Thank you Town of Ashland!

I love driving through town during the month of August and being welcomed to town by the Bluemont in Ashland banner! It's been in the same location on Route 54 west just before Route 1 for the past eight summers and we appreciate it very much. Thanks Town of Ashland for supporting Bluemont so well! Make sure you check out the banner each week for details about the band playing... can't wait to see the Hula Honeys!

so you may still be wondering about the new location...

I had the pleasure of spending the evening a few nights ago with my friends Jen and Ann at our new location, just in front of the Blackwell Auditorium on the campus of Randolph-Macon College.  We met there to check things out, specifically, the lighting, the sun, the lawn and the brick area just in front of the steps where the bands will play.  We were curious about the shade and wanted to figure out the new layout for the volunteer tables, community group tables, lanterns and how the seating might feel.  After spending about three hours there, the best way I can summarize all that we learned is: It's going to be wonderful!!  No doubt about it, we will miss being on the lawn at The Center as it has been our home for the past eight years and we are so thankful. However, our new location will be super great too- you'll see! Plenty of lawn for blankets and dancing (in your bare feet if you like!), plenty of brick space for your chairs (if you'd rather) and dancing too, beautiful large trees to provide lots of shade and drum roll please...indoor restrooms! (no more port-o-potties lurking behind trees!) So, as always, the concerts will be held outside unless the weather has other plans and if so, it's just a quick move right inside the auditorium. What could be easier?! If you're local and you have a chance, walk on by there and check it out! We think you'll like it too!

Our first concert of the summer: The Hula Honeys!

What a great way to start our ninth summer of concerts:
The Hula Honeys!  Come on over to Randolph-Macon's Blackwell Auditorium and sit in the grass or on the beautiful brick plaza and enjoy some music under the stars!

The Hula Honeys are known for performing the enchanting music of Hawaii’s territorial days, songs that take you back to Boat Days and Waikiki’s golden era. Blending vintage Hapa Haole songs with hip jazz classics, they create a swinging sweet sound all their own. Winners of the prestigious Na Hoku Hano Hano award 2010 for best Hawaiian Jazz album "Girl Talk."

The Hula Honeys have played at The Kennedy Millennium Center Stage, various Ukulele Festivals, and regularly perform in their hometown of Maui where they are also DJ Friday afternoons on Mana'o Radio.

For their Bluemont concerts, the Hula Honeys will be joined by bassist Ralph Gordon and multi-instrumentalist Marcy Marxer.
You can check out more about them as well as listen to a few songs on their website: http://www.thehulahoneys.com/

so, you may be wondering...why the change in venue? Glad you asked!

Change is good, right? of course! This summer, our concert series will continue to be outside (as long as the weather behaves) but has moved just a few blocks away from our previous location of the Hanover Arts and Activities Center, to just in front of the Blackwell Auditorium on the grounds of  Randolph-Macon College.

We have been honored to share the lawn with The Center for the past eight years and have had many wonderful evenings under the stars. We are more than grateful to have been able to "borrow" the lawn on Sunday evenings and use the building to host our musicians, feed them and store equipment. Thank you Hanover Arts and Activities Center so much!

The decision to move locations has followed many discussions with Bluemont staff, The Center, the Town of Ashland and Randolph-Macon College and certainly was not an easy one.  By changing location, our concerts can be held on the front steps of the auditorium, eliminating the need for weekly set up and take down of the large tent and stage, port-o-potties (whew!) and will provide quick access to our rain location which happens to be the auditorium, just behind the steps. How easy is that?!

So, come on over to Blackwell Auditorium, on the campus of Randolph-Macon College and enjoy some music under the starts each Sunday evening in August. You'll still find some grass for your dancing toes and now a hard surface if you'd prefer to pop your chair there.
See you soon!