[gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="53576,53577"] Amythyst Kiah returns to the Blue Ridge Music Center at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 19, bringing her soulful folk and Americana sound to the stage. Aaron Burdett opens the concert in the outdoor amphitheater at the base of Fisher Peak. The Music Center is located at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. With an unforgettable voice that’s both unfettered and exquisitely controlled, the Tennessee-raised singer-songwriter Kiah expands on her uncompromising artistry. Her standout song “Black Myself” earned a Grammy nomination for Best American Roots Song and won Song of the Year at the 2019 Folk Alliance International Awards. When combined with the transcendent quality of her elevated sound, what emerges is an extraordinary vessel for Kiah’s songwriting: a raw yet nuanced examination of grief, alienation, and the hard-won triumph of total self-acceptance. Following up her recording with Our Native Daughters, a collaboration with Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell, Kiah will be unveiling her new solo recording, Wary & Strange, on June 18. Burdett, an acclaimed Americana and folk singer-songwriter and performer from Western North Carolina, will open the show. He’s been listed as one of the most important musicians of that region by WNC Magazine. He’s won top awards in multiple songwriting competitions hosted by MerleFest, The USA Songwriting Competition, Mountain Stage, the North Carolina Songwriter’s Co-op, and Our State Magazine. Burdett’s last four albums have been voted among the top 20 Albums of the Year by listeners of the popular Western North Carolina community radio station, WNCW 88.7. The Music Center is taking several precautions during concerts to make the experience as safe as possible for visitors. Those who have a fever, cough, aches and pains, loss of smell or taste, difficulty breathing, or are sneezing and coughing, are asked to please stay at home. Concert attendees must follow these guidelines: Maintain six feet of distance between groups throughout the evening, including when standing in line and selecting seating locations in the amphitheater. When in high traffic areas, we highly encourage concertgoers to wear masks to protect others. Tickets are $25 adults, children 12 and younger admitted for free, <a href="http://www.BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org">BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org</a> or (866) 308-2773, ext. 212. Parking is free. The Blue Ridge Music Center is a national park facility, a major attraction along The Blue Ridge Parkway, and a venue partner of The Crooked Road, Virginia's Heritage Music Trail and Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Parkway/National Park Service maintains and operates the facility, and staffs the Music Center Visitor/Interpretive Center. The center's music programs are managed, coordinated, promoted, and produced by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, a nonprofit partner organization. The Blue Ridge Music Center, located at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, near Galax, Virginia, celebrates the music and musicians of the mountains. Along with the summer Saturday night concert series, the center hosts free Midday Mountain Music performances by local and regional traditional musicians from noon to 4 p.m., Thursday through Sunday. The Music Center also offers scenic trails for novice and experienced hikers. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.blueridgemusiccenter.org">BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org</a>. About the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.
