Calendar of Events

Hey everyone! We hope that everyone is having a happy new year and we are thrilled to get together again!
White Duck Taco (riverside) is such a great, spacious location — its the obvious choice for our meetups.
Considering the cooler temperatures this time of year, we are going to plan to tentatively Meet Up on Tuesday, March 7th.

As always, feel free to bring something to work on if that’s what makes you comfy. This is a low stress, mingle as you please, kind of meet up. Share you recent works, exchange social media handles with others, get the word out about upcoming events or classes, and most importantly, make friends!!! We are so proud of the welcoming community we’ve created and want to do everything we can to maintain that energy.

Every Tuesday 1/2 off bottles of wine at 131 Main Restaurant

Come and join us for our March Mixer. The group has grown to over 400, so if you haven’t been to a mixer in a while, come on down to New Belgium and meet some of the new folks!

We will have some space set aside inside (if it is cold) or on the covered patio behind the main tap room (they have outdoor heaters but dress for the weather). Look for the AVL International Connections’ sign on the table. Grab a beverage and then join us on the deck! A local Food Truck will also be out front if anyone wants a bite to eat!

As a growing group, if you have friends that you would like to bring along, please do! Also encourage them to sign up on Meetup!

– ALL AGES
– PARTIALLY SEATED SHOW
– LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE

MIKAELA DAVIS

Mikaela Davis is a patient, meticulous songwriter. The Hudson Valley-based artist peels back the gauze of the world’s distractions to reveal the tiny details we might have missed, spotlighting the importance of nourishing friendships, perseverance in the face of adversity and the lessons the natural world can teach us.

A prolific and distinctive harpist, Davis molds her classical music training to create an original and genre-bending catalog that weaves together 60s pop-soaked melodies, psychedelia and driving bluegrass rock. Davis has also shared the stage with the likes of Bob Weir, Christian McBride, Bon Iver, Lake Street Dive and Circles Around the Sun, showcasing her ability to stretch her creative talents across just about any canvas.

Along with her band Southern Star, the group recently recorded at the Relix studio in New York City, releasing an exclusive Relix Studios vinyl. Featuring songs from her 2018 debut album Delivery, as well as latest single “Don’t Stop Now”, the release boasts the trajectory and intimacy of a band who have been playing together for the better part of a decade.

Davis’ new album, set for release later this year and produced by Davis and the band, is the first time Southern Star will appear on a full-length studio album together. With these new songs set to confirm the Rochester-native’s inimitable skills and spirit, Davis is poised to propel to bigger stages and even brighter spotlights.

MADDIE SHULER

Join us for a weekly mountain music JAM with players in a round, where the session is focused on regional fiddle tunes and songs! You are welcome to come and listen or to learn and join in. This event supports the Henderson County Junior Appalachian Musician (JAM) Kids Program. Free but donations are accepted. Weekly event takes place at Oklawaha Brewing Company.

EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 6:30 pm ~ FREE!

AGES 18+ ADULTS ONLY ~ NO KIDS ALLOWED

ON OUR HUGE SCREEN IN THEATER 2!

ENJOY DINNER & DRINKS (FULL BAR) WHILE PLAYING

There are 3 rounds with new winners each round so you can show up late, miss a round and still be a winner. Plus, we have mid-round prizes to create as many winners as possible.

The questions are presented by a hilarious host on our giant movie screen and includes fun videos in each round.  You haven’t played a trivia night like this one!

Beat the mid week grind with some fun trivia! Win a $25 gift card for our taproom along with a $25 gift card from our resident kitchen, Bears Smokehouse BBQ!

Every Wednesday Trivia Night

– ALL AGES
– SEATED SHOW
– LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE

SAM GRISMAN PROJECT

A Note From Sam– The music that my father David Grisman and his close friend, Jerry Garcia, made in the early 90s (in the house that I grew up in) is not only some of the most timeless acoustic music ever recorded, it also triggers my oldest and fondest musical memories. What I find most inspiring about this material is the way their camaraderie and their love and joy for the music, simply oozes out of each recording. It is also impressive how deeply they get beneath their favorite songs—whether they are originals, covers or traditional/old time tunes—and how expertly that material was curated.

My goal in starting Sam Grisman Project is to build a platform for my friends and me to showcase our genuine passion and appreciation for the legacy of Dawg and Jerry’s music. By playing some of their beloved repertoire and sharing the original music that our own collective has to offer, we will also show the impact that this music has had on our own individual musical voices. Ultimately, there is nothing that makes me happier than playing great songs with my best friends and my hope is to share that happiness with audiences all over!”

March 9, 2023 at 10 a.m. & 12 p.m.

Recommended for Grades K-5

Limited availability

When the class gets lost on the way to the planetarium, Ms. Frizzle saves the day by blasting into outer space for an epic interplanetary field trip! Hop on the Magic School Bus for a musical adaptation of the popular series, and join the gang as they pull together (with lessons in communication, music, science, and social studies) to return safely to planet Earth.

Reservations for individuals (10 people or less): $12 each. To reserve, call the box office at 828-257-4530 ext. 1, email [email protected], or complete the Student Series Reservation Form.

Reservations for groups (11 people or more): $11 each. To reserve, download and complete the Student Series Reservation Form. Please note that all group reservations require a deposit of $1 per ticket. Please contact the box office if you have questions.

View the Study Guide here.

Prepare for your visit, learn about the theatre, and get the most out of each performance with this Guide to the Wortham Center.

Performance Length: 60 minutes

March 9, 2023 at 10 a.m. & 12 p.m.

Recommended for Grades K-5

Limited availability

When the class gets lost on the way to the planetarium, Ms. Frizzle saves the day by blasting into outer space for an epic interplanetary field trip! Hop on the Magic School Bus for a musical adaptation of the popular series, and join the gang as they pull together (with lessons in communication, music, science, and social studies) to return safely to planet Earth.

Reservations for individuals (10 people or less): $12 each. To reserve, call the box office at 828-257-4530 ext. 1, email [email protected], or complete the Student Series Reservation Form.

Reservations for groups (11 people or more): $11 each. To reserve, download and complete the Student Series Reservation Form. Please note that all group reservations require a deposit of $1 per ticket. Please contact the box office if you have questions.

View the Study Guide here.

Prepare for your visit, learn about the theatre, and get the most out of each performance with this Guide to the Wortham Center.

Performance Length: 60 minutes

Treat yourself to a social afternoon filled with whimsy and fun while sampling the exquisite, in-house offerings at the rooftop Perspective Café!

⁣Indulge in local selections from the Asheville Tea Company, as well as fresh house-made tea sandwiches, scones, and petit fours. Create your own Fascinator Hat in our guided studio session, or bring your favorite to wear while strolling the galleries!

Pre-registration is required. Tabletops of 4 or 6 only. Ticket includes Museum admission, studio time, tea and accompaniments, and gratuity. Members receive 10 percent discount.

SCHEDULE

2–3pm • Fascinator hat making in the John & Robyn Horn Education Center. (We also welcome bringing your own favorite hat and arrive for tea at 3pm)

3–5pm • Tea Party in Perspective Café

5–6pm • Stroll the galleries & Museum Store

Every Thursday Live Music with Aaron Lafalce at 131 Main Restaurant, 6:00 p.m.

Trivia, Singo, tailgate games, and more! Our games are sure to challenge you, but c’mon… it’s not rocket science!

Taste of Asheville 2023 
Presented by Cheney Brothers, Inc.

AIR’s signature culinary event is back and better than ever, celebrating 20 years of supporting Asheville’s independent restaurants!
On Thursday, March 9, 2023, AIR will mark its 20th year of advocating for and supporting Asheville’s independently owned restaurants with the return of its beloved signature culinary event, Taste of Asheville, presented by Cheney Brothers, Inc.

In its first appearance since 2019 after a pandemic hiatus, Taste of Asheville 2023 will take place 6-9 p.m. Thursday, March 9, in a brand-new location — the beautiful and spacious Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center on the A-B Tech campus.

Don’t miss out on:

• Delicious bites and sips from about 60 AIR member restaurants and beverage vendors
• Musical entertainment from Asheville’s sensational Firecracker Jazz Band
• Silent auction
• Featured live auction item: Dinner for eight with wine pairings prepared in the winner’s home by renowned Asheville chefs and AIR co-founders Michel Baudouin and Eric Scheffer.

Space is limited and tickets are likely to sell out, so click below or scan the QR code to get yours now before they’re gone!

For a list of participating restaurants, visit airasheville.org/taste-of-asheville/.

LED BY ELLE BLACKBURN, O&G BAR MANAGER

With the popularity of January’s Cocktail Class: “Call Me Old Fashioned”, we’re bringing it back for March! With three new featured Old Fashioned recipes to learn, this class is perfect for beginners to the experts. On March 9th, we’re tackling the granddaddy of all Oak and Grist cocktails, the Old Fashioned! This class will focus on the science behind creating your favorite stirred cocktails & empower you to concoct your own unique libations at home.

We’ll start with the original Oak and Grist Old Fashioned recipe, diving into dilution, stirring, proper pouring technique, and an in-depth garnish presentation to keep your cocktails looking sharp. Students will then have the opportunity to taste four distinct Old Fashioned variations utilizing unique sugar, spirit, & bitter combinations. The class culminates with you creating & enjoying your new signature Old Fashioned. Cheers!

Please direct any and all questions to [email protected] and we’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO KNOW

All O&G Cocktail Classes are 21+. Photo IDs are required to participate in our Cocktail Classes so make sure you bring yours to each class. Don’t forget to arrive early to get settled in & sip on a cocktail before the class starts.

Please reach out to [email protected] about any allergies or accessibility accommodations when booking the event and we will do our best to accommodate.

Doors open at 6:00 pm before the start of the event and will start promptly at 6:30 pm. Classes are taught in pairs and make for the perfect night out for couples, besties, or families. Paired tickets are offered at a discounted price!

There are options for both paired and solo tickets, so if you’re coming with a friend, please make sure you purchase the correct ticket. One ticket per participant is required. Classes are capped at a maximum of 12 people per class.

Oak and Grist Distilling Co. reserves the right to refuse service to any guest who appears or acknowledges to be intoxicated.

All cocktail class students will receive a complimentary barware goodie, take-home recipes, a hand-crafted cocktail, & a 15% discount in our Bottle Shop so you can keep your home bar stocked!

Story Parlor of West Asheville will host Black Diamond Enterprise in presenting
Black Poetry Theatre for Black History Month. Feb. 9th @7pm join us for the production of RAISING BLACK where via poetry, skits and monologues we explore the Joy, Pain, Sunshine & Rain of life. Come for the encouragement, a good time & singing!
Call Story Parlor for tickets (828) 367-9377.

Workshop: MOVEMENT FOR ACTORS AND IMPROVISERS
Presented by Ripley Improv w/ instructors Mary Chieffo and Madi Goff
Learn the tools for becoming a dynamic performer and creating ensembles that spin improvised adventures from absolutely nothing in Ripley’s Movement for Actors and Improvisers Workshop.

Starting with the basics of Alexander technique, actors and improvisers will learn to energetically connect to the body and voice. Then, using improvisation along with select lines from Shakespeare’s plays, students will explore tools for stage presence and moment-to-moment work, enhancing their connection to fellow performers and the audience. Finally, in improvised scene work, students will put it all together and discover how connection, emotion, and stage picture creates story.

Bios for Instructors Mary Chieffo and Madi Goff:

Mary Chieffo (Ripley Guest Artist) is a Juilliard alum, studied Shakespeare enthusiast, and Star Trek: Discovery actor.

Madi Goff (Ripley Company Member) is Groundlings Sunday alum and current performer in The Groundlings Crazy Uncle Joe Show.

March 9, 2023
Thursday at 7pm

Join us as we welcome acclaimed celtic fiddler KEVIN HENDERSON from the Shetland Islands and NEIL PEARLMAN whose music inclues celtic, Cape Breton, jazz and other styles.

Neil Pearlman is a vital and distinctive voice in contemporary traditional music. Described as “a tremendous pianist” on BBC Radio Scotland and “a force to be reckoned with” by WGBH’s Brian O’Donovan, Neil is best known for his groundbreaking approach to the piano in Celtic music. Motivated by a deep musical curiosity and a love of collaboration, his playing is continually evolving and spontaneous without losing its roots in the traditional piano styles of Atlantic Canada, New England and Scotland. He has appeared at major festivals across North America and Europe including the Newport Folk Festival, Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Celtic Colours in Cape Breton, the Orkney Folk Festival, and has recorded, performed or otherwise collaborated with such artists as Natalie MacMaster, Darol Anger, Seamus Egan, Alasdair Fraser and many more.

Growing up in a musical family, Neil was immersed in Scottish and Cape Breton music and dance from the start. He began dancing at the age of 3 and the piano followed soon after. Joining his parents and siblings on stage as the family band Highland Soles, Neil learned the art of performance early at festivals and concert halls across New England. At the age of 11, he appeared several times as a dancer in Natalie MacMaster’s high-powered show alongside his mother Laura Scott and a few years later released his first album with his father, fiddler Ed Pearlman. Already at that age he was exploring a passion for other styles of music, especially a lifelong love of jazz that has always played a role in his creative voice.

Today Neil’s musical projects run the gamut from deeply traditional to refreshingly contemporary. His podcast TradCafe is a series of conversations and collaborations with traditional musicians from around the world. In 2021 TradCafe launched a video series featuring one-off musical collaborations between Neil and artists such as Troy MacGillivray, Jenna Moynihan, Begona Riobo, Anxo Pintos, Yann Falquet and Alasdair White. His 2020 release Burden Lake with acclaimed Shetland fiddler Kevin Henderson received 5 stars from The Scotsman. He tours regularly with Kevin Henderson, Katie McNally, The Pine Tree Flyers, and as a solo pianist, while playing more irregularly with a wide variety of side projects featuring top Celtic, Americana and Jazz musicians.

“Dazzling piano chops … Fingers absolutely soar across the keys”

–Portland Press Herald

“A mix of jazz and jigs that will raise a toast and get you on the dance floor.”

–George W. Harris

Jazz Weekly

“I was watching Neil’s hands on the piano and it was like watching two spiders… on crack!”

–Jerry Holland

———————————-

Kevin Henderson is a fiddler who draws on the rich fiddle music tradition of his native Shetland and his experience with leading bands including Boys of the Lough, Fiddlers Bid, Session A9 and Nordic Fiddlers Bloc to create an expressive and adventurously individual musical style.

Brought up in the Shetland schooling system, whose concentration on fiddle music and encouragement to participate still inspire him, Kevin benefited in his teens from the teaching of the legendary Willie Hunter. Lessons with Hunter could comprise chatting over coffee and biscuits and even extend to being taught survival skills, as well as learning both the essentials and the finer points of playing Shetland reels, and every Saturday Kevin came away motivated to emulate his mentor.

With school friends Chris Stout, Andrew Gifford and Maurice Henderson, Kevin formed Fiddlers Bid, a band that – almost thirty years, innumerable gigs and four enthusiastically received albums on – continues to represent the finest of Shetland fiddling allied with harmonic invention, creative subtlety and enthusiastic vigour.

It was Kevin’s clear understanding of and feeling for the Shetland tradition that led to him being invited, in 2001, to join the long-established Irish-Scottish band Boys of the Lough, alongside the Irish national treasure Cathal McConnell, an experience that has enriched his musical appreciation and love for a strong melody.

Since moving to Norway, while maintaining links with the Boys, the Bid and Session A9, one of Scotland’s finest fiddle ensembles, Kevin has put his heart and soul into Nordic Fiddlers Bloc, a meeting of three very distinctive musical styles where simplicity and directness are key. Their blend of Norwegian, Swedish and Shetland accents and their command of varying tones and voicings have led to ecstatic receptions on both sides of the North Sea and across the Atlantic.

– WITH SPECIAL GUEST SUNNY WAR
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY

SARAH SHOOK & THE DISARMERS
North Carolina’s Sarah Shook sings with a conviction and hard honesty sorely lacking in much of today’s Americana landscape. Always passionate, at times profane, Sarah stalks/walks the line between vulnerable and menacing, their voice strong and uneasy, country classic but with contemporary, earthy tension. You can hear in their voice what they’ve seen; world weary, lessons learned—or not—but always defiant. They level-steady mean what they say. Writing with a blunt urgency—so refreshing these days it’s almost startling—Sarah’s lyrics are in turn smart, funny, mean, and above all, uncompromising. The Disarmers hit all the sweet spots from Nashville’s Lower Broad to Bakersfield and take Sarah’s unflinching tales out for some late-night kicks. At times, it’s as simple and muscular as Luther Perkins’ boom-chicka-boom, or as downtown as Johnny Thunders. The Disarmers keep in the pocket, tight and tough.

The Disarmers line-up is currently Jack Foster on drums, Blake Tallent on guitar, Andrew Lambie on bass, and Nick Larimore on pedal steel.

SUNNY WAR
Sunny War has crafted a set of songs that draw on a range of ideas and styles as though she’s marshalling all her forces to get her ideas across: ecstatic gospel, dusty country blues, thoughtful folk, rip-roaring rock and roll, even avant-garde studio experiments. She melds them together into a powerful statement of survival revealing a probing songwriter who indulges no comforting platitudes and a highly innovative guitarist who deploys spidery riffs throughout every song.  “I feel like there are two sides of me” says the Nashville-based singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso. “One of them is very self-destructive and the other is trying to work with that other half to keep things balanced.” That’s the central conflict on her upcoming fourth album, the eclectic and innovative Anarchist Gospel, which documents a time when it looked like the self-destructive side might win out. “Everybody is a beast just trying their hardest to be good. That’s what it is to be human. You’re not really good or bad. You’re just trying to stay in the middle of those two things all the time and you’re probably doing a shitty job of it. That’s okay because we’re all just monsters.”

ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) will present a CSA Fair on March 10 at the YWCA of Asheville, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. This event is free, family-friendly, and open to the public.

ASAP’s CSA Fair is a chance to meet local farmers and learn about CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) in our area. By joining a CSA, you get a weekly box of fresh, locally grown produce, meats, flowers, or other local products—and provide a farmer with valuable financial support before the season starts. Talk to farmers about how their CSA works, what products they offer, their farm’s growing practices, payment options, and more. Attendees can sign up for a CSA during the fair or follow up with farmers later. This fair will also have local food tastings and activities for kids, as well as produce and food products available for purchase.

Live Music at Hickory Tavern, 9:00 p.m. until 12:00 a.m.