MOUNT STERLING, Ohio — Kenny Curry has run Sterling Bluegrass Jamboree, a small, intimate 125-seat venue for the last six years.
“They may leave not being a Bluegrass lover, but if you come and you tell me you’re not entertained, and you didn’t enjoy yourself, I’d be glad to give their money back,” said Curry, a Mount Sterling musician and owner of Sterling Bluegrass Jamboree.
Curry’s venue not only welcomes bands from his backyard but to his surprise, Bluegrass stars.
“I have bands come in here and the first thing they do is look at my wall. These are bands that have been around for a long time. Someone like Doyle Lawson, who doesn’t play many small venues, like having him in your living room at home. Same way with Larry Sparks. Larry Sparks and Doyle both have been around the business for 50 plus years,” said Curry.
As you can imagine, for a small venue like this, local sponsorship, marketing and word of mouth are everything.
Curry’s right-hand man and bandmate, Thomas Roberts, is a big part of that.
He records and streams each show and airs it on his YouTube Channel.
“It’s roots music. It comes from America. It was made in America from our ancestors that were born and raised here in Appalachia. And it’s grown into a worldwide genre. You can’t go anywhere to get a front-row seat like your living room and see Grammy Award-winning musicians. It’s amazing,” said Roberts.
While Curry admits Sterling Bluegrass Jamboree was hard hit for months during the pandemic, he said the local community has stepped up to make sure live music continues.
“Everyone says hey, ‘I’ll pitch in, I’ll pay a little bit.’ A lot of people that didn’t really have, fixed-income people, bringing $50.“
Curry said the Sterling Bluegrass Jamboree is booked with shows for every weekend for the rest of 2021.
The average cost of a ticket is $15.
For more information about the Sterling Bluegrass Jamboree, click here.
