Jackson County Community Theatre, Inc., will host a special concert event at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Royal-off-the-Square Theatre in Brownstown. Tickets are available at jcct.ludus.com or 812-358-5228.
“This Old Guitar— the music of John Denver” is a touring show featuring music and commentary by Aaron Grubb. Local folk duo Skyline Drive (Joe Persinger and Mike Shelton) will open the evening.
Aaron Grubb got his first guitar when he was six years old. He had the opportunity to see John Denver live and found a guitar teacher who happened to be a fan of Denver’s music. Time never weakened the boy’s bond with those songs.
His public appearances performing Denver’s songs began at the age of 12. Over time he joined local bands playing country and classic rock. While the singer/songwriters of the ’70s never faded, Denver’s music seemed to undergo some type of loss that only the true fans kept alive. But one song helped bring back Denver’s popularity. “Country Roads” found new acceptance through a montage created by country artists as well as a tribute album with popular artists covering his songs. As appreciation of Denver’s music was rekindled, requests for Grubb’s performances became more frequent.
“I don’t try to imitate John,” Grubb noted. “Others do that, so we don’t need me to do it. Of course, he was my early influence, so there may be things I sing that sound similar to him. Most of the songs we love were recorded when he was relatively young. As he aged and matured, his timbre become thicker. He sang the songs differently than he did in his early days. As he grew, his songs grew with him over the years.
“John’s music has always been a reflection. We see ourselves. We see nature and our world. My goal is to honor the music and the spirit around it that he created. Music stirs our memories. It soothes our inner beast and delivers its message to us. It can scream with us or hold us in its arms. It will give you what you’re looking for, or what you didn’t know you needed. I’m more than happy to be the messenger. In fact, I’m absolutely thrilled to share the music that has meant more to me than any other— the music of John Denver.”