🤠 Homecoming Show: Spencer Hatcher Brings Nashville Success Back to the Valley 🎶 🎸

Fellow Winstigators,

In last week’s issue, I included a link to the Spencer Hatcher concert that went down on Friday night at Backseat Events in Winchester. After having listened to some of Spencer Hatcher’s music earlier this fall, I decided to grab my camera and head down to the show to snap some photos.

First of all, if you haven’t been to a concert at Backseat Events, you owe it to yourself to check it out. It’s a great venue, and one that should be able to bring major acts through the Valley as it becomes increasingly well-known and popular. It’s a spacious room with great acoustics and lights that’d rival DC area venues of similar size (think 9:30 Club, Fillmore Silver Spring, etc). There’s a mezzanine section if you want to sit up high and have a great view, and a spacious bar area so you’re not on top of fellow concert-goers if you need to get a drink.

When I got there, the parking lot was almost packed and there was a line out front of Spencer Hatcher die-hards waiting in the cold. Good news was that the nice people at Backseat Events opened the doors early to allow people in…let me tell you, I’ve stood in lines at venues all over the place in blistering heat and frigid temperatures and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a venue open the doors 30 minutes early because they knew their patrons were outside in the elements and wanted to take care of them. A classy move by a great venue run by good people and it was much appreciated.

You know you’re in for a night of good music when the opening band rips through their set and leaves you wanting more and that’s exactly what Winchester’s own Cedar Creek Grade did.

Cedar Creek Grade is a band consisting of local talents that met each other playing at open mic nights around Winchester and decided to form a band. Through jamming together, they’ve formed Cedar Creek Grade and they’ve been playing shows in the area for a little over a year.

CCG kicked off the night with an fantastic version of The Animals “House of the Rising Sun,” and played some of their original songs that they expertly wove into their set with other covers like “Come Together” by the Beatles, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses and “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones.

Lead guitarist David Parker shredded on guitar, playing familiar favorites note for note with rhythm guitarist Sam Poster holding down the pocket with precision. Bassist Dean Rocco and drummer Marty Bernstein provided the backbone and groove, giving CCG a powerful engine for lead singer Farren Winter’s vocals to soar. Her voice is seamlessly versatile, moving from blues to southern rock and then hard rock with a captivating power that demands attention.

The best bands often cut their teeth on covers. It’s where band members learn to listen to each other and how to lock in rhythmically, knowing where to push and pull in frameworks that have already been established and created, allowing for a focus on cohesion instead of composition. And Cedar Creek Grade has it, that chemistry that’s palpable to everyone in the room. This isn’t a group of people who are figuring out how to play their instruments and trying to learn as they go; instead they’re highly proficient musicians that can make covers their own without losing what made them great in the first place. And now that they’re starting to write their own songs, CCG is a band you should want to go see anytime, anywhere.

Spencer Hatcher was raised on a farm in Broadway, Virginia and started playing a five string banjo in his family’s bluegrass band at age 11. In 2020, he formed his own band, breaking away from his bluegrass roots by focusing on country music and by 2023 he was booking 150+ shows a year on his own. His brother, Connor, plays bass in his band and in 2024, they signed with Stone Country Records out of Nashville. His debut single “When She Calls Me Cowboy” was a top 10 Most Added Song in country radio and he just released his debut EP “Honky Tonk Hideaway” last month.

But it’s the specific path to this moment that’s a great story. During the COVID lockdown in July of 2020, he posted a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” on TikTok and went to bed with 24 followers. When he woke up, he had over 10,000 followers and that video eventually reached 2.4 million views. Hatcher quickly found himself introducing his bluegrass roots and traditional country music to a generation raised on pop country and bro-country and now has over 700,000 followers on TikTok, built on authenticity and the refusal to compromise his sound.

Hatcher’s sound is firmly based in what some people call “real country music” or “80s/90s country.” It’s the sound that dominated country music before country music went pop and took a detour towards “bro country.” It’s the era of country that gave us George Strait, Alan Jackson, Vince Gill and Keith Whitley. This sound is based around steel guitars and fiddles, honky-tonk piano, twang and stories about real life with glossy and clear production values. It’s a brand of country music that’s making a comeback in a major way as younger audiences are starting to reject “bro country” sounds with snap tracks and hip-hop beats.

And that’s where Hatcher fits, right in the revival of this sound that country music fans have rediscovered over the past few years. It’s a recognition of his real-deal authenticity and the fans gathered at Backseat Events on Friday night were excited to hear it at his homecoming show. When I was standing outside in line waiting to get in, there was no shortage of people wearing Spencer Hatcher gear. It’s a quickly growing and exceedingly loyal fanbase that’s excited for the local boy making good. It’s also a fanbase that transcends generational boundaries; there were fans young and old that came out to see him.

For Hatcher, it wasn’t just another tour stop; it was a homecoming. Growing up in Broadway, spending Friday nights in middle school and high school playing bluegrass shows at the local community center with his family, Hatcher is now representing the Valley in a big way on the national stage. The fans who packed the show weren’t just there to hear songs, they were there to witness one of their own return with Nashville success.

Not only is Spencer Hatcher a great recording artist with great songs, but he’s also a fantastic performer. He wasn’t just there to play his music and rush off the stage, he was there to put on a show and connect with fans in a genuine way, putting together a setlist that consisted of his original songs like his newest single, “Honky Tonk Hideaway” and established favorites such “The Way She Lies” mixed in with covers of Travis Tritt’s “T-R-O-U-B-L-E” and Hank Williams Jr.’s “All My Rowdy Friends.” And given that we’re in mid-December, he also played some country tinged versions of “Blue Christmas,” “Run, Rudolph, Run” and other Christmas favorites. The setlist reflected his traditional country roots and his understanding of what his fans appreciate, showing that he’s equally comfortable with his own quickly growing popularity while also honoring the legends that influenced him. His brother, Connor, playing bass, also took on some lead vocal duties with Spencer providing the “blood harmonies” and showing off their sibling chemistry.

It wasn’t too long into his set that the standing room area between the stage and the seats were packed with people that were dancing to the music and singing along to the songs they knew. And when there was a small issue with Hatcher’s microphone that momentarily stopped the show, he didn’t lean back against the drumset or take the time to talk with his bandmates; instead he used it as an opportunity to shake hands and talk to the fans that were at the front of the stage.

What Friday night’s show represented was bigger than just one concert; it was evidence that traditional country music is what people are actively seeking these days. Hatcher is part of a wave of artists like Zach Top and Cody Johnson who are proving there’s a huge audience that’s hungry for country music that sounds like it did in the 80s and 90s. And when that wave came through Winchester on Friday night on the back of a Valley kid, it proves that country music’s future might look a lot like its past.

Be sure to check out Backseat’s calendar for upcoming concerts. If you’re interested in seeing Cedar Creek Grade, you can watch out for their shows on their Facebook and Instagram pages. Definitely check out Spencer Hatcher’s website for upcoming shows and announcements and check out his latest EP on Spotify or Apple Music.

Homes of the Week!

4 beds, 3 baths, 1,840 sqft, brand new kitchen for $374,900 in Winchester.

5 beds, 4 baths, 3,550 sqft, No HOA, built in ‘23 for $600k in Winchester.

4 beds, 3 baths, 2,644 square feet, one floor living for $569,900 in Winchester.

4 beds, 2 baths, 1,953 sqft, for $399,000 in the heart of downtown Winchester.

4 beds, 2 baths, 2,100 square feet for $430,000 in Winchester’s historic district.

4 beds, 3 baths, rancher on 5 acres in Clear Brook, price cut to $699,000.

3 beds, 2 baths, 1,560 sqft, built in ‘24 on one acre for $429,900 in Front Royal.

Events and happenings win Winchester and the surrounding territories this weekend:

Friday, December 19th

Backseat Events, Winchester - Big Hair, Bright Lights & Spank the 80s!, 8 PM

Typewriter Studio, Winchester - Embroidered Family Photo Ornament, 6PM

James Charles Winery & Vineyard, Winchester - Fire Pit Fridays, 4 PM

Old Opera House Theatre Company, Charles Town - The Nutcracker, 7 PM

Black Draft Distillery, Martinsburg - Black Draft's 2025 Ugly Sweater Party!, 6:30 PM

Apollo Civic Theatre, Martinsburg - It's A Wonderful Life, 8 PM

Stockyard Brewery, Lovettsville - Paint Night, 6 PM

Clearbrook Park, Clear Brook - Trolley Ride to Winter Wonderland, 5 PM

Orlean Market & Pub, Orlean - Open Mic / Open Jam, 7 PM

The Roving Peregrine Theatre Company, Shepherdstown - The 42nd Annual A Very Peregrine Christmas Spectacular!, 8 PM

The Garage on King, Martinsburg - Trivia Friday’s, 6 PM

West Oaks Farm Market, Winchester - Christmas Music Bingo, 6:30 PM

Warren Heritage Society Inc., Front Royal - Season's Creepings: Holiday Ghost Tours with the Warren Heritage Society, 6 PM

American Legion Post 293 Purcellville VA, Purcellville - Laura Cashman Live, 7 PM

Millbrook High School Cafeteria, Winchester - Holiday Potluck and Color Belt Ceremony, 5 PM

Handley Regional Library System, Winchester - Storytime at the Airport!, 11 AM

Salamander Middleburg, Middleburg - Floating Sound Bath, 8 PM

Tally Ho Theater, Leesburg - A Born to Run Christmas" with The E Street Shuffle: A Tribute to the Boss, 7 PM

Saturday, December 20th

The Young American, Martinsburg - ✨ Tinsel & Tinis — A Very Merry Martini Night ✨, 5 PM

Winchester Book Gallery, Winchester - Author Event: Cassandra Medcalf, 11 AM

Winchester Book Gallery, Winchester - Author Event: Beka Wueste - My Side of the World and Other Tales of Death, 2PM

Handley Library, Winchester - Library Shop Sale, 10 AM

Blue Ridge Mountain Volunteer Fire Company, Harpers Ferry - Blue Ridge Mountain Fire Company Christmas Parade, 4 PM

Backseat Bar and Grill, Winchester - Foreign Company, (Foreigner/Bad Company Tribute) 8 PM

Shenandoah Shores Volunteer Fire Department, Front Royal - Breakfast with santa, 8 AM

Bear Chase Brewing Company, Bluemont - Big Holiday Bash at Bear Chase!, 6 PM

Bright Box, Winchester - A DIVA's Christmas Special, 5:30 PM

Winchester Area SPCA Thrift Shop, Winchester - 🎁 2nd Annual Kids Shopping Free Event at SPCA Thrift! 🎄, 10 AM

Newtown Mercantile, Stephens City - Holiday Vendor Market, 10 AM

Ranger Wrestling Club, Leesburg - LADIES SAFETY & SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING, 1 PM

Wild Hare Cider Tasting Room, Berryville - Cousins Maine Lobster @ The Tasting Room, 12 PM

Devil’s Due Distillery, Kearneysville - The Devil's Due Tacky Tinsel Turn UP!!, 11 AM

Barn of Harpers Ferry, Harpers Ferry - A Night of the Grateful Dead w/ The Brahman Noodles, 8 PM

Bluemont Vineyard, Bluemont - The German Christmas Markets at Bluemont Vineyard, 2 PM

Triangle Restaurant & Lounge, Hancock - Brad Harden Live at The Triangle, 9 PM

Merry Makers Market at the Roundhouse, Martinsburg - Merry Makers Market at the Roundhouse, 11 AM

Dirt Farm Brewing, Bluemont - Winter Wonderland at Dirt Farm Brewing, 11 AM

Franklin Park Arts Center, Purcellville - Celtic Christmas with Cassie & Maggie, 4 PM

Blue Collar Mercantile, Winchester - Winchester Farmers Market🎄🎅🏼🥧🍪, 10 AM

The Studio School at Mullany Art Studios, Flint Hill - Annual Studio Holiday Ornament Party, 4 PM

Sunday, December 21st

Piccadilly's Public House and Restaurant, Winchester - 14th Annual Beer & Carols Celebration, 6 PM

The Studio, Front Royal - Little Bird with Snowman Paint Party, 2 PM

Winchester Book Gallery, Winchester - Author Event: LaNae Riviere - A Dark Most Fair 12 PM

The Young American, Martinsburg - ✨ Tinsel & Tinis — A Very Merry Martini Night ✨, 5 PM

Tally Ho Theater, Leesburg - Zoso The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience, 7 PM

Triangle Restaurant & Lounge, Hancock - Brad Harden Live at The Triangle, 9 PM

Four Seasons Books, Shepherdstown - Parents’ Night Out @ Four Seasons Books, 5 PM

Mecklenburg Inn, Shepherdstown - Nightmare Before Christmas Party, 9 PM

The River House, Capon Bridge - Writer's Club, 1 PM

Dirt Farm Brewing, Bluemont - Dirt Don't Hurt Hiking Club - Group Hike, 9:30 AM

PetSmart, Martinsburg - ADOPTION EVENT, 12 PM

Stone Branch Center for the Arts, Front Royal - Solstice Celebration, 6 PM

Peaceful Fields Sanctuary, Winchester - Holiday Tour & Hannukah event at Peaceful Fields Sanctuary, 2 PM

The Dell: Food & Brew Hall, Leesburg - Loudoun Jazz Jam, 1 PM

Gray Ghost Vineyards, Amissville - 🦞❤️ FRESH MAINE LOBSTER RETURNS TO GRAY GHOST VINEYARDS., 11 AM

Creative Cookies by Angie, Williamsport - Christmas Cookie Pop-Up, 1 PM

Leesburg Animal Park, Leesburg - Christmas Village 2025 with Santa and friends!, 6 PM

C'est Bon by Savoir Fare, Round Hill - The Most Murderous Time of the Year, 5 PM

Loudoun County Animal Services, Leesburg - Home for the Holidays - Fee-Waived Adoption Event, 11 AM

Barns of Rose Hill, Berryville - Holiday Jazz with the Eric Byrd Trio, 12 PM

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