The band closing the 13th annual ForkFest this Sunday first played Leiper's Fork at an open mic that costs $7 to attend. Hippies & Cowboys headline the free concert on October 25 at the Lawnchair Theatre, 4144 Old Hillsboro Road. The Williamson Herald reported that the band was "first discovered at Fox & Locke in Leiper's Fork during Open Mic Night." Fox & Locke sits at 4142 Old Hillsboro Road.
So the village's biggest free show of the fall is headlined by a band its own Thursday night produced. Tonight, Thursday, October 22, is one of those Thursdays. The open mic runs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
How a Band Gets From Thursday to the Lawnchair Theatre
According to the Williamson Herald's account, the band's path through the village went like this:
- Hippies & Cowboys played Open Mic Night at Fox & Locke "a few times."
- They moved up to regular shows at the venue, played them multiple times, and began to sell out.
- They recorded a live album during one of those performances. On October 7, 2023, they released it at Fox & Locke to a sold-out room. The record is titled Live at Fox and Locke.
- This Sunday they headline ForkFest on the lawn behind Leiper's Creek Gallery, one address up the road from where they started.
The Herald's story also credits the band's lead vocalist, Aaron Sparling, and an original song that connected with the audience on that first open mic night. The same piece notes a performance at Franklin's Pilgrimage Music and Culture Festival, which brought national coverage in People Magazine.
The village ties go beyond one band. Williamson Source reports that ForkFest manager Casey Wasner produced the band's EP, Fork in the Road, and recorded it at his Purple House Studio in Leiper's Fork. The opener, singer-songwriter Alyssa Flaherty, is described as a frequent performer at Fox & Locke. She moved to Nashville from Annapolis, Maryland, has performed with Kevin Costner and his band Modern West, and sang "Amazing Grace" in Costner's film project Horizon: An American Saga.
"We're always excited to have Hippies & Cowboys in The Fork," Wasner said in a release quoted by Williamson Source. "They are one of the most exciting rock and soul bands in the country. We're lucky to have them this year."
Both acts on Sunday's bill play Fox & Locke regularly, and the festival manager runs a studio in the village. ForkFest works as the Sunday showcase for musicians the village has been hearing all year.
What Thursday Night Actually Looks Like
Fox & Locke runs the night with a sign-up window, a screening step and fixed set lengths. According to Fox & Locke's open mic page:
- Hours: every Thursday, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
- Cover: $7. The venue strongly recommends buying table tickets in advance because they sell out.
- Getting on the list: artists text 615-802-8585 between 3 and 3:30 p.m. that Thursday with their full name and a link to a live performance. Texts sent before 3 p.m. are not considered. Selected performers hear back by 4:30 p.m., along with their place in the order.
- Set length: two four-minute songs, or one song longer than four minutes that runs no more than eight.
- Gear on hand: three vocal mics, three DIs, three Fender guitar amps, a bass amp, a Nord Piano 4 keyboard and a Craviotto drum kit. Artists may bring their own guitars and other stringed instruments, but not their own amps, drums or keyboards.
The venue calls the process "VERY competitive," says a text does not guarantee a spot, and describes the final lineup as "the best of the best," chosen at management's discretion. A spot on the list does not include a table, so an artist's friends need their own table or standing-room tickets. The page also promises "up-and-coming talent of all ages, original music, all-time favorite covers, and even the occasional visit by Grammy-winning artists."
For a $7 ticket, that means a vetted lineup of short sets. A room that screens performers by recording at 3 p.m. and posts a running order by 4:30 is the kind of room where a band like Hippies & Cowboys gets noticed.
Planning Sunday Around a 3 P.M. Start
ForkFest starts at 3 p.m. It is free and happens rain or shine. Bring lawn chairs and follow the parking instructions at the village's east entrance. Pets and coolers are not allowed. Organizers encourage arriving early to browse the shops, eat at village restaurants and visit the food trucks before the music starts.
Because no coolers are allowed, an early lunch matters more than it does at most outdoor shows. Sunday hours vary from one spot to the next, so the order you go in matters:
| Stop | Address | Posted Sunday hours |
|---|---|---|
| The Country Boy | 4141 Old Hillsboro Road | 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. |
| Fox & Locke | 4142 Old Hillsboro Road | 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., free daytime music 12 – 6 p.m. |
| Leiper's Creek Gallery | 4144 Old Hillsboro Road | Noon – 5 p.m. |
| Patina Home and Garden | 4149 Old Hillsboro Road | Noon – 5 p.m. |
| Leiper's Fork Distillery | 3381 Southall Road | 10:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. |
The Country Boy stops serving at 2 p.m., so it works for a late breakfast or an early lunch, not a pre-show snack. Leiper's Creek Gallery opens at noon. The stage sits right behind it, so you can browse the gallery and then walk out back to the lawn. Patina Home and Garden, across the road at 4149, keeps the same noon-to-5 hours. Leiper's Fork Distillery is out on Southall Road rather than the Old Hillsboro strip and is open until 6 p.m., so it fits before or after the concert.
At Fox & Locke, Sunday daytime music is free from noon to 6 p.m. That window overlaps the ForkFest set, so you can hear music at both addresses on the same afternoon. These hours come from each business's own website, and posted hours can change, so check the morning of.
The Weekend on Either Side of the Festival
ForkFest is the middle of a full stretch on the Fox & Locke calendar. The venue's shows page lists:
- Thursday, Oct. 22: Open Mic Night, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 23: a songwriters' show with Jack Williams, Don Poythress, Tony Arata and Keith Stegall, 8 to 10 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 24: Johnny Mac, 8 to 10 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 31: Loose Lips, 8 to 10 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 5: Open Mic Night, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
- Friday, Nov. 6: Charles "Wigg" Walker, 8 to 10 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 7: The Bicho Brothers, 8 to 10 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Diana's Mambo Maniacs, 7 to 9 p.m.
In four days, this weekend covers the venue's whole range: open stage Thursday, an established songwriters' round Friday, a booked act Saturday and the free outdoor show Sunday. Evening shows at Fox & Locke generally carry a cover. Weekend daytime music is free on Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
The Next Free Date on Old Hillsboro Road
After ForkFest, the village's next big free gathering is Pickin' Leiper's Fork. The 10th annual edition is Saturday, November 14, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at PROPS, 4208 Old Hillsboro Road. Visit Franklin lists PROPS, Leiper's Fork and The Vintage Vault at PROPS as hosts. Vendors will sell vintage, antique and artisan goods, with music and food trucks. Like ForkFest, it is free and goes on rain or shine.
The Thursday open mic on November 5 lands nine days before that Saturday. Anyone hoping to play it should be ready to text at 3 p.m. sharp that afternoon.
If you're spending Sunday afternoon on the lawn behind Leiper's Creek Gallery, we'd love to hear what you think of the show and which open mic acts you're watching in the Fork. At Janelle Waggener, we follow what's happening along Old Hillsboro Road the same way our neighbors do, and we're always glad to talk about life in this part of Williamson County. Let's Connect.