It will be a big Friday for the Town of Boone with multiple events going on at the Jones House. On August 2, the Jones House Summer Concert Series pushes ahead with performances by the King Bees and Ashley Heath & Her Heathens. As a part of the First Friday Art Crawl, the Jones House will also play host to a reception highlighting a new exhibit featuring paintings by local artist Wade Evans.
The concert gets underway at 5:00 p.m. with live music from North Carolina mountain natives the King Bees. This American roots and blues duo first got together in the mid-1980s with Rob “Hound Dog” Baskerville on guitar and keys and Penny “Queen Bee” Zamagni. The King Bees have performed internationally at some of the grandest venues and has shared the bill and collaborated with hall-of-fame legends like Bo Diddley, James Brown, Leon Russell, and a host of others.
Notwithstanding their global renown, the King Bees mountain roots run deep as they continue to hold their community in high regard, creating and producing the New River Blues Festival held annually in their home of Ashe County. Likewise, the King Bees are no stranger to the Jones House, having performed there on numerous occasions and hosted weekly blues jams in June for the past several years. Their exuberant, soulful performances are sure to get your feet moving – and your spirit stirring.
Second up on the stage is Asheville-based Americana rock band, Ashley Heath & Her Heathens. Since forming in 2016, this group has quickly achieved fame and garnered acclaim for the sensual blues rock vocals of bandleader Ashley Heath and the rhythmic back-up of her Heathens. A successful European tour, the top prize in the 2018 Merlefest Band Competition, and a busy slate of regional performances are all a part of the whirlwind season this band is having.
Ashley Heath’s tone – one moment delicate and dreamlike, the next substantial and sultry – has helped garner her regional accolades. Her song “Where Hope Never Dies,” was voted on WNCW public radio as one of the top releases of 2018, and it puts her vocal talent on full display. Heath lulls listeners into a wistful trance, before “throwing away all [her] worries and cares” and breaking out with her trademark robust blues sound.
The inside of the Jones House will also be buzzing this Friday. As a part of Boone’s First Friday Art Crawl, the Mazie Jones Gallery will showcase the new August exhibit, presenting the paintings of local artist Wade Evans, starting at 6:30 p.m. After retiring from a 40-year career in banking, Evans decided to pursue art full-time and this exhibition will be the first time any of his paintings have ever been put on public display.
Evans skillfully uses color and subject to craft a work of art that is both beautiful and relatable. “You’re always challenging yourself to create something that connects with people,” says Evans. “If you can make that connection, it is a wonderful thing. That is the kind of art I want to create.”
The First Friday Gallery Receptions and Summer Concerts at the Jones Houseare free and open to the public. Concerts are held every Friday in June, July, and August, starting at 5:00 p.m., and they are held rain or shine. Patrons are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets to enjoy the music from the Jones House lawn. Alcoholic beverages are permitted on the Jones House property, if patrons are of legal age and bring their own beverages. No open containers are allowed beyond the Jones House property. Friendly pets are permitted on leash.
The 2019 Summer Concerts at the Jones House sponsors include the Downtown Boone Development Association, Mast General Store, Burton Moomaw Acupuncture, MPrints, Melanie’s, Stick Boy Bread Co, and Rosemary Horowitz/Jerry Hyman.
The Mazie Jones Gallery is a rotating monthly exhibit that features artwork from various local artists and groups. During the First Friday Art Crawl each month the Jones House will host an art reception honoring the month’s featured artist, with food and refreshments beginning at 6:30 pm.
For more information about the concert series or the Mazie Jones Gallery please visit www.joneshouse.org or call 828.268.6280.
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