Finally Fridays with Jon Wayne Hatfield and Griffin WInton
01.06.2023 - 2023 started off with a bang on the first Finally Fridays of the year at the Harvester in Historic Downtown Smithville, Tennessee, by presenting two emerging artists/songwriters to one of the largest audiences so far at the Harvester! Our friend and business associate Billy Kaufman presented tastings of the latest offerings from Short Mountain Distillery in the Yella Dog Lounge (cozy back bar room in Harvester), and certainly helped set the mood of the first Finally Fridays of the new year!
The common thread between the artists/songwriters who kicked off 2023’s musical concert was the fact that all performers were EXCELLENT musicians and vocalists. As rudimentary as that sounds, that’s the bottom line for a musician to be capable of weaving an ambiance that can actually transport a listener to another reality…it’s rarer than one might think.
Griffin Winton, who has appeared numerous times at Bert Driver’s Burlap Room graced The Flatwoods Stage for the second time with his “intelligentsia” presentation of his original material and well-chosen copy songs. Having played in rock and alternative rock bands for years, Griffin has transitioned into a more acoustic/urban/folk realm - he’s an excellent representative of the treasure trove of musical talent that resides in the Upper Cumberland area that we are proud to be associated with!
Jon Wayne Hatfield, along with his super-competent sidekick picker (Max Thomas from Baltimore) moved the groove to a more “rural acoustic” theme, powering up on the party atmosphere enhanced by Short Mountain Distillery’s presence, and rocked the house as the headliner of the evening.
As a musician myself, the one attribute that amazed me about Jon Wayne is his “effortless” delivery. His very strong vocals have a rough element reminiscent of Chris Stapleton’s voice, with a bit more range and diversity than Chris’s signature sound, and this young man isn’t straining at all…and, it’s uncanny to hear a voice that big while watching Jon’s extra-casual, straight-ahead delivery. Jon has other gifts that serve him well in showbiz - he connected immediately with the Harvester’s discerning audience, and made good decisions about when to interject original songs that his listeners are not familiar with – sandwiched in between cover songs that shared some of the same feel factors of his original music.
Jon Wayne Hatfield was brought to our attention by our friend and biz associate Jake Nokes, who hangs at the popular songwriter venues in Nashville and stays on the lookout for standout talent. (Nashville IS the songwriting capital of the world!) Thanks, Jake, for your support and for bringing us Jon Wayne Hatfield (and Max)!
All these “local” elements came together in extraordinary fashion to enhance the “Local Vibe” that we strongly support and strive to project at all our events! Many thanks to the entire staff of the Harvester as well as Phillip Stafford (Sound Engineer),Short Mountain Distillery, Hardwoods Smokehouse Express Food Truck (from Cookeville), and Tabitha Thierjung (Artist in Residence at Appalachian Center for Craft)…all combined = another fabulous Finally Fridays evening in Smithville!
Up next this Thursday, 1/12, it’s Lee Rolfes over at the Burlap Room for the next round at Bert’s on Thursdays. Then we go back to the Harvester for Finally Fridays, 1/20, with Kelly & Sarah, Comedy Night with Headliner Rene Vaca, Opener Fiona Cauley, and Host Amber Autry on Thursday, 1/26, and another Finally Fridays with Southern Sunrise on 2/10. All the details at burlaproom.eventbrite.com.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: The Harvester Performance & Event Center, in association with the Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree, has been selected as one of several venues across the state to host a Qualifying Round for the 2023 Tennessee Songwriters Week competition. This special event, presented by the Burlap Room, has been scheduled for Thursday, 2/2/2023 at the Harvester – if you would like to enter this competition, fill out the entry form here, and check out the official rules on the Tennessee Tourism website here.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to an amazing 2022 for the Burlap Room and the Harvester. Happy New Year, and be sure to stay tuned in 2023 for more exciting, unique experiences – onward/upward! 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! All tickets for all Burlap Room and Harvester Event Center can be purchased at burlaproom.eventbrite.com.
📸 @m.m.antoniak and Harvester staff
