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Hard Cider, ClayBank Bluegrass to Play from the Jones House Front Porch on Friday Night

The Summer Concerts at the Jones House continue Friday with an evening of old-time and bluegrass music with Hard Cider and ClayBank Bluegrass, starting at 5 p.m.

Hard Cider
Hard Cider

Hard Cider will start off the evening, bringing their blend of traditional old-time string band music and newer material rooted in tradition.  Based in Grayson County, Virginia, the band features a variety of mountain music styles.  The band’s Facebook page says “Will travel for music,” and the band is certainly made up of mountain music lovers.  All of the members can be found nearly weekly at regional fiddlers conventions, helping keep alive the tunes and songs around jam circles and festival competitions.

“These guys are camping nearly every weekend and playing about all night long,” says concert organizer, Mark Freed.  “They really love the traditional string band sounds of the southern Appalachian region.”

Jerry Lee Martin sings lead vocals and plays guitar with the group, and his wife, Brett Morris Martin plays banjo and fiddle.  Rodney Hodges plays mandolin, Tammy Sawyer plays bass, and Stanley Widener plays a variety of stringed instruments, depending on the song.  Dubbed “feel-good hillbilly music” the band hits on a wide variety of themes, from traditional dance tunes to murder ballads to love songs.

Claybank Bluegrass
ClayBank Bluegrass

ClayBank Bluegrass will follow Hard Cider, featuring the bluegrass side of the southern mountain string band traditions.  ClayBank plays traditional bluegrass music with a modern twist, combining dynamic instrumentation with good harmony singing.  From hard-driving bluegrass instrumentals to a capella gospel songs, the group covers a wide range of styles.  The band is led by bass player Gary Trivette and includes Tyler Thompson on banjo, Jacob Greer on guitar, and Zack Arnold on mandolin.

“ClayBank is mostly a pretty young band, but close your eyes and you’ll be impressed with how mature their sound is,” Freed says.

Concerts at the Jones House take place every Friday, from the front porch of the Jones House in downtown Boone (604 W. King St.).  All of the Summer Concerts at the Jones House performances are free and open to the public.  Patrons are encouraged to bring their own chair or blanket to sit in the Jones House front lawn, under the shade of the gigantic maple trees.  Concerts take place rain or shine, with the inside Jones House main gallery being used for inclement weather.

Friday’s concert is sponsored by The Appalachian Music Shoppe on the 105 extension.  The 2015 Summer Concerts at the Jones House series is sponsored by the Downtown Boone Development Association, Mast General Store, Footsloggers, MPrints, Stickboy Bread Co., and Melanies.

For more information about the concert series, including a complete schedule, please visit www. joneshouse.org or call 828-268-6280.