Johnny Holm Band Show a Hit

Forget dueling pianos. The Johnny Holm Band turned their concert this past Friday night into a true community event with "dueling microphones." The band shared their mikes with several concert-goers, who displayed as much talent as the band and who may have garnered more applause.

The act wasted no time in involving the audience in their three-hour-plus long show. After a single song onstage to kick off the performance, Johnny Holm leaped off the stage and finagled several attendees into singing along. Ed Sugg was the first of many locals to show off his impressive vocal skills. And despite their earlier reluctance to be involved, the lead singer coaxed two young girls, both named Ava, or as he referred to them, "the little people," up on stage for a cover of Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together."

As promised, the band performed a great variety of music, from Johnny Horton to Mark Ronson to Elvis Presley. The dance floor was almost always occupied. Although limited by the acoustics in the Glasgow Recreation Center, the band performed with gusto and enthusiasm. From attendees who had not heard of the Johnny Holm band to those who had seen them more than 20 years ago, the band earned high praise.

For me, and for others, a highlight of the evening was when Joel Smith took the stage with the band, performing "Piano Man." Holm could barely contain his glee with Smith's performance, noting how the Glasgow resident sang with such passion. One concert-goer, who had made a last-minute decision to attend, expressed delight in learning how many locals have musical talent. While saying how glad she was they had come out, she exclaimed with excitement, "Joel Smith! Who knew?"

Personally, the evening tempered a bit of jealousy I've harbored towards my parents. Several years ago, on a weekend while I was studying for school, I received a text from my mom that said more or less: What are you doing tonight? We're in D.C. at an AC/DC Concert! I may not make it to an AC/DC concert, but now I've seen the Johnny Holm Band cover several of their songs, and covered them to near-perfection. So there, Mom and Dad! And don't rub it in that you've also seen The Johnny Holm Band.

Though some in the community had lamented the ticket prices, Lisa Koski of the Chamber explained that prices were set with the goal of selling 300 tickets just to cover the cost of the band. According to Koski, the concert was put on for two main reasons: to replace the Blues & Brews Festival, which has been postponed for a year due to venue issues, and to gauge community support for live entertainment. The Chamber is joining with the Rodeo Committee and Milk River Motorsports to put on a fair concert this summer, and Koski says, "I think Glasgow is ready for live entertainment and this was a way to test that. People were having a lot of fun." Speaking of the planned concert this summer, she said, "We need the community's support to keep these events coming."

I tip my hat to the Chamber for bringing in the Johnny Holm Band, a seriously talented and entertaining act. I'll be in line to purchase tickets for this summer, whether to see bands I know or take a chance on something new. Based on the fun had Friday night, you should be too.