by Shawn Nowlin
When the Salem Civic Center agreed to host its first-ever drive-in concert on June 18, Crawford & Power were who they wanted to headline the show. The country music duo from Franklin County, consisting of Jake Crawford and Ethan Powers, has many notable songs in their music discography.
When the two hit the stage, they performed the fan favorites “She Liked to Get High” and “Dancing Alone,” among other songs. The civic center parking lot had space for roughly 200 vehicles. Tickets, which went for $50 a car, sold quickly.
Last Thursday marked the first time in months that Crawford & Power performed in front of a live audience. The same goes for their back up band which consists of guitarist Eric Gress, drummer Chris “TK” Wimmer and bassist Alex Alcantara.
Samantha Rye, who attended the concert with her siblings, said she certainly got her money’s worth.
“When I heard about the show through my best friend, I immediately made sure that I was free Thursday night. I love country music and Crawford & Power are among my favorites,” she said. “The best part of the show was seeing the community dancing and having a good time.”
This marks three times that Crawford & Power have performed in Salem. In 2019, they opened for headliner Cody Johnson at the civic center. The year before that, they opened for Maddie & Tae at the city’s annual Star-BQ.
Salem native Tammie Franklin says she was present for all three occasions. “As much as I love listening to music, nothing – absolutely nothing – beats seeing your favorite artists perform live. I plan on attending more Crawford & Power shows in the future.”
Wendy Delano, Salem’s Director of Civic Facilities, said, “We wanted to bring the excitement of live music back to the community. By utilizing our versatile facilities, we were able to put on a successful concert in the parking lot, all while adhering to social distancing.”
