Downtown Concert Series Returns with Eddie 9-Volt

By Jeremy Coumbes on July 15, 2022 at 3:16pm

After a two-week hiatus, the music returns to the square tonight as the Jacksonville Main Street Downtown Concert Series kicks off the second half of the season.

The concert series took its usual two weeks off during the 4th of July holiday and the Morgan County Fair. Main Street Executive Director Judy Tighe says it doesn’t make sense to try and draw away from those events where there is so much going on in town.

We didn’t want to fight with the crowd and the popularity of the Morgan County Fair, and we don’t want to compete with our friends and neighbors. It just made it a whole lot easier to let people make their 4th of July plans and plan to attend the fair- and boy did they ever. Then that way we can all come back together downtown and pick up where we left off.”

Tighe says taking the stage tonight is a blues and soul-rock artist who is visiting Jacksonville all the way from the state of Georgia. “We’ve got Eddy 9V. He’s from Atlanta and he plays rockin blues. He’s got a lot of energy and a lot of fun in his music, so we’re really looking forward to that. We’re watching the weather and it looks like it’s going to clear off for us so we’re geared up and ready to go.”

Eddy 9V is currently out on tour supporting his latest release on the Ruff Records label called Little Black Flies. He will be out this summer opening for various acts such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Buddy Guy, Larken Poe, Little Feet, Gov’t Mule, and John Hiatt.

Tighe says it’s always a great idea to head downtown and make a whole evening around the concert as well. “We highly encourage people to come down a little bit early, go to one of our restaurants. A lot of them have been staying open late like Shiraz, Brickhouse, Mulligans, The Little Stove, Leos, there’s so many to pick from, I could go on and on. So grab a bite to eat, walk around and see our great shops and boutiques. A lot of those are staying open late as well.”

Next Friday, the Downtown Concert Series welcomes Celtic artists The Def Leprechaun Band, who is a returning artist to the series.

The concert is free, and vendors open up at 6 pm with the concert starting at 7 in Jacksonville’s Downtown Central Park. After the music is done, Tighe says everyone including the band is invited to the Main Street after party which will be held this week at KJB’s Pint Haus immediately following the show.