Unfavorable weather doesn’t stop Taylor Hicks concert
Robbinsville – A small crowd – undeterred by weather – saw Taylor Hicks perform at the Robbinsville High School track on Saturday.
The concert – a fundraiser for the Robbinsville High School band, to replace worn-out instruments – was the centerpiece of a day of events at the high school, which also included a car show and motorcycle poker run.
A line of severe thunderstorms passed through the area starting on Friday, with occasional wind and showers continuing throughout the day Saturday. Soggy conditions forced organizers to move the concert from Big Oaks Stadium to the running track at Robbinsville High School, spreading the word via social media and advising ticket holders to bring their own chairs.
Hicks flew in to Western Carolina Regional Airport in Andrews and arrived in Robbinsville in time for the concert, but waited as long as he could for the weather to subside. Just as he took the stage, a rainbow appeared behind the stage, but occasional drizzles continued throughout the performance, which was shortened to a little over a half hour.
“If somebody would have told me Friday morning we would have to change venues, I would have had a nervous breakdown,” said Allison Grooms, president of the Robbinsville High School Band boosters club.
“After we made the decision, so many people fell into place and we managed to pull it off. I hate it rained, but there’s no controlling that. We just had to deal with it.”
Grooms is a Taylor Hicks super-fan and has been to more than 270 of his concerts. Hicks acknowledged her loyalty several times during his appearance, both on stage and off.
After the short set, he performed on encore song and then posed for pictures with the Robbinsville High School band.
“Looking over and seeing the band up dancing and loving Taylor’s music was what made it all worthwhile,” Grooms said on her Facebook page. “… I can’t thank Taylor Hicks enough for coming. It was a dream come true to have him come here and to have our band kids be a part of it. The biggest thanks goes to the Black Knight Band. You are the ones who inspire us to do whatever we need to in order for you to have what you need to excel at your dreams. There’s nothing you can’t do if you believe in yourself.”
Band Director Amber Watkins said there were three things that impressed her at the concert.
First, Taylor Hicks and his band tried to wait out the weather back stage before beginning their performance with wet equipment and stage floor. “They still played until the wetness was apt to destroy some gear … and then came out and played an encore for all the fans and band kids that stayed in the rain to hear them play,” she said.
Next, Hicks gave free T-shirts to some Robbinsville Elementary School students. After making sure they got the right sizes, he autographed them and donated proceeds from T-shirt sales to the high school band.
Finally, “When our band kids were singing ‘Six Strings and Diamond Rings’ at the top of their lungs with their phone lights swaying, the piano player started recording our Black Knight Band on the fence line watching them.”
A full video of Hicks’ performance is available at grahamstar.com. A photo gallery from the evening is available on The Graham Star’s Facebook page.