Published: June 09, 2009 12:26 pm      

Live ... from downtown London — It’s Thursday Night Live

Despite cool weather and the threat of rain, the first Thursday Night Live of the season drew a respectable crowd, a few of them bringing their dogs out for a bit of music and fresh air.

In anticipation of rain, most of the visitors sat across the street from the Laurel County Courthouse, hovered under the awning and trees at Cumberland Valley National Bank.

Eddy Green and Owen Reynolds opened the program for the headliner, The Swells, a jazz/blues band from Lexington.

This was Leanne Mays’ first time at a Thursday Night Live event.

“My husband and I just moved here from Pineville,” she said. “The band is very good. I like all kinds of music. It’s nice to get out with the rest of the community and meet people. Rudy (her dog) enjoys getting out and meeting other dogs.”

Kevin Taylor also enjoys getting out of the house and listening to music.

“It’s a chance to get out and enjoy music,” he said. “My favorite is jazz and blues, but I also like country and rock.”

Sisters Annette and Lois Dunaway enjoy the music and meeting people.

“I like coming here because it’s free and I can meet people and I can get out of the house,” Annette Dunaway said. “More people should come. Tonight is a little cold, though. If they came out, they would like it.”

“I like any kind of music,” Lois Dunaway said. “I’m not picky. I like jazz, rock, country.”

This year Thursday Night Live will host a different type of music every week through August 13.

Open mic is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and the headliners will perform at 8 p.m., except for June 18 when the London Community Orchestra will open the program at 7 p.m. with the open mic to follow.

The headliner for the June 11 event is Buford’s Atomic Outhouse, which plays rockabilly music.

For more information, visit www.thursdaynightlivedowntown.com or call 862-8841.

Staff writer Carol Mills can be reached at cmills@sentinel-echo.com.