Phil Campbell High School Principal Gary Odom, Jarred Pierce and Assistant Principal Darit Riddle pause for a photo in advance of Pierce’s upcoming holiday concert at PCHS.

By Nicole Burns for the FCT

“Christmas means family.”

Phil Campbell native and rising Nashville star Jarred Pierce hopes to bring some Christmas cheer to his hometown community Saturday. “That’s one reason we want to do a family event. A lot of our shows that we’ve done in the past is a lot of running around and putting on a show, but this is going to be more like a writer’s round. We’re all going to sit on stools, and we’ve got four-part harmony so it’s going to be very, very good,” Pierce said.

Pierce will bring a couple of his label mates, Ingrid Andress and Lauren Jenkins, for a special Christmas concert Saturday at the Phil Campbell High School gym. The show starts at 6 p.m., but doors will open at 5 p.m. with all seats being general admission. “It will be mostly Christmas music this time. I want to come back and do a country show too,” said Pierce.

Part of the proceeds will go back to PCHS to help purchase some equipment for the school’s gym that will help with sound quality. When asked why he wanted to do a benefit concert, Pierce replied, “Well, this town is the town that built me. This community has been good to me, so I always wanted to give something back but have never been able to. Now that I’m able to do some things, this is the first place I wanted to come. This is the place that made me an artist.”

Pierce said the show is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. ”I’m excited for everyone to get to see some people that I’ve been working with. The guitar player and the bass player, they play with Eric Paslay, so they’re very big and wrapped up in a lot of that in Nashville. The two girls that I’m bringing, they’re both amazing. It’s going to be a good show.”

Tickets will be sold at the door for $10 each with children 4-12 only $5. Santa Claus (Steve Bell) will also be on hand to meet and greet before the show. Pierce said he hopes to see a lot of familiar, along with some new, faces in the crowd Saturday night.

For more information about Pierce, his music, or this weekend’s concert, visit his website at www.jarredpierce.com.