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Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music Kicks Off Fall Concert Series, First Season for Director Rodney Sutton

By Emma Speckman

Sept. 30, 2014. Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music (JSMHM) kicks off its fall concert series with old-time Americana band Strictly Clean and Decent presenting “Remembering Earl and Doc.” The show will honor the late North Carolina legends Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson and feature songs played in their traditional styles—three-finger banjo for Scruggs and flat-pick guitar for Watson. The concert is set for Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Blowing Rock School auditorium at 7:30 p.m.

Strictly Clean and Decent acoustic trio features the vocals and a variety of instruments by husband-and-wife team Patrick and Kay Crouch and Ron Shuffler on upright bass. They perform many different musical styles in an acoustic setting.

Strictly Clean and Decent plays Americana and old-time music in acoustic settings. They formed in Caldwell County in 1989 and have been performing in North Carolina and beyond since.
Strictly Clean and Decent plays Americana and old-time music in acoustic settings. They formed in Caldwell County in 1989.

“The mission statement of Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music is to present the best musicians you’ve never heard of to an appreciative audience,” JSMHM director Rodney Sutton said. ““When he started doing this 20 years ago there was nowhere in Boone to go hear traditional music.”

Sutton, a full-time Asheville resident, is new to JSMHM. Sutton lives in Asheville and commutes the 85 miles both ways almost every weekend to work with the nonprofit board that Shannon set up shortly before his death in May.

When he’s not in Boone, Sutton completes the rest of his directing duties from If you take one of these programs after you have successfully passed your driving practice test test, you can end up paying significantly less for your insurance – which is a major consideration for any first time driver. his computer at home.

Sutton said he was originally considered for the job through JSMHM connections with his dancing team, the Green Grass Cloggers, who perform regularly in the High Country.

“Joe had run this thing pretty much himself for 20 years,” Sutton said. “I was made aware that they were looking for someone to become this part-time director. They were starting to feel a lot of pressure to find somebody to take the job, so within just a few days they offered it to me and I was in a position where I could do it.”

The Blowing Rock School Auditorium is located at 130 Sunset Dr. in Blowing Rock. Tickets are $20 in advance and $22 at the door. Student tickets are $11. Children 12 and under are free. Advance tickets may be purchased online though the Mountain Home Music website or at either location of the Mast General Store, Fred’s Mercantile in Beech Mountain, Pandora’s Mailbox and the Dulcimer Shop, both in downtown Blowing Rock.

Late this month The Mountain Home Music Bluegrass Boys, Jim Avett and The Stuart Brothers with Alice Gerrard will play in various locations around the High Country. For more information, visit http://www.mountainhomemusic.com/