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Bobby Maynard, Breakdown to play Mountaineer Opry House

May 29, 2009 @ 11:00 PM

DAVE LAVENDER

The Herald-Dispatch

HUNTINGTON -- Around these parts if your last name's Maynard, it takes more than a little something to stand out from the crowd.

Bobby Maynard's not been having any problem with that lately.

The multi-instrumentalist who's played with everybody from Dolly Parton to Dry Branch Fire Squad has a full page ad about his music in the June issue of Bluegrass Unlimited.

Maynard, who has a new CD and video just released with the Nashville-based label Lamon Records, will be in concert at 7:30 p.m. tonight, May 30, at the Mountaineer Opry House, just off the Interstate 64 exit in Milton.

Tickets are $15; $12 seniors; $5 children 12 and under.

Maynard said he's excited to play the Opry House with his band, Breakdown (Aaron Holley, bass and Jonathan Buckner, guitar, mandolin and harmony vocals).

A 2000 winner of the bluegrass banjo competition at Vandalia Gathering, Maynard is bringing banjo, fiddle, mandolin and guitar for the this show, which will be peppered with Maynard's humor-spiced originals, as well as lots of hot classic instrumentals such as Earl Scruggs' "Foggy Mountain Special" and "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," and, of course, some old-time fiddle and banjo tunes.

"Everybody who comes out may want to strap on their seat belt," Maynard said laughing. "We tend to play a little fast. It's just the three of us. We've been rehearsing the last couple months and it's been a lot of fun."

In fact, this whole year has been a lot of fun for Maynard, who spent about six years playing music full-time living in Tennessee where he toured and played 45 states, the Grand Ole Opry, and all the big festivals from Wintergrass to the Philadelphia Folk Festival.

A top seller at Tamarack, Maynard, who had put out four self-made CDs, "Gospel Pickin," "It's What I Do," "Holly Jolly Pickin' " and " 'Livin' Lovin' Laughin,' " got signed to the indie label Lamon.

That label has released Maynard's latest CD, getting him airplay from Australia to California, and shot a video of Maynard's hard-driving, home-grown song, "East to West Virginia."

That video was shot in locations all over Nashville in February.

"It's been great hooking up with Lamon," Maynard said. "We had an offer from another label but it wasn't something we were interested in. They came up and offered us a deal and it's been a great experience."

Maynard, who is playing Sunday afternoon at the Mountain HomePlace at Paintsville Lake, said he loves playing the Opry House, one of the historic bluegrass venues in this part of the country.

"We are looking for a big home crowd up there," Maynard said. "It's one of my favorite places to play because you can't beat the Opry House audience at all. They clap on all the instrumental breaks and they're just super up there. The Opry House has a lot of history since all of the greats of bluegrass music have played it as well. It is so much like the Grand Ole Opry of the Tri-State area."

Go online at www.bobbymaynard.com to hear some of Bobby's new music.

File photo/The Herald-Dispatch

Bobby Maynard & the Breakdown perform at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Mountaineer Opry House, just off the I-64 exit in Milton. Tickets are $15; $12 seniors; $5 children 12 and under. Maynard’s band, Breakdown includes Aaron Holley, bass and Jonathan Buckner, guitar, mandolin and harmony vocals.

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