the concert

The concert was a blast. Lots of people showed up and had a good time. It was really even better than I had dared to hope.

Some people said there may have been 1000 people there. That may be a bit over-generous, but I do think there were well over 500.

At about 5:45 there were about 10 non-workers there and I was getting just a bit nervous. Soon cars started rolling in, and by 6:15 we had a good crowd and were ready to start the 6 p.m. show.

I definitely was encouraged enough to think I want to do it again next year. Probably a few weeks earlier in the year. It did get rather chilly, even though the weather was about perfect. It is a good thing God is in control of the weather. The forecast didnt look good on Saturday, but the forecast gradually got better. At one point we thought of moving it to a church, which I really didnt want to do.

I really wanted the festival type atmosphere and that is what it was.

The local bands were great. Tim Durham is always good, and I enjoyed the Butler Brothers a lot. I hear them in church every Sunday, but to hear them performing as a band was different, and very nice.

Then came the out of town bands. I had listened to them, but you never know.
But Ashley Reynolds was as good or better than advertised. A very nice young lady with a great voice and an engaging stage presence.
Remedy Drive was good too. When they arrived, a few hours before the show, it was clear that they were tired and they still had to set up and all that. They were true professionals. They sucked it up and put on a great show.

This is what Arkansas City can do. This was the work of a community coming together to make something happen. I did kinda get it started, but it also took on a life of its own and by the time of the show i was totally out of control, which was ok.

So many people helped and had a hand in it.

I hope this will encourage other people in Arkansas City to do similar things.

I was amazed at how smooth it went.

THanks to everyone who had a hand in it, and to everyone who showed up and made it a great show.

There's more to come.