The 14th Annual Lanham Brothers Jamboree is slated for Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Produced and emceed by brothers Randy and Barry, the event is chocked full of talented musicians, dancers, comedians, and more.
Randy is a renowned musician that can play a wide array of instruments, while Barry specializes in clogging and square dancing. The two first began performing together at school assemblies when an opportunity presented itself to host a jamboree at the Merle Travis Center in Muhlenberg County.
“The first one we did, we loved it, and we knew we had to do more of this,” Randy said. “It’s traditional stuff that we grew up with and we’re keeping it alive with this show; we’re proud of the fact that we can pass it down.”
Following the first year, the brothers moved the event to Diamond Lake Campground before arriving at their current home in 2018 — the 447-seat Woodward Theatre inside the Hall of Fame. The show is also professionally filmed and aired on Kentucky Education Television (KET) as many as five times a week.
“The Bluegrass Hall of Fame is a perfect fit for what we do — traditional bluegrass and the Kentucky State Dance, clogging,” Barry said. “It fits in perfectly with what the museum is all about and KET likes it because we’re doing a lot of Kentucky-related music and dance.”
The program operates much like a variety show and features a plethora of bluegrass, country, and gospel music. Within the two-hour program, attendees can also expect to see interactive dances, comedy routines, and the two brothers going back and forth with each other as brothers do.
“We want people to feel like they’re part of the show … We try to keep it where the crowd doesn’t know what’s coming next,” Randy said.
The show prides itself on highlighting several young artists, as it has since its conception. Audience participation is an integral part of the experience, especially within the comedy skits.
Barry offers several clogging and dance classes to the area; those classes enroll dancers as young as four and as old as 82. Barry said the dance troops bring a strong sense of comradery and energy to the show.
“Clogging is and always has been an integral part of the jamboree,” Barry said. “Anyone is welcome to participate in the classes. We always have a lot of fun with it and the audience really enjoys it.”
A third of the seats available have already been purchased and both brothers expect a “sell-out” crowd. The tickets are $20 for preferred seating and $15 for reserved seating and can be purchased at bluegrasshall.org.
The show also features Corey Merritt, Leland Isbill, Jade Hagan, Kentuckiana, the Foot Stompin’ Express Cloggers, and many other special guests.
“The Jamboree has evolved tremendously over the years,” Barry said. “Everyone needs to try and purchase their tickets in advance — the event always sells out.”
