Rockin’ at Home
2021 starts up by serving you tunes straight to your door. Bynum Front Porch is a staple for the Chatham County community and continues their mission of connecting neighbors through celebration and song. If you’ve spent a Friday evening at Bynum Front Porch’s summer Music Series, you’ve been privy to the sounds of gospel, folk, blues, rockabilly and bluegrass. The sounds are carrying farther, all the way to your home, this year. Their Winter Live Music Series shows will also be streaming on Facebook Saturday nights from January to August at 6:30 p.m. Can’t make the virtual or live show? All of their shows will be linked directly on their website!
Bynum Front Porch:
You’ve heard of their music, but do you know how it all got started? Dating back to the 1800s, Bynum was a cotton mill village located alongside the Haw River. Hoping to reinforce the sense of community that was established long ago, the Bynum Music Series was launched in 2001, raising critical funds needed to support the Bynum General Store and Post Office.
In creating a non-profit, Bynum Front Porch, the Music Series is instrumental in maintaining this community gathering place. In addition to the music, Bynum Front Porch hosts a storytelling show, a Bynum Front Porch Pickin’, children’s programs, a holiday bazaar and provides AVID educational grants to Chatham County seniors.
Virtual and Live Music Series:
While we won’t all be seated on the front porch itself, we can all share in the connectedness of music through their virtual music series. All shows will air on Facebook page, beginning in January. On Saturday, January 16, award-winning singer, songwriter and speaker David LaMotte will grace Bynum Front Porch and your Facebook feeds with his “charm, stories, humor, insightful songs, sweet voice and dazzling guitar ability,” according to the Boston Globe. Paying homage to folk tradition through his music, LaMotte has performed in over 3,000 concerts, produced 12 CDs and toured all 50 states. And now, he’s headed to your home!
Live on the front porch, Joe Newberry will perform on Saturday, February 20 at 7 p.m.. The show will also be streaming on Facebook. A renowned clawhammer banjo player, Newberry is also a celebrated guitarist, singer and songwriter. He’s played with the best of the best, including his feature on the Transatlantic Sessions 2016 tour of the U.K. with fiddler Aly Bain and Dobro master Jerry Douglas, and at the Transatlantic Session’s debut at Merlefest in 2017 with James Taylor, Sarah Jarosz, Declan O’Rourke, Karen Matheson and Maura O’Connell.
Next in the lineup are Abigail Dowd and Lyn Koonce on March 20. Both singers and songwriters, Dowd and Koonce will share their life stories through song. Their performances will also be live-streamed on Facebook. Stay tuned for more additions to their list of upcoming events!
Virtual Backgrounds:
Yes, we’ve all seen our coworkers use some wild backgrounds: the side of a mountain, a snowy pasture, in Times Square. Your next meeting could be set to the backdrop of Bynum Front Porch! With five different scenes to choose from, transport yourself to the front porch, even during your 9 a.m. conference call.
How You Can Help:
Bynum Front Porch needs your help in checking items off their bucket list. Here’s what they are looking for:
- Licensed Electrician: Building and stages need minor repairs and an overall wellness check
- Solar powered lights in the parking lot
- Roofer to repair leaks and flashing
- Community service hours in planting shrubs, spreading gravel and helping with small carpentry projects
- Materials including ceiling tiles, caulk, galvanized nails, siding, tar paper, 5-V tin, etc.
Not seeing an option that works for you? Donate anytime and anywhere to the mission of Bynum Front Porch and keep the community it serves strong!