Backroad Anthem to Headline 73rd Annual White River Water Carnival
Backroad Anthem to Headline 73rd Annual White River Water Carnival
The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC) in conjunction with sponsor, First Community Bank, have announced that the country/rock band Backroad Anthem will headline the 73rd White River Water Carnival on August 27th. “First Community Bank faithfully supports the annual White River Water Carnival,” said Dale Cole, Chairman and CEO. “Our sponsorship of the headliner, Backroad Anthem, is an opportunity to provide an evening of free, family-friendly entertainment to the community as well as regional visitors. The Water Carnival is rich in heritage and is a tradition that we want to carry forward for future generations. I encourage our entire community to get behind the event and make this year’s carnival the best ever. It is a great opportunity to bring visitors to our area, in turn, enhancing our local economy. ”
Based out of Fayetteville, AR, Backroad Anthem began as a band of six talented singers, instrumentalists and writers who came together in 2012 out of a joint love for music – and a desire to make a sound that is fresh, rollicking and respectful of the past while steering full steam ahead into the future. Melding influences from nineties country to bluegrass to classic rock, they started out at church and quickly saw the promise behind what would become what we now know as Backroad Anthem – Strickland on lead vocal and guitar, Toby Freeman (Lead Vocals/Electric), Eric Dysart (Fiddle), Josh Bryant (Lead Electric), Brandon Robold (Bass/Vocals) and Isaac Senty (Drums). Strickland was a vigorous force – “extra extraordinary,” as Freeman puts it, with a natural knack for frontman duties. Freeman lent sublime balance and smart harmonies, while the rest of the band filled out their songs with passionate and energetic instrumental performances that pushed their sound straight to the cutting edge of the genre.
Hardworking and determined, Strickland and the entire crew of Backroad Anthem was laser-focused on bringing their dreams to reality. With a sound that melded the bombast of modern country with the infectious fuzz of rock and an absolutely electric live show, they worked tirelessly to write songs, hone their sound and hit the road behind acts like Jake Owen, Justin Moore, Sam Hunt, Little Big Town, Chris Young, Josh Turner, Gary Allan, Easton Corbin, Tyler Farr, Joe Nichols, Eli Young Band and Dustin Lynch, all the while making frequent trips to Nashville.
After a busy year in the studio and on the road, the band took some time over the holidays to spend time with family and friends and reflect on the months ahead. They’d just made a video for “Torn,” and there was talk of the single bubbling around Nashville and even generating record label interest. One day in late December of 2015, Strickland set out to go duck hunting with one of his dear friends – as an avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed all pursuits where he could be in nature and get his hands dirty, and he constantly made sure he still carved out time for his close-knit community from outside the demands of the music world. He and his friend Chase Moreland headed to Oklahoma on a stormy but ideal day for one of their favorite sports, and soon disappeared – their bodies were found days later.
There were many emotions that Backroad Anthem felt in the wake of such a massive, unimaginable loss. They cried, they prayed, they held their loved ones even closer than before. They thought of Strickland nonstop, and pondered long and hard about what their next steps would be, could be. Soon, one thing became clear – they couldn’t give up. Strickland might not be with them in physical form, but playing the music they loved, created and lived would be the best possible way they knew to keep his memory and spirit alive. “Craig had something special inside of him,” says Freeman, who would now have to undertake the tremendous task of assuming lead vocals alone without Strickland at his side. And it was something he had to do for the first time as the band performed at a set of tribute shows to Strickland, filled to the gills with friends, fans and everyone who had been moved by his music. Freeman and the band were
nervous, but after they finished the first set they felt even more certain about their decision to continue. “After I played those two shows I realized Craig is still guiding us,” he says. “And remembered how passionate he was. He is a light that’s inside all of us, and gave us all the ability to move forward.”
The concert will take place on the main amphitheater stage in Riverside Park at the 73rd Annual White River Water Carnival on August 27th. Admission is free to community members and visitors. BACC invites you to visit www.whiteriverwatercarnival.com to view the full lineup of carnival entertainment.
Contact: Jamie Rayford, Chief Operating Officer | jamie.rayford@mybatesville.org | (870) 793-2378 | (870) 283-9188 (M) | (870) 793-3061 (F) | www.mybatesville.org
The White River Water Carnival is a free, family event that features entertainment, food vendors, craft and commercial vendors, a parade, and kids’ activities. Kids’ activities require the purchase of admission tokens and are currently sponsored in part by FNBC, McDonald’s, Walmart, and Westrock Orthodontics. The parade is currently sponsored by FutureFuel Chemical Company. Other carnival entertainment is currently sponsored by Bad Boy Mowers, Citizens Bank, Cup’d Up Outdoors, First Community Bank, Flowers Baking Company, Life Plus, Merchants & Planters Bank, Ozark Mountain Poultry, Peco, Sherwood Urgent Care, Sonic Drive-In, Southern Bank, and White River Health System. For more information, please contact the BACC at (870) 793-2378.
