NextThreeDays: Event Display

35th Anniversary of The Friday Night Jamboree
Venue: Floyd Country Store, Floyd
Directions: Google Map Link
Organizations: Kate & The Bubbatones, Tune Town Old Time String Band, Unique Sound of the Mountains with Larry Sigmon
Date: Friday, November 15, 2019
Time: 5:30 - 10:30 PM
Event Types: Music, Speaking Engagements
Cost:
General Admission: $8.00 Children Ages 7-12: $5.00 Kids 6 & Under: Free

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Description:
The Floyd Country Store celebrates the 35th Anniversary of The Friday Night Jamboree on Friday, November 15, 2019.

Event Schedule:
• 5:30 pm: 35th Anniversary Celebration Presentation
• 6:30 pm: Josh Blankenship & Friends
• 7:30 pm: Unique Sounds of the Mountains: Larry Sigmon & Martha Spencer
• 8:30 pm: Katie and The Bubbatones
• 9:30 pm: Tune Town Old Time String Band

Larry Sigmon was born in Callaway, Virginia. His father, Lewis Eldridge Sigmon, was a locally beloved banjo and fiddle player. Larry taught himself harmonica as a child, and then moved to guitar, learning to play by backing up his father. When he took up the banjo at fifteen, it became his main instrument, and he developed a signature hard-driving, rhythmic style. Larry’s first band was the Sugar Hill Ramblers, a six-piece group that performed old time tunes and old country numbers for six years. He went on to play stints with Carl Scott and Richard Bowman until the late 1980s, when he met bassist Barbara Poole at a local fiddlers’ convention.

Larry and Barbara began performing together, winning countless ribbons in banjo, bass, and folk song competitions and playing at festivals, dances, and other concert venues. Their sound was so distinctive with just the banjo, bass, and Larry’s distinct singing, they became known as the “Unique Sound,” and gained a dedicated local following, particularly among flatfoot dancers. Larry and Barbara drew upon a repertoire of old time and bluegrass songs from Charlie Poole to Jimmy Martin and Bill Monroe, making songs their own through Larry’s strong vocals and Barbara’s double-slap bass. Throughout their eighteen-year career, the duo performed at the Carter Family Fold, the Grand Ole Opry, and mountain music festivals throughout the South, becoming one of the most popular bands in the Blue Ridge Mountains until Barbara passed away in 2008 after a long struggle with cancer.

Larry had quit performing until old-time musician and advocate Martha Spencer arrived to interview him for her online documentary project, Mountain Music Magazine. During their interview, Martha encouraged Larry to play some tunes and the “Unique Sound” was reborn.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/uniquesoundofthemountains/

The Bubbatones are an old-time band based in Blacksburg and Christiansburg, Virginia, using the instrument lineup of fiddle, banjo, guitar, and bass since 1998. This musical gathering of experienced musicians has produced a fun, crowd pleasing, foot stomping oldtime dance band. Katie and the Bubbatones look forward to performing at The Floyd Store, local festivals, farmers’ markets and square dances throughout the area.

The Bubbatones include Kathleen O’Connell on fiddle, Russ Boyd on banjo, John Hollandsworth on guitar/autoharp and Kathie Hollandsworth on bass and vocals. Eddie Ogle adds another dimension to our music on vocals, harmonica, guitar and uke.

The band has won first place at several local and regional fiddlers’ conventions. They enjoy playing for benefits, museum events, school programs, parties, in-house concerts and anywhere the fun of old-time music can add to the festivities. We can often be found on the lineup of the Floyd Country Store, a major stop on the Crooked Road , Virginia's Heritage Music Trail.

Link: http://www.blueridgeautoharps.com/Bubbatones.html

The Tune Town Old Time Band is a North Carolina based old time band that has been making quite a name for themselves in old time music circles for the past several years. Tune Town has six musicians in the group. The band features two guitars, two fiddles and the clawhammer banjo.

Link: http://www.cybergrass.com/node/2801

This tradition has been held weekly since 1984, beginning when the Store was known as Cockram’s General Store, and continuing through the years under different owners. The space may have changed since the first years of the Friday Night Jamboree, but the spirit of the event remains the same: honoring traditional music and community through a weekly gathering of musicians and dancers, and sharing the experience openly with both locals and guests from around the world. It is a place where different generations share the dance floor (and the stage), and folks put aside their differences to share a joyful evening. The Floyd Country Store is honored to be the space-holder for this tradition. The Jamboree and the community that it brings are most important to Store owners Dylan Locke and Heather Krantz, who have owned and operated the space for the past 4 years.

The Friday Night Jamboree happens every Friday, rain or shine, all year round at the Floyd Country Store. The first hour is gospel music and this is followed by two dance bands. The dance bands provide the right beat for our enthusiastic crowd of flat foot dancers and cloggers.

There is no reserved seating for the Jamboree, and it is often standing room only, so come early for seat. Tickets for the Jamboree are sold at the door only starting no earlier than 4:30 PM on Friday's.

The Jamboree operates on “Granny’s Rules” – no smoking, no drinking alcohol, no bad language, and no conduct unbecoming to a lady or a gentleman. It’s a great time for the whole family, and you’re likely to see kids from six to ninety-six out on our hardwood dance floor. You may even be one of them.

To view the event flyer, visit: https://i.imgur.com/CsEcffX.jpg.

For more information, visit: https://www.floydcountrystore.com/event/friday-night-jamboree-2019-11-15 or https://www.facebook.com/floydcountrystore or call 540-745-4563.