Mountain Faith, the spunky little band that could from western North Carolina, has typically been a fixture at the SPBGMA national convention in Nashville each February. Since they were a true family band back in their early days, when Summer and Brayden McMahan were just fresh-faced teens, you’d see them there, participating in the band contest, picking in the halls, and performing on showcase stages.
As their popularity began to soar over the course of several well-received albums and many successful festival appearances, Mountain Faith moved to the main stage at SPBGMA as a featured act. And after their tremendous run on America’s Got Talent on NBC, they were received as conquering heroes last year at the convention with their contemporary, pop-inflected bluegrass show.
The International Bluegrass Music Association recognized Summer with a Momentum Award in 2015, and the band as Emerging Artist of the Year in 2016, but Mountain Faith had pretty much emerged beyond bluegrass at that point. They work a circuit that includes main stage appearances at mainstream entertainment events where bluegrass acts are rarely seen, building on the popularity they gained from being on TV for several months two summers ago.
But you won’t find them at SPBGMA this weekend because… wait for it… they will be in Houston with the Atlanta Falcons at the Super Bowl!
For the past two years, in tandem with their rapidly rising visibility on television, Mountain Faith has been building a relationship with the Falcons. They prepared a video of themselves singing the National Anthem and submitted it to the team for consideration at pre-game ceremonies, and have twice been invited to perform it at home games, and once doing a set as half-time entertainment.
Here’s video of them before the game on December 18…
Band members have returned the favor, attending Falcons home games whenever possible, and getting caught up in the excitement as the team ploughed their way through the playoffs this year.
So mandolinist Corey Piatt says they were all psyched when a call came in asking them to come to the Super Bowl and play for the team and management.
“When they were planning their pre-game celebration, they wanted a bit of a country fill added into the mix, and knowing that we had performed for them before, as well as having been part of events like AGT, they reached out for us to take part in the excitement! So we’re gearing up with our Falcons apparel and we’re prepared to help raise their spirits before battling against New England in Super Bowl 51!”
Well done Mountain Faith. Taking bluegrass where it’s never been before!
