PITTSBORO — When John Wilson takes the Mosaic stage next Friday night, June 17, there will likely be tears in his eyes before he plays the first note. His band, Big Time Shine, is performing its first gig since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.
The Pittsboro band has been around since it was created by Wilson’s father, Johnny, in 2003. But like many during the pandemic, Big Time Shine was forced to take time off.
“This band is standing on the shoulders of a long legacy,” Wilson said. “This band is a family business, and I would never want all that hard work to go away. I just can’t ever let that go.”
The pandemic prompted changes within the band, he said. Several members didn’t return and the style of music has changed. The band had been suffering burnout prior to the pandemic, and the forced pause made Wilson grow his relationship with his faith — which he’s attempting to incorporate into the music the band creates.
“My faith mixed with the pandemic made me realize we need to be in the company of other humans in spaces like this,” Wilson said. “This [these concerts] is a soundtrack back to happiness after these few years. Getting to be part of that soundtrack is a blessing.”
Big Time Shine is just one of a string of bands that will be performing at the newly constructed stage at Mosaic in Chatham Park, located off U.S. Hwy. 15-501 north of downtown Pittsboro. Every Friday during the summer, excluding July, free concerts and movies will be offered to the community.
The series kicked off last Thursday at the Phil Kohl Mosaic Family Commons with regional band, Liquid Pleasure.
Last Thursday’s opening concert to the summer series saw more than 200 attendees, despite the sweltering heat. Local volunteers from the community, including Chatham Education Foundation and local Boys & Girls Clubs drove concertgoers in golf carts to the stage. Families brought picnic blankets and camping chairs as children ran around the lawn.
The event also featured a plethora of food trucks, including bmc Brewing, Not Just the Fry Guy, Red Moose Brewing Company, Ta Contento and Waves Shave Ice.
Mosaic Property Manager Adriane Karlinksi said each of the Friday night events will feature local food and beverage options in an effort to support the town of Pittsboro. The goal of the events is to show off the growth of Chatham Park and welcome the community into the new space.
“This is our gift to the community in a way,” Karlinski said. “Our main goal is to bring the community together. We want the community to enjoy it and be able to see the space.”
Mosaic held kick-off events for the lawn and stage space in the fall, prior to the completion of the Tommy Edwards stage. Karlinski said those were successful, but she expects a much greater turnout for the summer events.
“The planning for this has been really intense, especially because we have been trying to make this as locally oriented as possible,” Karlinski said. “But it’s worth it to go through that to show the appreciation to the community for the support we have received thus far.”
Another goal of these concerts is to bring community members to the space to see the development. While the lawn and stage are completed and open to the public, much of the Mosaic development remains under construction. Karlinski said she believes people will be excited to see the growth over time as they attend the concerts.
Attendees at last Thursday’s Liquid Pleasure show agreed with Karlinski. Liquid Pleasure performed with construction equipment and dirt as the backdrop to their show. Many guests said this was exciting including former Pittsboro resident John Poteat said was exciting.
“It’s amazing and so good to see Pittsboro out here,” Poteat said. “It makes me want to move back to Pittsboro seeing all this here. This space was needed because we didn’t have a space like this.”
Poteat was the former public works director for the town of Pittsboro, and he said seeing the event was exciting for the future of the community.
Karlinski said she hopes these events will bring money into the local economy. People attend from inside and outside the county, eat at Pittsboro restaurants, buy from Pittsboro shops and get to see a free event in this new space. One such visitor was Apex resident Chris Faughnan.
“I’ve wanted to see this new stage; this whole thing is very impressive,” Faughnan said. “There is a buzz out there about this area. This is a hit spot.”
Wilson said he and Big Time Shine hope to keep making the new Mosaic park a hit for the summer months to come. For a full schedule of Mosaic events, including band lineups, movies and food options, visit mosaicatchathampark.com/news/2022-events-at-mosaic.
Reporter Ben Rappaport can be reached at brappaport@chathamnr.com or on Twitter @b_rappaport.