Oconee County, GA Politics

Ashford Manor's 'Concerts on the Lawn' Series Ending After 12th Season

After 12 years, Ashford Manor Bed & Breakfast in Watkinsville is ending its popular Concerts on the Lawn series on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 3. The final concert will feature The Sensational Sounds of Motown, with gates opening at 5 p.m. Sept. 3, and the concert running from 6 to 9 p.m. Ashford Manor proprietors Mario Castro and David Shearon said they were saddened to end the series, which drew monthly crowds of around 500 to1,000 people to the four-acre estate -- the second largest concert venue in the Athens area. They cited economic reasons as well as dwindling attendance for bringing the series to an end. “It’s been a tremendously hard decision,” said Shearon, “one of the toughest we’ve had to make since we’ve been here.” Shearon and Castro, along with Shearon’s brother Jim Shearon, opened the bed and breakfast in 1997 and began the concert series three years later. For 11 years, the concerts took place nearly every Monday night from May through October. But...

Go to this show this evening if you can -- Subject: Ashford Manor Tonight Hi, everyone. Hope you'll plan on coming out to Ashford Manor tonight in Watkinsville for the Concerts on the Lawn series. I'll be playing and opening set from 6:00 - 6:45 and The Corduroy Road will take the stage from 7:00 - 9:00. Bring a picnic, your friends and family! Rachel

Atlanta, Georgia's The Last Waltz Ensemble started the Ashford Manor Bed and Breakfast Concerts on the Lawn series Monday evening in Watkinsville with a hearty crowd consuming the covers of The Band and Bob Dylan on the luscious tiered back yard of the beautiful jewel of Oconee County. The group - consisting of M ark Kramer on vocals, acoustic guitar; Kris “Jelly” Gloer: vocals, electric and acoustic guitars; Kevin Rutschman: drums; Eric Reed: bass, vocals;  Benji Shanks: electric guitar and Jason Fuller: piano, organ, vocals, started off the evening with perhaps the most well known song of the Band's memorable and considerable repertoire "The Weight". Many people chose to " take a load off fanny" and enjoyed the performance.  Other songs included Bob Dylan's classic "Tangled Up in Blue" and the Robbie Robertson-penned "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." The lyrics written by a Canadian still stir souls in the Old South with t...

This evening's kick off of the Ashford Manor Bed and Breakfast Concerts on the Lawn series scheduled for this evening with North High Shoals resident and acoustic-based singer-songwriter Rachel O'Neal opening for the bluegrass-ish band The Corduroy Road from Athens has been postponed due to inclement weather. Tickets purchased for tonight's event will be honored Monday, June 7th. From their Facebook feed : We regret to announce that the May 3rd concert featuring The Corduroy Road has been canceled due to inclement weather. But, there's good news - The Corduroy Road has been rescheduled for Monday June 7 and all pre-purchased tickets will be honored. The Ashford Manor Concert Series will resume on Monday May 17 with the... Last Waltz Ensemble. We can't wait to see you there!

The Packway Handle Band, who was scheduled to perform at the Ashford Manor Bed and Breakfast Concerts on the Lawn series this evening, is instead going to play in two weeks. This is the second time they have been rained out at Ashford Manor this season alone. Go see them Monday evening, October 19 in lovely downtown Watkinsville.

Randall Bramblett performed Monday evening as part of the Concerts on the Lawn series at Ashford Manor Bed and Breakfast in Watkinsville. The temperature was exceedingly hot and the music simmered equal to the task. They got people dancing and grooving if it was only with a fan for some of the songs. Sitting next to me on a blanket was Katherine Taylor, Elizabeth Alder and Katherine's friend Bebe from Frisco who is a music journalist specializing in articles about drums, and local music publicist Michelle Roche and her friend David, a man about town if there ever was one. My long-time UGA friend and mentor Candace Sherman, she of great kids and formerly the University Union and WUOG 90.5 FM, sat next to us in a small chair fanned serenely, fending off moisture while only being falsely accused of being the bearer of the thin nose plyers (it belonged to the opening act whose gear was strewn around at our feet). At least a few dozen families followed the members to various plots of ea...

Ashford Manor Concerts on the Lawn Cancelled Tonight Reply-To: " ashfordmanor@charter.net " < ashfordmanor@charter.net > We are greatly disappointed to announce that tonight's kick off for the annual Concerts on the Lawn series is going to be rescheduled due to the chance of severe thunderstorms. After consulting with the local and state meteorological departments, we have made the decision that we cannot risk the safety of our patrons and tonight's performers. The Packway Handle Band has rescheduled for September 21st, and all purchased tickets will be honored on that date. Once again, we regret having to postpone tonight's event, it was a difficult decision to come to, but the safety of our friends, families, and the musicians must take priority. The grounds of Ashford Manor will remain open if you would like to spread out your own picnics. We will be playing a pre-recorded Packway Handle performance from July of 2007 free of charge. Season and sponsorshi...

Great line up - even better than last year. I intend to be at every show! --- On Tue, 5/19/09, Ashford Manor Concerts on the Lawn <ashfordmanor@charter.net> wrote: From: Ashford Manor Concerts on the Lawn <ashfordmanor@charter.net> Subject: Ashford Manor Concerts on the Lawn Kick-Off in just 6 Days! To: danjmatt@bellsouth.net Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 11:06 AM Greetings and Salutations! We're so happy to announce that the annual Ashford Manor Concerts on the Lawn Series is just under a week away from getting started! We've put together an exciting and diverse line-up for 2009 and we are looking forward to seeing all of our friends, new and old, next Monday for our first of nine concerts! Please take a moment to read through this email, as we have a lot of important information to help aid you in your pursuit of another fantastic time under the stars with the best local and regional music Georgia has to offer. We have a brand new website at www.amconcerts.com wi...

2009 Concert Series Gates open at 5:30pm Concert 6-9pm May 25th Memorial Day— Packway Handle Band, good ‘ol Bluegrass June 8th –Sons of Sailors, the sounds of Jimmy Buffet June 22nd –The Highballs, 70s & 80s Retro Pop 4th of July (Saturday) –Greg Hesters’ Van Morrison Tribute July 13th –Lazy B and the Recliners, Rhythm & Blues Soul Revue July 27th – Grogus, Latin Salsa and jazz August 10th – Randall Bramblett, Southern Americana August 24th– Mama’s Love, funk, rock, organic jam September 7th Labor Day—Dirk Howell, ‘60s style rhythm & blues/beach music Ticket Pricing $15 for adults, $5 for children under 12, children under 6 are free. A booklet of 9 tickets* for the concert series: $121.50 (includes a 10% discount) Single night table rental (limited # available) Table for 2 $125 per night (includes tickets*, table, chairs, linens for 2 guests) Table for 4 $160 per night (includes tickets*, table, chairs, linens for 4 guests) 4 is the largest table offered for single night...

Presents 1st and 3rd Monday Series 2008 Pricing Single night admission prices: $12 for adults, $5 for children under 12, children under 6 are free Gates open at 6pm Concerts starts from 7-9pm Don't forget to pre-order from Donderos' Kitchen go to our website to look at concert menu Www.ambedandbreakfast.com A Monday night outdoor summer music series On the grounds of Ashford Manor Bed and breakfast In downtown Watkinsville Modern Skirts (Indie Pop) Monday October 6th, 2008 For the second year in a row, the Modern Skirts come to Ashford Manor for the most upbeat pop concert of the series. Imagine what the Beach Boys would sound like if they'd been born in the Athens bar scene instead of on the shores of California; that's what you get with the Modern Skirts. Offering pure, listenable vocals, upbeat drums, and a foundation of rock-out piano and guitar, these guys will fill your head with melodies you won't soon forget. Add in an endearing Indie sound and an...

A Monday night outdoor summer music series On the grounds of Ashford Manor Bed and breakfast In downtown Watkinsville Presents (Southern Roots, and Blues) Monday August 18th, 2008 True Southern rock is hard to find. Maybe it's the fresh, honest simplicity of the lyrics, or maybe it's the soulful duets on slide guitars, but Delta Moon has found their voice in the aesthetics of Southern rock. It's the sound of Georgia clay and Kentucky whiskey; it's too good for any pickup truck commercial and it's too strong for any pop-country album. When Tom Gray and Mark Johnson first met at a music store, they had no idea that their slide guitar jam sessions would turn into the glorious, gritty band that it is today. With virtuosic precision and a thick, brawny, arena-worthy sound, Delta Moon will take you back to the Old South with skill and passion you won't soon forget. www.deltamoon.com 1st and 3rd Monday Series 2008 Pricing Single night admission prices: $12 for ad...

Ashford Manor Bed and Breakfast is the best kept secret in Georgia. They have a great Concerts on the Lawn series on every other Monday at their multi-terraced backyard, and I have had a great time with my son Lowell at the packed concerts so far. Former Fuzzy Sprouts Timi Conley, Dave Domizi, Michael Wegner and assorted friends played Beatles covers as Abbey Road Live to start the series a couple Mondays back, and the Last Waltz Ensemble played various tunes made more famous by The Band and Bob Dylan in a great tribute the other evening. Packway Handle Band will be performing their catchy combination of bluegrass, gospel and modern music Monday. Now the best producer engineer in John Keane will lead the Strawberry Flats through some thunderous covers starting Saturday, June 7th as part of another series of shows . Tin Cup Prophette and a Jimmy Buffett Cover Band will perform as part of the Saturday Sounds of Summer series.