not far from the front row, more than 30 members of Thomas’ family including his dad, Steve, and mom, Lydia, enjoyed the show.
“Oh, he was awesome as always. He’s always awesome,” his grandmother, Judy Thomas of Flatwoods, said after Thomas left the stage.
Nashville recording artists Mockingbird Sun got the crowd’s attention with a harmony-rich rendition of “My Old Kentucky Home,” before kicking into a set that combined country, rock and reggae. Multi-instrumentalist Truck Roley was an immediate hit with the audience, lending his talents to the band’s sound with banjo, harmonica, lap steel, mandolin and six-string guitar. The band provided their own twist to Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer,” with a prominent banjo part carrying the pop classic, which the band then transformed into Bob Marley’s “Stir It Up,” and Pure Prairie League’s “Amie.”
Singer and lead guitarist Charlie Berry introduced the band’s biggest hit, “Lucky Guy,” and brought many in the audience to their feet. While the band may have come to Ashland with a handful of fans, it was clear they had earned several hundred new listeners by the time their set was finished.
Tuesday evening’s entertainment reached a peak with the appearance of The Eli Young Band, with audience members at a near fever pitch to hear them play their hit song “Crazy Girl.”
Based in Texas, the band is made up of Mike Eli on vocals and guitar; James Young on guitar; bassist Jon Jones and drummer Chris Thompson.
Summer Motion 2012 continues this evening with a July 4 fireworks display and music by Kiss-tribute band Dressed to Kill and a headline performance by blues guitarist Jonny Lang.
TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2651.
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