Josh Casstevens performs as part of Reeves House Band.
Jennifer K Photography
Elkin’s Reeves Theater is slated to showcase its House Band with a virtual concert on Friday featuring the music of Fleetwood Mac. The House Band and guest musicians will perform the 1977 Rumours album via a live Facebook stream at 8 p.m. on Friday. There is no fee to access the concert but there is a suggested donation of $20 which will go towards musicians and keeping the concert venue going until it can reopen.
The restoration of the Reeves Theater was a longtime dream for many in the community. Just before the pandemic began, the concert venue was beginning to hit its stride in becoming a premier music destination in the region. Debbie Carson, co-owner of the venue, said the month of April was projected to be one of the best for ticket sales since the venue opened in late 2017. Numerous concerts were initially postponed and then cancelled as social distancing guidelines prohibited gatherings.
Reeves House Band Director Tommy Jackson said they began meeting this summer to come up with some new ideas to keep the venue afloat as the pandemic continued to make live shows impossible.
“The obvious choice was a live stream,” said Jackson. “One of the ideas suggested was that we do a request show where people could send in the songs they wanted us to play. What we were ultimately trying to do was raise funds for the artists involved in the Reeves House Band and also to raise funds for the theater while they were unable to have live music.”
The Reeves Theater hosted its first live stream concert on July 24, with patrons donating $200 for special request songs.
Jackson said there were several request donations made and once the live stream began even more donations began coming in.
“We realized there was something good going on and we were headed in the right direction,” he said.
While the first live stream had a more fluid theme based on requests from patrons, the next show was planned more like a typical Reeves House Band show with a theme specific to a classic band or artist. The venue also began taking suggestions and votes for future live stream themes based on popular bands from the past.
The Reeves Theater has become known for bringing in new and emerging artists, but has also found that its House Band concerts featuring the music of iconic groups such as The Beatles, The Grateful Dead and more are also popular among music lovers.
Jackson and Carson spoke about the healing power of music and how it can allow the listener to connect with emotion and with the past.
“The healing power of music, it’s pretty amazing. No matter what emotion you’re feeling it’s good to be in touch with that emotion so you can either connect with it or leave it behind. That’s kind of what music does for me and what I hope it does for other people,” said Jackson.
Carson added that listening to a favorite song or album from the past can bring the listener back in touch with happier times and she thinks that is often what the House Band concerts do for people.
“Feeling a connection with your past gives you a sense that there will be a future,” she said. Listening to favorite music can keep one “grounded in that music,” she added.
“Feeling connected to other people and to memories and the music that contributed to your life thus far can make you feel a little more secure in a strange time,” Carson said.
Donations are being accepted now for the live stream of Rumours on Friday. Music lovers are also encouraged to submit a recreation of the cover art of the Fleetwood Mac Rumours album for a chance to win a $50 ticket voucher for a future show. Album recreation art can be posted to social media with the hashtag #ReevesRumours. For a $200 donation fans may request a Fleetwood Mac song from a different album. The concert will be live streamed on The Reeves Theater Facebook page.
The Martha Bassett Show
The Reeves stage has been largely empty since early March but The Martha Bassett show has resumed its show based in the theater with weekly live streams from the Reeves on The Martha Bassett Show’s Facebook page. Recordings from the show are also now featured on Saturday nights at 7 p.m. on 88.5 WFDD.
Carson said the exposure for Elkin, The Reeves Theater and Martha Bassett’s show has been wonderful and she hopes it will help in continuing to spread the word about the venue.
“I’m really delighted,” said Carson of the Martha Bassett Show. “I think they are doing a really good job. I hope that will help encourage people to come back when the doors are open again.”
For more info visit The Martha Bassett Show on Facebook.
The Reeves Cafe
As the seating space is limited in the on-site cafe at The Reeves Theater, the restaurant has remained closed since the shutdown began. Carson said they are in discussions about possibly offering some limited to-go items based off popular menu selections such as quiche, sandwich fillings and homemade bread. Additional details will be announced if the cafe is able to begin offering to-go items.
Kitsey Burns Harrison may be reached at 336-679-2341 or on Twitter and Instagram @RippleReporterK.