LYNCHBURG, Tenn. —The Mike Corrado Band will take the stage at the Gazebo in Lynchburg this Friday, September 11, from 6 to 8 p.m., marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks with a free concert presented by Jack Daniel’s and the Metro Moore County Volunteer Fire Department. The performance takes place in advance of Lynchburg’s annual Tunnel to Tower Foundation 5K Run & Walk, which takes place on Saturday beginning at 7:30 a.m. in Lynchburg. Click here for full registration details.

The band’s story begins nearly three decades ago, in 1996, when Mike Corrado, Stacey Lamont Sydnor and Joe Yankel first met as Marines stationed at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. What started as a shared love of music between servicemen quickly grew into a serious touring act. From 1997 to 2001, the band played 200 to 250 live shows a year, sharing stages with acts like Derek Trucks Band, John Mayer, Tina Turner, Susan Tedeschi and Edwin McCain. They play a unique blend of rock, blues, and soulful Americana, which made them a staple in the live music scene during this era.

Then came September 11, 2001. Corrado, the band’s leader and a Marine Corps infantry officer, was called back to active duty in support of the Global War on Terror. He deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, and remained in service until his retirement in 2020, with assignments taking him to Kansas City, Hawaii, Quantico, New Orleans and Norfolk along the way. The band’s touring days came to a halt, though members reunited periodically over the years for special performances.

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In November 2024, the band reconvened at Harmony Hill Studios in Shelbyville to begin recording new material together for the first time in over 25 years — their first step into a new chapter. They’ve recently played shows at the Bedford County Fair and Grindstone Cowboy in Shelbyville. Friday’s lineup will feature Corrado alongside Sydnor, Yankel, Adrian Duke, Josh Burns and Byron Fisher.

For Corrado, playing a 9/11 anniversary show carries personal weight.

“To share the stage together on the 25th anniversary of 09/11/01, the day that changed our lives, supporting Jack Daniels and Tunnel to Towers, is truly special to us and we’re honored to play,” Corrado said.

The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation was founded in memory of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who strapped on his gear and ran through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel toward the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, giving his life to save others. In the years since, the foundation has grown into a national organization supporting military veterans and first responders, providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star families and catastrophically injured veterans, building specially adapted smart homes, and assisting families of fallen first responders. Local 5K runs and walks like Lynchburg’s have become a key part of the foundation’s fundraising and awareness efforts nationwide.

If you’d like to check them out in advance of Friday’s free show, you can visit their website or check them out of Spotify. •

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