Soul Jam brings old-school music to a big venue

For those who like to hear live old-school music, but don’t especially like a crowded night club, Soul Jam is just the thing for them.

The annual music festival, held in conjunction with Memorial Day, drew a large crowd to Henderson Stadium in Macon on Sunday. But attendees had plenty of room to spread out. Most were lugging in coolers, beach umbrellas, canopies, folding chairs and other amenities to get ready for a long evening of entertainment.

Most of the crowd set up on the field, with the stage in the end zone, but some people also were in the stands.

Keith Tuggle, of Macon, said he has been coming to the event since it started 18 years ago.

“I like the outdoors and watching people,” he said. “It’s kind of old school, too. Not a lot of young folks.”

He is originally from Griffin and brought 17 friends from there who were making their first visit. One of those was Rodney Askin, who came to see the headline group Cameo.

“I’m enjoying it,” he said. “I think I will be back next year.”

State Sen. David Lucas said the original organizers of the event were going to shut it down after about three years. He took it over and has been organizing it ever since. Part of the proceeds go toward a scholarship fund in memory of Lucas’ son, Al Lucas, who died as a result of a spinal cord injury suffered in an indoor football game.

Lucas said he definitely thinks the venue has a lot to do with the popularity of the event.

“It’s outdoors,” he said. “People like bringing their lawn chairs and bringing their coolers.”

All coolers are checked to make sure there are no bottles so that there won’t be any broken glass on the field when football season starts.

John and Vanessa Carter drove down from Winder to see the show. They have come for the past five years. They were relaxing under a canopy they has set up on the visitor’s seating area of the stadium with a big cooler of cold beverages behind them.

“I don’t like the grass,” Vanessa Carter said. “It makes me itch.”

But she said she has always enjoyed the music acts that come to the festival, and the relaxed nature of the event, and that’s why they make the drive to see it.

The first act of the night was Glam, whose real name is Lachun Brown. She began with an original song that she said will be available soon.

Shortly after 7 p.m., before Cameo and the other main act, Con Funk Shun, took to the stage, Lucas estimated that about 3,500 people were in the stadium.

This story was originally published May 29, 2016 at 7:35 PM with the headline "Soul Jam brings old-school music to a big venue."