If you were listening to country music in the mid 1980’s, you probably remember a band by the name of Sawyer Brown. They appeared on the tv talent show “Star Search” in 1983, winning the Vocal Group category that year. Do any of these song titles ring a bell: “Step That Step”, “Betty’s Bein’ Bad”, “The Walk”, “I’ll Take The Dirt Road”, “Some Girls Do”, “Cafe On The Corner”, “All These Years”, “Smokin’ In The Rockies”? Obviously they’ve had many hits.
I don’t recall how I first came to know about them, but saw them in concert at Harborfest in Norfolk in 1986. The following year, I saw them at Hampton Coliseum, when they opened for Hank Williams, Jr. The afternoon of that concert, they appeared at a meet and greet at a local record shop (remember those?).
Marshall and I attended that meet and greet. I still remember little Marshall’s comment to Mark Miller, the lead singer: “I like your music.”
I forgot what I said – I’m guessing I was a bit more stage struck than Marshall.
I also went to a couple more of their concerts, the last one being probably 1995-1996.
Recently, I learned that they would be performing at a theater about an hour from us. Our tickets to the concert were part of Motor Man’s Valentine gift to me.
The venue was The Beacon Theater in Hopewell, Va. The Beacon was built in 1928, and was originally a silent movie and vaudeville show theater. It was abandoned in 1981, and sat vacant for many years until a renovation project began in 1999. The theater reopened in 2015. When we stepped inside last Friday evening, I recalled that the last time I was in that building was in 1967, when my late sister, Rose, took me to see the movie “To Sir With Love”.
Motor Man and I had purchased passes for a meet and greet prior to the concert. Sadly, we weren’t able to take our camera in the theater, so cell phone pictures would have to do.
Mark was as personable as could be, as were the other band members.
I took with me the photos from 1987. All the guys seemed to have one comment at seeing those: “Wow”.
Since I’d kept up with the pictures all these years, I thought it appropriate to have them autographed.
For those of you who remember Sawyer Brown, I thought you might like to see this video I took during the concert, again with my cell phone. As you can see, we had great seats, and the show was as much as fun as the ones I attended years ago.
Motor Man enjoyed the concert almost as much as I did, so I’m thinking that, the next time Sawyer Brown returns to our area, you just may find us in the audience.
~These Days Of Mine~
these days of mine 