Mountain Heart to open for Lynyrd Skynyrd
Holmes Center concert set for September 12

By Jeff Eason

It was announced this week that ground-breaking and genre-defying acoustic band Mountain Heart will open the show for three of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s concerts this month, including the performance set for the Holmes Center in Boone on Friday, September 12th.

Tickets for the show went on sale in early August.

“I can’t begin to tell you how exciting this is for Mountain Heart, and for me personally,” said Mountain Heart lead singer Josh Shilling. “I grew up listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd, and as a piano player I’ve been greatly influenced by and have always appreciated the innovative playing style of Billy Powell.”

The concert is being presented by Radio Media Productions.

“I’ve known the guys in Mountain Heart for years, and how they adapt to and excel in any performance situation,” said Radio Media Productions promoter Kent Martin. “They bring a really diverse musical background, and they just light up a stage. I knew this would be a great combination.”

The two bands played together previously this summer at the BamaJam & Arts Festival in Enterprise, Alabama on June 7.

Mountain Heart had its start in 1998 when former members of Alison Krauss & Union Station and Doyle Lawson’s Quicksilver began playing together. The band combines elements of rock, jamband music, country, blues, jazz and bluegrass for a sound that is at once unique and accessible. The band’s latest album, The Road That Never Ends (The Live Album), showcases the ability of each band member to stand out on his instrument while at the same time blending his talents into the sound of the whole.

Mountain Heart has shared stages with Merle Haggard, Tony Rice, Travis Tritt, LeAnn Rimes, Patty Loveless, the Yonder Mountain String Band and others. In 1999 the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) honored the band with its coveted Emerging Artist of the Year Award.

Lynyrd Skynyrd has been a Southern rock tradition since the band first formed in the early 1970s. With hits such as “Free Bird,” “Gimme Two Steps,” “Sweet Home Alabama” and “What’s Your Name!” the band has solidified its position as one of the premiere acts in the history of Southern rock.

Tickets for the September 12th show at the Holmes Center are $42.50 for lower level seats, $42.50 for floor seats, and $32.50 for upper level seats. There is a limit of four tickets per customer. For more information, visit www.theholmescenter.com or call the Holmes Center Box Office at (828) 262-6603.