John Peterson, Mary Greene, and Sarah Kate Morgan & Leo Shannon Close Out the Jones House 2025 Summer Concerts August 29

BOONE, NC – The 2025 Summer Concerts at the Jones House series concludes on Friday, August 29, with an evening of music that celebrates Appalachian roots and showcases some of its most compelling voices. The lineup features John Peterson, Mary Greene, and the duo of Sarah Kate Morgan & Leo Shannon. Music begins at 5:30 p.m. on the Jones House lawn in downtown Boone.

Opening the show will be John Peterson, a long time Boone resident and accomplished banjo builder. Known for crafting Watauga County fretless banjos, Peterson pairs his instrument-making with a deep love for the music of the mountains. A graduate of Appalachian State University’s Appalachian Studies program, he brings knowledge and authenticity to every performance.

Next up is Mary Greene, a singer, educator, and tradition bearer described as “the real deal.” Raised on a horse-powered farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains, she comes from a family of ballad and shape-note singers as well as farmers and teachers. Greene draws upon this heritage, alongside a Master’s Degree in Appalachian Studies, to deliver performances that are both heartfelt and informed. She is also a passionate documenter of regional folk traditions and was honored with a South Arts Master Traditional Artist Fellowship in 2021.

Closing the evening will be Sarah Kate Morgan & Leo Shannon, a duo whose music bridges the deep traditions of Appalachia with creative innovation.

Sarah Kate Morgan, born in Sharps Chapel, Tennessee, began playing dulcimer at age 7 on an instrument built by her grandfather. At 18, she won 1st place at the 2012 National Mountain Dulcimer Championships in Winfield, Kansas, and has since become widely respected as one of the leading voices on the instrument. Her style honors dulcimer greats like Jean Ritchie while expanding the instrument’s possibilities across genres. Also a gifted singer and songwriter, Morgan has performed and recorded with artists including Tyler Childers and Amethyst Kiah. Based in Hindman, Kentucky, she teaches and preserves Appalachian folk traditions as a community music educator.

Leo Shannon is a traditional musician from Seattle, Washington, now living in Whitesburg, Kentucky. He learned to play as a boy from older musicians around him and friends his own age, developing a style rooted in old music that has passed through many hands. Drawn to the ghostly imprints left on songs by sound reproduction machines and years of transmission, Shannon brings a deep reverence for tradition into every performance. He plays regularly with The Onlies, John Haywood, Rhys Jones, and others, weaving old-time sounds with nuance and vitality.

Together, Morgan and Shannon create a sound that is as grounded as it is forward-looking—rooted in Appalachian tradition while alive with new energy.

“This concert is the perfect way to close the season,” says Cultural Resources Coordinator Brandon Holder. “John, Mary, Sarah Kate, and Leo all show how Appalachian traditions can be honored, preserved, and reimagined in powerful and inspiring ways.”

The 2025 Summer Concerts at the Jones House take place every Friday from June through August, featuring a variety of musical styles from local and regional artists. Concerts are free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets to enjoy the show on the lawn.

The Jones House is located at 604 W. King Street in downtown Boone. Free parking is available in downtown metered spaces and lots after 5 p.m. Concertgoers may bring their own food and beverages; alcoholic beverages are permitted for those 21 and older, but no open containers are allowed beyond the Jones House property.

For more information about the Summer Concerts at the Jones House, visit www.joneshouse.org or call 828-268-6280.