Doc Watson, internationally famous old time guitarist, played a sold out benefit concert in Dana Auditorium on January 21st. Many supporters of the Piedmont Quality of Life Coalition and the Piedmont Classic Guitar Society, the organizations who planned the benefit, thought it was a major victory in their fight against the planned FedEx hub.

The Piedmont Quality of Life Coalition, or PQLC, is an organization formed to protect the environment and the quality of life in the Triad area. The Coalition, by creating public awareness, hopes to prevent the construction of the proposed new FedEx cargo hub, which they fear will cause noise, air, and water pollution.

They are also concerned with the drop in the water supply and the increased traffic that will be caused by the influx of people hired to work at the proposed hub. Watson, a performer not commonly involved in causes, was not informed of the benefit nature of the show on the 21st until after he had consented to play. Although neither party has released a statement, Watson came the closest when he said before the show that, though he had “a definite objection to noise pollution,” he doesn’t live here and just wanted to “play good music…”.