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.

Saturday, November 19, 2022
MASTER SONGWRITERS IN CONCERT
Nov 19 @ 7:30 pm
Hendersonville Theatre

This intimate concert showcasing 4 local, gifted songwriters  taking turns telling the stories behind their songs and then performing them for the audience.  This one-of-a-kind gathering will benefit Hendersonville Theatre’s projector fund to raise money to bring film to downtown Hendersonville. Featuring area songwriters: David Childers, Carson Sloan, Josh Dunkin, and Steve Durose.

Master Songwriters in Concert to Benefit Hendersonville Theatre’s Projector Fund
Nov 19 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Hendersonville Theatre

The intimate gathering will feature local singers/songwriters David Childers, Carson Sloan, Josh Dunkin and Steve DuRose as they share their stories and songs through their music. The songwriters will take turns telling the stories behind their songs and then performing them for the audience.

As part of the event, Hendersonville Theatre and B2 Realty sponsored the Future Master Songwriters Competition for young aspiring songwriters in Henderson County 18-years-old and under. The winner of the competition is Emma Grace Haag of Hendersonville. Haag is the daughter of Katie Camenzind and Ian Haag, and a 3rd grader at Glenn C. Marlow Elementary. She will perform her song during the Master Songwriters in Concert accompanied by Childers, Sloan, Dunkin and DuRose.

Singer-songwriter David Childers is from Mount Holly, NC. Childers fell in love with folk music as a teen, and his tastes run from jazz and opera. Before becoming a professional musician, he was a lawyer. Childers’ album, Run Skeleton Run, has made him a favorite of fans and fellow musicians, including the Avett Brothers. Childers has played the syndicated World Café and Mountain Stage radio shows, Merlefest’s mainstage, and toured in Europe.

(Judie) Carson Sloan is part of the contemporary folk trio “Rosabelle” and is a regular at open microphone nights in Hendersonville. Her song “Real Live Winner” was included on The Pearls’ first album in 1994. Carson writes honest, sometimes irreverent songs from a woman’s point of view without much sentimentality.

Josh Dunkin started writing songs, poems, and plays in high school. In college, Dunkin won several playwriting awards and started working with his writing partner, Mike Barton. After college, the duo formed a successful sketch comedy show and group called Nashville: The Band. They founded Laughingstock: The Chicago Comedy Music Festival and worked hard to widen the appeal of comedy music. Over the years, Dunkin’s songs kept a comedic sensibility but focused more on the stories. Since moving to Hendersonville in 2015, Dunkin has expanded his subject matter to include love songs about family and coffee, murder ballads about O.J. Simpson and JonBenet Ramsey, and many other subjects.

Steve DuRose is an American songwriter living in Hendersonville. He is often compared to songwriters such as John Prine and Townes Van Zandt due to his poetic and often melancholy lyrics and traditionally inspired melodies. While mainly known for his lyric writing, he has also composed instrumental works which are incorporated into art installations in museums in both California and New Mexico

Once Upon a Mattress
Nov 19 @ 7:30 pm
HART Theatre

The Main Stage Theatre at HART
Directed by Shelia Sumpter with Kids at HART

Our story begins in a faraway kingdom long ago. A cursed, unhappy King and a terror of a Queen rule the kingdom. In an attempt to keep their young Prince Dauntless single, Queen Aggeravain has decreed that only the princess that can pass her test may marry her son. Further, no one else in the kingdom may marry until Prince Dauntless does. Luckily, Sir Harry is able to find an amazing princess, Winnifred the Woebegone who instantly catches the attention of Prince Dauntless. She must endure Queen Aggeravain’s impossible tests as well as her scorn to win the Prince and save the kingdom. Mary Rodger’s classic Once Upon A Mattress is a delightful musical that is sure to become a fan favorite with the HART audience!

Asheville Jazz Orchestra
Nov 19 @ 8:00 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

BIG BAND / SWING MUSIC AT IT’S FINEST

Dedicated to advancing and preserving the big band jazz tradition, the 17-piece Asheville Jazz Orchestra is western North Carolina’s premier big band. Whether they are playing a swing dance, club date, or formal concert, the AJO is the hardest swinging band in Asheville.

Since its founding the Asheville Jazz Orchestra has been directed by Dr. David Wilken. In addition to directing the AJO, he also plays trombone and also composes much of their material. He can also be heard playing traditional New Orleans jazz with the Low-Down Sires and conducting the Land of the Sky Symphonic Band.

Visit The Artists Website

Asheville Symphony MASTERWORKS 3: Night at the Opera
Nov 19 @ 8:00 pm
Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

Asheville Symphony

Darko Butoracconductor

Cecilia Violetta Lópezsoprano

Ben Gulleytenor

Jeff Mattseybaritone

Asheville Symphony Chorus

“The language of music is understood by everybody,” according to Rossini, “since it is understood with the heart.” We bring that notion to life with this program filled with operatic classics. A curated selection of operatic works (including beloved masterpieces by Italian masters Puccini and Verdi) explore the experiences and emotions that all of humankind shares through the combined power of the stage, voice, and orchestra. Featuring three fantastic guest vocal soloists and the voices of the Asheville Symphony Chorus.

Fiddler on the Roof
Nov 19 @ 8:00 pm
Peace Concert Hall

Tony®-winning director Bartlett Sher and the team behind South Pacific and The King and I bring a fresh and authentic vision to this beloved theatrical masterpiece from Tony-winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick.

The original production won ten Tony Awards, including a special Tony for becoming the longest-running Broadway musical of all time. You’ll be there when the sun rises on this new production, with stunning movement and dance from acclaimed Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins. A wonderful cast and a lavish orchestra tell this heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the timeless traditions that define faith and family.

Featuring the Broadway classics “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and “To Life,” FIDDLER ON THE ROOF will introduce a new generation to this uplifting celebration that raises its cup to joy! To love! To life!

Indigo De Souza POSTPONED TO JUNE 3, 2023
Nov 19 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel

“Everything has to be said.” This is the conviction guiding Indigo De Souza’s sophomore album, Any Shape You Take. This dynamic record successfully creates a container for the full spectrum—pushing through and against every emotion: “I wanted this album to give a feeling of shifting with and embracing change. These songs came from a turbulent time when I was coming to self-love through many existential crises and shifts in perspective.”

Faithful to its name, Any Shape You Take changes form to match the tenor of each story it tells. “The album title is a nod to the many shapes I take musically. I don’t feel that I fully embody any particular genre—all of the music just comes from the universe that is my ever-shifting brain/heart/world,” says Indigo. This sonic range is unified by Indigo’s strikingly confessional and effortless approach to songwriting, a signature first introduced in her debut, self-released LP, I Love My Mom. Written in quick succession, Indigo sees these two records as companion pieces, both distinct but in communion with each other: “Many of the songs on these two records came from the same season in my life and a certain version of myself which I feel much further from now.”

Throughout Any Shape You Take, Indigo reflects on her relationships as she reckons with a deeper need to redefine how to fully inhabit spaces of love and connection. “It feels so important for me to see people through change. To accept people for the many shapes they take, whether those shapes fit into your life or not. This album is a reflection of that. I have undergone so much change in my life and I am so deeply grateful to the people who have seen me through it without judgment and without attachment to skins I’m shifting out of.”

Lead single “Kill Me,” written during the climax of a dysfunctional relationship, opens with the lines “Kill me slowly/ Take me with you.” This powerful plea, that begins within the quiet strum of a single electric guitar, is diffused by Indigo’s ironic apathy—a slacker rock nonchalance that refuses to take itself seriously: “I was really tired and fucked up from this relationship and simultaneously so deeply in love with that person in a special way that felt very vast and more real than anything I’d ever experienced.”

Across the table from that irreverence sits the sincerity of the single “Hold U,” a more energized, neo soul-inspired love song that substitutes apathy for a genuine expression of care. “I wrote ‘Hold U’ after I left that heavy season of my life and was learning how to love more simply and functionally. I wanted to write a love song that was painfully simple.”

Growing up in a conservative small town in the mountains of North Carolina, Indigo started playing guitar when she was nine years old. “Music was a natural occurrence in my life. My dad is a bossa nova guitarist and singer from Brazil and so I think I just had it in my blood from birth.” It wasn’t until moving to Asheville, NC that Indigo began to move into her current sound, developing a writing practice that feeds from the currents that surround her: “Sometimes it feels like I am soaking up the energies of people around me and making art from a space that is more a collective body than just my own.”

“Real Pain,” one of the most experimental tracks on the record, is Indigo’s attempt to make that phenomena more intentionally collaborative. Starting soft before dropping down into a cavernous pit of layered screams and cries, “Real Pain” collages the voices of strangers—audio bites Indigo received after posting online asking for “screams, yells and anything else.” “Hearing these voices join together and move with my own was really powerful. The whole record was a release for me. And I hope it can be that for others.”

At the forefront of all De Souza’s projects is her magnetism—her unique quality of spirit that is both buoyant and wise. While her backing band has undergone shifts between releases, her sound has stayed tethered to her vision. Any Shape You Take is the first full-length album that Indigo produced herself. Teaming up with executive producer Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, The War on Drugs) and engineers/producers Alex Farrar and Adam McDaniel, Indigo recorded the album at Betty’s, Sylvan Esso’s studio in Chapel Hill, NC and finished it with additional production and mixing at Drop of Sun Studios in Asheville. Moving past the limitations of a home studio, Indigo could finally embody the full reach of her sound: “It felt really exciting to lean into my pop tendencies more than I have in the past and to trust my intuition to take the songs where I felt they should go. I had the tools to do it and collaborators who were willing to
go there with me.”

“I feel very much like a shape-shifter with my music, I’m always trying to embody a balance between the existential weight and the overflowing sense of love I feel in the world.” It is exactly this balance that Indigo strikes in her Saddle Creek debut, Any Shape You Take. A listening experience that gives back, as you shed and shape-shift along with her.

indigodesouza.com

Time Sawyer with Zachary Warren Briggs
Nov 19 @ 8:30 pm
Isis Music Hall-Main stage

Time Sawyer is interested in “real people and real songs” and that’s just what the listener finds in their music – a sense of realness. Time Sawyer blends a grassroots feel with heart-felt lyrics to put on an entertaining show. From introspective ballads to high-energy crowd-pleasers, Time Sawyer’s songs land in that rootsy sweet spot where folk, alt-country, and rock gather for a good time.

The Folk-Rock band’s name reflects the pull between the past and the future. The character Tom Sawyer evokes the rural background and love of home that the band shares. Time is a muse for songwriting; it’s the thread that runs through life, bringing new experiences and giving us a sense of urgency, while still connecting us with our past.

Time Sawyer has performed on the stages of some of the Southeast’s most iconic festivals, including Merlefest, Floydfest, Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, Albino Skunk Music Festival, Carolina in the Fall and IBMA’s Bluegrass First Class. They’ve shared bills with Langhorne Slim, Eric Krasno, John Moreland, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Wood Brothers, Susto, and many more.

The memorable lyrics and strong melodies result in songs that will stay in your head long after the music stops. Time Sawyer continues to develop a loyal and growing fan base. Whether they’re playing in an intimate listening room or a large outdoor festival, their goal is to forge a face-to-face connection with the audience so that they become friends who happen to be fans.

Born in Asheville, North Carolina, Zachary Warren Briggs, at his core, is a songwriter. As a teen, he began remedially filling journals and finding melodies to match.

Growing up in a home with close quarters, his music naturally settled into a place of gentleness: light finger-picking and hushed singing, so as not to disturb his sleeping family. His style began taking shape during nightly front-porch listening sessions, where he learned the power of dynamics from Sam Cooke and the almost-hypnotic effect of clever storytelling from Tom T. Hall. Eventually, he came across songwriters like Townes Van Zandt, Blaze Foley, and Karen Dalton who taught living intentionally for song’s sake and poets like William Carlos Williams, who emphasized a grounded perception of the local.

Emerging from necessity, centered by family, propelled by restlessness, Zachary hopes his songs encapsulate sincere, relatable narratives.

Reserved Seat Tickets are available with Dinner reservations – You must call the venue at 828-575-2737 to make dinner reservations and secure those tickets.

General Admission Tickets are available for the main stage balcony only. Seating in the balcony is first come, first serve. Dinner service is NOT currently being offered for general admission tickets.; drink service is available at the downstairs bar on the main floor.

Currently, Only General Admission Tickets are available on line

You must call the venue at 828-575-2737 for Reserve Seat Tickets and to make dinner reservations.

SOMEWHAT PETTY A Tribute To Tom Petty
Nov 19 @ 9:00 pm
The Orange Peel

STOP LIGHT OBSERVATIONS with Little Birds
Nov 19 @ 9:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

– ALL AGES

– STANDING ROOM ONLY

STOP LIGHT OBSERVATIONS

SLO is a 4-piece anti-pop/not rock (but also isn’t not rock) band born and raised in Charleston, SC.

LITTLE BIRD

Little Bird, is composed of musicians Jay Hurtt (vocals), Noah Jones (piano), Oleg Terentiev (drums), Ben Mossman (bass), and Jim Rubush (guitar). Their musical endeavors as this incarnation of the group commenced in 2017, laying the groundwork for their genre-bending, signature sound with the 2018 record, Familiar, produced by Shane Woods and Jeff Lucci of Mo Lowda. In 2021 Little Bird released their first full-length album. Inspired by their favorite modern and vintage artists, Hiatus Kaiyote, Nick Hakim, D’Angelo and Stevie Wonder, the 23-track odyssey is entitled, ‘PROXIMA’ (latin for ‘nearest’ or ‘next’) and is currently being released in 3 separate EPs; Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. Proxima:

“It’s extremely likely you’ll fall headfirst for Little Bird, mere moments after hearing the band’s 2018 release Familiar. The heady mix of ambient soul, R&B, and trippy jazz puts them in the kindred spirit category to everyone from D’Angelo and Erykah Badu to Australian jam band Hiatus Kaiyote. And their unique sound is showcased by musicianship of the highest order.”

 

.::Randy Shulman.::.Metro Weekly Magazine

Sunday, November 20, 2022
Fiddler on the Roof
Nov 20 @ 1:00 pm
Peace Concert Hall

Tony®-winning director Bartlett Sher and the team behind South Pacific and The King and I bring a fresh and authentic vision to this beloved theatrical masterpiece from Tony-winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick.

The original production won ten Tony Awards, including a special Tony for becoming the longest-running Broadway musical of all time. You’ll be there when the sun rises on this new production, with stunning movement and dance from acclaimed Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins. A wonderful cast and a lavish orchestra tell this heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the timeless traditions that define faith and family.

Featuring the Broadway classics “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and “To Life,” FIDDLER ON THE ROOF will introduce a new generation to this uplifting celebration that raises its cup to joy! To love! To life!

Jazz Brunch
Nov 20 @ 1:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

Jazz Brunch with live music

Tryon Fine Arts Center Pavilion

Sunday, November 20 at 1 PM

Join us for a jazz brunch with live jazz music by TFAC’s Jazz ’22 All-Stars.

Jazz Sunday Jam
Nov 20 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
One World Brewing West

Jazz Sunday at One World Brewing West is a modern jazz jam held every Sunday afternoon from 1-4pm. Previously known as Jazz Monday, the jam has been running non stop since July, 2018 at the West Asheville brewery and is hosted weekly by The Fully Vaccinated Jazz Trio, consisting of Ray Ring on guitar, Jason DeCristofaro on drums, piano and vibraphone, and Connor Law on bass. Jazz Sunday typically features a guest artist for a short set and then welcomes jazz musicians of all levels to sit in for the remainder of the afternoon on One World’s spacious outdoor stage.

Four Seasons Chamber Orchestra Fall Concert “Les Amis, Les Animaux”
Nov 20 @ 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Grace Lutheran Church

The orchestra, composed of professional and amateur musicians from this area, will perform the perennial family favorite “Peter and the Wolf” by Prokofiev, “The Swan of Tuonela” by Sibelius, “Romance” by Amy Beach, arranged for cello and orchestra, and “The Swan” from “Carnival of the Animals” by Saint-Saens. Christine Lance Lee, cellist is the featured soloist.

Four Seasons Chamber Orchestra presents ‘Mes Amis, Les Animaux
Nov 20 @ 1:30 pm
Grace Lutheran Church, Hendersonville,

The Four Seasons Chamber Orchestra presents its fall concert, “Mes Amis, Les Animaux” with a program that includes the perennial family-favorites Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev, The Swan of Tuonela by Jean Sibelius, Romance by Amy Beach, and The Swan from Carnival of the Animals by
Camille Saint-Saens.

Once Upon a Mattress
Nov 20 @ 2:00 pm
HART Theatre

The Main Stage Theatre at HART
Directed by Shelia Sumpter with Kids at HART

Our story begins in a faraway kingdom long ago. A cursed, unhappy King and a terror of a Queen rule the kingdom. In an attempt to keep their young Prince Dauntless single, Queen Aggeravain has decreed that only the princess that can pass her test may marry her son. Further, no one else in the kingdom may marry until Prince Dauntless does. Luckily, Sir Harry is able to find an amazing princess, Winnifred the Woebegone who instantly catches the attention of Prince Dauntless. She must endure Queen Aggeravain’s impossible tests as well as her scorn to win the Prince and save the kingdom. Mary Rodger’s classic Once Upon A Mattress is a delightful musical that is sure to become a fan favorite with the HART audience!

Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session
Nov 20 @ 3:00 pm
Jack of the Wood

 

Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session 

Sundays

1 till who knows when?

Traditional Irish music is kept alive at Jack of the Wood with our unplugged Sunday session.

Jack of the Wood

95 Patton ave

Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 252.5445

http://www.jackofthewood.com/

String Trio Concert
Nov 20 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Acoustic Corner

Join us for an afternoon of live classical and contemporary chamber music! Light refreshments will be provided.

Seating is limited, so please call ahead for tickets!

Pedal Stroke Benefit Concert for Asheville on Bikes + the United Stroke Alliance
Nov 20 @ 4:30 pm
The Grey Eagle

Proceeds to benefit Asheville on Bikes, cultivating  urban & commuter cycling culture through advocacy & events, and the United Stroke Alliance, dedicated to uniting and educating people about the prevention, awareness, and recovery of stroke for survivors, caregivers and their families.
Several Dudes got together to write and play groovin’ music for a loyal following in Atlanta while most of the Dudes were in law school and medical school.   Now lawyers, doctors, and musicians on the back ends of productive careers, the band has reformed to honor founding lead guitarist Nick Stevens after his tragic death in a cycling accident.  The band will be releasing its tribute album of new original material, “Our Brother Nick” for this show.  We are excited to raise funds for cycling advocacy and Stroke awareness, and to once again gig with the Karma Dogs! You can learn more at severaldudes.com
Come on out for great music for great causes!!  The event is sponsored by ARA Health Specialists- Committed to improving lives, creating value, and staying on the cutting edge of science.
King Margo
Nov 20 @ 6:00 pm
Isis Music Hall-Lounge

King Margo is Lucciana Costa and Rachel Coats, who grew up 40 minutes apart but didn’t meet until many years later in the middle of a Kentucky field.

Lucciana grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She discovered the dobro at 12 years old, aer she heard “Give It Up Or Let Me Go” by the Dixie Chicks on country radio. She became instantly enamored with the instrument, which led to her playing in several local bands throughout her teens.

Rachel also cut her teeth on the local gig scene in Toledo, Ohio with her musically inclined family. An upright bass player since middle school, Rachel continued on to play in several orchestras and earned a Music Education degree from Bowling Green State University.

Both women spent their twenties building a steady rotation of live shows, studio work and a gun-for-hire reputation as multi-instrumentalists. Rachel was selected to play with several international touring artists in the folk-pop realm on bass and vocals. Lucciana focused on songwriting and composition, spending half a decade in Los Angeles honing her cra and scoring documentaries and commercials. Eventually Lucciana and Rachel found themselves in Nashville, both hired for the same touring band where they met for the first time. They connected instantly, both musically and personally, and the seeds for what would eventually become King Margo were planted.

King Margo hit the road almost immediately, thanks to the girls’ love of travel and their inclination to book shows across the country to hang out with friends and family (and to fund several snowboarding trips). Scrappy gigs and long hours in a van helped solidify the humor and tone of their first album, Barely Gettin By, which was self-recorded and successfully crowdfunded by fans they’d picked up along their travels. Their first album was pure fun, capturing the sarcasm and liveliness honed by playing in rowdy bars deep into the night.

For their second record, King Margo has matured into a more evolved sound. The songs are more personal. The arrangements are more intricate, featuring soaring harmonies that have captured listeners across the country. “She never boarded up the windows/Grandma likes to say/She rode out every storm/Frying chicken just the same,”opens the song “Monsters,” inspired by a conversation overheard in a New Orleans coffee shop. There are songs of hurricanes, apocalyptic house parties, murderous beauties, love and heartbreak.

King Margo is ready for a beer in your town. If they’re not making music, they are rock climbing or snowboarding. They are disciples of living the good life, taking care of the people around you and being nicer to the planet. They want to see you somewhere out there soon.

Come enjoy an evening of live music, food and drinks at Isis Music Hall. Advanced Reservations are highly recommended.

Fiddler on the Roof
Nov 20 @ 6:30 pm
Peace Concert Hall

Tony®-winning director Bartlett Sher and the team behind South Pacific and The King and I bring a fresh and authentic vision to this beloved theatrical masterpiece from Tony-winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick.

The original production won ten Tony Awards, including a special Tony for becoming the longest-running Broadway musical of all time. You’ll be there when the sun rises on this new production, with stunning movement and dance from acclaimed Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins. A wonderful cast and a lavish orchestra tell this heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the timeless traditions that define faith and family.

Featuring the Broadway classics “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and “To Life,” FIDDLER ON THE ROOF will introduce a new generation to this uplifting celebration that raises its cup to joy! To love! To life!

Five Finger Death Punch + Brantley Gilbert
Nov 20 @ 6:30 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Five Finger Death Punch and Brantley Gilbert will join forces this fall for a massive U.S. arena tour with support from newcomer Cory Marks. Produced by Live Nation, the trek will kick off in Grand Rapids on November 9 and lay waste to 20 more cities before wrapping up in Las Vegas on December 17.

Christie Lenée – Acoustic Guitarist of the Year – “Coming Alive” Official Album Release Show
Nov 20 @ 7:30 pm
Isis Music Hall-Main stage

From crystalline picking to angelic songcraft, singer/songwriter Christie Lenée’s forthcoming new album reminds devout listeners and recently converted fans of her spiritual and sublime songwriting, featuring inspired lyrics and, of course, sensational guitar playing.

A Tampa native and North Carolina resident, Lenée took First Place at the International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship in 2017, was voted Acoustic Guitarist of the Year by England’s Music Radar in 2019, and was named Named “One of the Best Acoustic Guitarists in the World Right Now” by Guitar World in 2020. Even though her last release, Circle Round the Sun, was a best-of, her new record, Coming Alive, with its iconic guitar hooks and powerhouse vocal performances, feel like a giant leap forward. And that jump was made with eyes wide open.

This time out, she decided to make everything bigger, brighter, and more electric. The first line of the first song, the title track (“I’ve got a feeling deep inside”), tells you everything you need to know: Lenée’s sixth album is a chronicle of joy and hope, of self-confidence and empowerment, of renewal and light.

Coming Alive was conceived in the heart of the pandemic. “Since I was in a quiet introversion in a log cabin in the mountains of Lake Lure,” explains Lenée, “ I found that the only place I could travel was inside the journey of music. That experience of quiet and a lack of much real human connection directed me deeper within to a place of self-growth and discovery.”

The original plan for the album was to make a stripped-down acoustic/vocal record. “As we started getting into it,” Lenée says,” I realized there was absolutely no reason to compromise the vision of where I could hear these songs going.” The best studio musicians she knew were also off tour, so it was the perfect time to amplify the song arrangements with an arena rock heart. She even purchased her first American Strat electric guitar to accompany her cherished family of specialty 12 strings, acoustics, and electrics during the making of the album. That classic edge rock sound made the cut and became the lead tone for the iconic guitar solos on “Daylight Comes” and “Free World Citizen.”

This is also the first Lenée album where her voice feels like a lead instrument. Supported by a core trio of vocal coaches as she prepared to go into the studio, she made an energetic transition into allowing her vocals to carry the songs and skyrocket above the guitars. “Since I have always led with my guitar as my first instrument,” she says, “letting the vocals take the lead was a big transition for me as an artist. It was a shift of consciousness that took place while making this album, and for that reason alone, it is like nothing I have ever recorded.”

Take that title track: It began with a riff that Lenée recorded in her log cabin home in Lake Lure, NC, in July 2020. After being worked over a bit by her pal Laurence Juber (guitarist known from Paul McCartney and Wings) with some electric elements, she fleshed it out with melody and lyrics.

“Despite being alone in a log cabin while writing Coming Alive,” Lenée says, “I was generating a feeling of energy and freedom from deep in my core.” Those heightened, stimulated emotions evoked in “Coming Alive” made it a perfect title track. From there, the album documents the totality of human experience: desire, self-doubt, fear, loss, tragedy, gratitude, celebration, love, and belonging.

“Fly Away,” which dates from January 2020, was written with friends and fellow songwriters Dani Shay and Lily Mae Harrington. “The song started with the guitar riff that came to me in a dream while staying in their Hollywood home,” Lenée says. “I showed the riff to them, and they started singing, then it evolved from there. We wanted to write a song about the feeling of falling in love… invoking passion, tension, intensity, and surrender, and the anticipation that inevitably builds up before taking any great leap.”

Speaking of love, “Victory We Won,” written for her partner Laura and amplified with an exquisite soprano 12-string guitar, is a profound and gorgeous song, not to mention highlighting the happy accidents of recording: “At times I was so close to the microphone that my voice peaked the gain of the mic,” Lenée says, “I chose to leave the performance as is. For me, that slight crunch on the lead vocal brought more passion and intimacy to the song.”

Longtime fans will note the appearance of a more rockin’ “Free World Citizen.” It was recorded initially in 2018, but since it has been Lenée’s most popular live song, here is a fresh performance generating new life with a full-band and rock-inspired electric guitar solo. Christie’s live energy was really captured in this recording.

Lenée collaborated with a bevy of talented musicians on Coming Alive: Matthew Odmark (Jars of Clay) to co-produce; and her band features drummer Keith Carlock (Steely Dan, Toto, Sting, John Mayer) and Grammy Award Winning bassist Adam Nitti (Kenny Loggins, Carrie Underwood, Susan Tedeschi). It’s a dream lineup put together to create Lenée’s quintessential statement piece.

At the pinnacle of her career so far, Lenée has been voraciously praised by Guitar Player Magazine, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and Guitar World, shared stages with exalted musicians such as Tommy Emmanuel, Tim Reynolds (Dave Matthews Band), Amy Ray (Indigo Girls), and Melissa Etheridge, and has stacked up endorsements from guitar companies like Martin, Luna, Irvin, and Veillette, alongside her signature string set via Savarez Strings. With a showcase slot at 2022’s Americanafest and a new album in hand, she’s ready to shake off the past and come alive again – right on time.

Come enjoy an evening of live music, food and drinks at the Isis Music Hall. Reservations are highly recommended.

General Admission Tickets are available on line :: Reserved Seat Tickets are available with Dinner reservations – You must call the venue at 828-575-2737 to make dinner reservations and secure those tickets.

THE MERSIV EXPERIENCE
Nov 20 @ 8:00 pm
The Orange Peel

THE
MERSIV
EXPERIENCE

Monday, November 21, 2022
Local Live Music
Nov 21 @ 7:00 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

... a roots music one-man-band from Black Mountain, North Carolina, who has been playing guitar since the age of 7 and writing songs since high school. A prolific songwriter, Jay’s performance repertoire contains more than 100 original songs, as well as hundreds of covers from a wide spectrum of genres. Jay has spent years traveling and playing around the U.S., absorbing our rich musical heritage and performing with artists such as Doc Watson, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Etta Baker. Jay has also taken multiple trips to Ghana, West Africa, where he studied and performed traditional African music with the Ghanaians.

Tuesday, November 22, 2022
WHITE HORSE OPEN MIC
Nov 22 @ 7:00 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

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White Horse’s legendary Open Mic takes place each and every Tuesday at 7pm.

You’ll hear a variety of wonderfully talented folks on their way up. You never know what you’ll hear… original songs, covers, guitar, piano….. and often something quite surprising.

The signup sheet is placed on the bar at 6:30 and the first ten to sign in are the performers for the evening. Each gets 15 minutes or three songs.

It’s a lot of fun… especially since it’s FREE !!!!!

THE DIRTY FRENCH BROADS: ALBUM RELEASE SHOW with Barrett Davis
Nov 22 @ 8:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

– ALL AGES
– LIMITED SEATING AVAILABLE

THE DIRTY FRENCH BROADS
The Dirty French Broads are an Americana Grass band from the mountains of Western North Carolina bringing you heart-stirring ballads and lively cut-a-rugs with the energy of a thousand golden retriever puppies in their first snowfall. Lead singer Kate Thomas draws the audience with her rich, smoky timbre and leaves them laughing beer up their noses, wishing they’d worn their dancing shoes. 
This lively crew plays just about everything that has strings, but usually graces the stage with a guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, bass, and when the weather’s right – the occasional kazoo. Authentic and endearing with a little spice, they’re a few shades apart from the established Americana scene, and you’ll definitely want to join their book club.

BARRETT DAVIS
Barrett Davis is a Western North Carolina singer-songwriter/guitarist who chose the life of a ragged troubadour. That small, glowing ember of inspiration and creativity, which has always remained at the core of Davis, is now a burning, eternal fire — bringing forth an honest sense of self through the prism of his perceptive lyrics and heartfelt melodies. His latest album “The Ballad of Aesop Fin” is a vibrant tapestry, meandering from modern Americana to classic country, indie-folk to the “high, lonesome sound” of bluegrass

Wednesday, November 23, 2022
French Broad Valley Jam
Nov 23 @ 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Oklawaha Brewing Company

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.

Disney on Ice
Nov 23 @ 7:00 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

The celebration of the century comes alive in Disney On Ice presents Let’s Celebrate!  This monumental ice-skating spectacular returns to Bon Secours Wellness Arena from November 23-27.  

 

Audiences will be a part of the magic of Disney as Mouse-ter of Ceremonies Mickey Mouse leads a parade of more than 50 beloved characters starring Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and featuring an ensemble of Disney Princesses including Cinderella, Rapunzel, Ariel, Snow White and Tiana.  The wintry wonderland of Disney’s Frozen also comes to life with Anna, Elsa, and the hilarious Olaf, as they discover that true love is the greatest magic of all.  Exciting moments from Disney•Pixar’s Finding Dory, Disney’s Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast will leave the whole family with memories to last a lifetime.

 

The legacy of Disney is displayed through 14 classic and modern stories in this epic production that features an international team of award-winning figure skaters, high-energy choreography and a breathtaking set.  With over 30 melodious masterpieces such as “Let It Go!,” “You’ve Got A Friend in Me” and “Hakuna Matata,” Disney On Ice Let’s Celebrate is the ultimate Disney fan experience.  Families will join the fun in an exciting opening number that salutes Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as the original hosts of Disney On Ice in an unforgettable experience in your hometown!

IRISH MUSIC CIRCLE
Nov 23 @ 7:00 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

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.