Calendar of Events
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.
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
– RAIN OR SHINE
Jack Marion and The Pearl Snap Prophets bring a youthful-exuberance and high-country swagger to the doorsteps of modern country music. The North Carolina-based band has spent the past 6 years in honky-tonks, bars, and mountain roadhouses, collecting fodder for songs along the way. There are songs about living; written in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains. They are straight-from-the-hip and straight-from-the heart. No bull-honky. All truth. But they are just as catchy as any songwriting-factory-formed mega hit that will ever curse your ear.
Opening set by Chris McGinnis
Founded in 2012, ESB has grown from a party band of friends playing New Orleans-originated or inspired second-line and funk tunes with elements of rock and jam. Now, it consists of a collective of players, singers, songwriters, and producers who have found an original sound that fuses their individual musical influences with fresh ideas while still holding true to their foundation.
Featuring rich group and lead vocals from several members including Grammy Award-winning artist Debrissa McKinney (Secret Agent 23 Skidoo), keyboardist/producer Lenny Pettinelli, and guitarist Kelly Hannah, ESB has played over 300 shows all over the country. Since their conception, they have been a constant fixture at various festivals throughout the east coast. The band has had the pleasure of having Warren Haynes (Allman Bros. Band and Gov’t Mule) sit in with them at New Mountain Amphitheater in Asheville, NC and the honor of performing at the Jazz and Heritage Festival celebrating the life of Dizzy Gillespie in his hometown of Cheraw, SC for the past 6 years in a row. Empire has also co-billed with some of the biggest names in funk and soul including Mavis Staples, Dr. John, and Lettuce as well as a recent co-bill in November of 2019 at Woodlands Festival with jam band giants Umphrey’s McGee. ESB is also announced to play 2 huge shows at the US Cellular Center in Asheville with Umphrey’s and Billy Strings.
Paul Juhl, ESB’s founder and saxophonist, put together a crew of characters that have a rich and diverse musical background. The horn players including JP Furnas (bass/tuba/trombone), Alex Bradley (trumpet), Kyle Snuffer (trombone/sax), Debrissa McKinney (sax) and Juhl all have a deep love of many styles including funk, jazz, R&B, outlaw country, hip hop, and almost everything else! In May of 2019, Empire Strikes Brass horns played 3 performances at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado – 2 shows with psy-trance icon Shpongle and 1 show with friends and livetronica legends Papadosio. Over the years, the horns have also sat in with such artists as The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Galactic, Rubblebucket, The Big Something, and many others. Other notable side projects and performances from members include Lenny Pettinelli recording and performing with Jazz is Phsh – and instrumental tribute to the music of Phish founded by the Chase Brothers featuring Grammy Award-winning saxophonists Jeff Coffin (Bela Fleck, Dave Matthews Band) and Chris Bullock of Snarky Puppy as well as legendary jazz trumpeter Michael Ray (Sun Ra, Cosmic Krewe) and many other heavy hitters. Paul Juhl has performed with John Oates (Hall and Oates) at MerleFest. In addition to her work with Skidoo, Debrissa McKinney has performed with Karl Denson and George Clinton. Alex Bradley, Kyle Snuffer, Debrissa & Juhl have sat in with Andy Frasco. Furnas, Juhl, and Bradley were also featured playing horns on the live album compilation from world-renowned artists Beats Antique entitled “Creature Carnival” released in 2015.
When Empire Strikes Brass comes together, whether live or in the studio, the sound is undeniably strong and solid. The band’s debut album was recorded at Asheville’s own renowned Echo Mountain Recording Studio was released in 2017. Entitled “Theme For A Celebration”, it was tapped as one of the year’s top 100 releases by WNCW 88.7 radio. ESB’s newest release “Brassterpiece Theatre”, also recorded at Echo, is a fierce followup and both albums are available through all major music distribution streaming, sales and listening platforms. Look for the band on the road and at festivals in a town near you!!
STANDING ROOM ONLY
SCYTHIAN
Washington DC-based Scythian (sith-ee-yin) began over 12 years ago as a bunch of college buddies playing Celtic music in the streets and has grown to be a headliner on the US Celtic Festival Circuit as well as a name in the Bluegrass/Americana Festival Circuit. They found that their brand of high-energy folk music found a resonance that led The Washington Post to state: “Scythian’s enthusiasm is contagious, and shows seem to end with everyone dancing, jumping around or hoisting glasses.”
For over 12 years they have found success as an independent band and have played over 1,300 shows all over the united states, Europe, Canada and as far aways as Australia.
Founded by brothers Alexander and Danylo Fedoryka who are first-generation sons of Ukrainian immigrants, Scythian from the start has been a search and love for the “old time, good time music” of many cultures. They were inspired by a tale told by their 92-year-old grandmother of a roving fiddler who came into her farming village every six months or so. Once he was spotted, messengers were sent to all the outlying fields and mills and worked ceased; everyone gathered in the barn where they danced all night and danced their cares away. This spirit is what has motivated Scythian from its inception and their success as an independent band is due largely to their finding a resonance of soul amongst kindred spirits that span all ages and races. This spirit took them from the streets to playing for the US president on St. Patrick’s Day and its the enthusiastic response they receive that has made each of their 1,300+ shows unique.
THE calling card of Scythian is their ability to engage their audience no matter the venue or circumstance and truly every Scythian shows ends with people dancing, smiling and covered with sweat. This is best summed up by The Camel-City Dispatch (Winston-Salem, North Carolina): “[Scythian gives] no quarter in their quest to entertain and bring a joy to their music that gives it an irony-free, wide open feel of manic possibility. The playing is technically brilliant, but it is the energy that carries the day.”
STRANGER AND PILGRIM
Visit LEAF Global Arts every Saturday for an in-house cultural exchange with Adama Dembele. Experience the Ivory Coast with our Culture Keeper from the House of Djembe.
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
– RAIN OR SHINE
intentional lyrics and good music. They are passionate about story telling and
infusing the character of their Appalachian home into everything they release. They
are a young group eagerly looking forward to a long life spent with music and
crowds.
Opening sets by Spruce & Hollow and Malachi Fletcher
Locals and visitors alike come together at downtown’s Pack Square Park “along about sundown,” or at 7:00 pm for those who wear a watch, and continues until 10:00 pm. Concessions are available!
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2024 Dates
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Shindig on the Green
July 6, 13, 20, 27
August 10, 17, 24
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The stage show takes place on the Bascom Lamar Lunsford stage, named for the founder of the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival. Since the outdoor event’s inception in 1967, hundreds of thousands of individuals from across the region and throughout the world have shared and enjoyed the rich traditional music and dance heritage of the Southern Appalachian Mountains in this outdoor setting.
Shindig on the Green remains a free event due in part to net proceeds from ticket sales to the nation’s longest continually running festival, the granddaddy of all festivals, the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival.
Brevard Music Center Orchestra
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Bella Hristova, violin
MAURICE RAVEL Mother Goose Suite
MAX BRUCH Violin Concerto No. 1
IGOR STRAVINSKY Divertimento from The Fairy’s Kiss
ALEXANDER SCRIABIN The Poem of Ecstasy
Tickets go on sale to the general public on May 1. To receive early access to tickets for this event, become a donor today! Donor presale begins March 25.
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Ashes & Arrows
Alternative Folk
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Mama & The Ruckus
Blues
The Ruckus is led by Mama who writes songs about the trauma and pain that every person inevitably experiences in their lives. She sings these songs as a cry for hope, healing, and inspiration to others and you hear that in every single note that the band plays and that she sings. This intergenerational project is based out of Asheville, NC featuring original music inspired by blues and soul music. The mission of the band is to spread joy and ignite healing so we can make a positive impact on our community.
Their newest single, Cross the Border is a call to action. It addresses the people who still hold beliefs and ideals that are dangerous to mankind and to people who have been and continue to be oppressed.
STANDING ROOM ONLY
THE REMANTLISTS
On Saturday, July 6th, The Remantlists present an album release show, performing Arthur by The Kinks, as well as their new album, Not Arthur.
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) is a classic concept album released by The Kinks in 1969. It very loosely outlines the story of Arthur, who in real life was the man who married Ray Davies’ sister and convinced her to move to Australia.
Not Arthur is a concept album, written and recorded by The Remantlists, which shares only the song titles, in order, of Arthur, by The Kinks. It has its own story, songs, and lyrics, and was written independently and with little knowledge of the original Kinks album.
The Remantlists are:
Troy Crossley (Carnivale Macabre/Rocky Horror Music Show) – Guitar/Vocals
Evan Scott (Carnivale Macabre) – Drums
Chris Tullar (Carpal Tullar/Rocky Horror Music Show) – Keyboard/Guitar/Vocals
And will be joined by:
Dave Baker (Carpal Tullar/The Long Distance Relationship) – Guitar/Vocals
Chris Carter (Alarm Clock Conspiracy/The Long Distance Relationship) – Guitar/Vocals
Rob Heyer (Carpal Tullar/Ska City) – Bass
Ian Reardon (Alarm Clock Conspiracy) – Guitar/Vocals
Andrew Thelston (Andrew Thelston Band/Rocky Horror Music Show) – Guitar/Vocals
And (most of) the Ska City Horn Section:
Gabe Holguin – Trumpet
Dennis Owenby – Alto Sax
Dave Wilken – Trombone
Besides performing both of these albums in their entirety, The Remantlists will be releasing Not Arthur on the same day.
Not Arthur is a an album that tells the story of Arthur, an aging, disgruntled DJ who wishes to illuminate the world with prog rock greats of the past, but is always being derailed by the pop radio industry, which is only concerned with maximizing profits by playing the hits of current pop icons. Unsuccessful in his efforts, Arthur is approached by an older musician who has a supernatural offering to lift Arthur’s despair, which turns out to be a plan of revenge.
– LIMITED SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
APR 14– Laurel Lee and the Escapees
MAY 12 – My New Favorites
JUNE 9 – Charles Latham & The Borrowed Band
JULY 7 – Brody Hunt and the Handfuls
Show runs 11am-2pm on the patio stage. Food and drink available from The Grey Eagle Taqueria. Family friendly show! Kids get in free. Come fill your Sunday day with food, drink, fun and some of the best live music Asheville has to offer – all in one place.
Jack’s Bluegrass Brunch kicks off every Sunday at 12 noon — with lively bluegrass tunes courtesy of The Jack of the Wood Bluegrass Brunch Boys from 1-3pm. Sip a Bloody Mary or Mimosa or a warm Irish coffee. Tasty brunch specials alongside our regular menu and 18 taps of rotating craft brews! Sláinte, y’all!
Join us Sunday, July 7 at the Burntshirt Vineyards Tasting Room and Winery for live music at the vineyard with Jeff Michels!
Jeff will be performing at Burntshirt Vineyards in Hendersonville on Sunday from 2-5 PM. It’s sure to be an afternoon of amazing music, fabulous wines, great food and good times! We can’t wait to see you here!
Jack’s long-running Traditional Irish Music Session is the perfect way to enjoy the Celtic-influenced sounds of talented pluckers from all over WNC & further afield! Stop in to enjoy a pint or afternoon Irish coffee with the music! Sláinte!
Wildflowers in Full Bloom
Tickets go on sale to the general public on May 1. To receive early access to tickets for this event, become a donor today! Donor presale begins March 25.
STANDING ROOM ONLY
PEDRO THE LION
Early into Santa Cruz, the poignant third album in David Bazan’s ongoing musical memoir of his sometimes-uncanny life, he discovers the Beatles. He is the new kid from Arizona in a new school in the famous California coastal town where his dad has accepted another post at a Bible college. He and his first friend there, Matt, are sitting on the carpet in Matt’s little bedroom, flipping through the records bequeathed by his father, when Bazan spots a familiar cover—The White Album, known only from a church documentary that warned children of the Satanic secrets of “Revolution 9.” Play it backwards, the propaganda said, and it would offer a command: “Turn me on, dead man.”
So, of course, the kids played it forward and were fascinated by the sound, by the imagination, by the act of consecrated creativity far outside of Christian rock. Bazan was 13. “Treading water on the open ocean/Then you threw me out a life ring,” he sings, the smile obvious just through the sound as the beat picks up like a racing pulse, more than three decades later. “All I needed was a little help from a friend.” That is the moment where, in many ways, the remarkable songs of Pedro the Lion begin to take shape.
In 2019, after a 15-year break filled with solo records and side-projects, Bazan returned to the moniker under which he had become one of indie rock’s most identifiable voices and incisive songwriters, Pedro the Lion. He sort of stumbled into 2019’s Phoenix, a charged chronicle of his childhood there, while spending the night with his grandparents during a tour stop. But he soon understood that unpacking his peripatetic youth, where his music minister father shifted around the country like a Marine moving bases, was helpful, healing, and maybe even interesting. The gripping Havasu followed in 2022. Bazan was onto something, untangling all the ways his past had both shaped and misshaped his present inside some of his best songs ever.
That past truly begins to become the present on Santa Cruz, the most fraught and frank album yet in a planned five-album arc; this one covers a little less than a decade, from just after he turned 13 until he turns toward adulthood around 21. These songs ripple with the anxiety and energy of teenage awakening—of hearing rock ’n’ roll, of understanding that independent music exists, of making out with an older schoolmate in deepest secret, of falling in love, of finally starting to understand that in order to be yourself you’re going to need to be something other than your parents’ vision of you. It is the rawest, most affecting and affirming album Pedro the Lion has ever made.
FLOCK OF DIMES
Jenn Wasner is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer, and songwriter based in Durham, North Carolina by way of Baltimore. She releases solo music under the name Flock of Dimes, and as half of beloved duo Wye Oak. Wasner is also a member of Bon Iver, and ofSylvan Esso’s extended live lineup. Over the years, Wasner has collaborated with Future Islands, Helado Negro, Sharon Van Etten, Deerhoof, Shearwater, William Brittelle, and many other artists. She also produced Madeline Kenney’s Sucker’s Lunch (2020) and Perfect Shapes (2018). Flock of Dimes’ latest solo LP, ‘Head of Roses,’ (Sub Pop, 2021) follows a winding thread of intuition into the unknown and into healing, led by gut feelings and the near-spiritual experience of visceral songwriting.
The Asheville Downtown Association is thrilled to announce the return of the beloved Pritchard Park Arts and Culture Series, made possible through a generous partnership with the Trina Mullen Foundation, City of Asheville Parks and Recreation, ArtsAVL, and Explore Asheville. This summer series will run from May 28 through August 30, featuring exciting activations every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM.
Mondays: Pickin’ in the Park
Enjoy performances by local singer-songwriters in an intimate and relaxed setting. Experience the rich musical heritage of Asheville as talented musicians share their stories and songs.
DARIUS MILHAUD Le boeuf sur le toit
ROBERT LIVINGSTON ALDRIDGE Cities and Mountains
ROBERT SCHUMANN Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op. 44
Tickets go on sale to the general public on May 1. To receive early access to tickets for this event, become a donor today! Donor presale begins March 25.
Traditional Song Week’s Concert I on Monday, July 8, features old-time & blugrass singer Joe Newberry, Appalachian singers Sam Gleaves and Kay Justice, songwriter Susan Cattaneo, gospel singers Pamela English and Shirley Smith, and the week’s Coordinator, Matt Watroba.
SWANNANOA GATHERING STAFF CONCERTS
All shows begin at 7:30 pm in the college’s Kittredge Theatre. Tickets are $35 per concert (during Old-Time Week, ticket price includes dances following concerts). Children under 12 are $17. Limited tickets are available for check or cash only in Asheville at Malaprops Bookstore, and in Black Mountain at Acoustic Corner.
Traditional Song Week’s Concert I on Monday, July 8, features old-time & blugrass singer Joe Newberry, Appalachian singers Sam Gleaves and Kay Justice, songwriter Susan Cattaneo, gospel singers Pamela English and Shirley Smith, and the week’s Coordinator, Matt Watroba.
SWANNANOA GATHERING STAFF CONCERTS
All shows begin at 7:30 pm in the college’s Kittredge Theatre. Tickets are $35 per concert (during Old-Time Week, ticket price includes dances following concerts). Children under 12 are $17. Limited tickets are available for check or cash only in Asheville at Malaprops Bookstore, and in Black Mountain at Acoustic Corner.
The Asheville Downtown Association is thrilled to announce the return of the beloved Pritchard Park Arts and Culture Series, made possible through a generous partnership with the Trina Mullen Foundation, City of Asheville Parks and Recreation, ArtsAVL, and Explore Asheville. This summer series will run from May 28 through August 30, featuring exciting activations every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM.
Tuesdays: Hoop Jam
Join the fun with hula hoops and a live DJ. Whether you’re a seasoned hooper or a beginner, this vibrant event invites everyone to dance, spin, and groove to the music in a welcoming and energetic atmosphere.
Drunken Prayer transcends the bounds of Americana music. Whether a big country soul band, gospel power trio or just a voice and guitar, Drunken Prayer is always Morgan Geer. Morgan writes songs that could emerge from a highly blissed-out biker bar or a swampy ashram.
For his most recent release, 2023’s The Name Of The Ghost Is Home, Geer worked from his backyard studio in North Carolina with Paul Oldham (Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Royal Trux), building on drum tracks initially recorded in New Mexico at Empty House, home of doom metal bands like OM and Sleep. The end result evokes an ominous Acid Western feedback-and-driftwood aesthetic.
Preceding the last record was the acclaimed LP Cordelia Elsewhere, mixed by Mitch Easter (Let’s Active, REM).
Drunken Prayer is currently finishing up an album of gospel covers, recording at the original Fat Possum studio in North Mississippi, with members of Drive-by Truckers and Squirrel Nut Zippers.
Morgan Geer and his Drunken Prayer have played hundreds of shows across 18 countries and across the US at venues such as the Newport Folk Festival, Pickathon Music Festival and San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. Drunken Prayer’s music has been featured on NPR, AMC, WFMU and Little Steven’s Garage on SiriusXM.
On the side Morgan is the lead guitar player for alt-country goths Freakwater, writes for a diversity of artists and plays bass in local honky-tonk and soul bands. He’s also been touring internationally; opening for and often joining The Handsome Family.
Morgan Geer lives in the mountains of southern Appalachia.
Grab some dinner and a pint while enjoying our long-running Old-Time jam! Featuring many talented musicians from the local WNC area, our traditional Appalachian mountain music jam runs from 5-9pm every Wednesday night at Jack of the Wood!
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
– RAIN OR SHINE
Free show! Sit ins are encouraged at this open Bluegrass jam.
Sing songs that celebrate Peace & Community, with Resident Teaching Artist Melissa McKinney. Sing, play, drum, and dance while learning songs from the Justice Choir Songbook.
Wednesdays at 6 p.m.
$15 drop-in class
All ages welcome.
Center your mind, body and spirit with a soothing Sound Bath!
Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience. A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.
Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.
The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 6:15 PM, doors close promptly at 6:30 PM.
This service is being offered on a Love Offering basis. Donations allow us to continue to provide these immersive experiences.
Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd.
There is a boardwalk walk-way from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.
Karaoke Night at Hickory Tavern
W. A. MOZART Serenade for Winds in C minor, K. 388
MAURICE RAVEL Sonatine for Flute, Cello, and Harp
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Piano Quintet in C minor
Tickets go on sale to the general public on May 1. To receive early access to tickets for this event, become a donor today! Donor presale begins March 25.