Photo courtesy of the Gallia County Chamber of Commerce
The Magic Mama Band
Stephanie Filson/photo
Cody Canada & the Departed
GALLIPOLIS — Saturday was a good day for music lovers to be in Gallipolis, as nonprofit group Ohio River Live presented an outdoor music festival on Court Street that began just as the weather fell to comfortable early-summer temperatures.
The festival featured music of several genres, starting with Joey D and the Dub V’s, a Mason- and Gallia-based band who delivered an impressively tight and highly energetic set to get the party started. The Dub V’s consist of Jeremy Russell, Joshua Billings and Joey DeVincinzo, all from Gallia County, Ohio, and Mason County, W.Va.
Following the Dub V’s, Cincinnati-based Pinstripes brought a smile-inducing reggae groove that dared participants to try to sit still. The highly interactive set featured a full horn section, skilled percussion and smooth vocals. The Pinstripes include Chris Grannenk, Matt Kursmark, Leo Murcia, Ben Pitz, Mike Sarason and Casey Weissbuch.
Gallia-based Magic Mama Band’s female vocalists brought sultry blues and soulful harmonies to the stage with the support of talented bandmates from all over the Ohio Valley as a precursor to headliner Cody Canada & the Departed. The Magic Mama Band includes Jenny Walker, Mark Ward, Loren Amsbary, Whitney Hess, Clay Paschal, Adam Sheets and Stephanie Filson, with special guest Joel Ramsey.
Canada and crew delivered a well-polished and heartfelt performance that blended country and southern rock with a folk-esque story-telling vibe that seemed to click with the crowd in a way that brought them to their feet. Canada’s band includes Jeremy Plato, Seth James, Steve Littleton and Dave Bowen.
Saturday’s Ohio River Live Music Festival was the latest in a series of live musical performances sponsored by the nonprofit organization. The goal of the group is to provide Gallia County residents and visitors to Gallipolis the opportunity to see live music that represents a wide array of genres. Smaller fundraiser events, as well as large-scale outdoor street events, occur throughout the year. Go to www.ohioriverlive.com for more information.
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