April-June 2014 Southern Virginia Perspective 9

and benefits. Band members include Harvey Driggs and his wife, Ida Driggs, of Skipwith. He plays banjo as well as sings lead and harmonies, and she plays guitar and sings lead and harmonies. They’re accompanied by Frieda Penzer of Chase City who plays dobro, which has a sound similar to a steel guitar, and she sings lead and harmonies. New members, Doug Moore of Chase City plays bass and sings lead vocals, and Marcus Ballino of Halifax plays mandolin. They try to stick to traditional bluegrass songs featuring musicians like IIIrd Tyme Out and Rhonda Vincent. Other times the band will take country musicians like Merle Haggard or the late Ray Price and give the sound a bluegrass twist. The North Halifax Volunteer Fire De- partment annual marathon was also the first venue in Halifax for Matt Boswell & the Hillbilly Blues Band, and they have since Higrass played events in Constitution Square and at the fair, and at Bar 119 of Semora, N.C. classics in between.” locator and North Main on the bottom Matt Boswell leads the band with vocals Listeners should hear influences from one. There it was, and here we are to and acoustic electric guitar and banjo; “any and all music rock, pop, country, play…6th ‘n Main. 6th and North Main Hank Chico Collins sings harmony and blues, indie, folk and bluegrass.” is an active, vibrant location, and where we plays bass; Glen Alexander plays fiddle and Currently Shame for Sydney is playing gather each week for practice fits the energy mandolin; Brandon Osbeck plays drums; in areas all around including “Lynchburg, very well.” and Tim Sidden plays piano and sings Roanoke, Danville, Rocky Mount, Smith Thomasson who plays congos, bongos harmony. Mountain Lake, Greensboro N.C., Eden and percussion has been playing with pia- They say they have provided a sound N.C., Semora N.C., Burlington N.C., Win- nist Bob Thomasson, guitarist Ray Craw- giving off influences from Johnny Cash ston Salem N.C., King N.C., Mebane N.C. ley, bassist Tony Thomas, sax player John to Vince Hill to Jason Aldean for listeners and some points in between.” Sibley, auxiliary keys player Jane Sibley, “up and down the East Coast from New The band 6th ‘n Main gathered at 1201 drummer Beckwith Crawley and vocalists York to Florida opening up for major art- North Main Street in South Boston eight Alison Streeter, Chauncey Smith and Jay ists, playing clubs, honky-tonks, fairs and years ago gaining a name they saw fit. Camp since their first performance at the festivals.” “I think three-fourths of the popula- first Shrimp Festival held at Dr. Ralph Wile- With changing their sound to current tion of Halifax must drive past that address man’s home in Vernon Hill. music and leaving their original tunes, daily,” said Victoria Thomasson. Since that day, they have brought their Shame for Sydney covers anything from “I looked up, and my eyes fell on the dance party sound featuring beach music, “Bruno Mars to Maroon 5 to Dierks Bent- street sign directly across the street from R&B, rock, disco, American standards and ley to Hunter Hayes with blues, 80s and my front door. It says 6th on the top street jazz standards to those all across Halifax Symptoms of Addiction Matt Boswell and the Hillbilly Blues Band APRIL-JUNE 2014 SOUTHERN VIRGINIA PERSPECTIVE 9.

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