The age old saying of ‘the show must go on’ came to mind last night, as only minutes before Walker Hayes would take the stage – the power went out. Walker was performing at Thirsty Cowboy in Medina for the WGAR Morning Show’s Wazz & Carletta’s Birthday Bash.
The staff of WGAR and Thirsty Cowboy scrambled to find out what was happening, and found that a whole section of businesses along Rt. 18 were also in a blackout. The crowd kept chanting “Walker, Walker” in anticipation of his show, even amidst the dimly lit room and no air conditioning. The only thing left to do was figure out a way to get Hayes on stage.
The solution turned out to be a GMC Sierra truck, that provided power for Hayes’ microphone and guitar. The fix may not have been perfect, but the show did go on.
Hayes came to the stage amid cheers from the packed house, lit only by a few emergency lights and cell phones. The sold out crowd definitely provided their support, making it a sing-a-long as Hayes performed his hits “You Broke Up with Me”, “AA” and “Fancy Like”.
A portion of the proceeds from the WGAR Birthday Bash will benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
As shows go, this was the first that I have ever experienced during a power outage, and even though the show was not what I expected, it turned out to be a memorable experience that I will remember for a long, long time.