 Nick Jamerson and the Morning Jays were in town Friday evening to play as the first official headlining act for Pikeville's newest music venue, The Great Hall. We caught up with Jamerson during soundcheck just before the concert to ask what the moment meant to him. It's pretty surreal, honestly. I got my start playing out in Pikeville probably 16 years ago, 16, 17 years ago, the old champs building, which is the first broken room location, so it's just, like I said, it's really surreal. This feels like a really full circle moment of a lot of hours spent traveling and to have a place like this now within reasonable driving distance of my house, it feels really good. When asked what he feels is the difference between the local music scene and those in larger cities, Jamerson shared his thoughts as well as the names of some talented local acts. There's people getting out and I think shopping local and putting your money back into your community, getting out and supporting each other and these artists that have, there's so many great singer-songwriters around here. I'm part of, I feel like a super group, you know, it's Nicholas Jamerson in the morning Jays, but my bass player, Jordan Allen, he's the lead singer of his own band, Jordan Allen and the Bell Weathers, we'll still be here next week playing, my keys player and fiddle player, their brothers, Brother Smith, that's a good band, Grayson Jenkins, Abbey Hamilton. There's a group called Mirrod Image that, you familiar with those guys, Jake Ratlis and Jake plays with a lot of different bands, LaPak Country Picker, Luna and the Mountain Jets, Wayne Graham, it's one of my favorite bands, they're from over in White'sburg. I could really go on and on, it's really amazing the people that are putting music out and the habit for a long time. I feel like that's why these stages have been built because people like that have gone ahead and made the music and been working on the craft and now I feel like it's time for us to embrace them as a community and give them a stage to play on. Here at Pikeville Medical Center's Heart and Vascular Institute, we have assembled a comprehensive team of cardiac specialists bringing expertise from all regions of the nation and the world. We have coupled that with cutting edge technology, providing them the best equipment and operating rooms available. The result is comprehensive cardiac care for the people of our region that is second to none. The Heart and Vascular Institute at Pikeville Medical Center. I don't think it's about being famous or anything like that, it's just giving people an opportunity to be themselves and express themselves and get that legitimate sort of experience. Like there's nothing like a stage, it's a lot different than being in a corner and kind of having to fight over people but when you're on a stage or under those lots and I think that's another thing too is people around here, not just artists or fans but industry, just recognizing the music industry as a legitimate way of life. I've been able to do this for 10 years, going on 11, 12 years as a full time musician and it can be done. I think it's exciting times being here so just have to keep going, keep doing the work. For Mountain Top News, I'm Joshua Slum.