Bynum General Store Front Porch Music Series returns

By Molly Matlock
Posted Tuesday, May 1, 2007

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Bynum, NC - The rumor's true!! A bunch of Bynum neighbors have banded together to re-open the Bynum General Store as a social gathering space, historic site,and venue for Friday night concerts once again!

The Bynum General Store opened 71 years ago and was one of five stores in Bynum back when it was a lively, bustling cotton mill town. The mill closed in the 1970s, and community life began to change.

The Bynum Music Series began in 2001 as an effort among neighbors to help support the Bynum General Store, one of the only remaining historical business landmarks and social centers in this special place. The supportive connections between neighbors remained though traffic to support this business off the beaten path dwindled resulting in the General Store's closure in October, 2006. Now it's said of this little road to the village - "Well, I knew it was there, but I had no idea anything was on it."

With the help of the Bynum and surrounding community, the Bynum Front Porch Music Series returns. The store now functions as a community center rather than a retail space. Contact us at BynumFrontPorch@gmail.com to find out how you can get involved in this cultural preservation & community-building effort.

The usual suspects are still around.Former store operator, Jerry Partin, has leased the shop next to the store's building to let his creative wood working talents form. The world famous folk artist, Clyde Jones surveys Bynum from his trusty mower. Local artists find inspiration from the Haw River and help create that Bynum community.

Lots of folks are finding the old adage that "once you get that Bynum mud between your toes, you'll ALWAYS come back," to be absolutely true. Come share in the Bynum community Bynum and the Haw River each Friday night starting May 11- September 28th. Bynum's too great not to be shared.

Mission:

We hope that our series will continue accomplishing the following objectives:

- Lend musicians a comfortable setting to test new material and to gain more public exposure.

- Expose audiences to a variety of artistic styles of music and artistic mediums and traditions.

- Bind the Bynum and surrounding community more tightly together by offering a weekly event where Chatham residents may congregate on a regular basis.

- Foster a greater appreciation of Bynum as a unique location and encourage a desire to help preserve it.

The 2007 series will run every Friday night, 7 pm - 9 pm, from May -September. Shows occur rain or shine. We move indoors on rainynights, though our turnout is lower then. The store is cleared out and there is seating for many more people now.

The Bynum Front Porch is seeking non-profit status and gratefullyacknowledges the support of Chatham Arts.

2007 Performance Schedule

May 11: Saludos Compay (www.saludoscompay.com) May 18: Gigi Dover (www.gigidover.com)
May 25th: Edsel 500
(http://www.larryweaver.com/entertainment/artists/default.asp?artist=edsel500)
June 1: Vendetta and the Nines
(http://www.mountainx.com/ae/1998/1021vendetta.php, http://www.aaronprice.net/bio.html)
June 8: The Bluegrass Experience
(http://www.ibluegrass.com/bg_bands2.cfm?b__i=1522)
June 15: The Milagro Saints (www.milagrosaints.com)
June 16: Fundraiser featuring MEMPHIS the BAND, Rootzie, & More!!!!
June 22: Laura Blackley and the Love Handles (www.laurablackley.com)
June 29: Boys from Carolina (www.boysfromcarolina.com)
July 6: TBA
July 13: The Bo Stevens (http://www.myspace.com/thebostevens)
July 20; Original Red Clay Rambler, Bill Hicks with Libby Hicks
(http://originalredclayramblers.com/bill/)
July 27: Jonathan Byrd (www.jonathanbyrd.com)
August 3: Trilogy (jazz and swing, fun, fun, fun!)
August 10: TBA August 17: Big Medicine (www.bigmedmusic.com)
August 24: The Great Big Gone (Formerly "Brown Mountain Lights")
August 31: Nikki Meets the Hibachi (www.nikkimeetsthehibachi.com)
Sept 7: Jocelyn Arem (www.jocelynarem.com)
Sept 14: The Ruins (http://www.ipass.net/jhart/jh02main.htm)
Sept 21: The Huspuppies
(http://www.old97wrecords.com/hushpuppies/moreabout.html)
Sept 28: The Shelbys (www.shelbyfest.com)
Visit http://bynumfrontporch.googlepages.com/ for updates.