Friday After 5, Hall of Fame partner for contemporary Christian concert series

Freddie Bourne, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
·2 min read

Apr. 29—The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum is joining forces with Friday After 5 for the new "First Fridays at the Hall of Fame" concert series.

The series, which will take place on the Michael E. Horn Family Foundation Outdoor Stage located behind the Hall of Fame facility, will feature contemporary Christian music on the first Friday of each month from 5-8 p.m. June through August.

"We've been looking for a way to get involved with Friday After 5 that make sense in terms of contributing to the multifaceted event that is Friday After 5 and also doing it in a way that feels kind of congruent with who we are as an organization and our brand," said Chris Joslin, executive director of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

Joslin said that they noticed that there were not many offerings locally presenting contemporary Christian music and thought it was something they could hone in on.

"We just felt like it was a great idea and a good way to get involved with Friday After 5," Joslin said.

The lineup consists of Grammy-nominated all-female vocal trio Point of Grace on June 3, the Dove Award nominated group Cochren & Co. on July 1 and emerging singer-songwriter Tasha Layton, who was one of Billboard's top five female Christian artists in 2020, on Aug. 5.

The free event will also feature food trucks and activities for children.

Francine Marseille, executive director of Friday After 5, mentioned that the concert series helps continue the tradition of "spiritual portion" of the event, such as "Glenn's Gospel on the River," which is now under "Glenn's Spirit on the River Presents Hallelujah Fridays" at First Baptist Church and will feature southern gospel and contemporary Christian music from acts like Steve Bridgmon & the Firm Foundation Quartet and local congregations.

"(Chris) had his finger on that pulse of what our community was looking for," Marseille said. "...I'm so excited that Chris has taken this on and really partnered with us and ... what he's bringing to our community is pretty spectacular ...."

Concessions will be sold by the Hall of Fame but will be an alcohol-free concert series and no outside coolers are permitted.

Patrons will need to provide their own chairs and blankets as seating will not be offered.

The concert series is made possible by Bill Barron Real Estate, Castlen Steel, Gary & Meg Boswell, Larry & Lamone Mayfield, Steve & Peggi Clark, Whitesville Knights of Columbus and a private donor on behalf of Grace Christian Academy.