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A concert becomes more than just a show when the artists are volunteering their time and talent to benefit a great cause.  The money being raised from the Holiday Showcase held on Dec. 13, at The Paramount in Bristol, Tenn., was to support Abuse Alternatives.  Abuse Alternatives is an organization which provides free and confidential information on subjects ranging from Emergency Shelter, Community Outreach and Education and School Education Awareness to Outreach Services.  If you are in the Bristol, Tenn. area, or Washington County and Bristol, VA.  Please visit the website for Abuse Alternatives to learn more about this organization.

These artists gave us a fun, festive, enjoyable, and memorable evening! The s how was opened by Church Band Revival.  A talented group of young adults who are all members of Real Live Church (1317 Weaver Pike, Bristol, TN 37620).  Visit their website to learn more about their mission, vision, and upcoming events. Please visit the Facebook page for this band to learn more about them, and checkout the photos and videos they have posted there. Their music is loud, and t heir message is powerful.  The Facebook page info says, “The church band is a collective of musicians who lead worship at their local church.”  The group ix exciting to watch and definitely spreads God’s love to all who listen.

Noah Spencer followed the opening band.  I know many of you remember Noah from his appearance on NBC’s The Voice.  But to  many of the folks in the Richlands, Va., area – Noah is the ‘boy next door’. In addition to Noah’s website, be sure to visit his Facebook page, My personal favorite song from Noah will probably always be “Never Mine”. His show was acoustic, and he was captivating. was next.  This is a group I have been in love with for more years than I can even remember. I was fortunate enough to see them in concert, just once before, but that was enough to really get me hooked.  Their songs are great, their harmonies are wonderful.  This was an acoustic show – but it was so good.  “Last Rodeo”, “Growing Old With You”, “Take Me Home”, and so many other great songs come to mind when you think of this group. You might remember Zach Beeken, Garrett Nichols and Colton Pack from the television competition show, X Factor. That was 10 years ago.

Restless Road was our third artists. for the evening.  This is a group I have been following for a very long time.  I had the pleasure of seeing them live in concert just once before – but I’ve never forgotten them.  That performance was at our Pepsi Independence Day Fireworks Celebration in Johnson City, Tenn. They were their with full band, and just amazed all of us.  At that time, we were familiar with a lot of t heir songs, and many of us remembered their X Factor performances back in 2013.

I definitely have my favorite songs by this group.  “Last Rodeo” and “Growing Old With You” are two of my very favorite. If you won’t know “Most Nights”, you need to give that one a listen. Love the story, the music, the harmony.  There’s nothing about it I don’t like.  It’s on YouTube.  Check it out. Zach Beeken, Garrett Nichols, and Colton are really in store for a very bright future.  Sometimes it takes a little while for the world to sit up and take notice.  But where this group is concerned, I’m sure this is one fan base that is going to keep growing.

Their website is full of information you will want to jot down somewhere, tour dates, music, links to other social media sites, and of course great merchandise you can order online!  Checkout their Facebook page and remember to ‘Follow’ while you are there. They have so much on their YouTube page, visiting there is a great way to spend a little time.  Remember X (Twitter), too.  There are other socials, so please check out that list on their website.

Runaway June closed the show.  There are not enough words to tell you about these girls. So much talent!  It is hard to take your eyes off of that stage when they perform.  Every one of them seems to draw your attention – and yet, they work so good as a group.  Natalie Stovall is one of the best violinists around.  She also plays guitar.  Her vocals are awesome.  Jennifer Wayne is a standout; she is also on guitar and vocals. She really seems to enjoy what she’s doing.  We were told that she wasn’t feeling well the night of that performance, but she had her whole heart in putting on a great show for a very appreciative audience.  That brings us to Stevie Woodward, lead vocals and guitar.  Every time she sang, she had a way of making each of us feel as if she were singing to us. ‘

I think their fans all know their history, with Jennifer being the granddaughter of legendary actor John Wayne. Their song “Wild West” is perfect for this group.  It’s a great song, and one of the songs that comes to mind immediately when you hear the name Runaway June. I was so glad they did “Buy My Own Drinks”, another favorite.  You can find a lot of their music online – from Spotify to YouTube, and just about every place in between.

Stevie, Jennifer and Natalie are not just great singers.  They are entertainers.  So much fun to watch – and proved once again that whoever said “Always leave ’em wanting more”, knew how you should feel when the show is over. I think every one of us wanted more.

Remember that in addition to their website, you can find them on Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter).  They have other social media links on their website as well, so take a look at those, too.

We just have to give a huge Thank You to WXBQ Radio, on-air personalities, Nikki Thomas, Drake Stevens, Ben Walker, Steve Stroud and that WXBQ Rabbit for hosting the show.  And, of course to Jennifer Hayes, Executive Director at The Paramount in Bristol.  She, and her huge staff of volunteers do a wonderful job bringing us the best entertainment in the area.

I’m going to close this out with a few random pictures from the show on Thursday night.  We all hope this will be just the start of a new annual Christmas tradition. (All Photos by Country’s Chatter).
       

 

 

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| A concert becomes more than just a show when the artists are volunteering their time and talent to benefit a great cause.  The money being raised from the Holiday Showcase held on Dec. 13, at The Paramount in Bristol, Tenn., was to support Abuse Alternatives.  Abuse...