Our Performers
Our Performers are like family to us. We have always wanted SMAC to feel like a respite.. a bit of a home away from home … complete with bountiful food, a personalized cake, and country hospitality. Our staff don’t wear back stage laminates … they wear smiles and thoughtful caring on their sleeves. There is a pool table, ping pong, games, puzzles, a gloves and baseball, frisbees, and lots of books to read ..and a TV to watch the big game. A Hi Fi with over 1000 records is the star of the green room and when the turn table is off there are many keyboards to warm up on. Our dogs might come down for a piece of pizza that we have made for the band after the show to give you your “dog fix”. We invite them to put their phones away for a bit and remember what its like to sack out on a couch, listen records and play pool in your childhood basement. :>)
From Mary Chapin
“For so many years Stone Mountain Arts Center has been one of the absolute highlights of our tour itinerary. From the comfort of the band and crew spaces (vintage vinyl! comfy fall-asleep sofas! screened porch with crickets soundtrack! pool table!) to the INCREDIBLE food, snacks and beverages, we look forward to pulling in and camping out for a couple of days…. no matter how wrecked from travel and shows we are when we arrive, we always leave restored, having been fed, cared for, feted, and spoiled rotten. Carol and Jeff and their beautiful staff have created an oasis for touring musicians–may it continue to heal and bless all of us fortunate road warriors!”
From Rickie Lee Jones
“Stone Mountain is stellar in so many ways. Small and very personal, the folks who run it go out of their way to make the time the artist is there a welcoming and unique one. Pool table, lots of things to do back there, lots and lots of foods—more than the rider. They make you dinner too. And a big fat cake.” Her road diary video.
Mavis and Me … Twenty Years by Carol Noonan
Sometimes my job can be a lot physically and mentally . This year in particualar with my “knee-dness” (that is thankfully behind me) and the always challenging day to days here at SMAC….it can some days feel disheartening. And when we have shows that should but don’t sell out or slow weeks or things break down, or bad weather, or any number of weekly uphill battles we face, I tend to forget why we do this and focus on the negative…shame on me!
Until Mavis reminded me….
Mavis was here in February and I still feel the warmth from her. Up until then, we hadn’t seen Mavis for almost a decade. With her sister and band mate Yvonne’s passing and and one of her beloved back up singers Donny Gerrard as well, it seemed opening for big tours was a good alternative to her own tour. She has opened for so many big acts and was thrust deservedly into the main stream more than ever before. We were so happy so many more people, were finally discovering this musical legend and steward of such an important part of our history musically and morally. Of course that meant that SMAC was not on her itinerary as usual and we have sorely missed her.
We always felt we were a little more special to her than most venues and I even sang with her here on stage a few times. We had lots of talks about dogs, comfort food, Cape Cod chips, the state of the world, and Bob Dylan professing his love for her… I felt close to her and the band in a very privileged and grateful way.
But ten years is a long time and it is not lost on me how many people Mavis has seen and embraced over her career, and at 86, she had every right not to recall me fully or at all. After all, the life she has lead from Martin Luther King and presidents to every musical giant you could name, myself and SMAC are a blip on Mavis’ very full life. So when I hurried to the green room to say hello, I prepared myself for a cordial greeting at best or none at all as she may not have been up for seeing people before the show. And that would have been fine…Mavis was here … good friggin enough!!”
But this picture says it all. As I came through the door, I spied her admiring Susie’s cake and a home baked pie, and uttering “hmmm blueberry pie … that Carol takes such good care of us”. At that moment she turned around and she jumped in place. We both screamed and fell into each other’s arms.
Tears flowed, and we didn’t let go for a long time. It was good to feel her Mavis squeeze again. Not only did she remember me, she asked how my sisters were and the “puppies” and how great the green room looked with all the new murals. We compared new knee stories and laughed and the band all took pictures of us, me head down and red faced, and her looking up at me with that smile and teasing me that I had not taken off my apron since last time.
The show was the church of Mavis and she inspired us all with her messages of kindness and love and some humor peppered in to.. Like referring to my new knees on stage ..thanks Mavis!! A funny moment at my expense I was honored to be victim to. It was a joyous night. Many people cried for the hope and joy that she exudes.
I tell you all this because the feeling she gave me was one of rrejuvenation and love for SMAC, our staff and you all. I guess we are as special as we have hoped to be. And in this year celebrating our 20th anniversary we will strive to continue to be what the likes of Mavis Staples I would humbly say, cherishes.
