North Mississippi All-Stars and George Porter Jr. rock out at Old Town Live

Published 1:17 pm Monday, June 12, 2023

By LIZZIE BOWEN | Staff Writer

HELENA – It was a packed crowd as many eager faces crowded around to see the performances of North Mississippi All-Stars and George Porter Jr. at Old Town Live on Saturday, June 10.

Old Town Live is a part of a series held throughout the summer brought to the community of Helena to enjoy a variety of musical guests.

On April 15, Drayton Farley, 49 Winchester and Lindsay Ell all took the stage to entertain attendees.

Next in the series, Telluride will be joined by the Battle of the Bands Winner on Monday, July 3 for an entertaining evening that will also feature a fireworks display.

On Saturday,August 12, Cracker and Bloodkin will take center stage to rock out with guests in attendance, closing the event for the summer.

Helena councilmember Chris VanCleave was present at the event and said this event truly bring the community of Helena together.

“For me, it’s a celebration of our community,” VanCleave said. “(It is) a chance for us all to come together and hear some super cool music acts. To me, this whole series serves as a way to bring people together of all ages and backgrounds, and fosters a sense of unity and pride in Helena.”

There was a great turnout for the event, and the lawn was packed with people eager for music and a good time. VanCleave said the estimated crowd was anywhere from 3,500 to 4,000 people in attendance.

“At one point, I was standing up near the stage, and it was just solid people,” VanCleave said. “It was a big, big crowd.”

Attendees were dancing and singing alongside the band, enjoying the music and the night. VanCleave said he could see the enjoyment of those in attendance.

“From my point of view, everyone had a blast,” VanCleave said. “We had people up near the stage standing, dancing and having a good time. It was a lot of food, good beverages and super music. It doesn’t get much better than that.”