Music and Party Time in Loudon Tennessee

Being located close to a growing community of retired folks can be a catalyst for a business idea.  We retirees like partying, old time music as well as the popular music we grew up with...  Any reason or excuse for a good time and we’re all over it! 

A popular new music/party venue came into being this past year…

This is the Lyric Theater in downtown Loudon Tennessee.  It originally opened in 1912.  It started with silent movies and other community activities and events.  Then it burned down in 1934 and reopened in 1935…and burned down again in 1941!  It was reopened in the mid-1950s and its final movie was shown in 1961.  Since then, plays and musical performances took place until recent years before fading away.

But as of 2018 its back in business again…this time as the Historic Loudon Theatre and Event Center.

This is a view down Grove Street toward US Hwy. 11 (Dixie Highway) that runs through the center of town.  As you can see, an event was underway downtown when I took this photo.

Loudon is an old town and it’s the county seat for Loudon County Tennessee.  It was first settled in the 1790s and it was incorporated in 1850.  The current population is about 5,800.  Loudon began as a ferry crossing and later a steamboat stop on the Tennessee River.    

Even though railways, depots and trains aren’t the focus of this post, I couldn’t resist these photos.   The passenger depot was built by the Southern Railroad.  The railroad first came to town ca. 1855 when an early bridge was built over the Tennessee River.  It appears that on Saturdays between 5:30 PM and 6:30 PM, you can plan on a Norfolk Southern train coming through town.

The depot has been the home of the local Chamber of Commerce as well as the Loudon County Education Foundation but changes are in the wind.  The building is still owned by Norfolk Southern and leased to Loudon.  A restaurant may be in the depot’s future… Time will tell.

I just like the look of this building.  Across the street from the depot and just up the street from the Lyric Theater, this structure has obviously been rehabbed and it appears to be waiting for an occupant…

OK…back to the entertainment!

For some time, the theatre was owned and operated by the Loudon Downtown Merchants Association.  In 2018, management of the theatre was assumed by The Historic Loudon Theatre, LLC and Jerry Ragle.   Jerry and his wife also operate the Whistlestop Boutique, a women’s clothing and accessories store at 320 Grove Street…right next to the theatre. (Store's Website: http://whistlestopboutique.com/)

Seating in the old theater offers tables for patrons…with 6 – 8 people per table.  Being an old movie theater, the floor was sloped and to create both an entertainment venue and an event center, the floor had to be leveled.  A state of the art sound, lighting and projection system was installed…complete with a 180” screen.  A comfortable room was built backstage for the entertainers.

With Whistlestop Boutique on one side of the theatre, a large outdoor event space was created on the other side.  It allows for a larger crowd than the inside does.  A large covered stage was built and equipped with all of the necessary electronic equipment. 

The first performance we attended this year was by an East Tennessee group called “Wild Blue Yonder”...that performs what they refer to as acoustic Appalachian Americana Music.  They performed lots of old Appalachian folk songs along with a bit of gospel and Celtic tunes.

The group was founded ca. 2000 and for about 12 years it operated as a much larger ensemble and the band put on about 50 performances a year.  The price of admission to the performance was only $10.00 per person.

Melissa Wade is the lead vocalist and guitar player for the group…although she started out on the piano.  She is one of the co-founders of the group and, from what I can gather, songwriting is her true passion and the piano helps her create new music. 

Philip Coward was the other founder of “Wild Blue Yonder”.  He performed on 2 different instruments during the show…the banjo and the mandolin.  He also write’s songs… For many years, Phil was a featured electric guitar player and band leader with a number of popular groups.

The third member of this trio is Cindy Wallace.  She sure can play the fiddle!  With her sisters, she performed in many important venues in East Tennessee, including Dollywood, the Music Mansion and the Rainbow Theater.

 

We went to Wild Blue Yonder’s performance at the Lyric Theatre by ourselves…and we really enjoyed the down home and heartfelt offerings by the group.  We liked them so well that we bought 3 CD’s. (Yes, people still make CD’s and even CD players!) Our purchases included Fated Genes – Full Disguise, Bolt Out of The Blue and Above and Beyond.

To learn more about Wild Blue Yonder including their upcoming performances, just go to http://www.wildblueyonder.band/.

FYI…Food and snacks are offered for sale in the lobby.  It was $10.00 per plate for dinner…but we just bought popcorn and water.  Apparently, a lot of desserts were left over, so Jerry, our host passed out these bowls with rich chocolate cake and ice cream gratis… Yum! 

Another form of entertainment that we enjoy is having dinner at a neighbor’s home.  In this instance, Mike and Sherry (at the right) actually built and have recently moved into a new house right next door to ours.  They moved down here…the paradise that is East Tennessee…from cold and snowy Rochester New York.  Mike is really enjoying close to year around golf! (But he didn’t think that Tiger Woods would win the Masters!  Ha!)

Dinner was an enchilada feast!  I believe that I managed to down 3 of them myself.  Look good don’t they?

Back to the Lyric Theatre...this time with Mike and Sherry, as well as our friends Linda and Norm.  We reserved a table for 6 on a recent Saturday night...   

This time the East Tennessee group performing was the “Memory Road Revue”.  They are based in Crossville Tennessee and with this ensemble of 6, (plus their own sound man), it’s all about the “oldies”, rock and pop music mostly from the 50s, 60s and 70s with a few newer pieces thrown in.  With a 6-piece group, the price per person was $15.00.

Laurie took this photo of our table at the Lyric Theatre.  From the left, yours truly, Linda, Norm, Sherry…and Mike recording the band playing another hit song from the past. 

Patrons can bring their own food and drinks…and many do just that.  At our table we had cheese, sausage, corn chips, salsa, mixed nuts and candy, a veggie tray, cookies, cupcakes, beer, Bloody-Mary's and more.  

I must admit that the Taco Plate ($10.00) being offered in the theatre’s lobby looked good… That verdict was confirmed by Norm and Linda who did partake and had dinner on-site. 

Dennis Hill began singing professionally in Michigan over 45 years ago.  After some time in Indiana, he’s now living in Fairfield Glades Tennessee.  He’s Memory Road’s overall lead vocalist and he is very versatile…crooning and rocking with the band song after song… He also acted as the MC or band leader 

“Mr. Gibbs” (Gibbs Lukoskie) began his music career in the early 1960s with a group called “Sunny and the Four Shades” back in New England and along the East Coast.  Playing the saxophone in those days, he even played at the iconic Peppermint Lounge.  When he returned to the stage in 2009, he began playing the guitar.  His low voice was key to some of the old time favorites the band played, including “Duke of Earl”.

Glen Holverson, the group’s outstanding saxophone player, began his musical career at 15 and right after high school, he toured with Buddy and The Citations.  He performed in and around Chicago Illinois for over 30 years, playing 5 nights a week along with TV and studio work.  In Florida, he had a number of gigs at Universal Studios and Disney World.  The audience loved his work on the sax!

Dennis Donald is another vocalist in the group who can really deliver.  He’s performed many times at the Cumberland Playhouse and the Curtain Call Dinner Theatre in Cumberland County.  His production company has produced more than 40 shows at Crossville Tennessee’s Palace Theatre.  Dennis has been singing since he was 8 years old and among others, he was an opening act for Charlie Pride at the Michigan State Fair.  Love the hat!

Bob Bourne, who is also known as “Rockin Robby” is probably the person who was the catalyst that brought “Memory Road” into being… He ran into Dennis Hill at a yard sale and that led to an impromptu guitar jam session.  Then a bit later “Rockin Robby” introduced Dennis to “Mr. Gibbs” and group evolved from there… FYI, Bob Bourne plays conga/percussion and a bit of harmonica in the Revue performances.

This is the sixth and newest member of Memory Road Revue.  He’s so new that he’s not featured on the group’s website yet.  I didn’t write his name down when he was introduced, assuming that I could pick up some information about him from the website.  No such luck!  However he performed lead vocal on some classic rock n’ roll songs and he can sing… He has a lot of energy and when he’s not lead vocal, he does a good job of harmonizing with the rest of the group.

To learn more about Memory Road and their music, just go to their website at http://www.memoryroadmusic.com/.  FYI, the group performs as a duo, a trio and as this revue group…

One of the couples we ran into at the Lyric Theater were our friends Morrie and Jodie.  They were dancing up a storm!

I wish this photo was more focused… Our new neighbors and lovebirds, Mike and Sherry, locked lips on the dance floor.  Sweet don’t you think?!

As the evening went on, things got a little wild.  A member of the audience decided to ‘join the band’ and 'help out'  Glen Holverson, the sax player!

Old time music (rock and roll and pop music from the 50’s through the 70’s) got the adrenaline pumping for all the retirees from nearby Tellico Village.  The small dance floor and even spaces between the tables were taken over by those so inclined.  It was something to watch the group do the Twist!  I even did a slow dance with Laurie…about the max of my rhythmic ‘talent’.

We’ve already made plans to return to the Lyric Theatre for another show!  Its fun, the cost is right, (especially for retired folks), and the music is pretty darn good.  To learn more about the Lyric Theatre and its upcoming performances, just go to www.historicloudontheatre.com.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave