Rockin' on the river

Although it has been 10 years since his death in a Massachusetts traffic accident, Lee Laurence still has the power to inspire Augusta musicians.

On Saturday, a nine-band bill will gather at Jessye Norman Amphitheater at the Day by the River Memorial Music Festival, paying tribute to Mr. Laurence, a sound engineer with close ties to many Augusta acts. Proceeds will benefit the rebuilding effort at the Georgia Theatre in Athens.

Acts will include Fried Goat, Tara Scheyer & the Mudpuppy Band, Snapdragon, Shaun Piazza, Grady Nickel, Stewart & Winfield, In Like Flynn, Bloodkin and Dead Confederate. Some, such as In Like Flynn, play only sporadically, and others, such as Snapdragon, have not performed publicly in years.

"You had to know Lee," said Brian Brittingham, one of the event's organizers and a member of In Like Flynn. "To me and to a lot of other people, he was a real focal point. I mean, it got to the point where bands were calling me and we had to turn people away."

David Nickel, the bass player with regional rock act Bloodkin, said that although his band is associated with the Athens music community, it was important to him to return to his hometown and play in his fallen friend's honor.

"My first time playing ever was an open-mike night at the Red Lion," he said. "And I'm sure it was Lee Laurence there, running sound."

Named for the setting and the band that Mr. Laurence was on tour with when he died, Day by the River was scheduled at the amphitheater because organizers felt it was important to make it family-friendly. Although Mr. Laurence spent most evenings in bars with bands, those who knew and loved him find themselves in slightly different situations today.

"So much has happened in 10 years, and kids are a big, big part of that," said Coco Rubio, one of the organizers. "That's part of what makes this cool and part of what excited me."

Mr. Nickel compared the event to the weddings and funerals at which old friends often reconnect. He is excited to see friends he has missed over the years and bands he hasn't heard in a long time.

Although organizers had discussed a charity that might benefit from the concert, it wasn't until well into the planning process, when the historic Georgia Theatre caught fire, that they felt they had found the correct cause.

"Before that, nothing really seemed to make sense," Mr. Brittingham said. "But Lee, like a lot of us, spent a lot of time in that theater. It was something that, for us, just felt right."

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.

LOVE FOR LEXIE

The second annual Lexie's Legacy benefit concert will take place at 9 p.m. Friday at Sky City, 1157 Broad St. The show will feature Allgood Asylum, Doug James, Jemani, Reed Brown Beret and the Vellotones. The cover is $5, and the proceeds go to the Lexie's Legacy scholarship fund, benefiting married women seeking college degrees. Go to skycityaugusta.com.

THE MARKET IS CLOSED, LONG LIVE THE MARKET

Although the Saturday Market downtown has closed for the year, vendors of fine produce, baked goods and assorted crafts and cookery aren't willing to call it quits just yet. They will join New Life Natural Foods for a festival from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Fairway Square, 2825 Washington Road. The event will feature fresh produce, handmade arts and crafts, herbs, local honey, fresh-baked bread and flowers. Call (706) 627-0128.