In a couple of weeks, the Cumming Fairgrounds will give the community a chance to help kids in hunger, while also hearing some music made famous by Willie and Waylon and the boys.
The Fairgrounds and Gigging4Grub will host Nashville Downtown, a show featuring covers of iconic country and southern rock stars, at 5 p.m. Saturday, June 29. Proceeds from the show will go toward national and local charities aimed at ending childhood hunger.
“It’s benefiting both No Kid Hungry, which is a national campaign to help hungry children, and also helping with The Place of Forsyth County,” said Charles Hirsch.
Hirsch’s son, Devon, a rising junior at West Forsyth High School, originally came up with the idea of raising money for hungry kids a few years ago and has held shows to benefit the program around town in previous years, though none of the previous venues have been as large as the Fairgrounds.
“It started very simply with the social media aspects, then, eventually, being a drummer in various rock bands, he decided that he kind of wanted to connect the two: connect the concept of music with being able to raise money for kids in need,” Hirsch said. “With that, he created Gigging4Grub about four years ago, and each year we’ve been building it up a little bit more.”
Devon will be showing his own musical chops at the show with his band Southern Hospitality, which will play the hits of southern rock staples such as Molly Hatchet, the Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
After Southern Hospitality’s set, Icons and Legends Now will perform the hits of some of country music’s most iconic performers.
“It’s one gentleman that’s from around here, and the rest are from Nashville, and what they do is put on tributes to five of the greatest country singers of all time: Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings,” Hirsch said. “The idea is to create a day of country music to help feed the hungry.”
Tickets can be purchased at Rosatis.ticketleap.com/nashville-downtown. Tickets are currently $40 for VIP and $10 for general admission, along with ticket fees. Tickets are expected to be more expensive at the door on the day of the show.