Comedy Night with JJ Barrows, Amber Autry, & Doug SAnders

04.13.2023 - Our clever marketing ploy of starting live music performances at 5 P.M. resulted in the desired effect of having people show up a bit earlier than usual for a weeknight event at the Harvester to relax and enjoy some Tio’s Taco Truck food before Comedy Night #6 kicked off in Historic Downtown Smithville, TN, on Thursday. (With the roll-up doors on the Mid-Town Patio overlooking West Main St.) to let in the sweet late afternoon spring breeze. Ahhh, life IS good here!   

We are blessed that the Harvester’s reputation among musicians of being “the” place to play live is growing, and so is the  roster of top-drawer performers who want to appear on the Flatwoods Stage in the main room of “The Harv”. 

One of the new bunch of our multi- talented musical friends, , Zack Mongomery started off the evening with a great opening set featuring a wide variety of feels with strong vocals and solid guitar-playing, ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Hank Jr., to Allman Brothers, (in the original keys).  It didn’t take long for the assembled fun-seekers to recognize that Zack was another sterling addition to our “only the best'' list of live music performers.  C'mon back, Zack! 

Now, for something completely different…“Laughter is a pleasant physical reaction and emotion consisting usually of rhythmical, often audible contractions of the diaphragm and other parts of the respiratory system.”

Man! What a clinical definition Wikipedia presented of something that has such physical and spiritual ramifications…There were certainly ample reasons to grin, chortle, guffaw, tee-hee, and generally bust a gut during Comedy Night #6 as the Harvester Center welcomed back Amber Autry (we love us some Amber!) with her tagalong funny friends, Doug Sanders and JJ Barrows.

Doug was the opener and the host for the evening and he probed and floated thoughts across the room until he found his groove with the beloved hometown folks. He was genuine and traced his Asian roots into his routine. As soon as Doug stepped away it was Amber Autry's turn and we were off to the races. The Harv reset the configuration of the room with great results because any comedian will advise, up close with the humans is how we want it and by golly it worked. Amber hailing from White County Tennessee knows exactly how we grew up and she talks our language which young and old alike. The main act for the night was stellar as well - JJ Barrows, who is originally from South Carolina, stirred our southern roots and made for a connection to all things in small town family dynamics and the hilarity ensued.

Next up at the Burlap Room, our first major outdoor event of the year, Earth Day X on Saturday, 4/22, with Bee Taylor, Zion Stovall and “The Mojo Kingz”, an authentic taste of NOLA prepared by the Boil Bros. at the Burlap Room, Finally Fridays at the Harvester, 4/28, with Tom Tippin, Bert’s on Thursdays at the Harvester, 5/4, with Cam Pierce and Craig Anderson, Benefit for Bobby on Thursday, 5/11, with Dramatic Endings and Kelly and Sarah, and our first theatrical performance with the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s Education Experience Tour at the Harvester on Thursday, 5/18! All the details for upcoming events at burlaproom.eventbrite.com. Stay up-to-date with all the events in the Bert Driver Network (Nursery, Burlap Room, and the Harvester) by signing up for our Burlapper Newsletter - released every other Tuesday morning straight to your inbox!