Mountain Heart Opens For Lynyrd Skynyrd

Hard to define acoustic band Mountain Heart, which was formed in 1998 by veterans from Alison Krauss's Union Station and Doyle Lawson's Quicksilver, will join iconic southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd for three special shows next month:   September 11 – Danville, VA - Carrington Pavilion – 8 p.m. September 12 – Boone, NC – The Holmes Center, Appalachian State University – 8 p.m. September 13 – Elizabeth City, NC – Coast Guard Support Center – 7 p.m.   "I can't begin to tell you how exciting this is for Mountain Heart, and for me personally," said 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 shows are being presented by Radio Media Productions. Promoter Kent Martin said, "I've known the guys in Mountain Heart for years and how they adapt to and excel in any performance situation. They bring a really diverse musical background, and they just light up a stage. I knew this would be a great combination."   The September shows actually aren't the first time Mountain Heart has played the same venue as Lynyrd Skynyrd — they both played at the BamaJam Music & Arts Festival in Enterprise, Ala., on June 7.   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.  That sound is fully embodied on their most recent CD, Road That Never Ends (The Live Album), released on Rural Rhythm Records in the fall of 2007.  The band has shared the bill with everyone from Montgomery Gentry, Merle Haggard and Brad Paisley, to Tony Rice, Travis Tritt, Yonder Mountain Stringband, LeAnn Rimes and Patty Loveless. Mountain Heart took home its first International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Award for Emerging Artist of the Year in 1999, and they've been racking up group and individual awards and nominations--Grammy, IBMA, CMA and ACM--ever since.   Mountain Heart's upcoming schedule includes shows with Diamond Rio and Tony Rice, and a performance at IBMA's Fan Fest. For more information and tour updates, visit http://www.mountainheart.com/.