R. David Shew
The sound of music echoed through the hills of Madison County this past weekend. Friday night featured the return of Exile to Madison County at Chenault Winery. It was a wonderful end to Summer with the group returning to their music roots. The weather was perfect to say the least, and the sound was fabulous.
Exile continues to entertain crowds across the country and was happy to return to their backyard Friday night. They did not disappoint!
Exile kicked off their show under the stars with five straight #1 country hits including Give Me One More Chance, I Can’t Get Close Enough, Woke Up in Love, She’s A Miracle, and Hang On To Your Heart.
The show featured a tribute to J.P. Pennington’s mother, Lily May Ledford, with the gospel standard Didn’t Rain. Exile also sang one of their favorite Tennessee Ernie Ford’s hits or Sixteen Tons and Heart and Soul which was a song released by Exile but made famous by Huey Lewis and the News.
Exile performed a medley of songs including When She Cries, Beautiful Mess, It Ain’t Easy, Take Me Down, and Closer You Get.
The band asked the crowd to stand up and sing along with their 1978 pop hit, Kiss Your All Over.
Exile closed out their show with another medley of songs including Pretty Woman, Yesterday Is Gone, Walk This Way, He Stopped Loving Her Today, Okie from Muskogee, Listen to the Music, and Good Lovin’.
Exile promised to come back next year!
P.S. Faded Blue performed on the patio at Chenault Winery to kick off the Friday show and put on an excellent performance.
P.S.S. It was great to catch a few songs by Brassfield after attending an unusual pre-birthday party for a dear friend.
Saturday, one of my favorite entertainers, Alex Miller, came to the Berea Spoonbread Festival. The Garrard County young star had the crowd cheering and singing along.
Alex told the story about meeting Tracy Byrd when the elevator door opened in Indianapolis and shared lunch after the impromptu introduction. They shared cell numbers, and Alex went home and wrote Give Them The Byrd which has been released as a duet by Alex and Tracy.
If you get a chance, this writer suggests that you catch Alex before the crowds get too big. Thank you to the Berea Spoonbread for bringing this young man to Madison County.
To close out my music weekend, Sunday afternoon after a church picnic that included the Bluegrass Country band, The Lambs, Owen Grise and Wandy Barnett were on the patio back at Chenault Winery. Owen, Wandy, and I have history. They played for my father’s funeral 16 years ago today.
Owen, playing guitar, and Wandy, playing fiddle, were the perfect ending to another music weekend in Madison County.
Shew, the weekend was eventful and tiring to say the least.
