The twelfth season of Summer Tracks – Tryon’s summer concert series – kicks off on Friday, June 17 with the Swayback Sisters and Mark Bumgarner in Rogers Park.

Mark Bumgarner of Asheville will open the concert. His influences span the American landscape, from the traditional sounds of the Appalachians to West Coast country and the folk rock sounds of 60s and 70s.

Also hailing from Asheville, the Swayback Sisters – Laura Blackley, Nikki Talley and Lyndsay Wojcik – will close the evening. These “sisters” – all popular songwriters and performers in their own right – join forces to create a diverse musical experience for themselves as well as their audiences. Performing mostly originals, this trio also performs select standards and re-vamped covers. Along with their guitars, they accompany their voices with banjo and fiddle.

As with all Summer Tracks concerts, the show starts at 7 p.m. and is free, though a voluntary donation at the gate is encouraged. Sponsorships provided by local businesses also make these shows possible. Again, Giardinis’ wood fired pizzas, water and soft drinks will be for sale.

Summer Tracks series of six concerts offers a mix of musical styles. Concerts run from 7 – 10 p.m.

Scheduled to perform this year are:

• June 17 – The Swayback Sisters (Americana,folk), Mark Bumgarner (bluegrass, folk)

• July 1 – The Steel Wheels (Americana, blues & bluegrass)

• July 15 – The Nouveaux Honkies (blues, rock, swing)

• July 29 – The Carburetors (rockabilly, country), Tom Fisch (folk standards)

• August 12 – Gigi Dover & The Big Love (Americana), Bob Sinclair (new standards)

• Sept. 2 – The Firecracker Jazz Band (music from 1890-1940)

Summer Tracks is produced by the Town of Tryon in affiliation with Peter Eisenbrown of Blockparty Productions. The popular and well-attended series attracts people from all over the region. Last year, the concerts drew an estimated 2,000 people to downtown Tryon.

For more information about Summer Tracks and the performers, contact Polk County Travel and Tourism at 800-440-7848 or 828-894-2324 and visit www.firstpeaknc.com or the Tryon events website www.tryonevents.org.

– article submitted by Peter Eisenbrown