Two Los Angeles based bands, The Hanks and The Forward, made KC Hall in Picayune a stop on their album release tour in response to the persistence of Pearl River Community College student Brooke Thomas.

Thomas is working towards a degree from PRCC in entertainment industry management. “I have been doing concerts since 2003,” she said. “This is the second time The Hanks played here.”

The concerts arranged by Thomas are achieved through basic booking work. She calls the venues, the bands, and works the door selling tickets. She likes to keep the Picayune concerts low key, advertising only through word of mouth and some internet publicity.

In addition to the two out of state groups, Saturday’s concert line-up also featured some local talent: Choptop, of Slidell, La.; Anson Maddox, of Picayune; Biser; and Ambience for a Dream, of Slidell.

Despite the lack of advertising the event was well attended, mainly by the youth of Pearl River County. The venue allowed the young people to be themselves in a safe environment.

The buffet of music offered was eclectic. With the local bands adding more of a metal, hard rock edge while the two touring groups offered an indie/rock/pop style, which would have appealed to a wider variety of age groups. The only discernable downside to the evening was a faulty P.A. system. The distortion was often distracting to the talent while they were trying to keep the crowd into the music.

Thomas’ efforts for the young people of our county, as she works towards earning her degree, are to be commended. It was enjoyable to see so many young faces with smiles on them.