FAIRBORN — Fairborn Native Anna Ferris will soon make her hometown debut as a musician with a performance scheduled for 6-9 p.m. Saturday, April 13 at the Fairborn Actor’s Theatre, 23 E. Main St.
She will perform covers as well as original songs from her new album “Southern Red” alongside Evan Rogers on guitar and Cole Ellis on drums. Ferris describes her group as a Nashville show band.
“We like to have fun in the band,” she said. “That’s the main aspect — have fun and make sure the crowd is with u on the bandwagon. It’s about how we leave the people feeling.”
Ferris saw a band perform at the Fairborn Fourth of July Block Party when she was 8-year-old and said she remember’s telling her mother while watching the guitarist play tunes that she wanted to take guitar lessons. Her and her family later moved to South Carolina. After Ferris developed a passion for music, they moved to Nashville.
She has since performed in areas including Nashville, Illinois and Minnesota. Later this summer, she will perform again in Illinois and Minnesota and said she “has a lot of irons in the fire.”
“I hope [the crowd leaves the performance] feeling happy and energized and want to see us again,” Ferris said. “I want to leave them with a good time.”
She looks forward to performing in Fairborn and seeing her grandparents Roger and Phyllis DeLong, in addition to long-time family friends Clint Allen and Brian Redish as well as Coby and Freddie Preston.
Her album “Southern Red” will be available for the first time at the performance. Ferris said it was recorded in four days, with the remaining process of creating an album taking place within the last month.
“It’s a lot of work and a lot of time put in but the reward is always greater with the energy you put in now,” she said. “The stakes are always higher than what you believe but the reward is always worth it.”
Ferris admires the stage presence of Janis Joplin, shows by P!nk and the energy of Miranda Lambert. She said her “big dream” is to make it big, but her goal is to make a living playing music.
“Get ready for a lot of work,” she advises dreaming musicians. “Get ready for a lot of [theoretical] and physical doors slammed in your face, get ready to stand your ground —but get ready for a good time, because that’s what the industry is all about.”
The show is slated for 6-9 p.m. Saturday, April 13 at the Fairborn Actor’s Theatre, 23 E. Main St. Tickets are $10. To learn more about Ferris, visit annalynnferris.wicksite.com/mysite or visit her Facebook page.
