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National recording and touring rock ’n’ roll band Drivin N Cryin is playing live Saturday in downtown Murphy.
Murphy – The first Murphy Music & Brews will be held from 4-10 p.m. Saturday on Tennessee Street downtown, which will be closed for the festival.
Taking the stage that day will be classic rock band Drivin N Cryin, plus War Hippies and more.
The event kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday with a brewing release party at Buck Bald Brewing, 106 Ocoee St. in Copperhill, Tenn., with music by Shannon York. All proceeds from these events benefit the work of Shepherd’s Men, which supports injured veterans seeking comprehensive help.
For details and to purchase tickets, visit murphymusicandbrews.com. For details about Shepherd’s Men, visit www.shepherdsmen.com.
Drivin N Cryin’s Kevin Kinney shared his thoughts of the event in a Q&A with Sheryl Sellaway.
Q: Tell us about your connection to veterans.
A: I try to remind people about the importance of our veterans serving presently and respecting the service – they’ve done for us in the past. I think a lot of people forget that some of these veterans are only 26 years old, if not younger. It’s a huge sacrifice that they’ve given us to put their lives on hold to serve our country.
I also try to remind people that the slogan, Support Our Troops is not a political statement. It’s a people statement. I became a big supporter of the Shepard’s Men initiative when I learned about SHARE Military Initiative’s hands-on approach to healing not only veterans but also their families.
Q: What keeps Drivin N Cryin together after all these years?
A: Although we had a hit record over 30 years ago (“Fly Me Courageous”), since then we have to pay our bills and make a living. And, yet, I would not keep doing this if I didn’t enjoy the music and camaraderie of travel with my friends. It’s been 38 years since we first played the small bars in Atlanta, but it’s been quite the adventure.
We try to live up to the expectations of our fans, who have been coming to see us either once or 50 times. We try to play every show like it’s our first and it’s our last. We always play songs that people want to hear from our catalog, but we also look forward to turning everyone onto a lot of the new songs.
Q: For your newer fans, how did you come up with the name, Drivin N Cryin?
A: The name Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ is actually a song title from my early punk rock band, The Prosecutors. It was a song about breaking up with a girl and hearing that one song on the radio that triggered that emotional response.
When I look out in the audience when we play “Straight to Hell,” I see a lot of that – and it warms my heart.