Stanley’s Pub (323 Stanley Ave., Columbia-Tusculum) kicks off its 10th anniversary Stanley’s Summer Music Festival on Thursday with one of the Jam circuit’s most popular Roots/Americana/Bluegrass-fueled bands. Great American Taxi was formed by Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman when he was trying to build an all-star band for a benefit concert and the all-stars stuck together. Herman, a West Virginia native, and GAT continue to support worthy causes with music, offering a preview of their next album that adds another voice to the debate over mountaintop coal mining, considered by many to be an Appalachian eco-disaster in the making. (Download “Blair Mountain” at www.greatamericantaxi.com and learn more about the cause.) Rumpke Mountain Boys open the 9 p.m. fest opener. Friday’s Summer Music Festival lineup is local-centric and very eclectic, with Skeetones, Shotski, Headband and Manifest Station, while Saturday’s closing-night bill continues the diversity with The Clifftones, Jerry’s Little Band, Revenge Pinata and Freeform Connection. 6 p.m. start both nights
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This article appears in Aug 10-16, 2011.