Americana evening at Small Town Summer includes recognition of student athletes
Between bands, Mayor Griffin welcomed Floyd County High School athletes to the front of the stage. This last school year, both the girls and boys teams finished first place in state competitions for track and field.
Mayor Will Griffin welcomed attendees at the Aug. 13 installment of the Floyd Small Town Summer, held at the Warren G. Lineberry Park last week. "This is our ninth year, and it gets better every year," he said before introducing the first band, The Deer Run Drifters, as "Floyd County homegrown."
The seven-piece band played a selection of their original Americana favorites to an enthusiastic audience, including singer/songwriter frontman Chris Link’s "Family Name," a Skyline National Bank’s Sounds of Skyline winning song that Link went on to record in Nashville.
The Deer Run Drifters played a selection of fan favorites and singer/songwriter Chris Link gave some background to some of his songs. Photos by Colleen Redman
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Between bands, Mayor Griffin welcomed Floyd County High School athletes to the front of the stage. This last school year, both the girls and boys teams finished first place in state competitions for track and field.
“I just want to say how proud we are of them,” Griffin said. “The running programs in Floyd have grown so much in the last several years. Year after year, we have seen the hard work of the kids, the coach and staff pay off in the state finals for cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track and field.”
Coach Bryce Altizer highlighted some of the individual athletes' accomplishments and stated that it was the first ever state title in outdoor track for the girls’ team, the second consecutive state championship for the boys, and their third in five years. He thanked the athletes for the historic season and thanked parents and community for their support.
American Aquarium kicks of their tour in Floyd during the Aug. 13 Small Town Summer. Photos by Colleen Redman
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Next up for the evening’s music entertainment was Raleigh, North Carolina’s, American Aquarium, last seen locally at Floydfest 2019 and 2022. The band played a rousing set, which included their hit song "History Repeats Itself," written by the band’s singer/songwriter frontman BJ Barham. The song debuted as No. 1 most added song in its first week on the Americana Music Association (AMA) radio charts and climbed to No. 7. It is featured on the band's 2026 independent album "New Ways to Lose," which the AMA described as an album “focusing on themes of small-town struggles and perseverance.”
I refuse to sit back idly / Mindlessly playing the cards we're dealt / I'd rather shoot for the moon and burn out brightly / Than sit around watching history repeat itself…
— from "History Repeats Itself"
The band was scheduled to play the Ryman Auditorium on Aug. 14. “Instead of kicking off our tour at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, we’re kicking it off right here in Floyd, Virginia!” Barham said. He shared how his Floyd friend Steve Arthur called and asked, "so, what are you doing on Aug. 13?" and added, "I’ve got an idea…"
"There ain’t many people in this world that I would say yes to on a month’s notice, but Steven Arthur is one of those people. So, Steve and Rhonda (Steve’s wife), thank you so much for making this happen."
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The crowd spread out in camp chairs or watched from the Dogtown Roadhouse porch. Families spread out on blankets. Teens enjoyed playing sports games in the field, and children played in the Kid’s Zone or waited in line to get a free face painting. There was the beginning of a Community Art Project headed up by The Handmade Music School and Floyd Center for the Arts that involved painting benches for the town center. (Read more about that project here.)
The next Small Town Summer and final event for the season will take place on Aug. 27 and will feature SWVA Honky Tonk All-Stars and musicians Jesse Smathers and Nick Goad.
