Looking every bit like the hometown buddies they are, country music star Jake Owen was joined on the stage at Riverside Theatre last Friday evening by Scotty Emerick, yet another acclaimed Vero native whose songs have been recorded by some of the biggest stars in Nashville. Joining them around a mock campfire against a backdrop of tropical palm trees and twinkling stars were two other famed Nashville songwriter friends, Jimmy Ritchey and Phillip White.
The four singer/songwriters, along with the rest of Owen’s talented crew of musicians, most of whom have been with him for the past 10 years, performed the first of two intimate acoustic concerts Friday evening to benefit the Jake Owen Foundation. Seats had sold out so quickly, a second concert was added for Saturday evening.
The eclectic throng of ticket holders began gathering early – for choice parking spaces and to chow down on some great food and loosen up with liquid refreshments. Suspending its usual taboos, Riverside allowed audience members to bring drinks into the theater and continually replenish them throughout the night, and sanctioned the use of cellphone cameras and videos. Some attendees even appeared to be face-timing the concert to their families at home.
“You’ve got to love somebody who makes it really, really big and still comes back to support his home town,” said Edie DuBord, attending with a contingent of fellow John’s Island residents.
And support it he unquestionably has. Owen and his tennis phenom schoolmate Mardy Fish began hosting a series of fundraising events in 2006 to raise money for local after-school enrichment programs. Since then, more than $1 million has been raised to benefit the Jake Owen Foundation and the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation; roughly 80 percent remaining in Indian River County.
This time, in addition to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, the Jake Owen Foundation was distributing concert proceeds to host partner Riverside Theatre for its youth programs, the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, Hibiscus Children’s Center, Youth Guidance of IRC, Education Foundation of IRC, FIT’s Scott Center for Autism Treatment, IR Golf Foundation and the Boys & Girls Clubs of IRC, where the new Vero facility will have a Jake Owen Performing Arts Center.
To add to the concert coffers, County Commissioner Wesley Davis started things off with an auction of an AR 15 rifle, tour tickets, three acoustic guitars and a golf cart. To the delight of the crowd, Owen came out to offer the pièce de résistance, a 30-minute putting lesson from Jordan Spieth, Masters, U.S. Open and FedEx Cup champion, which alone sold for $10,000.
But it was the music the fans came to hear, and while noticeably more subdued than the raucous crowds at his outdoor concerts, the audience was certainly no less appreciative.
“We thought we’d shake it down a little; do it more like the way it was,” said Owen, referring to the early days when they would all just sit around and sing. Saying he was flattered by the attention he gets wherever he goes in Vero, he in turned thanked the hometown crowd for its continual support. “I just want tonight to be an intimate night of good songs.”
With fans calling out suggestions for their favorites, Owen and his friends entertained with wide variety of songs they’d written together and individually, including a couple of brand new ones. Even Owen’s bulldog Merle put in an appearance as Emerick sang his witty song, “Love Me Like My Dog.” And before playing “I Love This Bar,” co-written by Emerick and Toby Keith, Owen gave a special shout out to David Lane, owner of Riverside Café, where his career was essentially launched.
“Vero Beach has a lot to be proud of with these two guys right here,” said Ritchey.
The audience couldn’t have agreed more.
