Calendar of Events

• 7PM DOOR / 8PM SHOW
• ALL AGES
• SEATED SHOW
• LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE

ALAN DOYLE

There are few artists capable of appealing to music fans of all stripes, and Alan Doyle is one of them. From the moment he burst onto the scene in the early 1990s with his band Great Big Sea, Canadians fell in love with the pride of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, whose boundless charisma and sense of humour was eclipsed only by his magnetic stage presence.

His influence is now being heard in a new generation of artists as his solo work continues to endear him to roots music fans everywhere. That’s clearly evident on Alan’s new EP Rough Side Out, which finds him collaborating with Canadian country music superstars Dean Brody and Jess Moskaluke, while at the same time offering his own distinctive interpretation of contemporary country.

The seeds for Rough Side Out were planted in 2012 when Brody asked Great Big Sea to record the song “It’s Friday” with him for the Platinum-selling album Dirt. For Alan, that was the moment he realized the door to the country music world was open for he and other east coast Celtic-leaning artists, and since then he’s warmly embraced building closer ties. “My personal journey with the whole thing has been very organic,” Alan says. “When my parents weren’t listening to traditional folk music, they were listening to country music on the radio. So, when I began creating my own musical identity, I was inspired by artists who were able to blend those two worlds.”

The same could be said of the songwriting and production team on Rough Side Out, which includes Alan’s frequent collaborators Donovan Woods and Todd Clark. Both have been bringing a new sensibility to Nashville, in part due to their individual backgrounds within the Canadian independent music scene, making Rough Side Out a natural progression of their past work with Alan.

“The songs on this record all have strong personal meaning to me,” he says. “I believe the best songwriters in any genre are the ones who can look in their own backyard and find something they want to sing about. In a way, that’s why I wanted to call this record Rough Side Out. It’s a Newfoundland expression I love and have used before that refers to clapboard that’s only sanded on one side. Houses in Newfoundland always have the rough side out because it holds the paint better, but it’s also a metaphor for who we are as people. Most of us have the rough side out— in the best possible way, of course.”

Fittingly, the EP’s first single is a reunion with Dean Brody, “We Don’t Wanna Go Home,” a rousing ode to having the perfect night out at your favourite watering hole. It’s a theme that carries on from Rough Side Out’s opening track, “We’re Gonna Love Tonight,” a celebration of freedom that bears all the hallmarks of an Alan Doyle anthem aimed at bringing people together. And what country music excursion would be complete without a classic duet? That was the basic idea behind recording “What the Whiskey Won’t Do” with Jess Moskaluke, a thrilling first-time experience for Alan.

“I’ve always wanted to do this kind of duet,” he says. “I’d written songs like that for other people but never for myself. I had the title in my back pocket for a while, and it was a case of just waiting until the right circumstances came along. And being such a fan of Jess, she was the perfect person to sing it with, mainly because her voice has so much more range than mine!”

The song describes a couple turning to the bottle in order to get over each other and serves as a reminder of the dangers of overindulgence. Along with the EP’s other great ballad, “It’s OK,” “What the Whiskey Won’t Do” underscores Alan’s long-time work in support of addiction and mental health organizations. However, in a purely musical vein, Alan felt a lot of personal satisfaction in capturing a note-perfect cover of John Mellencamp’s “Paper in Fire,” led by his renowned fiddle player Kendel Carson.

“I think in some ways that song really tied the whole project together,” Alan says. “First off, it’s a song I’ve always loved and always wanted to record. But to do it justice, you really need the right players, and the people we had for these sessions could absolutely nail it. The song also shows the change in how country music is perceived. I think if Mellencamp released The Lonesome Jubilee today, it would be regarded as a country album.”

Listening habits have indeed changed dramatically and looking back it’s incredible how the humble group of Newfoundlanders who formed Great Big Sea—with a simple goal of bringing their modern take on the music of their home province to mainstream ears—made such an indelible mark on a national scale. But with songs like “When I’m Up (I Can’t Get Down),” “Ordinary Day,” and their cover of R.E.M.’s “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It” now ingrained upon the Canadian consciousness, there can be no disputing Great Big Sea’s status as one of the country’s most influential bands of the past three decades.

Now as we enter a new decade of music, the notion of genres feels even more antiquated. Connecting with as many listeners as possible continues to be Alan’s top priority, and he cheekily admits he tried to stack the deck in his favour with the EP’s final track “I Gotta Go.” It’s a tailor-made concert staple if there ever was, containing the soon-to-be immortal line, “20 songs if they love me, only 18 if they don’t.” At this point, it would be hard to find any Alan Doyle fan who would choose to leave a show until he’s expended every ounce of energy on stage.

Ultimately, Rough Side Out is an Alan Doyle record, which remains a category all its own.

CHRIS TRAPPER

For someone who’s been on the road for more than 150 dates a year for the past 15 years, Chris Trapper appears to have taken his unsolicited break from touring pretty well. In between weekly livestreams on Facebook & Instagram, Trapper also performed in his fan’s backyards across the country all summer long during his “Socially Distanced Backyardapalooza”. To top it all off, Chris entered a studio near his home in Boston, MA to record his new album “Cold Water Waltz”.

“Recording an album in normal times is an interesting experience, so imagine creating new music during a global pandemic. Although I worked intensely with the producers (Brad Young and Jason Meeker) in their respective studios, I could rest assured because as most musicians know; audio engineers social distanced before it was trending.”

The album is a mostly stripped-down affair, with the focus squarely on Trapper’s achingly honest lyrics, honeyed tenor and delicate fingerpicking. The record features Boston legends Duke Levine (Aimee Man, Peter Wolf) & Jim Prescott (G Love & Special Sauce) as well as Matt Beck (Matchbox Twenty, Rod Stewart) & even a co-write with Rob Thomas.

“I wrote most of these songs when I was opening for Rob over the summer of 2019. There were lots of days off then and admittedly, it was easy to get inspired to write new songs after witnessing so many thousands of people psyched to hear his songs every night. Rob & I wrote the song “Clear” together and he is truly the coolest guy to co-write with as he is all about the creative process and never about the ego.”

“Cold Water Waltz” was released on October 16th, 2020 and is available at christrapper.com and on all streaming and download services.

The New York Times has called his work “classic pop perfection.”

“His humble sense of humility is what makes Trapper’s songs so strong… He makes you feel like you are the person he’s singing about.” Popdose

Comedy + Science + Psychedelics = A Better Trip w/ Shane Mauss

Be one of the select few audiences to get a sneak peek at a new Vegas show!

In 2016, science podcaster, mental health advocate, and award-winning stand-up comedian Shane Mauss (Conan, Kimmel, Comedy Central, Amazon Prime, Showtime) partnered with MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies) and embarked on an epic, sold-out 111-city psychedelic comedy tour ‘A Good Trip.’ Along the way, a film crew followed him, making the documentary ‘Psychonautics: A Comic’s Exploration of Psychedelics’. That tour was the inspiration for the animated series Comedy Central’s ‘Tale From the Trip’ where Shane is the most regular and most viewed storyteller.

Now Shane brings his latest work ‘A Better Trip’ to Area15 in Vegas for a

residency starting April 23. In preparation Shane is doing 10 pop-up one-night-only warm-up shows announced as a last-minute surprise and Asheville is one of the 10 cities!!

featuring Cody Hughes

ages 21+ (must have ID with you)

doors at 7, show at 7:30pm

Comedy + Science + Psychedelics = A Better Trip w/ Shane Mauss

Be one of the select few audiences to get a sneak peek at a new Vegas show!

In 2016, science podcaster, mental health advocate, and award-winning stand-up comedian Shane Mauss (Conan, Kimmel, Comedy Central, Amazon Prime, Showtime) partnered with MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies) and embarked on an epic, sold-out 111-city psychedelic comedy tour ‘A Good Trip.’ Along the way, a film crew followed him, making the documentary ‘Psychonautics: A Comic’s Exploration of Psychedelics’. That tour was the inspiration for the animated series Comedy Central’s ‘Tale From the Trip’ where Shane is the most regular and most viewed storyteller.

Now Shane brings his latest work ‘A Better Trip’ to Area15 in Vegas for a

residency starting April 23. In preparation Shane is doing 10 pop-up one-night-only warm-up shows announced as a last-minute surprise and Asheville is one of the 10 cities!!

featuring Cody Hughes

ages 21+ (must have ID with you)

doors at 7, show at 7:30pm

– 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.

The traditional music of the mountains of North Carolina traces its roots back to the Celtic music of Ireland and Scotland. Traditional Celtic music is still played on the porches and in the pubs of the Celtic lands… and also throughout the southern Appalachian mountains.

In true pub fashion, White Horse Black Mountain hosts a traditional Irish style session twice a month, on the second and fourth Wednesdays, starting at 7pm….

……..and there is NO COVER CHARGE.

Sessions are in many ways the heart and soul of Irish traditional music, a place for players to share tunes and socialize. It’s not a performance, but rather an informal situation in which listeners are welcome to participate, whether offering encouragement, singing along on a chorus, or asking questions about the music and instruments. White Horse sessions regularly draws players from as far away as Waynesville, Cullowhee, Rutherfordton and even Clayton, Georgia.

The sessions are hosted by Richard and Melinda Halford.

Drop by for a beer or a cup of tea and get uplifted by some great traditional tunes and a few new songs.

Come join us in a long musical tradition spanning hundreds of years.

All Ages – under 12 requires venue approval

Meet & Greet Experience Package includes:

• One (1) Event Ticket

• Meet & Greet and Photo with Betty Who

• One (1) Exclusive Betty Who Tote Bag

• One (1) Vinyl Copy of Betty Who’s New Album “BIG!”

• One (1) Commemorative VIP Laminate

– 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!”

Shakey Graves & Trampled By Turtles   Rabbit Rabbit   Fri, Aug 4, 2023   Use code “SHAKEYRABBITS” for Local Online Presale Code valid 3/9 10am – 10pm General onsale starts 3/10 10am

TEGAN AND SARA: Crybaby 2023 Tour   The Orange Peel   Tue, Sep 26, 2023   Use code “OPTS2023” for Local Online Presale Code valid 3/9 10am – 10pm General onsale starts 3/10 10am

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

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.”

Mandee McKelvey was recently named one of the 50 best undiscovered comics in the country by Thrillist, and it’s not hard to see why. As one of the midwest’s most acclaimed stand-up comedians, Mandee is revered for her ability to spin tragedy into comedy.

Mandee was named a breakout performer at Limestone Comedy Festival and the Memphis Comedy Festival, and has recently featured for Whitney Cummings, Michelle Wolf, Laurie Kilmartin, Tig Notaro, Todd Barry, and Anthony Jeselnik. Her one-woman show, My Left Boob, received the Underdog Award for it’s sold-out debut at the 2019 IndyFringe and Kansas City’s Best of Fringe award in 2022.

Mandee produces the celebrated roast show Character Assassination and the storytelling show We Still Like You.

ages 21+ (must have ID with you)

doors at 7pm, show at 8pm

Now and Then: Solo viola da gamba through the ages with Gail Schroeder. Enjoy a weekend of exquisite and entertaining acoustic offerings by some of Asheville’s top singers and instrumentalists.

Western North Carolina’s acclaimed ensembles, Pan Harmonia and Asheville Baroque Concerts, present an all-Baroque weekend in partnership with St. Mary’s Episcopal Church of Asheville and First Presbyterian Church of Asheville.

Enjoy a cup of coffee with Bach’s comic Kaffeekantata (Coffee Cantata) depicting a dismayed father and his coffee-addicted daughter and featuring soprano Nana Hosmer Griffin, bass Roberto Flores and narrator Garrett Scholberg. Yes, Bach can be funny!

Bassoonist Rosalind Buda shares the spotlight with flutist Kate Steinbeck in GP Telemann’s lyrical Concerto for bassoon and flute supported by the masterful musicianship of Barbara Weiss, harpsichord; Jeremy Roberts, organ and chamber orchestra artists: Mariya Potapova and Andrea Pettigrew, violins; Claire Gerhardt, viola; Katherine Haig cello; Sara Nichols bass.

We are committed to ensuring that programs remain accessible to all members of the community. In the spirit of inclusivity and equity, PAN HARMONIA offers donation-based, pay-as-you-can community concerts. All are welcome.

Those planning to attend are expected to be fully vaccinated for the safety of our community.

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

There not only will be bargains on ceramic functional and artistic pieces, but live music, snacks and drinks.  All are welcome!

Winter Jam Tour, hosted by Newsong & produced by Premier Productions, Christian music’s biggest tour, is back for 2023 with headliners We the Kingdom and Jeremy Camp and a solid lineup of acts including Andy Mineo, Disciple, Austin French, NewSong and featuring for the first time Dove Award-winning new artist of the year Anne Wilson.

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

BEN ROY

Roy cut his comedic teeth in Denver at the world famous Comedy Works. Since then, he has been selected to perform at the Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, Just For Laughs Toronto, Just For Laughs Chicago, The New York Comedy Festival, Austin’s South by Southwest festival, and many more. Roy has been featured on HBO’s Funny as Hell series; as well as on the Comedy Central shows Adam DeVine’s House Party, Corporate, @midnight, and This Is Not Happening. Ben has also released four stand-up comedy albums and was listed as one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics to Watch.

Along with fellow Denver Comedians Adam Cayton-Holland and Andrew Orvedahl (who collectively perform as The Grawlix), Ben created, wrote, and starred in TruTV’s original comedy series Those Who Can’t, which now has all three seasons available for streaming on HBOMax. He’s also currently host of two podcasts, 97.9 The Rat Race on the All Things Comedy network, and The Grawlix Saves the World available on The Starburns Audio Network. In addition to stand-up comedy, acting, and writing, Roy is a prolific musician and the current lead singer of pop punk outfit SPELLS

The 1898 Waverly Inn, Hendersonville’s oldest continuously operating inn, continues it’s Waverly Live Americana music series this March for our 6^th season. with monthly musical performances from local, regional and national acts.  Waverly house smoked BBQ and sides will be offered at all events beginning in April.  The first two events will be ticketed events and held at Continuum Art on 1^st Avenue in Hendersonville and the remainder will be free and held at the Waverly Inn for our front porch series.

Schedule is as follows:

March 11^th, David Childers and the Serpents, Continuum Art, 8-10pm

April 2^nd, Jose’s 2^nd Annual Lookin’ Good Showcase Featuring Paleface and Carolinabound benefitting Thrive

May 4^th, Jess Jocoy

June 1^st, Letters to Abigail

June 29^th, The Gathering Dark

July 27^th, The Last Full Measure

September 7^th, Angela Easterling

October 5^th, David Childers (solo)

Our Waverly BBQ menu consists of western North Carolina pulled pork and chicken, smoked wings, smoked pork and beans, Waverly cole slaw, five cheese macaroni, Memphis baby back ribs, tomato pie and more.  Local craft beer, hard cider and wines are available along with lemonade, sweet/unsweet tea and sodas.