Even before the gates opened at 5:00 for happy hour, fans were camped outside, waiting to claim their spot in the grass to see Wynonna Judd and her band, The Big Noise. They were soon joined by hundreds more who trickled through the entrances in pairs and groups.
The mixed drinks and beer were provided by Blue Ridge Beverage. With plenty of time before the concert began, those in attendance enjoyed pizza, fries, and other crowd favorites from local food trucks Uppercust Pizza, Uprooted, Hibachi Guys, and Bistro Bros. VIP ticket holders enjoyed refreshments provided by {RA} Bistro in the shade of the VIP tent.
Although the forecast had called for rain, when former Lynchburger Josh Wolfe took the stage to open the show at 6:30, the sky was blue and clear. Kids played frisbee, while the adults lounged in lawn chairs or stretched out on blankets. The ages of those in attendance ranged from infants and toddlers to the older couples slow dancing to the music, with a mix of ages between.
Shortly after Josh Wolfe finished his set, The Big Noise took the stage. Led by Cactus Moser, Wynonna Judd’s husband, the group of four gave a lively performance. After they left the stage to prepare for Wynonna’s performance, the crowd became restless with anticipation.
The suspense was tangible as fans abandoned their seats to gather closer to the stage, waiting for Wynonna. When her red hair was spotted off stage, the crowd cheered and chanted her name as she climbed the stage and entered the spotlight at the center.
Each song she performed was accompanied by hundreds of voices lifted in unison, hands and cell phones raised. She interacted with the audience often, saying “I can hear you”, and blowing kisses into the crowd. She thanked her fans for their loyalty, saying that there were moments in her career in which their devotion was the strength she needed to continue.
For many, this was their first experience seeing Wynonna in concert. One of the reasons the Academy Center of the Arts worked to create the Riverfront Park Concert Series was to provide the community with opportunities to see beloved performers at an affordable price. This is just one of the ways that the Academy fulfills its mission statement to serve the community through arts and culture.
Geoff Kershner, Executive Director of the Academy, spoke to the importance of the concert series, saying “with programming in the park, not only is the accessible price point important to us but so is the size of the park. We can serve not just hundreds of people at an event but thousands of people. We want to reach as many people in our community as possible and our concert series allows us to reach more people in one night through the power of music and community building than we ever could on our Main Street campus.”
Stay tuned in the new year for announcements on the next summer’s concert series lineup!
