When I first heard about Oakhurst Porchfest, I was hooked. In 2015, after 8 glorious years of playing in Decatur’s infamous Dad band, The Grits, I was searching for my next musical endeavor. Porchfest gave me a mission to start something new. There was Chris Neff, musical prodigy, who I had jammed with on a rowdy New Year’s Eve soiree at the Clark house; and he had a friend who played the banjo. It wasn’t long after the Porchfest announcement that we were on our way to crafting a performance for the inaugural event. This year, O.P. celebrates its tenth year(less that awful Covid pause), and I will grace the porch once again with the Tiger Kings, slamming out a “Best of Porchfest” set. In the decade since that first date, we have played parties, REAP fundraisers, Oakhurst Garden events, Bulldog Bashes, Breweries, and Amplify Decatur. We’ve found ourselves on the Decatur Square bandstand and on the stage of the Fox Theater - it was all spawned by Porchfest.
Our journey is not unique. This is the event that gives everyone an opportunity to chase their 15 minutes of fame. And for those with more experience, it provides a connection with audiences that is more intimate than many other venues. It seems that every musician in the Decatur area participates in at least one performance at Porchfest. Bradley Jacobsen, drummer extraordinaire, has been known to lay down the grooves on three porches in one day, employing a golf cart to lug gear through the grid. Terry Cannon, with the voice of an angel, traveled to multiple performances in 2022 to join the Thrillbillies, Maxwell Street Band, and an acoustic duo, following a foot-tendon surgery. His daughter, Samantha, provided roadie support. Lives are positively altered by the musical bonds formed and the paths laid for endeavors beyond Porchfest.
The crowd-sourced nature of Porchfest is much of the appeal. As a businessman who earns a living through profit, there is something incredibly liberating about being involved in something that is not about money. Oakhurst residents offer up a most precious asset: their homes. Local musicians put their talents and passions on display, all without consideration for the green stuff that makes the world go round. Volunteer block captains sacrifice their time and energy to bring order to the chaos. While there are welcome vendors providing vittles to munch, the drive of the event is music, not commerce. There is purity in this sharing of resources. Many musicians form friendships with their hosts. In my case, it’s been an engaging decade of playing on the same porch year after year. The Deodhars have been fun, inviting, and generous of spirit in everything related to the day. Sharing builds trust, which creates friendships, thus strengthening community.
When pondering why this occasion means so much to so many, several thoughts come to mind: Connection. Creativity. Sense of Purpose. In an increasingly technologically isolated society, perhaps we crave what feels distant for many… The need to be with others, in person, live, in the flesh… The sense of connectivity that comes from hosting an enormous endeavor in one pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. We long for the days of unannounced house visits and conversations on the lawn, of sweet teas on the porch with a friend from down the street. These themes are amplified by the thousands, and wonderful things result. Oakhurst retains many of these elements and invites others to join in on the fun for a day.
Now tell me - are you hooked, too?
There is something incredibly liberating about being involved in something that is not about money.