The Local Licks Music Festival is an annual fundraiser for the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club of Paducah. The festival will be held on Saturday, September 9, at Paducah Beer Werks from noon to 11 p.m. Tracy Ross speaks with local musician and secretary and board member of the OCBGC of Paducah Nathan Brown about what audiences can expect at the all-day festival.
"It's really rare that we have that much talent on one stage in one place all on the same day," Brown begins. "There are several music festivals that are great that are happening in our area, but Local Licks is really special for a lot of reasons. My favorite thing about this festival is the different styles of music that the bands play. We have a lot of music in this whole area. The different genres not only show diversity but also show how it all goes together like a beautiful cultural puzzle. We put the pieces together and make a really, really great day of music."
Featured bands at the festival include Brown's band with his daughter, Browns!, Family Bags, The Weird Sisters, Callon B and the Hive, Groove Lane, Jaelon Harris, and headliner Nappy Roots. "It's amazing when you see a band like Nappy Roots perform. Just the size and scope of their performance — they're such professionals, and they really know how to get a crowd jumping. Everybody has so much fun, and you can tell that Nappy Roots is the real deal. They're an internationally touring band, and when they come to Paducah in their home state of Kentucky, it's really a lot of fun," Brown says.
Brown says that while the main point of the Local Licks Festival is to highlight local music and entertain festival-goers, he hopes that attendees will take the time to learn more about what the OCBGC of Paducah does for local youth. "What the club is doing is being a safe, positive space for kids in and around Paducah," Brown explains. "We're helping kids with all sorts of issues in their lives. It's not just about tutoring and education — that's a large part of what we do at the club. But it's developing these young people into leaders of tomorrow, helping them with their health and basic life skills, soft skills. We do fine arts stuff. We do play time, recreation, sports, career development, and talking to kids about what they want to do after high school.
"It's a really important program, and we serve so many kids," he continues. "It takes a lot of money to make these things happen." Brown says that the OCBGC of Paducah is able to keep its annual membership fees low so that any student who needs to partake in the program can do so. "Ask anybody who's ever gone there. The club changes lives," Brown says. "Any way that you can find to support the club would be beneficial to not only the kids, but it was also help the surrounding area so much. Local Licks is obviously one of the most fun ways to support, so hopefully, I'll see you guys out. It's a free event. We are accepting donations, and every single penny of those donations go to help the kids so you can feel great doing it and have fun at the same time."
Brown says the flow of the festival means that attendees "can come for the whole day and never be bored for even a minute. You can just come and catch your favorite band or come for a little while. You can even come and volunteer [more information at LocalLicksPaducah.com]. It's a great day, you'll never be bored, there's not a dull moment in the whole thing. The community members and kids that come to help are great. There's a children's area that's fun for the whole family. There's food, soda, drinks, and everything in between. We've set it up to really have something for everybody."
The Local Licks Festival takes place on Saturday, September 9, at Paducah Beer Werks starting at noon. For more information, visit the Local Licks and Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club websites. See the full musical lineup below:
12:20-12:50 - Browns!
1:20 - 2:20 - Family Bags
3:00 - 4:00 - The Weird Sisters
4:30 - 5:30 - Groove Lane
6:00 - 7:00 - Callon B and the Hive
7:30 - 8:30 - Jaelon Harris
9:00 - 10:30 - Nappy Roots
