UNC Asheville's Concerts on the Quad summer music series will continue Monday, July 6 with an evening of stories and music, highlighting the two earliest cultures of Western North Carolina. Noted Cherokee storyteller Lloyd Arneach will share his traditional stories at 7 p.m. Popular mountain musicians Laura Boosinger, Josh Goforth and Raymond McLain will play at 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Lloyd Arneach

Laura Boosinger

An enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, Arneach learned his first legends from two storytelling uncles and has gone on to collect traditional tales throughout his life. After a career with AT&T, Arneach began storytelling full-time. He has performed at the Kennedy Center, National Folklife Festival, the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian and on the Discovery Channel.

Boosinger is an award-winning singer and clawhammer banjo player. She plays regularly at Asheville’s Mountain Dance and Folk Festival and has also performed at the Tennessee Homecoming, Merlefest and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. In addition, Boosinger and Goforth have toured the British Isles to share mountain culture and to promote tourism in Western North Carolina.

Goforth is a critically acclaimed young fiddler, guitar picker and mandolin player. The Madison County native has performed at Lincoln Center and at venues across Europe. Goforth also appeared in the Trimark film "Songcatcher" and contributed to the soundtrack. He has been named Fiddler of the Festival at the nationally acclaimed Fiddler’s Grove competition three times, becoming the newest and youngest Master Fiddler in history.

McLain has performed for more than 40 years, taking the stage at Carnegie Hall, the Grand Ole Opry and the Carter Family Fold. He has played in all 50 states and 62 countries, including touring as a musical ambassador of the U.S. State Department. Currently, in addition to performing, recording and producing music, McLain is director of the Bluegrass and Country Music Program at East Tennessee State University.

Concerts on the Quad is fun for the entire family. The public is invited to bring picnics, blankets and lawn chairs. Sorry, no pets allowed. With up to 2,000 people attending each concert, lawn-chair seating will be separate from blanket seating in order to preserve sight lines; please look for signage when arriving on the Quad.

In case of rain, the concerts will be held in Lipinsky Auditorium. Concert location decisions are made at 5 p.m. the day of the show. Patrons may call 828/251-6991 or 828/232-5000 extension 3 after 5:15 p.m. each Monday to hear a recorded announcement about the location of that evening's performance.

Other concerts in the season include:

July 13 -- The Capital Messengers, a jazz combo unit of the 257th U.S. Army Band based in Washington, D.C.

July 18-19 -- The 26th annual Folkmoot USA festival, the only ticketed event of the series, will feature folk dance and music from around the world. Tickets range from $25-$20 and are half-price for children under age 12. Tickets are available online at www.folkmootusa.org/ or call 877/FOLKUSA.

The 2009 Concerts on the Quad are presented in part with generous support from Biltmore Farms Hotels, Greenlife Grocery, Cherokee Preservation Foundation, Town and Mountain Realty, Musician's Workshop, Mast General Store, Smoky Mountain Living Magazine and WNC Tents.

For more information about Concerts on the Quad, call UNC Asheville's Cultural & Special Events Office at 828/251-6991 or click on www.unca.edu/summerquad.