Have you ever been sitting at the dinner table and all of a sudden, your mind just wanders off to places that you haven't visited in years?
That's what happened to me earlier this evening. While I was enjoying my meal, I vividly remembered attending a gospel concert at the Gospel Chicken House. Yes, that's a real place in Virginia (just go to gospelchickenhouse.org and you'll see for yourself) and through its 30+ years of existence, the owners have hosted a long list of Southern Gospel artists. I was there in the mid-1990s, and singing that night was Carroll Roberson and some regional groups.
Just like the name implies, the building is a chicken house - remodeled, of course, for a supper-club format, but let's be honest: How many venues do you know that have the name "The Gospel Chicken House?"
Well, that flashback has stirred a few thoughts. I started recalling some other "off-the-beaten-path" concert venues where I've witnessed Southern Gospel music performed: Car dealership parking lots, a carpet store parking lot, cruise ships, several pastures (anyone remember the Bishops' homecoming event when it was in Red Lick?), a working train depot (the groups sang between passing trains - and if anyone dared called for an encore, the song would get lost in the sound of the train horn), race tracks, two funeral homes (please, please refrain from making jokes about the song selections that took place here - although no one could keep a straight face when one group closed with an invitation, singing "Lord, I'm Coming Home"), numerous high school football and baseball fields, school lunchroom stages, amusement parks, state parks, an airport hanger (talk about reverb...) and the list goes on.
Truth be told, I guess I've experienced Southern Gospel music in about every type of venue possible. BUT...somewhere out there, I bet there's someone who's got a story who can top anything I can come up with. And, that's exactly what I'm looking for: Tell me about the most unusual place you've ever attended - or performed - a Southern Gospel concert. I'll post your stories (or the best ones if there are several) in future posts in Danny's Diary.
By the way, did I mention the time I saw a concert performed in a wrestling ring? At least they had taken the ropes off!
