Forgotten Highway entertained a crowd of nearly 500 people at Lake Farley Park Friday, July 15. The group was originally scheduled to open for Craig Morgan as part of the first annual Lake Farley Summer Event Series country concert. The group had to take over top billing when Morgan’s son suddenly passed away.
“All things considered, the concert went really well,” said Milbank Area Chamber of Commerce Events Director Laura Kelly. “It is not what we originally hoped for, but everyone made the best of it and it turned out to be a perfect night for an outdoor country concert.”
“We sincerely want to thank the Milbank Chamber of Commerce and Laura Kelly for all their hard work making this concert happen,” stated Andrew Goblirsch, lead singer and band manager for Forgotten Highway. “Without them, none of this would have been possible. They have been great in bringing famous people to small-towns. We thank them with all our hearts.”
The band began as a college project when Andrew and several college friends got together to share their music. Over the past two or three years musicians have come and gone in the band, but the group has grown in notoriety and become popular in the Midwest. “We have worked hard and gained a reputation as a very good opening act,” said Andrew.
Andrew is also a college student at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. Lead guitarist, Christian Walsh, is 16 years old and a student at O’Neill Public High School in O’Neill, Nebraska. Other members of the band are: Brenna on the fiddle, Chad on the drums, Mitch on the bass guitar, and Amy who provides vocal harmony. “ The amount of talent on the stage with us is unbelievable,” said Andrew.
The group travels throughout the Midwest and plays approximately eight times a month during the summer and three to four times a month during the school year. “With all the requests we started to get this year we are arranging our schedules to meet those demands,” Andrew explained. “When you love what you do, you make time for it.” Christian added, “It’s a job, but doesn’t feel like a job because you love it.”
With the sudden change in the concert in Milbank, the group quickly had to make adjustments to its normal set as well as dozens of other preparations. “It’s a lot more work to put on a two-hour show compared to our usual opening act,” Andrew said. “We had to hire a production company and provide our own sound system, lights, and equipment – normally, we just use the headliner’s equipment. But the adjustments and hard work were all worth it.”
In the coming months, the band will travel to Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Indiana. Forgotten Highway will also open for Blackhawk at the Sturgis Bike Rally in August. For additional information about the group and its upcoming schedule, please visit www.forgottenhighwayofficial.com.
Click here to view our full album of photos from The Forgotten Highway concert!
Staff Writer
No comments so far.
Be first to leave comment below.