The Greencards Photo by David McLister.

Raleigh, NC. — The Greencards will kick off the 2009 – 2010 Pinecone Down Home Concert Series on Saturday, September 12. The Show begins at 8:00 p.m. and takes place in the Fletcher Theater at the Progress Energy Center for Performing Arts. Pinecone members can purchase tickets now ($21-$23) and tickets to the general public become available on Aug. 17 ($23 – $25).

About The Greencards

The Greencards came together in Austin, Texas, even though none of them are originally from the United States. South London native Eamon McLoughlin was classically trained through London’s Royal School of Music, where he was awarded seven violin performance qualifications. He first played country music professionally at 13, but a keening, high lonesome sound and a desire for permanent work drew him to Austin in 1997. There, he spent time as a member of the Asylum Street Spankers, the Austin Lounge Lizards and the touring bands of Ray Wylie Hubbard and Bruce Robison. In addition, he found session work with Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, Robert Earl Keen, Alejandro Escovedo and Kelly Willis.

Raised in Coff’s Harbour, New South Wales, Carol Young was nominated for best female vocalist and best new talent by the Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA). In 2000, she enjoyed two No. 1 Australian singles (”True Blue Fool” and “Part of the Past”), which landed her Australia’s Independent Country Artist of the Year award.

Kym Warner was drawn to bluegrass and American roots music through an appreciation of George Jones and Merle Haggard. He was the winner of the Australian National Bluegrass Mandolin Championship for four consecutive years and earned a scholarship to the acclaimed bluegrass program at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, along the way. His “Mando on the Mainland” was nominated for instrumental of the year by the CMAA in 1999. Warner was also a member of Kasey Chambers’ touring band, which played at Austin’s annual SXSW festival near the end of her 2001 world tour.

Warner and Young knew each other in Australia and decided to pursue their music careers in the U.S. They applied for visas and moved to Texas as soon as Warner finished his tour with Kasey Chambers. Soon after arriving in Austin, the duo began crossing paths with McLoughlin. The three connected almost immediately. They started to pick together, then booked shows around Austin. In 2003, they recorded their debut album, Movin’ On, with guitarist Pat Flynn and drummer Kenny Malone.

Since those early years together, The Greencards have earned multiple awards and gained legions of fans in the U.S. by touring relentlessly (including the summer tour in 2005 opening for Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson and a recent appearance at Lollapalooza) and releasing hit albums. They received an Americana Music Award in 2006 for “Emerging Artist of the Year,” and last year they were nominated for a Grammy for “Best Country Instrumental Performance” for the track “Mucky the Duck” from the album Viridian.