Bill Jenkins And The Virginia Mountain Boys

If you are looking for the true High Lonesome experience, you'll get it with Bill Jenkins and the Virginia Mountain Boys. The audience was mostly seniors (we looked to be the youngest - and we are in our 50's!) so the show was slow-paced with a lot of talking in between songs, but Bill is a very personable guy and by the time the show was over you felt like you were family. In fact, he ended the show by having the house lights brought up and we were all invited to sing along to "You Are My Sunshine"! That was the neatest thing I've ever had happen at a show. He also went to the front doors afterwards and chatted and bid goodnight to everybody as they left. All in all, I loved this show. The venue itself is small and intimate, easy to get to, and just a great experience. American Theatre is a Hampton, VA treasure, and Bill Jenkins and the Virginia Mountain Boys are also a Virginia treasure.

THe ensemble was outstanding, with Mr. Jenkins' and Mr. Worrell's vocals just as pure and strong as could be! The choice of songs was beautifully varied, and each number was enhanced by the group's enthusiasm and obvious love of music. The sense of humor that was evident from each member gave a comfortable and "familiar" aura to the show. The only weak spot (for me) was Mr. Jenkins' excessive talking----and sometimes repeating himself. A degree of personal interest is always interesting in a live performance, but his comments, thank-you's, etc., got a little old and wearisome.

We left at intermission as did many others. Slow moving show, lots of "chatter". Only enjoyed a few of the songs.