Junior Brandon Jackson will be returning to the Menchville Rocks stage this year- and he’s bringing the rock.

Jackson’s first performance last year at the concert included music from Ozzy Osbourne and Pantera, both of which showcased his guitar shredding skill. For this performance, Jackson is sticking with what he knows best.

“I’m probably going to play some more Ozzy because, you know, it’s Menchville Rocks, and you can’t go through that without some rock.”

Heading into the concert, Jackson is feeling more confident that his music will entertain the crowd. He is familiar with public performances, but the sheer number of people at Menchville Rocks makes for a different experience.

 “I feel better than last year,” he reflected. “You always feel better the better you get, I suppose, and you get more and more used to playing in front of people. Everyone always says I can’t play in front of people or I play better by myself, but [when you get more experience] you start to get out of that habit and start seeing public performances as no different than playing alone.”

When asked if there was anything he’d like to do differently this year, Jackson joked, “not break a string.” Attendees of last year’s Menchville Rocks will recall his quick recovery from a broken guitar string mid-performance, which was resolved by some quick thinking and a guitar switch with house band Brother Lucy.

Jackson may have some tricks up his sleeve this year to make his guitar set a crowd-pleaser, but he’s not letting any information slip- “Well, if there would be anything new, that would be a surprise, and I wouldn’t be telling it openly…we’ll see what happens.”

To hear Jackson’s music (and possibly witness some surprises in his performance), come out and support Menchville Rocks on Thursday, February 28 at 6:30 in the Menchville auditorium.