Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.

Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.

Friday, November 17, 2023
Reckoning: Adornment as Narrative
Nov 17 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tyger Tyger Gallery

Tyger Tyger Gallery is pleased to present Reckoning: Adornment as Narrative, a group exhibition curated by Asheville-based artist and curator Erika Diamond.

Reckoning: Adornment as Narrative is an exhibition of diverse practices, anchored at three points: methods of reckoning; the function of adornment; and the fusing of personal and cultural narrative. It features acts of glitz, embellishment, and homage by Shae Bishop, David Harper Clemons, Kashif Dennis, Annie Evelyn, Margaret Jacobs, Julia Kwon, Katrina Majkut, Heather Mackenzie, and Luis Sahagun. Through material language, each artist tells the story of their identity. Inherent to these stories are contradictions—between labor and value, feminine and masculine, natural and fabricated.

Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 AM – 5PM
12/19/2023
Theatre Volunteer Opportunities
Nov 17 @ 10:00 am
Asheville Community Theatre

Volunteer!

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear, but the best way to get involved at ACT is volunteer! No matter what your skill or experience level, there’s a place for everybody at ACT.

We are currently looking for help in the Box Office and Front of House. The hours of operation are Mon-Thurs, 10 AM-4 PM. Let us know if you’d be interested!

WNCSource’s Bargain Hendo Thrift Store closing sale
Nov 17 @ 10:00 am
Bargain Hendo Thrift Store

Bargain Hendo Thrift Store will be permanently closing its doors on December 13th.
• WNCSource operates the small thrift store which is located on the corner of King Street
and 2nd Avenue in Hendersonville.
• Bargain Hendo first opened in December of 2020 and was meant to support the programs
and services WNCSource provides in 4 western North Carolina Counties. Unfortunately,
low sales and competition from other local thrift stores has made the store less than
profitable.
• But don’t worry, starting Thursday, November 2nd, Bargain Hendo will be open
Wednesdays through Fridays 10AM to 4PM and Saturdays from 10AM to 2PM with some
incredible bargains and sales to clear the shelves.
• Bargain Hendo’s last day is December 13th

Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred
Nov 17 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sigal Music Museum
Sigal Music Museum’s current special exhibition, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred, highlights items from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, which hails from all over the world. Showing November 2023 – May 2024, Worlds Apart uses a diverse range of historical instruments, objects, and visuals to bring together musical narratives from seemingly disparate parts of the globe.

 

Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred aims to increase public access to historical instruments from around the world and improve visitors’ understanding of musical traditions at the global level. Expanding beyond the typical parameters of the Western musical canon, Worlds Apart seeks to expose audiences to musical instruments and customs that are often overlooked or exotified. The instruments and other exhibit materials will offer visitors new perspectives on global music and a chance to consider how music is used for prayer and leisure in cultures around the world. By celebrating these stories, the museum intends to further its mission to collect and preserve historical musical instruments, objects, and information, which engage and enrich people of all ages through exhibits, performances, and experiential programs.

 

Displaying various objects from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred focuses on international musical instruments and cultures, celebrating rites and traditions with ancient histories and contemporary legacies. Frank Edwinn, a successful basso in the mid-20th century, studied and toured internationally, eventually settling in North Carolina, where he taught music at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Throughout his life, he purchased various objects from around the world, aiming to expose students, and himself, to the wide and wonderful world of musical instruments. This impressive collection occupies a unique position for educating audiences unfamiliar with the vast scope of global music.

And, UNCA’s Ramsey Library Special Collections is now processing the Edwinn’s papers and a few recordings that will be accessible next semester!

American Art in the Atomic Age: 1940-1960
Nov 17 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum
Images: Left: Minna Wright Citron, Squid Under Pier, 1948, color etching, soft-ground, and engraving on paper, edition 42/50, 15 x 17 7/8 inches, 2010 Collections Circle purchase, Asheville Art Museum. © Estate of Minna Citron/Licensed by VAGA at ARS, New York. Right: Dorothy Dehner, Woman #2, 1954, watercolor and ink on paper, 22 3/4 x 18”, courtesy of Dolan Maxwell.

The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to announce the upcoming exhibition American Art in the Atomic Age: 1940–1960, which explores the groundbreaking contributions of artists who worked at the experimental printmaking studio Atelier 17 in the wake of World War II. Co-curated by Marilyn Laufer and Tom Butler, American Art in the Atomic Age which draws from the holdings of Dolan/Maxwell, the Asheville Art Museum Collection, and private collections will be on view from November 10, 2023–April 29, 2024.

Atelier 17 operated in New York for fifteen years, between 1940 and 1955. The studio’s founder, Stanley William Hayter (1901–1988) established the workshop in Paris but relocated to New York just as the Nazi occupation of Paris began in 1940. Hayter’s new studio attracted European emigrants like André Masson, Yves Tanguy, and Joan Miró, as well as American artists like Dorothy Dehner, Judith Rothschild, and Karl Schrag, allowing for an exchange of artistic ideas and processes between European and American artists.

The Asheville Art Museum will present over 100 works that exemplify the cross-cultural exchange and profound social and political impact of Atelier 17 on American art. Prints made at Atelier 17—including those by Stanley William Hayter, Louise Nevelson, and Perle Fine—will be in conversation with works by European Surrealists who were working at the studio in the 1940s and 1950s. The exhibition will also feature a selection of domestic mid-century objects that exemplify how the ideas and aesthetics of post-war abstraction became a part of everyday life.

Beyond the Lens: Photorealist Perspectives on Looking, Seeing, and Painting
Nov 17 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Throughout the history of painting from the mid-19th century forward, artists have used an

endless variety of approaches to record their world. Beyond the Lens: Photorealist Perspectives on Looking, Seeing, and Painting continues this thread, offering an opportunity to explore a singular and still forceful aspect of American art. Photorealism shares many of the approaches of historical and modernist realism, with a twist. The use of the camera as a basic tool for organizing visual information in advance of painterly expression is now quite common, but Photorealists embraced the camera as the focal point in their creative process.

Beyond the Lens presents key works from the collection of Louis K. and Susan Pear Meisel,

bringing together paintings and works on paper dating from the 1970s to the present to focus on this profoundly influential art movement. The exhibition includes work by highly acclaimed formative artists of the movement such as Charles Bell, Robert Bechtle, Tom Blackwell, Richard Estes, Audrey Flack, and Ralph Goings as well as paintings by the successive generations of Photorealist artists Anthony Brunelli, Davis Cone, Bertrand Meniel, Rod Penner, and Raphaella Spence. Featured artworks in the exhibition include diverse subject matters, but the primary focus is on the common and every day: urban scenes, “portraits” of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, still life compositions using toys, food, candy wrappers, and salt and pepper shakers. All provide opportunities for virtuoso studies in how light, reflection, and the camera as intermediary shapes our perception of the material world.

This multigenerational survey demonstrates how the 35-mm camera, and later technological

advances in digital image-making, informed and impacted the painterly gesture. Taken together, the paintings and works on paper in Beyond the Lens show how simply spellbinding these virtuosic works of art can be.

Beyond the Lens offers a fascinating look into the Photorealism movement and delves into the profound connection between the artists’ observation and creative process,” says Pamela L. Myers, Executive Director of Asheville Art Museum. “We are delighted to present this curated collection of artworks encapsulating the creative vision and technical precision that defines this artistic genre.”

Photorealism found its roots in the late 1960s in California and New York, coexisting with an explosion of new ideas in art-making that included Conceptual, Pop, Minimalism, Land and Performance Art. At first, representational realism coexisted with the thematic and conceptual explosion but was eventually relegated to the margins regarding critical and curatorial attention. Often misunderstood and sometimes negatively criticized or lampooned as a betrayal of modernism’s commitment to abstraction, the artists involved in Photorealism remained committed explorers of the trail they had blazed. In the decades of the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century, realistic and symbolic painting experienced a renaissance, as contemporary artists are increasingly drawn to narrative and storytelling. Concurrently, using a camera as a preparatory tool equally legitimate and valuable as pencils and pens has made the rubric of Photorealism increasingly relevant.

This exhibition is organized by the Asheville Art Museum and guest curated by Terrie Sultan.

This exhibition is sponsored in part by Jim and Julia Calkins Peterson.

Hannah Cole: A Mirror, Not a Window
Nov 17 @ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tracey Morgan Gallery

Opening Reception for the Artist Nov. 3, 6-8PM.

Tracey Morgan Gallery is pleased to present A Mirror, Not a Window, an exhibition of new and recent work by artist Hannah Cole. This is Cole’s second solo exhibition with the gallery. A reception for the artist will be held Friday, November 3 from 6-8PM.

This collection of paintings and sculptures continues Cole’s interest in creating, completely by hand, reproductions of small details and objects culled from her everyday life, turning the viewer’s attention to often overlooked aspects of our surrounding environment and reframing the very definition of representational art. With nods to pop art, trompe l’oeil, and modern American painters, Cole poses big questions about the nature of the artist’s hand, and the drive to (re)create.

A grouping of wall sculptures of nearly exact replicas of books which are hand-painted on wood blocks are included in the exhibition. These books are all non-fiction, mostly art related, though now un-readable. Instead of looking to books for answers, these objects force the viewer to provide the substance. The most self-referential of the group is Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation in which the French philosopher talks in dense prose about our culture of signs and signals eventually becoming copies without any originals. In Cole’s tongue-in-cheek nod, her faithful replica of Baudriallard’s philosophical work becomes an art object whose meaning has shifted completely from the original. Cole’s painted wood block cannot be read and has no actual utility at all, except as an object to contemplate.

A recurring element in Cole’s paintings is a hand-rendered tape measure running along the edge of her canvases. By including this common, easily recognizable object, Cole calls to question the “truth” of representation. Can we trust these measurements simply because they have identifiable markings? Other paintings on Styrofoam show painted wood grain edges, subverting the viewer’s expectation of where the painting itself is, and what it’s made of. We expect a painting to be on the outward-facing surface, but what if the faithful representation is painted on the sides?

In this contemporary age of Artificial Intelligence flooding us with copies, reproductions, fakes, and deliberate decep-tions, anxieties regarding authenticity and authorship run high. Cole’s work invites contemplation of these deeply philosophical issues with a playful tone, presenting serious questions by way of common objects.

Hannah Cole studied at Yale University and Boston University. Her work has been exhibited at The Turchin Center for Visual Arts, NC; the Drawing Center, NY; the University of Maine Museum of Art; the Sherman Gallery at Boston University, MA; Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Greenville, NC; and the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, among other national and international institutions. She currently lives and works in Asheville, NC.

Romare Bearden: Ways of Working Exhibition
Nov 17 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Romare Bearden (Charlotte, NC 1911–1988 New York, NY), African American writer and artist, is renowned for his collages. He constantly experimented with various techniques to achieve his artistic goals throughout his career. This exhibition highlights works on paper and explores his most frequently used mediums, including screen-printing, lithography, hand-colored etching, collagraph, monotype, relief print, photomontage, and collage.

 

Bearden’s work reflects his improvisational approach to his practice. He considered his process akin to that of jazz and blues composers. Starting with an open mind, he would let an idea evolve spontaneously.

 

Romare Bearden: Ways of Working highlights Bearden’s unique artistic practice and masterful storytelling through art,” says Pamela L. Myers, Executive Director of the Asheville Art Museum. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Jerald Melberg Gallery to present these extraordinary works on paper in conversation with Bearden’s collage Sunset Express, 1984 in the Museum Collection (on view in the Museum’s SECU Collection Hall). This exhibition will also provide a glimpse into the cultural histories and personal interests that influenced his art-making practice, and we hope it encourages introspection and dialogue with our visitors.”

 

Jerald Melberg states, “Romare Bearden’s groundbreaking artistic practice continues to captivate audiences worldwide. With an unparalleled legacy of creativity and innovation, Bearden’s contributions to art remain deeply influential years beyond his life.” We have enjoyed organizing this exhibition with the Asheville Art Museum to showcase his artistic genius and inspire visitors from the Western North Carolina region and beyond.”

 

This exhibition is made possible in part by the Judy Appleton Fund. Many thanks to the Jerald Melberg Gallery for the loan of these important artworks and to Mary and Jerald Melberg for their long-standing support of the arts, artists, and the Asheville Art Museum.

Stella Alesi: SQUISH
Nov 17 @ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tracey Morgan Gallery

Tracey Morgan Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of paintings by artist Stella Alesi in our project space. This is Alesi’s first exhibition with the gallery and is presented in conjunction with Hannah Cole: A Mirror, Not a Window in our main gallery space. A reception for both artists will be held Friday, November 3 from 6-8PM.

The works on view are from the SQUISHY series, a group of geometric, abstract oil on oil paper paintings. With the use of simple shapes and a limited color palette, these works explore the visceral experience of living at this current moment. Alesi’s colorful, “squishy” shapes bend to the demands placed on them by their seemingly heavy, unforgiving counterparts. With this work, Alesi confronts contemporary issues such as climate change and political turmoil, as well as personal trials, using basic shapes, both hard and malleable to express a state of being. The shapes are gestural, fluid, and animated – sometimes resembling body parts even in their minimalism. The effect is a playful interpretation of heavy topics – a visual play on the deep and multi-layer well of human emotions.

Stella Alesi works across several styles and mediums, including drawing, painting, photography, collage, and large wall works. Their practice is characterized by a willingness to try new approaches in the ongoing investigation into new materials and visual languages, always exploring new ways to represent the visceral nature of the human experience. Born on Long Island, New York in 1963, Alesi was raised in New Jersey. They studied at Parsons School of Design, New York City; University Hampshire, Durham; and University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Their work has been purchased by many private and commercial collections. Career highlights include a recent solo exhibit (spring of 2023) at the Northern-Southern gallery, Austin, TX and a large-scale permanent installation in the lobby of The Foundry, Austin TX. Alesi currently lives and works in both Austin, TX and Asheville, NC.

Western North Carolina Glass: Selections from the Collection
Nov 17 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Asheville Art Museum

Western North Carolina is important in the history of American glass art. Several artists of the Studio Glass Movement came to the region, including its founder Harvey K. Littleton. Begun in 1962 in Wisconsin, it was a student of Littleton’s that first came to the area in 1965 and set up a glass studio at the Penland School of Craft in Penland, North Carolina. By 1967, Mark Peiser was the first glass artist resident at the school and taught many notable artists, like Jak Brewer in 1968 and Richard Ritter who came to study in 1971. By 1977, Littleton retired from teaching and moved to nearby Spruce Pine, North Carolina and set up a glass studio at his home.

Since that time, glass artists like Ken Carder, Rick and Valerie Beck, Shane Fero, and Yaffa Sikorsky and Jeff Todd—to name only a few—have flocked to the area to reside, collaborate, and teach, making it a significant place for experimentation and education in glass. The next generation of artists like Hayden Wilson and Alex Bernstein continue to create here. The Museum is dedicated to collecting American studio glass and within that umbrella, explores the work of Artists connected to Western North Carolina. Exhibitions, including Intersections of American Art, explore glass art in the context of American Art of the 20th and 21st centuries. A variety of techniques and a willingness to push boundaries of the medium can be seen in this selection of works from the Museum’s Collection.

Dancing with Death: The Last Great Adventure – Free Curated Film Series
Nov 17 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Pack Memorial Library

While death is often a taboo topic of conversation, it is inevitable for all of us. A series of award-winning films dealing with end-of-life issues will be shown at Pack Memorial Library on Fridays from October 20 through December 8 from 2:00-5:00 PM. The program is designed to help people better understand and become more comfortable talking about — and perhaps shifting their perspective on — end-of-life experiences.

Each film will be followed by in-depth, thought-provoking, and death-positive discussions moderated by Gail Harris, National Emmy Award-winning journalist for PBS and NPR and former correspondent for ABC News Nightline and World News Tonight. These six exceptional films by new and established filmmakers, animators, and actors about death and dying are entertaining and inspiring. Potential discussion topics will include legacy, the spiritual side of death, alternative ways to die, preparedness, facing fear, and finding courage.

Films:
Oct 20: In the Realm of Death & Dreaming: Does Consciousness Continue After Death?: Documentary. Chapter 1: When You Die Trilogy. Director: Johanna Lunn

Oct 27: Saying Goodbye: Preparing for Death: Documentary. Chapter 2: When You Die Trilogy. Director: Johanna Lunn

Nov 3: Coco, Pixar Animation about Day of the Dead and keeping ancestral memories alive. Disney

Nov 17: Last Ecstatic Days: Documentary about a young man who faces death with courage and even joy. Director: Scott Kirschenbaum

Dec 1: Alternative Endings: Six New Ways To Die In America, Documentary about creative ways to prepare for death and honor our dead. Directors: Matthew O’Neill, Perri Peltz

Dec 8: The Bucket List, Comedy. Director: Rob Reiner; Cast: Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman

Readers Theatre Showcase: Dial M for Murder
Nov 17 @ 2:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre

Take a trip into the world of Noir. A simple door key, an interrupted phone call, blackmail, and suspicion combine to produce a darkly complex mystery which will keep you riveted on the edge of your seat.

Accessibility

All performances: Accessible wheelchair/scooter seating available.

Content Awareness

This production contains violence and scariness and is rated PG.

East Asheville Tailgate Market
Nov 17 @ 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
East Asheville Tailgate Market

🖤 Vendor list drop! Welcome new vendors @blazingstarflowers @djspickles and @monkasbakery and welcome back @wildgoodsforaging!

2022 Market Season: Every Friday April – October

Farmers Markets Offer Holiday Shopping
Nov 17 @ 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
East Asheville Tailgate Market

Even though it’s getting colder, you can still find fresh, local food at area farmers markets. Nine markets in Buncombe County will offer extended seasons or special holiday dates in November and December. In addition to seasonal produce, meats, cheeses, eggs, and bread, these markets will feature local artists and handmade goods, such as wreaths, pottery, jewelry, and more.

ASAP’s Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables and Farm Fresh Produce Prescription. Both programs offer participants free market tokens that can be spent on fresh fruits and vegetables. That includes in-season fall produce such as root veggies (including carrots, beets, radishes, and turnips), tubers (potatoes and sweet potatoes), brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage), winter squash, greens, and fruits like apples and persimmons.

 

‘Beer Flight’ Drag queen bar crawl
Nov 17 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Downtown Asheville

Asheville’s only and original DRAG QUEEN BAR CRAWL!
Experience Asheville’s one-of-a-kind Drag Queen Bar Crawl, a unique fundraiser supporting local non-profit organizations. “Beer Flight” offers an unparalleled opportunity to discover the vibrant craft brewery scene of Beer City while enjoying the delightful company of our hilarious drag queen flight attendant. Perfect for special occasions, including birthdays, weddings, and even divorce parties, this event promises a memorable and enjoyable experience for all fans of drag and beer alike. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to support local non-profits and have a blast doing it!

The two-hour tour promises a side-splittingly funny experience, featuring:

  • The beer! The drag queen! FUN!
  • 2-3 Flights of craft beer/seltzer/wine/sours ($45 value)
  • Souvenir sticker ($5 value)
  • Mid-flight snack (priceless!)
  • VIP seats at an after-party event*
  • No cover and no waiting at venues
  • Photo ops with your drag queen guide
  • See FAQs at the bottom of this page
  • *After-party not available on all tours; ask!

Prepare for takeoff as Bearded Lady Productions presents a first-class “beer flight” bar crawl tour featuring the company of a hilarious drag queen wannabe flight attendant. You won’t want to miss this two-hour tour, where you’ll get to enjoy fine brews, seltzers, wines, and sours from multiple iconic downtown breweries, all while being entertained by a fabulous drag queen leading the way. Tickets for the first-class “beer flight” tour include the tour itself, all beverages along the route, fun surprises, and other perks. Seating is limited, so book your tickets now at https://www.AshevilleDragBrunch.com. You won’t want to miss this chance to experience the best of Asheville’s craft brewing scene while being entertained by a top-notch fabulous queen.

The tour has multiple dates and most tours end with VIP seats at a 2-hour special event, drag karaoke or drag music bingo. And don’t worry if a real airplane is not available for the tour, as the one-mile trip will be on foot. But that won’t stop you from experiencing the high-flying adventure that “Beer Flight” has planned for you. The after-party event is not available on all tours, so be sure to ask about it when booking your ticket. This is the perfect way to spend an afternoon or evening, so grab your friends and get ready for an unforgettable experience. The sky’s the limit with this unique first-class experience!

Upon arrival at one of Asheville’s premier craft breweries, guests will be greeted by a world-class drag queen who will serve as their stewardess for the night. As guests wait for the “flight” to board, they will have the opportunity to mingle with their fellow passengers. The tour will then take off, with the drag queen leading the way through the vibrant streets of Asheville. Although a real airplane may not be available, all seats are first-class and drinks are included. Guests will be treated like royalty, with no cover and no waiting at the breweries along the route, and a guided tasting of each flight.

Center for Craft Fall 2023 Exhibitions Opening Reception
Nov 17 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Center for Craft

Join us on the evening of Friday, November 17 from 5-7pm ET to celebrate the opening of three new exhibitions and have the opportunity to hear from our featured artists. This opening reception celebrates the culmination of each exhibition: Hammer and Hope, Preservers, Innovators, and Rescuers of Culture in Chiapas, and Connections in the Making.

This event is free, accessible, and open to all.

LAZOOM Tours: BAND AND BEER TOUR
Nov 17 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
LaZoom Room

Wanna hear the best local music ​and​ drink the best local beers? Hop aboard LaZoom’s Purple Bus and rock out with a local band while we take you on a journey to Asheville’s premiere local breweries.

  • Curated Live Music & Brewery Bus experience
  • 3 Hours long, includes three 30 Minute Local Brewery Stops
  • You Can Drink on the Funky Purple Bus! **Must be purchased at LaZoom or at brewery stop**
The Resonant Rogues (Album Release Show)
Nov 17 @ 5:30 pm
The Grey Eagle
Doors Open: 7:00 PM
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY

THE RESONANT ROGUES
The Resonant Rogues’ dark Appalachian folk paints a picture of their lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina and on the road. Anchored by the songwriting duo of Sparrow (banjo, accordion) and Keith Smith (guitar), they’ve traveled the byways and highways of America and crossed the oceans with instruments in tow. From riding freight trains to building their own homestead, the pair are no strangers to blazing unconventional trails. At once rooted and adventurous, each song tells a story of real experiences, friendships, and challenges.

The Rogues just wrapped up a record in Nashville with renowned producer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff), featuring guest appearances from Sierra Ferrell, Benjamin Tod, John James Tourville (Deslondes), and Jason Dea West.

“Their intense cohesion is so intertwined that it feels like they’re playing with one pair of hands.” –No Depression

“I urge you to get out and hear them” -Lonesome Highway

CRISTINA VANE

Born in Italy to a Sicilian-American father and a Guatemalan mother, Cristina Vane has always had a tenuous relationship with identity and place. She grew up between England, France and Italy, and was fluent in four languages by the time she moved to her fathers’ native United States for university at 18.  Despite this, (and perhaps because of it) she had no sense of belonging to any one culture or country.  What she did have, however, was an intense love of music.  Powered by her signature take on blues and rock, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Cristina Vane’s debut album, Nowhere Sounds Lovely, earned her praise from the likes of American Songwriter and Rolling Stone Country, which deemed it ‘mesmerizing stuff’.  The 2021 release was written largely on a road trip across America.  Since then, Vane has laid down roots in Nashville and had the opportunity to spend more time exploring internally.  On her sophomore album “Make Myself Me Again”, Vane has found a way all the way around the country and right back to herself, both musically and personally.  “I’ve been trying to peel back the layers, to understand who I am, and I think that process has translated to this record,” she explains, “The production is straightforward, more minimal, and a bit of a return to my rock roots but still paying homage to the music I’ve explored since then”.

After graduating from Princeton with a degree in Comparative Literature, Vane moved to Los Angeles where she worked at McCabe’s Guitar Shop, and spent every free moment working on her music, studying fingerstyle guitar with mentor Pete Steinberg. Those years pushed her into deeper exploration of country blues picking and old folk guitar styles. In the last few years she’s taken a deep dive into old-time and bluegrass music, adding clawhammer banjo to her arsenal of instruments.

Buncombe Turnpike in Concert
Nov 17 @ 7:00 pm
Black Mountain Center for the Arts

Buncombe Turnpike is a long time staple in the Asheville bluegrass scene. Their sets are made up of primarily hand crafted original songs, but the band also plays a variety of other heartfelt tunes ranging from traditional and contemporary bluegrass. With their crowd pleasing demeanor, seasoned musicianship, and powerful vocals the band has made a name for themselves among traditional and contemporary listeners alike. Band members are, Tom Godleski, lead vocals and upright bass, Korey Warren guitar , mandolin, lead and backing vocals. David Hyatt, guitar and mandolin and lead and backing vocals, George Buckner, banjo, Don Lewis, fiddle. mandolin. lead and backing vocals. Buncombe Turnpike will be playing tunes from their new album, “Good Measure.”

Tickets are $15. Doors open at 6:30pm and seating is first come first served. Online ticket sales end an hour before the performance time, but there may still be tickets available for purchase at the door. Call BMCA for availability at 828.669.0930.

Comedy at Catawba: Gilbert Lawand
Nov 17 @ 7:00 pm
Catawba Brewing Company South Slope

Every Friday Modelface Comedy brings you the best comedians from all over the country.

GILBERT LAWAND is a Brooklyn based comedian by way of Atlanta. You can see him performing all over the New York City area at some of the best shows such as Night Train, the Knitting Factory, and Bar Matchless as well as comedy clubs like Caroline’s, Gotham, New York Comedy Club, and the Creek and the Cave. He also produces the annual Red Clay Comedy Festival which takes place in Atlanta every September. Gilbert has performed in several festivals including Bridgetown, High Plains, and the Laughing Skull Festival where he was a finalist in 2015. He’s a frequent opener for Rory Scovel and has also opened for Dave Chappelle.

 

ages 18+

Doors at 6:30, show at 7pm

 

 

Food: No food sold at Catawba Brewing but outside food is allowed

Parkings options: Street parking around brewery and variety of pay lots around the building

Refund Policy: no refunds within 24 hours of the start of show or after

LAZOOM Tours: GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR
Nov 17 @ 7:00 pm
LaZoom Room


GHOST COMEDY BUS TOUR

Grab a local beer, crucifix and a rubber chicken* —You might survive this hour long hilarious haunted ghost tour of Asheville.

  • Guided comedy bus tour of Haunted Asheville
  • 60 minutes; tours run nightly after dark
  • $33 per person (Ages 17+ only)
  • Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue

*Legal Note: Crucifix not required to board the bus; we do not condone exorcisms, chickens, rubber, or any combination of the three.

Mount Eerie
Nov 17 @ 7:00 pm
Eulogy

Mount Eerie

Phil Elverum is an artist and human being from the Pacific Northwest town of Anacortes. His recordings, released variously as The Microphones and Mount Eerie, represent just a portion of his artistic output, which has ranged from running a label and co-organizing festivals to self-publishing books, photography, and painting. But it is for his stunningly original music that he is known best, from the earliest tape experiments of the ’90s to the immersive sound-diary of Microphones in 2020. Elverum has never shied from exploring the high mountain passes, finding new ways to sculpt with sound, and trying to communicate the momentary experience of being human as clearly as the water from freshly melted snow.

Daughter of Swords

Alexandra Sauser-Monnig is a North Carolina-based songwriter who releases work as a solo musician under the moniker Daughter of Swords, as well as one-half of The A’s, and in the folk trio Mountain Man.

Sauser-Monnig’s most recent solo album ‘Dawnbreaker’ began as the first phase of her return to music after stepping to the sidelines for the better part of a decade. Her college trio, Mountain Man, rose to quick acclaim for their peerless harmonies around 2010, but the friends slowly drifted apart, following their own interests to different coasts and concerns. While working on a flower farm as a farmhand, though, Sauser-Monnig realized that she missed the emotional articulation she found in writing songs and singing them and resolved to start again. She pieced together an album just as Mountain Man—now newly gathered in the fertile Piedmont of North Carolina—began to regroup for its second LP, 2018’s aptly named Magic Ship. Working with Sylvan Esso’s Nick Sanborn, Sauser-Monnig shaped what began as quiet reflections into confident compositions, crackling with country swagger and a sparkling pop warmth. They were, after all, preemptive odes to the next phase of life.

Calling the ten tunes of Dawnbreaker breakup songs is to hamstring them with elegiac expectations, to paint them as sad-eyed surrenders to loss and grief. Sure, there is the gentle opener “Fellows,” a hushed number that explores the turmoil of being unable to reciprocate the feelings of a wild and shy, tall and fine man. And there’s the blossoming country shuffle of “Easy Is Hard,” where Sauser-Monnig stands in the yard and sees her lover leave, his taillights fading into the night sky; she can’t sleep, so she gets up to turn the lights and stereo on, to “feel my soul coming down.”

Even there, amid the throes of a life convulsion, there is a wisp of hope and possibility, framed by the way “the dim light change[s] into dawn, rosy blue, pink fawn.” The very heart of Dawnbreaker is not the impending breakup that inspired many of its songs but the sense of liberation and breaking out that the breakup inspired. Buoyed by the insistent patter of a drum machine and rich acoustic guitars, Sauser-Monnig finds herself in search of new thrills during “Gem,” whether pondering the fleeting nature of existence at a waterfall’s edge or watching the shapes of mountains seemingly dance beneath her headlights. The muted, harmonica-lined boogie of “Sun” begins with a vulnerable confession, a revelation of loneliness; it is, however, a low-key anthem for the open road, about giving oneself over to the infinity of solitude and an endless strip of asphalt. Sauser-Monnig captures these scenes with a painter’s eye and delivers them with a novelist’s heart.

This is an 18+ event

NACHO MAMA’S COMEDY IMPROV SHOW: IT MIGHT GET A LITTLE CHEESY
Nov 17 @ 7:00 pm
University Quadrangle, 1 University Heights, Asheville, NC 28804

NACHO MAMA’S COMEDY IMPROV SHOW: IT MIGHT GET A LITTLE CHEESY

Sandra Wright Shen-Classical Piano
Nov 17 @ 7:00 pm
First Baptist Church, Weaverville
The Weaverville Music Study Club is now organized under the direction of a Board with a niece of the late Mrs. Clark, Harriet Holcombe Burnette serving as President. The Music Study Club along with area businesses and organizations sponsor music programs throughout the year. Offerings received at these programs provide scholarships for area high school students who wish to pursue music studies.
Standup Comedy at plēb urban winery
Nov 17 @ 7:00 pm
plēb urban winery

Standup Comedy at plēb urban winery in the River Art District
Get ready to laugh until your sides hurt at the hilarious Standup Comedy event happening at plēb urban winery in the vibrant River Art District of Asheville, NC. Join us on Fri Nov 17, 2023 at 7p-9p for an evening filled with non-stop laughter, good vibes and great wine!
Located at 289 Lyman Street, Asheville, NC 28801, at plēb urban winery you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the comedic talents of some of the funniest regional standup comedians.
Whether you’re a comedy enthusiast or simply looking for a night of entertainment, this event promises to deliver big laughs and a memorable time. Don’t miss out on the chance to witness the best comedy Asheville has to offer.
Hosted by Hilliary Begley!!!!
Hilliary will make you cry with laughter with her larger than life personality!! Voted Asheville’s Favorite comic in the Mountain Xpress. Film debut in the Netflix original Dumplin’ as Aunt Lucy, or “Jennifer Anniston’s fat sister,” In Austin Film Festival winning movie When We Last Spoke with Cloris Leachman, now streaming on Amazon Prime. https ://youtu.be/legRwEg4j-o
Featuring Peter Smith-McDowell!!
Petey was voted one of Asheville’s favorite comics in the Mountain Xpress! He has been traveling around the country telling jokes since 2009. He is one of the producers of the longest running comedy room in Asheville, The Disclaimer Lounge. Besides his standup comedy, Petey is Asheville native and known for his hysterical Asheville memes on Instagram : instagram.com/peteysmithmcdowell
Featuring Jason Webb!
Jason is Co-Creator and Co-Host of Follow That! at The Comedy Store on Sunset.Festivals: Bridgetown Comedy Festival, San Francisco Sketchfest, Laughing Skull Comedy Festival (Best of the Fest) !0,000 Laughs Comedy Festival (Best of the Fest), Orlando Indie Comedy Festival, Bird City Comedy Festival, Blue Whale Comedy Festival, Big Pine Comedy Festival, Orlando Indie Comedy Festival.
Featuring Jess Cooley!
Jess is a writer and stand up comic from Upstate South Carolina, where he learned how to walk, and talk, and eat food like a real boy. Currently based in Asheville, NC, his comedy involves personal subjects like Autism, religion, and the loss of his favorite sex toy during a home invasion. His unique and colorful perspective brings his stories to life, and his demons to the spotlight.
Featuring Cary Goff!
Cary is considered the Godfather of Comedy in Asheville. Cary started the Disclaimer Comedy Mic in 2009 and it is still going strong today at The Asheville Music Hall. Cary has had humor columns in multiple magazines. He’s the dad you always wanted, except FUNNY!!
Food truck will be available for the whole show!
Grab your friends, bring your sense of humor, and join us at plēb urban winery for an evening of laughter and good times. Get ready to roll on the floor laughing at this unmissable Standup Comedy event!

The Spitfire Grill
Nov 17 @ 7:00 pm
The Porter Center At Brevard College

The Spitfire Grill

Music and Book by James Valcq

Lyrics and Book by Fred Alley

Based on the film by Lee David Zlotoff

A feisty parolee follows her dreams, based on a page from an old travel book, to a small town in Wisconsin and finds a place for herself working at Hannah’s Spitfire Grill. The Grill is for sale, but there are no takers for the only eatery in the depressed town, so newcomer Percy convinces Hannah to raffle it off. Entry fees are one hundred dollars and the best essay on why you want the Grill wins. Soon, mail arrives by the wheelbarrow and things really start cookin’ at the Spitfire Grill.

In keeping with our Mission Statement, BC Theatre Dept. seeks to encourage student and community growth and purposeful interaction with a range of ideas. We mindfully tell this story with the deliberate aim of ensuring both open-mindedness and personal safety.

Emerging Black Playwright Staged Reading Series: JUKED by Mildred Inez Lewis
Nov 17 @ 7:30 pm
Tina McGuire Theatre

Two years ago Different Strokes! partnered with American Myth Center to create “A Different Myth“, which seeks to amplify stories that center Black voices and characters. After reading through 48 submissions from emerging Black Playwrights, we selected three playwrights as members of our 2022 cohort and have spent the last two years working with them to develop new plays. Two of those plays (Dear God by Lisa Langford, and Juked by Mildred Inez Lewis) will see a full production later this season, but before that happens, we have one more phase. As part of the development process, each playwright has had the opportunity to hear actors read their words and get their feedback but now they are ready to hear from an actual audience about how the work impacts them.  These live, fully cast, staged readings (script in hand) of the plays, allow the audience to engage with the material and provide feedback afterward. Your thoughts and observations as theater enthusiasts will be crucial in shaping the future development of these exciting new plays.

Emerging Black Playwright Staged Reading Series: Juked written by Mildred Inez Lewis
Nov 17 @ 7:30 pm
Diana Wortham Theatre

Juked will premiere for the first time in front of an audience as part of the Emerging Black Playwright Staged Reading Series. Juked is a retelling of Sophocles’ tragedy Electra. This version is set in 1950s Asheville and the “kingdom” is a chain of drink houses (private homes offering illegal alcohol) owned by the well-off, African-American Memnon family. Juked examines the relationship between Electra, her mother, and her sister, and asks what happens after tragedy. How do we recover? Juked is directed by Mikayla Wilson, and features Stephanie Hickling Beckman, Bjorn Goller, Righteous Luster, Alex Mbuthia, Donna Marie McMillan, Rodney Smith, and Sharvis Smith.

Meet The Playwright

Mildred Inez Lewis writes and directs for theatre, film and the digital space. Recent honors include an AGE Legacy Playwright (ALP) grant (2023), the Samuel French OOB Festival finals (2022), Grand Jury Award from Fusion (2022), the 2021 L.B. Williams award, and Humanitas’ PLAY LA (2018).

A member of the Dramatists Guild, she writes for Antaeus Theatre Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre-LA Playwrights Unit, PlayGround-LA and Towne Street Theatre. She is an associate artist with Rogue Artists Ensemble.

Upcoming productions in 2023 include JUKED a commissioned adaptation of Sophocles’ ELECTRA for A Different Myth (Asheville, NC). Mildred will also create work for Ohlone College students. 2022 productions included THE MUSEUM ANNEX for Central Works (Berkeley, CA), /kom’plisit/ (staged reading) at Moving Arts (Los Angeles), BONWIT TELLER’S REVENGE for The Workshop Theatre (NYC), and Purity, UnPledged for the Playground Experiment’s Faces of America.

Her plays have been published by Applause Books, Broadway Play Publishing. LazyBee (UK), Breathe Fire literary magazine and elsewhere.

Live Music at The Draftsman
Nov 17 @ 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
The Restoration Asheville

Join us for a rhythm-filled weekend at The Draftsman with 5j Burrow! Elevate your Friday night with an electrifying live music performance from local performers while sipping on our unique cocktails. Unwind, tap your feet, and indulge in a perfect blend of melodies and mixology.

The Snozzberries Psychedelic Circus with Kendall Street Company
Nov 17 @ 8:30 pm
Asheville Music Hall

AGES 21+
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Asheville psychedelic rock warriors The Snozzberries are hosting their 3rd Annual Psychedelic Circus on November 17th at Asheville Music Hall. The concert is an immersive audiovisual experience, featuring performers, interactive art exhibits, and more fun surprises.
Last year’s show featured dancers, live painters, visual artists, a balloon wall, and over 500 balloons leaf-blown over the crowd. Always wanting to up the ante, this year will feature a full transformation of the Music Hall space into a spectacle of wonder.
The Snozzberries are celebrating a year of accomplishments including playing national festivals Suwannee Hulaween and Summer Camp Music Festival, along with opening for Big Something, rocking a packed house at AVL Fest and playing Papadosio’s Asheville festival Summer Solstice. Combining hi-energy psychedelia, progressive rock, and deep-fried funk, The Snozzberries deliver a powerhouse, genre-bending sonic journey.
In addition, Virginia-based rock band Kendall Street Company will start the night strong with their genre-fluid, eclectic rock. The ensemble has drawn varied comparisons to the dynamic jams of Umphrey’s McGee and Widespread Panic, songwriting prowess of John Prine, experimental psychedelia of Pink Floyd, progressive jazz-infused rock of Frank Zappa, and off-color humor of Ween and They Might Be Giants. Including elements of crowd participation, off-the-cuff comedic bits, haphazard choreography and musical improvisation, they are the perfect fit for this exciting event.
Tickets will go on sale Friday 9/22 on the Asheville Music Hall website.
Poster art by Asheville Art Family.