LAKE ORION, Mich. – On Wednesday, July 10, 2024, residents of Lake Orion and the Orion area gathered inside the intimate concert venue, 20 Front Street, in order to not only get away from the rain caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, but to listen to the first performance of the 2024 “LO Live” concert series by the Americana band, Adrian and Meredith.
The Nashville-based but Michigan-born duo of Adrian and Meredith have been touring all across the country for several years now, playing original music that fits the Americana genre.
The LO Live concert series is held Wednesdays in July and August, in the outdoor gazebo in Children’s park. However, due to the excess rain caused by Beryl on Wednesday, the concert was moved indoors. Nevertheless, the show goes on.
ONTV spoke with the duo about their music and what it is like to play such an intimate venue like 20 Front Street.
“The small towns and the small venues that’s our favorite place, the stories and the people and everyone that gathers – that’s why we love to be here,” Meredith said. “A lot of storytelling here tonight,” Adrian added.
20 Front Street has a seating capacity of around 100 people, so the venue was packed with folks looking to be taken away by soulful yet twangy instrumentation and lovely vocal performances.
“At the end of the day we call it, ‘American Roots’ music, we like to take the audience on a bit of a journey,” Meredith said.
ONTV’s Joe Johnson spoke with Lisa Sokol, a community outreach and events manager at 20 Front Street about the LO Live concert series.
“We’re really lucky that [20 Front Street] is available to us for rain-out days,” Sokol said. “It’s just this wonderful thing, this collaboration that happens that’s really unique to Lake Orion.”
Additionally, ONTV spoke to Janet Bloom, a member of the Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority about LO Live’s opening night.
“To be able to come to one of Michigan’s premiere listening rooms is really a great opportunity, first of all, to showcase a great band… but also for those that maybe haven’t had the opportunity to come to 20 Front Street,” Bloom said.
Despite the hardships faced due to inclement weather, the concert was a success, bringing light not only to a great band but to a wonderful music venue located in downtown Lake Orion.
The next concerts in the LO Live series will be taking place (weather-permitting) at Children’s park, Wednesdays at 6:30 until 8:00 p.m.
Jill Jack will be playing Wednesday, July 17 with a soulful singer-songwriter performance. Then country popstar Grace West will be swinging by Lake Orion July 24, then to round off the month, South For Winter, a folk-blues band from New Zealand will be performing at the park.
For more information about 20 Front Street and their upcoming events, visit 20frontstreet.com, and for more information about the Lake Orion DDA and their events, visit downtownlakeorion.org.