By Victoria Ewing Ware
Guest Writer
The popular north Georgia-western North Carolina band, Gnarly Fingers, takes the gazebo stage on the Historic Courthouse Square tomorrow night to close out the season for the Clay County Communities Revitalization Association 2024 Friday Summer Concert Series.
The Gnarlies have been entertaining audiences in the region for 19 years. The Friday summer concert crowd looks forward to their appearance every year. Their covers of hits by the Eagles, The Band, Guy Clark, The SteelDrivers, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and more get the audience dancing and singing along. Band members Pat List on vocals, guitar and harmonica; Keith Layton on vocals and lead guitar; Tom Edwards on vocals, banjo and mandolin and Brian Kruger on bass, keyboard and guitar perfectly mix their original tunes with those fan-favorites. There is always good energy around this fun band.
Attendance has been outstanding at this summer’s concerts, with more than 3,400 attendees through the first six concerts. Three key sponsors: Highway 69 Storage, The Richard Kelley Group – RE/MAX Town & Country and Edward Jones - Financial Advisor Jodi Sullivan were instrumental in bringing great music to town this summer. Their generous contributions, along with those from private individuals, local businesses and organizations and from donations to the red buckets on concert nights, fund these free concerts every year. CCCRA is grateful for them and for the food and beverage vendors and volunteers that make it all happen.
Hayesville Q, the American Legion Post 532 and Laughing Dogs Brewing will be on hand at 6 p.m. with tasty food and beverages, so come early. Bring your favorite two-legged and four-legged friends and find a good spot in the courtyard for your chairs or blankets. Gnarly Fingers takes the stage at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16.
Free parking is available around the square and in area parking lots. Flag down Historic Hayesville Inc’s the Red Rider for a free lift to the square and back to your car.
If we must make the difficult decision to cancel and or reschedule any of our Friday night concerts due to weather, an announcement will be made on both the CCCRA website events page: www.cccra-nc.org/cccra-events and the CCCRA Facebook page: www.facebook.com/cccranc.