Helene victims find place to mourn and connect outside Concert for Carolina in Charlotte
Thousands of cowboy boots stomped outside Bank of America stadium. Somehow, they were eclipsed by the amount of North Carolina tees and hats swirling around uptown Charlotte.
Concert for Carolina, a benefit show aiding Western North Carolina’s Hurricane Helene victims, brought at least 86,000 people to the area. Every ticket holder will see North Carolina natives Eric Church and Luke Combs — along with fellow stars James Taylor, Billy Strings, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Bailey Zimmerman, The Avett Brothers, Scotty McCreery, Chase Rice and Parmalee — on Saturday night.
Some would’ve bought the tickets regardless of who was playing.
“We just felt like we needed to support the cause,” said Heidi Owen, 60. She and two of her Lake Lure neighbors wore matching North Carolina: “Stronger Than The Storm” shirts they ordered off Etsy.
They posed, brandishing the new shirts, in front of the iHeart Radio’s backdrop in front of the stadium.
Then Shayne Swell suddenly teared up.
She had been transported back to the days following Hurricane Helene’s downpour on Appalachia. For too long, listening to the radio was “the only means of communication” she had with the outside world.
“It was our only lifeline for two weeks,” she said.
All Concert for Carolina proceeds will be split between Combs and Church’s The Chief Cares Fund and distributed to several relief organizations helping those in need.
MANNA FoodBank, where Combs said he and his mom used to volunteer, will receive some of that money and most of the food donations Food Lion collected outside the stadium Saturday.
Layne and Shannon Krewser dropped off a bag of food into one of the cardboard collection boxes on the way to their seats.
They have Lake Lure ties, too. They regularly visit the now storm-tossed area. The house their family rents every year survived, Layne said, but it was one of the few things that did.
Shannon, a tall cowboy-hatted man, said he would’ve supported any concert in support of Helene’s victims — but he was most excited for Sheryl Crow.
Across the street, four Davie County teenagers — two sisters, a friend and a boyfriend — took pictures in front of the parking garage. It held some of the 30,000 parking spaces within a 10-15 minute walk of the stadium.
Ethan Lakey, 16, wore a Morgan Wallen hat he’d bought the week before. He was glad the concert was in the name of charity, he said, but the group was mostly there for the lineup. Alyssa Marion, also 16, was there for Bailey Zimmerman. Andrea Keller, 16, said she was there for Luke Combs.
Luke Combs sold out back-to-back nights at Bank of America Stadium last summer. This show was another instant sellout.
“This could be a million-dollar show, and they’re taking all that and putting it towards the community they came from,” said Ashton Redd, a shirtless, tattooed 24-year-old band member who performed at a tailgate ahead of the show.
Fox N’ Vead, the Concord band he’s in, is constantly inspired by North Carolina. Most country artists are, he said.
In the North gate line, Ronald Waters, his brother and their friend squinted into the mid-day sun. It was 80 degrees in Charlotte Saturday, but the three smiled contently under black and tan felt hats.
Waters didn’t think he’d make it from Winston-Salem to the Queen City show. He, like many others, didn’t get to buy tickets before they sold out.
Then he opened BetMGM, an online betting site he routinely uses.
He’d won three seats in a luxury suite, his phone screen told him.
“I didn’t even enter to win,” he said, a reserved smile on his face. “We feel lucky to be here.”
Combs and Church during a Saturday news conference said they were hopeful the concert would be a way to hit pause on the heartache, to feel connected to each other and to, just for a few hours, relax.
Olivia Graham, a mountain-raised woman draped in wooden beads and topped with a flat felt hat, said that’s exactly what it would do.
“There’s so much light in music and healing in music,” she said. “While we’re mourning, we’re celebrating the fact that we are so strong and resilient.”
This story was originally published October 26, 2024 at 8:25 PM with the headline "Helene victims find place to mourn and connect outside Concert for Carolina in Charlotte."
