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Audie Blaylock ended the 2021 Sounds of Summer concert series with a bluegrass bang

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  • Audie Blaylock & Redline perform at the Sounds of Summer
  • Audie Blaylock
  • Audie Blaylock on guitar and Reed Jones on bass
  • Evan Ward, from California, on banjo
  • Mason Wright on fiddle
  • Reed Jones on bass
  • Plenty of dancing at the last concert
  • They were even dancing on the playground.

By Patty Williams
P. Williams Productions

It was a bluegrass ending to the Sounds of Summer as headliner Audie Blaylock & Redline closed out the music series on July 29.

Cutler Park was filled with bluegrass fans ad local musicians from all over Michigan and the surrounding states. They were not disappointed as the consensus of the audience was that the last concert was a tremendous show.

 

The Redline musicians traveled from California, West Virginia, and Indiana to perform at the Cutlerville Sounds of Summer. The band features Reed Jones on bass, Evan Ward on banjo, Mason Wright on fiddle and Audie Blaylock on guitar. Audie opened with “Hello Michigan good to be back.”

This past year halted many touring musicians/bands including Redline. So, the group had a blast playing music to the packed park and live audience.

 

Audie opened with “Hello Michigan good to be back.” (Photos by Patty Williams

From start to finish, Audie performed bluegrass music from its roots. Mason Wright kicked off a hot fiddle tune and the audience knew this was going to be some “good ole” toe tapping bluegrass and the excitement resonated all evening.

 

The group played and sang many Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley songs and featured several requests including Audie Blaylock’s No. 1 song recorded on The 615 Hideaway Records, “Love’s Fleeting Fire.”

The music was exceptional and the bands tight harmonies were flawless. The concert ended with an encore standing ovation.

For more on Audie Blaylock, visit his Facebook page, www.audieblaylock.net.

All the Sounds of Summer concerts are recorded and can be watched on WKTV Channel 25. Check listings for times. The concerts are produced by P. Williams Productions and sponsored by Byron Township. To follow the Sounds of Summer, visit the Facebook page. Note that the series will be back in 2022 with the same schedule, every Thursday in July at 7 p.m. at Cutler Park.

Local resident one of many who contributed to “Stay Safe” exhibit

Entertainment, Local Entertainment,
Carla Grant and her grandson show off the masks they made for the “Stay Safe” exhibit.

By Nathan Slauer
WKTV Intern

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families find themselves hunkering down inside their homes. When new community events pop up, people leap at the chance to participate.

One such person is Carla Grant, a retired certified public accountant, who created two of the masks included in the “Stay Safe” mask exhibit hosted by Mainstee’s Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts (RRCA).

When Grant received her masks, she brought her grandson to Hobby Lobby and scoured the aisle for feathers and paint. Upon returning home, the pair had a blast putting together their colorful creations.

“My grandson is so excited to see his art in an exhibit,” Grant said.

A close up of the mask created by Carla Grant. (Supplied)

Grant’s masks join more than 300 paper mache masks created by hundreds of participants from across Michigan. The masks express the experience of those who lived through the global health crisis and yearned for a period of normalcy.

 

Each paper mache masks is left blank, so it is left up to the artist to decide what their mask should look like. No two masks in the collection share an identical appearance, with decorations ranging from pasted multidimensional objects to colored crayon.

The “Stay Safe” mask exhibit originated with Patricia Innis, an artist and volunteer director for Michigan Legacy Art Park (MLAP), in August 2020. As interest in the project grew, Innis established a collaboration between MLAP and RRCA.

Word of the “Stay Safe” mask exhibit has spread nationwide, with contributions coming from as far away as Minnesota, Colorado, and California.

MLAP Managing Director Madeline Saucedo attributes the success of the “Stay Safe” mask exhibit to the dedication of Innis and RRCA Executive Director Xavier Verna and the creativity of the participants. She believes the masks gave people the opportunity to connect with one another even while remaining physically distanced.

“You’re not alone in your experience; other people had similar experiences,” Saucedo said. “Their project created a sense of togetherness.”

For those who want to create their own mask, MLAP provides instructions via a How-To blog. The blog allows those who seek an outlet to connect to a community of fellow artistic enthusiasts.

Mainstee’s Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts received more than 300 masks for the “Stay Safe” exhibit, some came from as far away as California. (Supplied)

“It is an emotional experience to reflect on the year,” Saucedo said. “People were not able to do as much, so people took up new hobbies such as learning Spanish, crocheting, or knitting. Working on these types of activities can be cathartic.”

The “Stay Safe” mask exhibit is open for public viewing at RRCA during Friday and Saturday until February 27. Those seeking to view the exhibit virtually can attend a free online tour with Innis and Verna on Friday, Feb. 12 at 1 p.m.

Exhibit details can be found online at ramsdelltheatre.org/facemask.