The Valdosta Daily Times — LAKELAND — For Robert Greer, his band Town Mountain’s South Georgia performance is something of a homecoming. For Lanier County organizers, they hope the concert will mark the start of a new era for Lakeland.

While it hosted a recent community holiday concert, the Jim and Mary Threatte Art and Civic Center debuts as a venue for booking entertainment with the Jan. 31 Town Mountain concert. Filling the center’s 300 seats will be an important indicator of the venue’s future direction.

For Town Mountain guitarist and lead vocalist Robert Greer that direction points to his family’s roots. His father and mother, Billy and Fann Greer, are both from South Georgia. His paternal grandparents, Bill and Winnie Greer, called Tifton home. His maternal grandparents, Robert and Mary Lois Dewar, hailed from Valdosta; Mrs. Dewar grew up in Lakeland as a member of the Pafford family.

Robert Greer grew up in Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia, studying government in the latter state’s Wofford College. He now calls North Carolina home and his job has nothing to do with government.

Singing and playing bluegrass with Town Mountain is his full-time job, traveling to gigs, recording albums, writing songs, and marketing all things Town Mountain. This past week, Greer took a few minutes to discuss, by phone, Town Mountain and the upcoming Lakeland concert with The Valdosta Daily Times.

Town Mountain formed about four years ago, he says. The group meshed, winning a band competition during a Rocky Mountain bluegrass festival confirmed the members’ rapport.

Town Mountain’s first CD soon followed. “Original Bluegrass and Roots Country” was an album of all original songs, written and composed by members of the band — all save one which was written by a friend of the band. Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine took note of this debut endeavor: “Throughout the production, Town Mountain carries off each selection with style and perfection and ‘Original Bluegrass and Roots Country’ is a most impressive recording debut. Expect to see these guys on the bluegrass scene for a long time.”

It’s a nationwide scene, too, with Town Mountain finding steady work, and the band becoming Greer’s full-time job. “There’s not a lot of money in it,” Greer says, “but it is exciting doing something you love.”

Joining Greer in doing something they love is Barrett Smith on bass and harmony vocals; Phil Barker on mandolin and harmony vocals; Jesse Langlais on banjo and harmony vocals.

This is true bluegrass — notice no drums, but Town Mountain is a band willing to accept musical challenges and take chances. The band’s second album is a fine reflection of that traditional bluegrass with a wringing twist of contemporary sound and mood.

Town Mountain’s “Heroes & Heretics” is hill music plunked down in the 21st century — nostalgic but on the edge of now.

This album is a mix of original songs and covers of other artists’ works. By covers, don’t expect a note for note, lick for lick, dubbing of others’ songs, but rather the Town Mountain take on these songs.

Take for example, “I’m on Fire,” Town Mountain’s bluegrass interpretation of Bruce Springsteen’s haunting 1980s tune from the “Born in the U.S.A.” album. Town Mountain keeps the arrangement of this tale of a man in tortured love with a married woman spare and lean, but brings a new dimension to the tune with the sweet sadness of a fiddle replacing the forlorn wail of Springsteen’s harmonica.

“Black-Eyed Susan” mixes that fiddle with the popping spangle of a banjo melody, which seems to fit the fragile yet boundless feelings of a man in love with an exceptional woman. “Black-Eyed Susan” was also selected as song of the year by a Memphis bluegrass radio station.

“Heroes & Heretics” is a title befitting this album. It is a CD of contrasts and contradictions that flows like a mountain spring that can provide a cool drink of water or the kick of moonshine.

On this album, the Town Mountain boys are joined by the fiddle work of Annie Staninec. She is not an official member of the band. She joined the group for this second album, and she will not be in attendance for the Lakeland show. Instead, another fiddler will join the group. Greer refers to a “brigade” of fiddlers they know across the country who are tapped to help them play different shows.

As for the Lakeland show, it came about through Greer’s South Georgia ties. A church service is being held in Valdosta on Feb. 1 in honor of his grandmother, Mary Lois Pafford Dewar. Since he was coming to town anyway, playing a gig the night before only made sense.

After all, playing music is what Robert Greer does. Judging from “Heroes & Heretics,” it’s something he and Town Mountain do well.



SHOWTIME

Town Mountain in concert.

When: Show starts 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31. Doors open 7 p.m.

Where: Jim and Mary Threatte Art and Civic Center, Highway 221, Lakeland.

Ticket: $20.

Reservations, more information: Call the Lakeland-Lanier County Chamber of Commerce, (229) 482-9755.