RiverLink’s RiverMusic – five Friday nights of freelive concerts by the French Broad River in the River Arts District of Asheville – launches on Friday, May 1 with headliners The Movement.
It’s a night of reggae/rock music with Satta Roots and locals Franklin’s Kite also taking the stage at the RiverLink Sculpture and Performance Plaza in the River Arts District. Gates open at 5. The music starts at 5:30, with the second band at 6:45 and headliner at 8:15.
Hailing from Columbia, South Carolina, reggae-rock group The Movement was formed in 2004 by a trio of Sublime and Pixies fans. Joshua Swain, Jordan Miller, and John Ruff, aka DJ Riggles, launched The Movement with their “alternative reggae” debut album, “On Your Feet.” Relocating to Philadelphia, they recorded 2008’s “Set Sail” at DiBeneditto’s Philadelphonic Studios. The album has sold over 10,000 copies to date. The Movement expanded with the addition of Gary Jackson on drums and Jason “Smiles” Schmidt on bass. In 2012, Miller left the group, and the trio, now fronted by Swain, released their fourth album “Side By Side,” debuting at #2 on the Billboard Reggae Chart.
RiverMusic has always been solar powered by long-time partner Sundance Power Systems, Inc. None of this would be possible of course without the support of sponsors, including the Chaddick Foundation, Prestige Subaru, Pisgah Investments, Heira Productions, New Belgium Brewing, Sierra Nevada, Highland Brewing, Twin Leaf Brewing and Catawba Brewing along with our media sponsors at Mountain Express and WNCW.
RiverMusic is designed to be multi-modal, with plenty of bike racks for locking bikes, while a boat access allows attendees to arrive by canoe or kayak or tube. Trolleys we will be running from the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce at 36 Montford Avenue and Grace Baptist Church at 718 Haywood Road in West Asheville.
Dogs, outside food and beverages are not allowed on the festival grounds, but attendees are encouraged to bring picnic blankets and lawnchairs.
RiverLink is the regional non-profit working to revitalize the French Broad River and its tributaries as a place for everyone to live, work and play. Funds raised by this series of concerts will go right back into the Asheville community. RiverLink’s most recent audit documents that 85 cents of every budget dollar is spent on greenways, parks, water quality improvements, etc.
RiverLink will be recruiting volunteers to do everything from sorting recycling to parking cars to pouring beer. Contact RiverLink’s Dave Russell for more information — 252-8474, ext. 11 or [email protected] — about the series or about volunteering.