Bob Thompson Unit ~ on stage at the Opera House

By Ryan Krofcheck

The Pocahontas County Opera House will officially open its doors to a live audience Saturday, September 11, at 7:30 p.m. Get ready for an evening filled with some of the best jazz musicians in our region.

“The Bob Thompson Unit will be our first indoor performance,” Opera House Director of Operations Brynn Kusic said. “We encourage everyone to continue to use proper social distance practices as well as wear a mask if you are unvaccinated.”

Since 1991, Bob Thompson has been a pianist and regularly featured artist on West Virginia’s NPR Syndicated Radio Show, Mountain Stage. For the past 23 years, he has also been co-producer and host of Joy to The World, a Holiday jazz show, broadcast on public radio stations nationwide, and heard internationally on The Voice of America. In October 2015, Bob Thompson was inducted into The West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.

Bob makes his home in Charleston, and has enjoyed a long and active career as a performer, composer, arranger and educator. For decades, he has played at festivals and venues around the country and has also taken his music to Europe, Africa and South America.

“This is my musical family; we all live in Charleston and have been playing together for a long time,” Thompson said. “We are trying to play music that makes people feel good. We want to spread a little love during these troubled times.”

Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the performance will start at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for adults and admission is free for those under the age of 18.

Tickets are available online at pocahontasoperahouse.org or at the 4th Avenue Gallery.

For a full list of the2021/2022 performance series, visit pocahontasoperahouse.org