PARAGOULD – The Bays Mountain Cut-Ups, an emerging bluegrass quartet from East Tennessee, will perform at KASU-FM's Bluegrass Monday concert on Aug. 24. The event is set for 7 p.m. at the Collins Theatre, located at 120 West Emerson St. in downtown Paragould.
The group is known for their high-energy performances that showcase instrumental skill and intricate vocal harmonies. The band recently signed with Sound Biscuit Records, and their debut album under the label is slated for release next month.
The Bays Mountain Cut-Ups feature guitarist and vocalist Ben Watlington, banjo player Colton Powers, bassist Max Etling, and mandolinist Josh Gooding. Watlington, a fourth-generation bluegrass player from North Carolina, teams up with Powers, a Tennessee native who has released a solo album featuring his bandmates. Etling, originally from Minnesota, has extensive experience touring with East Tennessee State University’s (ETSU) prestigious Bluegrass Pride Band and now serves as an adjunct bass instructor at ETSU. Gooding, raised in California, started performing in his family’s bluegrass band at age six and has played with groups such as the Jason Carter Band and Five Mile Mountain Road.
Admission to the concert is $10 per person at the door, payable in cash, while attendees 18 and under may enter free of charge. Advance tickets are also available online. All proceeds go directly to the musicians. Groups of eight or more can reserve seating through KASU Program Director Marty Scarbrough, but for all other attendees, doors will open at 6 p.m. with first-come, first-served seating.
Ahead of the performance, an acoustic bluegrass jam session will begin at 5 p.m. in the Joe Wessell Building next to the theatre. Musicians participating in the jam and their guests will have a reserved seating area to accommodate their continued playing up to showtime.
Bluegrass Monday concerts are a monthly offering presented by KASU-FM, Arkansas State University’s public media service, at 91.9 FM. Held every fourth Monday, the series aims to bring affordable family-friendly entertainment to the region with the support of sponsors like the Paragould Advertising & Promotion Commission, Kiss The Cook, Bibb Chiropractic Center, Gardner-Milner Law Firm, the Posey Peddler, and Holiday Inn Express and Suites of Paragould.
For additional information, interested parties can contact Marty Scarbrough at mscarbro@AState.edu, call 870-972-2367, or visit the Bluegrass Monday Facebook page.