When Jordan Layao’s band, Soul Food, first played a show at Ooltewah’s Wired Coffee and saw the large, open square outside, he had an idea. With a few more bands and people, he and his friends could create a free community night of music and camaraderie.
On Saturday, April 16 from 8-10 p.m., that’s exactly what will happen.
“We want it to be kind of like a mini music festival,” he said. “At first it was just kind of going to be a group of our friends and Soul Food, but then it grew. It started with 11 people and now there’s about 30 involved.”
Some of those 30 people include the talented musicians of Young, Gifted, & Black, a community outreach with the goal of guiding young aspiring musicians into venues where they can perform. Also performing at the event are local bands Sons of Ander and Lumbercat, with Soul Food as the main act, performing with Young, Gifted, & Black.
“And this whole event is free,” Layao emphasized. “It’s just for the love of the music. It’s about opportunities to bring the community together in this great space.”