ELKTON — Elkton Music Hall celebrated its one year anniversary on Saturday with the same band that played during the hall’s debut, Cosmic Guilt. Over the past year, owners Ric Cunningham and Katie Salsbury have welcomed over 500 musicians and guests to the venue while seeing audiences grow as more bands come to play.
Cunningham and Salsbury moved here eight years ago from Washington D.C., and fell in love with Elkton’s small town vibes. After getting exhausted from traveling miles to see live music, the couple decided to launch their dream business right here in Elkton and bring the music to the people.
“I think the biggest accomplishments are seeing people having a good time and getting to meet so many people here locally and people that are traveling in and just love music and get what we’re trying to do here. At the end of the day, it’s a lot of hard work, but seeing the people smiling and singing along, dancing like that is the single most greatest compliment, you know, seeing it working,” said Cunningham.
Elkton Music Hall has a 300 person capacity, and has had three sold out shows, including their fourth show ever last summer when Sungold performed.
For the first time in his career, booking agent Ron Ozner is working with over 500 agents worldwide to cull musicians to Elkton Music Hall. His goal is to keep booking shows, because the more people that come through the venue the more visibility they have. They’ve received great feedback from the bands. Since opening, folk legend Tom Paxton performed and told the crowd to look at their website and get tickets to a show by someone they’ve never heard of, because that is how he got famous, according to Ozner who was working that night.
“They take care of the artists, they respect the artists. Which you don’t get too often. So the hospitality of everyone in town is wonderful, it’s just got that really good little small town feel. I like playing gigs in small towns where you get to talk to almost every single person there,” said lead singer of Cosmic Guilt, James Everhart.
Elkton Music Hall brings the town to life as the bands draw in a big crowd that fills the restaurants and bars with business around showtime.
Everhart feels honored to have been the first band to open for EMH and was excited to play their anniversary show.
“It’s always an honor when I get asked to do something like that because that’s that community’s baby. Everyone there in that town, they were all so proud of it and still are. And it was very flattering to be asked to step out on their first night and receive their trust,” said Everhart when reflecting on their opening show last summer.
Lead vocalist in one of the opening bands, Kid Davis and the Bullets, Michael Davis is a long time favorite musician of Everhart and even played at his wedding. Everheart plans on helping produce the Bullets next album. Being some of each other’s favorite musicians, they love working together and had a blast performing on Saturday at Elkton Music Hall.
“There’s no reason to do it if you’re not having fun,” said Davis.
There is more music overflowing from downtown Elkton, to catch the next show visit their website. Maybe you’ll find your new favorite artist.
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