Rhiannon: A Stevie Nicks Experience and Straight from the Heart: A Bryan Adams Experience
07.19.2024 - Bring your Sony Walkman, your favorite mixtape, and your dancing shoes because Friday night was a Classic Rewind at The Harvester in Historic Downtown Smithville, Tennessee. Members of DeKalb County High School Class of 1989 made an appearance at this epic event with two iconic bands from the 1980s: Bryan Adams and Stevie Nicks. It was a fabulous cross section of people from all over the region and no doubt Generation X was in full force. What a fun loving, toe tapping, ass shaking good time!
Alysha Nyx, who is from Beumont, TX, graced our stage several months back with her band and was impressed by the Harvester enough to video and audio record her special live performance, Rhiannon: The Stevie Nicks Experience - another first for the Harv!
Mark Howell, who hails from Lebanon, TN, brought the crowd to a frenzy with his strong vocals and killer backing band. Again, kudos to our sound engineer Phillip Stafford for an incredible sound: vocals, drums, heavy guitar riffs, deep bass lines, powerful keyboards. All of this “noise” did not hurt your ears! It was loud, crisp, full-rounded sound waves in a very live room. PHIL is The Man. Well done, Sir! Yes, Bryan Adams came off the stage and played guitar for all the lovely ladies hanging near The Yella Dog Lounge. Might I add that the entire crowd was dressed to the nines: from vintage 1980s school colors, to the 1980’s version of Stevie that can make any man swoon. Thank you all for showing up and showing out. Mark, you and Alysha crushed the vocals and both bands were ON POINT!! Dang, I felt like I was 17 again, riding the back back roads of DeKalb County on a summer night, with the windows down and the stereo blasting that very mixtape I just mentioned (keep a #2 pencil handy).
Weeks of preparation had already taken place by a multitude of professionals in order to even try to pull off such a challenging feat, but the result was exactly what Alysha was going for - a live performance video with a hot crowd - and the experience was a true BLAST for the Harvester attendees, who jumped right into the spirit of the evening and immediately did all they could in helping the Harvester and our entertainers achieve our performance and recording goals for the evening.
The 7/19/24 show kicked off with a superb group of musicians doing from Straight from the Heart: A Bryan Adams Experience:
Mark Howell-singer/guitarist
Jon Statham-guitar
Sean Harrison- bass
John Hagewood-keyboards
David Burch- drums
And Rhiannon: A Stevie Nicks Experience musicians:
Alysha Nyx: Lead Vocals
Jim Handley: Drums
Darrell Young: Bass/Vocals
Danny Werner: Guitar/Vocals
Dusty Knapp: Keys/Vocals
These exemplary players (from both bands) have literally played the entire gamut of the music industry, from teaching music to young folks to playing with big time country and rock groups out on the road, studio work, audio/video recordings—on and on. As I’ve said before here, there’s nothing like experience to learn “where” to place the notes that all of us can create - the genius is in the “placement”! I’d venture to say this might just be the most top-notch group of players to grace the Harvester Flatwoods Stage thus far.
Thank you to the excellent tech staff at the Harvester for their amazingly over-adequate commitment to a great show!! These uniquely talented folks are:
Phillip Stafford, Production Manager
Jordan Anderson, Emcee
Karson Smallwood- Sound/Lighting Tech
Kirkland Smallwood, Sound/Lighting Tech
Jimmy Wayne Garrett, Security/Crowd Crowd Control
David Judkins, Carpenter, Security
Daniel Duarte, Videographer/ Director
Further Thank Yous to Tio’s Taco Truck for serving up their always wonderful super-authentic Mexican Food, The Pizza Machine #3, and the friendly Service and Security Staff at the Harvester!
Thank you to our Harvester loyal followers, who are always there to support us when we swing off the road to search for a new experience. We wouldn’t be here without your love and belief. See ya in the Rhiannon Video from Alysha Nyx - Live at the Harvester!
Up next is Jefferson Street Blues Review featuring Fredrick Weathersby on Saturday, 8/9, Tom Tippin with Drew Elliott on Saturday, 8/24, and The Hi-Jivers with Wild Bill and the Bruisers on Friday, 9/6.
Stay tuned for upcoming special music events at the Harvester, and stay up-to-date with all the events in the Bert Driver Network (Nursery, Burlap Room, and the Harvester) by signing up for our ‘The Local Vibe’ Newsletter - released the first Tuesday of the month, straight to your inbox! And don’t forget the Harvester is for rent: corporate events and parties, weddings, receptions, graduations, baby showers, or whatever you’re celebrating, we host ‘em all! Contact us for more information, and check us out on Wedding Wire or The Knot!
