What a way to end the “O Cantor, Where Art Thou?” barnstorm tour of the 7th District! The good folks in Glen Allen sure know how to make a congressional candidate, a bluegrass band and a host of volunteers feel right at home.
Local bluegrass outfit The Hotseats opened for Dr. Ralph Stanley, and they did their elder proud. They performed a series of Virginia-inspired bluegrass tunes that perfectly prepared the audience for the soulful and weary notes that have become the hallmark of Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys.
By the time Wayne Powell took the stage, the room was more than warmed up; it was on fire! And once Wayne began his righteous tirade against the corporate interests that Eric Cantor so gleefully endorses, the crowd was on their feet and cheering.
Ralph Stanley closed the show by throwing on a banjo and performing a nimble, high-speed banjo riff, the kind of playing that shouldn’t be possible for an 85 year old.
The show at the Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center was the ideal way to conclude our district wide tour. Across six different towns, we spread the message of social justice and economic fairness. We argued for women’s reproductive rights and we argued against corporate plutocracy.
Historically, the whole point of a barnstorm was to take your campaign to the people. To be held accountable by the citizen’s who’s vote your seeking and to connect with the folks you hope to represent.
Our goal was to bring an old-fashioned, down-home barnstorm to the 7th District.
And today, that’s exactly what we did.
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