Saturday, March 6, 2010 - Mountain Heart

Mountain Heart is the band that has been fearlessly revolutionizing the way acoustic music can be presented and played. The band's name has been synonymous with cutting-edge excellence in acoustic music circles since the group's creation in 1999. Widely known throughout the music industry for continually redefining the cutting edge, the band has gained legions of fans both as a result of their superlative musicianship, and more notably, their incomparably exciting live performances. As one of the most highly awarded ensembles ever assembled, Mountain Heart, or members of the band, have either won or been nominated for multiple Grammys, ACM, CMA, and IBMA Awards. They have appeared on the revered stage of the Grand Ole Opry in excess of 100 times and have shared the stage with acts ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Montgomery Gentry, George Jones, Merle Haggard, and Brad Paisley to Alison Krauss, Tony Rice, Travis Tritt, Yonder Mountain Stringband, LeAnn Rimes, and Patty Loveless.

Mountain Heart's musical virtuosity, unmatched energy, and keen sense of entertainment dynamics have helped them to forge a highly unique sound, and stage show, which appeals to an incredibly wide variety of musical tastes. From large outdoor folk music and bluegrass festivals, to sold-out arena shows opening for Southern Rock icons, Lynyrd Skynyrd, to co-headlining concerts with the acoustic guitar legend, Tony Rice, Mountain Heart always makes an undeniable connection to an audience, leaving them on their feet. In short, this rare combination of abilities makes Mountain Heart one of the most versatile acts ever assembled.

As the group leading the charge in taking acoustic music to the masses, Mountain Heart deftly combines elements of rock, jamband, country, blues, jazz, and bluegrass into a high-energy sound that is at once fresh, accessible, and unmistakable.

Members of Mountain Heart include:
Jimmy Vancleve (fiddle), Josh Shilling (lead vocals/guitar/piano),
Barry Abernathy (banjo), Aaron Ramsey (mandolin), Clay Jones (guitar),
and Jason Moore (upright bass)

For more information visit www.mountainheart.com

Opening Performance by Tim and Myles Thompson

Tim Thompson has lived in Nashville, Tennessee since 1993. He was awarded the 2008 International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship from the prestigious Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. He has produced and played on countless records as a session player and has recorded seven of his own albums including one with his 15 year old son, fiddler Myles Thompson, who tours full time with Tim. As a professional musician working in a competitive industry, Tim has learned to play his strengths in more than one area of the business. Not only is he considered a guitar virtuoso and talented singer/songwriter, he's also a very busy independent producer and session player.