In the spring of 2006, Michael Johnathon, host of Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour, invited Phil Wyant and Angie Smith to sit down to discuss bluegrass music and its growing international popularity - and also the fact that Lexington, in many ways, had failed to stake its claim as the Bluegrass Capital of the World.
"Right away we recognized an opportunity to bring more people into the area, and provide something for free for those who live here," said Wyant, president of the Southland Association. "It really just clicked from the beginning."
And so the Southland Jamboree, a summer series of free weekly bluegrass concerts for audiences of all ages, was born. The concerts last about an hour each week and are followed by informal jam sessions, in which musicians in the audience often find themselves jamming with members of the band.
According to Billy Sherrow, bluegrass musician and Southland Association director in charge of booking the shows, the series is unique for audience members and musicians both. "There's no other place around here where you can hear bluegrass music weekly in a concert format," he said. "There are also very few places around here where bluegrass musicians have the opportunity to play in front of a crowd of 400-500."