My Favorite Things All Mashed Into One

I have been eyeing this place for awhile now. It's called the Allegheny Jubilee. From the looks of it, the joint looked like a bluegrass-squaredancing-clogging-party-my-kind-of-place. I had never seen it open. Friday and Saturday nights in Sparta we're usually half asleep by seven putting the kids to bed.

So when we were thinking about things to do with the Young Life leaders - it dawned on me that this was my chance to see what the Jubilee was all about.

The week before, I decided to stake the joint out. So I show up with my family and in-laws at seven and the place is empty, the door is locked and the lights are out. But there was a phone number. I called it on the way home and got Agnes.

I asked Agnes why they weren't open. She said the band from Winston cancelled on them for fear of bad weather. Bad weather! Come on! I said. I know, she replied. So I told her that the following weekend I was bringing up college students and was wondering if there'd be a band next Friday night. Agnes told me that they didn't do shows on Fridays in the winter.

I told Agnes that if they did do a show on Friday it would be a party they would never forget. She told me that they didn't have a band. I told her that from the look of their billboard the Rise and Shine Band liked to play. I asked if I could get their number. She said that her husband played in the band. I said, well can I talk to him? She said, "Honey, do you boys want to play next Friday?" I said, Tell him we're bringing forty college students.

Agnes said, Did you say forty? I said, Yes. She said, People? I said, Yes. Then she said, Yeah, they'll play. I said, Great. And she asked, Can we make signs and invite the locals? I said, PLEASE!

Look what she made us!





She gave me a hug when we got there.

And we gave them a night that none of us will soon forget.

Thank you Agnes! Thank you Allegheny Jubilee. Check out their website and go visit them yourself some time. We went with our dear friends Kim, Crick and Ellory last weekend. Check out this video to hear Dave Dave's laughter.