Tonight, the 2010 Summer Arts Series will kick off with a concert from an acoustic band that has frequented the Grand Ole Opry and played for the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss.

Mountain Heart will perform at the Blackmon Amphitheatre in Mount Airy beginning at 7:30 p.m. The series is sponsored by the Surry Arts Council. The cost of tonight’s concert is $10. A season pass also is accepted.

When Mountain Heart came on the scene several years ago, the band was classified by many as a contemporary bluegrass band. Through the years, the band’s music has evolved with the addition of some new band members.

“We’ve hired a couple of new faces,” said Jim Van Cleve, fiddler for the band. “It’s really energized the whole thing.”

The fiddler said the band has tried to “shake things up a bit” and be innovative with its music.

“It ain’t your grandpa’s bluegrass,” he said, repeating a phrase he has heard used several times to describe the band.

Van Cleve said the band takes a “contemporary jambandy approach” to bluegrass and country music.

Mountain Heart has appeared on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry more than 100 times, according to the band’s Web site, www.mountainheart.com. The band has played for and with a variety of artists, ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Travis Tritt to Nickel Creek.

The band is now working on a new CD, which should be finished by the summer. Van Cleve said, “It’s going to be as diverse as anything we’ve done.”

Now many of the band members live in Nashville, Tenn., but they are no strangers to the area. A few of the guys grew up in Reidsville and Mocksville, and Van Cleve is from Asheville. And he is no stranger to Mount Airy. At the age of 12, he won the fiddle competition at the Mount Airy Fiddlers Convention.

“I did spend a ton of time there ... I love Mount Airy. It feels kind of like home to me,” said Van Cleve.

The band performed last year at the amphitheater in Mount Airy. Van Cleve said the band immediately wanted to book the gig again.

“It went great,” said Van Cleve. “It was absolutely killer. A great crowd.”

Of tonight’s concert, Van Cleve said, “It’s gonna be high energy. It’s unique as it is entertaining.”

He said the crowd might hear the band perform anything from “Little Maggie” to “Whipping Post.”

“We’ll put on whatever the crowd seems to be having the most fun with,” the fiddler remarked.

The members of the band are Josh Shilling, Van Cleve, Barry Abernathy, Jason Moore, Clay Jones and Aaron Ramsey.

Tonight at the concert the arts council will have wine from Shelton Vineyards and hot dogs and snacks from the Dairy Center for sale. Season tickets to attend all Summer Arts Series events can be bought through tomorrow for $100. The price will go up to $150 after tomorrow.

For more information about the rest of the events scheduled for the Summer Arts Series, visit www.surryarts.org or call 786-7998.

Contact Meghann Evans at mevans@mtairynews.com or 719-1952.