Music on the slate at Meet the Mountains

Johnson City – The 8th Annual Meet the Mountains Festival presented by Visit Johnson City is kicking off Friday afternoon at Winged Deer Park Lakefront in Johnson City. The festival runs from Friday, August 14 from 4-9 pm to Saturday, August 15 from 10 am-9 pm. Over 10,000 people are estimated to attend the two-day festival intended to provide a one-stop location to explore our region's outdoor opportunities. Activities include a zip line, the return of the rock wall, eBike demo area, paddling area, Ultimate Air Dogs shows, axe throwing, education clinics, live music, and more! There will be a variety of food options on-site, local beer selection, and over 100 vendors that encompass air, earth, and water themes. New this year is the atlatl station, e-foil and e-surfboard demos, an Appalachian Highland Games throwing demo, and a rock climbing demo on the rock wall. This year's sounds will be provided by regional musicians, highlighting the music scene in and around Johnson City. Kicking things off on Friday are Matthew Tonner and Pressing Strings, followed by Jared Bentley, Bratfolk, and Six Foot Blonde on Saturday. This year's entertainment is brought to the festival by Brightspeed. "At Brightspeed, we believe connection goes beyond technology," said Lymari Munoz, local marketing manager at Brightspeed. "We're honored to support such a special event that will bring families and neighbors together and create a lasting impact through community connection and shared enjoyment of the outdoors, such a big part of what living in Johnson City and this region is all about." Matthew Tonner grew up in Wisconsin but found fame in Florida as a founding member of The 502's, a successful folk band with a huge following. A talented singer-songwriter and accomplished stage performer, he moved to Johnson City a few years ago and immersed himself in the music scene, where he continues to carve his own niche. Presing Strings comes to Meet the Mountains from Annapolis, Maryland with their own brand of indie folk and soul. This trio has built a loyal following with their "genre bending blend of blues, rock, and folk, wrapped in soul-stirring storytelling and toe tapping grooves." Lots of great grooves, deep songs and high-caliber musicianship are on tap with each Pressing Strings show. Jared Bentley is a singer-songwriter from Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee with a soulful repertoire akin to New Orleans, by way of the Blue Ridge. He hesitates to use the word "songwriter" and has an outright disdain for the term "troubadour." He's "just a guy who sings and plays a little guitar," he says, and while his musical style has been referred to as both pop and country-tinged, it may be best described as "mountain soul." Bratfolk is an American music duo based in Johnson City, Tennessee, featuring Roxanne McDaniel on dulcimer and vocals, and Devi Alexander on drums. They blend traditional Appalachian and Celtic sounds with rock, country, and original folk material and they've spent the last year building a devoted regional following and proving that the dulcimer is an instrument to be reckoned with. Wrapping up the music for the weekend is Six Foot Blonde, who burst out of Bloomington, Indiana with enough excitement to draw crowds across the country in under three years. With a 90's-alt-washed take on indie rock that is "lush, tight-knit, and brimming with energy," the band has made big noise around the Chicago area since their inception and they are set to take Johnson City by storm this weekend. Fronted by a six foot blonde named Julia, their music is as tight and no-nonsense as their name. To learn more, festival planners encourage the public to visit MTMFest.org, as well as the festival social media channels. There are also many on-site and off-site activities during the festival and the week leading up to the main event at Winged Deer Park Lakefront.