You know, all this warmer weather has me listening to Michael Franti’s “Summertime is in Our Hands” on repeat in the car with my windows rolled down as I cruise to and from Savannah for gigs and studio sessions. It was the sound of my summer last year, and I haven’t settled into a new one for this year. So while spring is doing her thing to prepare me, I’m reminiscing. We all have them — songs of summer. They are, as they say, the soundtrack of our lives. Those songs that take us back to that time...like when “Jiggy With It” starts playing on the jukebox in my head, I’m immediately transported back to the summer of 1998 dancing in the school parking lot next to my best friend’s pickup, or when I hear Leann Rimes singing “How Do I Live” and think of my first heartbreak…

Sorry, I got lost in a memory there. But summer is made for making memories. There are so many opportunities in Bulloch County for making memories, and each and every one of them can and will be linked to a song. The really cool part about living in this town is that you can make those memories enjoying music with friends. With the student population shrunken for the summer, the bars, restaurants, and event venues are still offering up great music on the reg. And with the sun setting later and later, what better time to check one of those spots out.

I’m not gonna browbeat you about getting out this summer. We’re all adults, and I know you’ve read enough of these articles to know we have some great venues from The Blue Room to Loco’s to the Averitt Center to Gnat’s Landing...we have some great venues for live music. What I’m most excited about is the musicians we have. This summer Drew Wiggins is kicking off with a concert at the Emma Kelly Theater on May 23. I know, this is the June edition, and May’s long gone...but Drew is still around and making waves and doing good things with music and his life. He’s rich, deep soulful Southern sound is reminiscent of the great country singers I remember listening to when I was a teenager.

Drew’s got a single coming out on June 7 that may the soundtrack to your summer. “Fallin’” takes that easy country sound of his and puts the listener back in the feeling of new love.

“It’s actually a song I wrote my wife,” Wiggins says. “I wanted the listener to get a feel for our relationship especially when we first met.”

Not just a song to create memories, it’s a song to fall in love to, and I have no doubt you’ll fall for the song, too.

He’s not stopping there, though. With a fantastic concert under his belt and a single ready to be release, he’s got more on the way. What songwriter doesn’t love getting in the studio and bringing their babies...um...I mean songs to life. From more upbeat songs to the moving ballads, Drew’s songs bring his listeners with him through his music. Be sure to follow him on social media for upcoming dates and times. He’s a name and a face you’ll be seeing more of in the future.

And don’t forget to follow Discovering Bulloch on Facebook and Instagram, too. You can catch digital versions of the magazine, news, events, and even some special articles that aren’t in the print copy.

Until next time, enjoy making memories this summer.