I’ve been hearing more and more about these ongoing, semi-private house concerts in Palmyra. Apparently they’ve been happening regularly for a while, and it looks like they’ve been putting on some pretty solid shows—Charlottesville singer-songwriter Jason Pollock (remember Seven Mary Three?) did one in January, for example. So what’s the story, Ace? And how do I get a ticket?—Ear-insider-in-Charlottesville
You picked an opportune time to ask. It seems like times have never been better for the Village Concert series in Palmyra, a fairly idiosyncratic live music phenomenon that has featured performances by Charlottesville fixtures Sam Wilson, Peyton Tochterman, Wes Swing, and The Honey Dewdrops. Not bad, considering that the venue is a living room. Polly King, the Palmyra resident who has hosted the Village Concerts out of her home since helping start the event in 2008, has just enough space in her household to accommodate about 30 people for each show.
According to King, the concerts started when fingerstyle guitarist and singer Stevie Coyle left The Waybacks, an eclectic and beloved San Francisco Bay-area newgrass group, to pursue other projects. When King, a friend of Coyle, asked the musician what kind of venues he’d be playing from that point forward, he said he’d like to do house shows. King and several other Palmyra residents organized the Village Concerts to provide Coyle with a platform to perform. Since then, they have grown into a Palmyra institution.
And you want in, right? You’ll need to reserve in advance via email through the Village Concerts page on ReverbNation.com, an online marketing site for independent musicians. At that point, you’ll receive directions to the venue and other event-specific information. Come hungry.
But like Ace was saying, you picked an opportune time to ask. This Thursday, February 11 at 8pm, the Village Concerts will celebrate two years of living room tunes with an anniversary acoustic set by the Steel Wheel Duo, comprising veteran blues-rockers Trent Wagler and Jay Lapp.
You can ask Ace yourself. Intrepid investigative reporter Ace Atkins has been chasing readers’ leads for 21 years. If you have a question for Ace, e-mail it to ace@c-ville.com.
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