Laura Blackley @ Bynum General Store

Laura Blackley
Bynum General Store
June 3rd, 2005

Friday I drove all the way out to Bynum NC to see a show at the General Store. I haven't been out there since the first Jerryfest a couple of years ago. That was a momentous occasion as it marked the gigantic change in Thad Cockrell's style back to upbeat honky-tonk instead of the low-key, sleep-inducing ballads he had fallen into. This was, of course, the first time I saw him play with the Mighty John Teer on Telecaster and tenor -- hence the style change. Thad has of course been top-notch ever since, even after he and Teer split ways.

The only time before that I'd ever set foot in Bynum was to see Tift Merritt for the VERY first time, on that cold, rainy, January Saturday in 2002. I remember freezing my ass off on the front porch listening until they took pity on us and let us squeeze in. (I also remember the wrong turn I took getting down there where I stumbled across a house that had the top half of a rotting deer carcass in its front yard... I hit reverse pretty quickly down that road!)

Anyway, after those two shows, it was great to see Byum again. I went to see Laura Blackley, an Asheville native, sing her songs about cooking, ghosts, and murderers. She was a hoot! She had a great, throaty voice, a decent guitar twang, and some nice song-writing. She said her mother tells her she sings too many songs about ghosts and killers, but I enjoyed it! Her music is steeped in the history of North Carolina and its surrounds, and we got a little history lesson with many of the songs. I'm sure some might not enjoy it the historical aspect, but I sure did.

Accompanying the music was the obligatory Allen & Sons BBQ sandwich and an IBC rootbeer -- putting me in Southern Boy Bliss. (All I was missing was the Moonpie, dammit.) Not bad for a Friday night.