Main Street Live starts Friday

The approach of summer in McMinnville means the return of Main Street Live.

The beloved free summer concert series presented by Main Street McMinnville kicks off its 21st year at the Security Federal Savings Bank West Lawn on West Main St. Friday at 7 p.m. Returning favorite the TC Bryant Band gets things started as the first act of the eight-week concert series, which runs every Friday through July 25.

"I think this is our third-straight year to play Main Street Live," Trent Young of the TC Bryant band said. "For us, it probably means the most of anywhere we play, just to play for our hometown bunch and family. It's a great place. Everybody around wants to play there. For us, it's a privilege and honor to get to play Main Street Live. We have a couple of guys who live out of town, but one of them still has ties to McMinnville. As a matter of fact, the first guitar he ever had was bought by his grandparents at Fraley's Furniture."

The TC Bryant Band consists of Timmy Bryant, Young and his wife Shelli, Rob McCormick, Jared Denton, Marty Denton and Clark Bourque. The core of the band has been together for decades with others joining to fill out the sound more recently.

"Timmy and Rob and I have been playing together 20 years," Young said. "Shelli came along and started singing harmony with us shortly after we formed the band. A few years later Jared came along. I think this is either the third or fourth year we've had Marty and Clark with us."

The TC Bryant Band presents a blend of popular music designed to appeal to a wide audience.

"We play a little of everything," Young said. "You may not like every song we play, but we're going to play something you like if you like older music. We play older rock, classic country and some newer country. We pretty much just play what we like, and that works out because everybody else likes it, too. We will probably play a couple of originals Friday night, but we don't throw a lot in. Nobody is coming to hear our originals. They are coming to hear something they know, but we'll throw a couple in."

Each April, Main Street Live fans begin anxiously awaiting the announcement of the new MSL lineup. Performers are not immune from that sense of anticipation.

"Main Street Live is something we look forward to and we hold our breath every year thinking, 'OK, are they going to ask us back?' Young said. "We all love it. It's just a fun atmosphere and the crowd gets into it. We play in several different counties, and Warren County and McMinnville has the best music-listening crowds of any county around. Any band should feel privileged to come to McMinnville to play, because the crowd really gets into it. We're praying the weather holds out."

Main Street Live is sponsored by Main Street Media, Security Federal Savings Bank, Main Street McMinnville, Bridgestone, McMinnville Electric System, Scooter's Coffee, Dr Pepper, Ben Lomand Connect, Law Offices of Galligan & Newman, Warren County, City of McMinnville, The Cafe at Tree City, The Butcher and Middle Tennessee Natural Gas Utility District. Vendors will open at 6 p.m. preceding the 7 p.m. concert.