– w/ CHRIS KASPER
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY

OLIVER WOOD TRIO
Oliver Wood is a mainstay of modern-day American roots music. The frontman of the Wood Brothers since 2004, he’s spent the 21st century blurring the boundaries between folk, gospel, country-soul, and Americana, earning an international audience and a Grammy Award-nomination along the way. Always Smilin,’ his debut as a solo artist, continues that tradition while also shining new light on Oliver’s sharp songwriting, savvy guitar chops, and a voice that evokes the swagger of a Saturday evening picking party one moment and the solemnity of a Sunday morning gospel service the next.

Always Smilin’ is an album of bridges, mixing a wide range of collaborations with a uniquely personal touch. Guests include bandmates from Oliver’s musical past and present, from mentor and co-writer Chris Long (who performed alongside Oliver in King Johnson, the roots-rock band that dominated Atlanta’s music scene around the turn of the millennium) to percussionist Jano Rix (Oliver’s partner in The Wood Brothers). Blues heroine Susan Tedeschi, Hiss Golden Messenger’s Phil Cook, Medeski Martin & Wood’s John Medeski, Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Tyler Greenwell, Nashville staple Phil Madeira, and singer/songwriter Carsie Blanton also make appearances, with Rebecca Wood — Oliver’s wife — handling the album’s handmade linocut cover art. For Oliver, the goal was simple: to collaborate freely with a mix of old friends and new partners, embracing a new level of independence.

Longtime fans don’t need to worry; Oliver remains fully committed to the Wood Brothers. When the Covid-19 pandemic forced the band to clear its touring schedule and spend most of 2020 at home, though, he began gathering together the solo material he’d been writing with other musicians. Gradually, almost surprisingly, an album began taking shape.

“People would come through Nashville during the year before the pandemic, and I’d set up a co-write or a jam in our studio, just to do some stuff outside of my own band,” he explains. “There wasn’t an album in mind. I just wanted to be creative. But when the pandemic happened, the songs started building up.”

There was plenty of stress to go around in 2020, but Always Smilin‘ — like its title suggests — is mostly an album of celebration. While “Get the Blues” addresses the struggles of the modern moment, songs like “Roots” and “Molasses” focus on brighter topics, from finding one’s center to embracing a simpler way of living. That diversity is reflected throughout the track list: on gospel covers like “The Battle is Over (But the War Goes On)” and “Climbing High Mountains (Tryin’ To Get Home)”; on country-soul standouts like “Soul of This Town”; on the tongue-twisting craft of “Kindness.” Oliver even makes room for an unlikely percussion instrument — the chicken coop — that once played a major role in his pre-Wood Brothers projects.

Always Smilin‘ celebrates the full range of Oliver Wood’s musical heritage, from the blues and gospel sounds he explored long before the Wood Brothers’ formation to the American roots music he’s been making during the past two decades. It’s an album of collaborations and communal recordings, spearheaded by a longtime team player who, for the first time ever, is making the final decisions himself. There will be more Wood Brothers music in the future, but this is an album about the present. An album about right now. And right now, Oliver Wood is smiling.

For many, the delicious culinary creations of local restaurants are a big part of what makes Asheville special. Asheville Restaurant Week celebrates Asheville’s great food scene. This year, more than 40 participating restaurants are serving up great food with menu specials. Show your favorite restaurants some love or try someplace new!

Asheville Restaurant Week

Let AVL Digital Nomads give you a hand! Our fabulous “office” features a bartender, beer hall, and smiling faces all around! Our “agenda” consists of meeting other professionals, travelers, and remote workers to be your new friends. Who wants isolation when you can come out and socialize!

We make it super easy, it’s the Asheville way to accept everyone and enjoy the interesting conversations.
We’ll organize tables inside Highland Brewing’s main Taproom and stick our AVL Digital Nomads signs on a table. As always, we’ll have name tags, to help ease introductions. We’re looking forward to another fun event, meeting more new friends, and enjoying some beverages and conversation. See you there!

King in The Wilderness chronicles the final chapters of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, revealing a conflicted leader who faced an onslaught of criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. While the Black Power movement saw his nonviolence as weakness and President Lyndon B. Johnson saw his anti-Vietnam War speeches as irresponsible, Dr. King’s unyielding belief in a peaceful protest became a testing point for a nation on the brink of chaos.

King in The Wilderness shares stirring new perspectives on Dr. King’s character, his radical doctrine of nonviolence and his internal philosophical struggles prior to his assassination in 1968.

Following the film, Dr. Steve O’Neill (Professor of History, Furman University) and Dr. Holly Pinheiro, Jr. (Asst. Professor of African American History, Furman University) will lead a discussion that audience members are invited to participate in.

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

CHARLIE STARR with Benji Shanks

Ages 18+ FULLY SEATED SHOW

– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY

GA-20

GA-20 clearly is on to something big. It’s a movement, a new traditional blues revival. The dynamic, throwback blues trio are disciples of the place where traditional blues, country and rock ‘n’ roll intersect. “We make records that we would want to listen to,” says guitarist Matt Stubbs. “It’s our take on the song-based traditional electric blues we love.” Stubbs, guitarist/vocalist Pat Faherty, and drummer Tim Carman have been at the forefront of this traditional blues revival since they first formed in 2018. It’s no wonder they skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard Blues Chart.

According to Stubbs, “Since we started the band we’ve focused on the story, the melody, and on creating a mood. Playing live as much as we do, we’re finding more and more that people are discovering how cool it all is. Traditional country, soul and funk music have all had these massive recent revivals, but traditional blues so far has not.” With their new Colemine album, Crackdown, and an intensive tour schedule, that’s all about to change.

On Crackdown, GA-20’s third full-length release, the band creates an unvarnished, ramshackle blues that is at once traditional and refreshingly modern. Expanding on their previous releases (2019’s Lonely Soul and 2021’s Try It…You Might Like It! GA-20 Does Hound Dog Taylor) GA-20 finds inspiration on the edges of the genre, where early electric blues first converged with country and rock ‘n’ roll. The album’s nine original songs include the loping, Louisiana-flavored Dry Run, the dirty, and bare-bones Easy On The Eyes and the melodic, garage-tinged Fairweather Friend. With tight, propulsive performances and a brevity and punk energy reminiscent of The Ramones, Crackdown is rowdy and fun, filled with instantly memorable, and well-crafted songs.

LADYCOUCH

“Everybody’s dancing, y’all — it’s about that time,” Allen Thompson sings during the first minute of LadyCouch’s ‘Future Looks Fine,’ setting the tone for a debut album rooted in groove, soul, and the family-like bond of the musicians.

A southern-rock jam band fronted by Thompson and co-founder Keshia Bailey, LadyCouch brings together a lineup of songwriters, horn players, harmony singers, and first-rate instrumentalists. The result is a larger-than-life sound inspired by the revue bands of the 1970s, bringing a contemporary approach to the timeless influence of Delaney & Bonnie, Little Feat, and Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Funky and fiercely loyal, LadyCouch’s members are a community unto themselves, writing optimistic songs about the struggles and triumphs that connect us all.

“We choose to make it through hard times by being together,” says Bailey, who previously cut her teeth in the throwback soul group Magnolia Sons.  “There will always be struggle. You can sit and bask in it, or you can keep moving forward. For me, the best option is bond together and sing it out. That’s what this band does for me. LadyCouch heals me.”

For many, the delicious culinary creations of local restaurants are a big part of what makes Asheville special. Asheville Restaurant Week celebrates Asheville’s great food scene. This year, more than 40 participating restaurants are serving up great food with menu specials. Show your favorite restaurants some love or try someplace new!

Asheville Restaurant Week

Support:
Goodnight, Texas

Ages 18+

Larkin Poe VIP Meet & Greet Package includes:

• One general admission
• Meet & Greet with Larkin Poe
• One personal photo with Larkin Poe
• One exclusive signed Larkin Poe print
• One exclusive VIP merchandise item
• One commemorative VIP laminate and lanyard
• Pre-show merchandise shopping opportunity before venue opens to the public
• Priority entry into the venue

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community. The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am. No RSVP needed, just drop by! Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Nobody’s Darling String Band is here every Saturday from 4-6! Stop in for an afternoon libation and enjoy the ladies picking’ away on the stage!

For many, the delicious culinary creations of local restaurants are a big part of what makes Asheville special. Asheville Restaurant Week celebrates Asheville’s great food scene. This year, more than 40 participating restaurants are serving up great food with menu specials. Show your favorite restaurants some love or try someplace new!

Asheville Restaurant Week

– ALL AGES
– LIMITED SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED

13TH ANNUAL DJANGO REINHARDT BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION FEATURING:  

Russell Welch & the Champaigniacs

“Russell is not only the most sought after guitarist in New Orleans, he is also one of the finest Django style players in the world!” – Django a Gogo Festival 2022

RUSSELL WELCH is a jazz guitarist/composer based in New Orleans, and a native of Jackson, Mississippi. Russell is a New Orleans’ “Best Traditional Jazz Artist” and “Best Traditional Jazz Album” 2019 nominee. He was New Orleans’ “Best Guitarist” nominee, 2016. Russell’s first, all-original album, “Showarama Hot Trio,” was also a New Orleans’ “Best Traditional Jazz Album” 2012 nominee. Russell’s second album, “Pour Vous” featured original arrangements of traditional New Orleans jazz classics. His third, all-original album, Russell Welch Hot Quartet album “Mississippi Gipsy” (2015) was reviewed as “masterful” and a “tour de force” by Offbeat Magazine. 

Russell was recently asked to teach and perform at two of the most prestigious Django festivals in North America – Django a Go Go (2022), and Django in June (2022). Russell’s fourth album, “Acetate Sessions” is a New Orleans’ “Best Traditional Jazz Album” 2019 nominee A mix of originals and classics, It was recorded using acetate masters and vintage recording equipment, to recreate vintage recording sounds, which, according to an Offbeat Magazine review, “crackle with the energy of youth discovering someplace magical…(and) sound as fresh as tomorrow.”

Gustav Viehmeyer

Gustav Viehmeyer Is an international Composer, musician and guitarist. Gustav has the rare gift of merging soulful pleasures through music. His playing is free spirited, wild, intensely passionate and executed with skillful precision. Gustavs guitar music is rooted in the style of Django Reinhardt, The Sinti Virtuosos and a love for film composition.

Daniel Coolik & Jim Tanner Quartet 

A consummate musician’s musician, Daniel Coolik, originally from Atlanta, Georgia, swept into the Lafayette, LA scene in 2009 and quickly added his name to many respectable rosters, loaning his talents to such groups as Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole, Les Malfecteurs, The Red Stick Ramblers, and helped found the GRAMMY nominated band The Revelers. Daniel was already an adept multi-instrumentalist in the Asheville, North Carolina scene where he focused on playing swing and jazz on guitar & mandolin as well as old time Appalachian traditional music, and has since emerged as a violoniste extraordinaire here in Acadiana. His abilities have taken him all over the globe, including Haiti, Thailand, most countries in Western Europe, and Canada. He is an in demand session musician who has played bass, guitar, mandolin, steel guitar, and fiddle on numerous recordings including the most recent release by Shovels and Rope (By Blood 2019).

Instructor: Claudia Strauss

No experience necessary, all levels welcome.

Please enter at the Catawba Ave entrance, follow the hall to enter.

Bring a mat.

Hope you can join us for this exciting event!~

For many, the delicious culinary creations of local restaurants are a big part of what makes Asheville special. Asheville Restaurant Week celebrates Asheville’s great food scene. This year, more than 40 participating restaurants are serving up great food with menu specials. Show your favorite restaurants some love or try someplace new!

Asheville Restaurant Week

 Event Page

Wear your best red attire and celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with a Chinese New Year dinner prepared by Gan Shan chef Raymond Hui. The event will feature live music and dancing with local favorite Pleasure Chest and a ceremonial Lion Dance performance by Dragon Phoenix.

– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY

THE SCHIZOPHONICS

Over the last few years, THE SCHIZOPHONICS have built up a formidable reputation around the world as an explosive live act. Tapping into the same unstoppable combination of rock ‘n’ roll energy and showmanship that fueled THE MC5 in the heyday of the Grande Ballroom, their wild live show is heavily influenced by artists like JAMES BROWN, IGGY POP, JIMI HENDRIX, LITTLE RICHARD, and THE SONICS. Singer/guitarist Pat Beers and drummer Lety Beers formed the band in San Diego in 2009 and have worked tirelessly since then, playing hundreds of shows around the globe. In 2013 they were recruited as the backing/opening band for EL VEZ, which helped the band make a name for itself in Europe. Since then, they’ve played in numerous countries, and supported tours by like-minded acts like ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT, LITTLE BARRIE, THE WOGGLES and have opened for the DAMNED, DEVO, HIVES and CAGE THE ELEPHANT. Shindig magazine described their live show “Like watching some insane hybrid of WAYNE KRAMER, JAMES BROWN, and the Tazmanian Devil”.

For many, the delicious culinary creations of local restaurants are a big part of what makes Asheville special. Asheville Restaurant Week celebrates Asheville’s great food scene. This year, more than 40 participating restaurants are serving up great food with menu specials. Show your favorite restaurants some love or try someplace new!

Asheville Restaurant Week

Join Buxton Hall executive chef Nick Barr for a celebration of oysters and burgers on Monday evenings throughout January and for a lunch and dinner menu takeover during Asheville Restaurant Week, Jan. 17-23. The menu features everything from pit-roasted oysters Vanderbilt and Southern-fired oysters to a double pimento cheese burger and a smoked brisket burger.

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

MAMA AND THE RUCKUS W/ MELISSA McKINNEY
Mama & The Ruckus is a Blues & Soul band from Asheville, NC fronted by powerhouse vocalist Melissa McKinney. They recently won the honor through the Piedmont Blues Society to compete at the International Blues Competition in Memphis, TN on January 24th-28th. They will be joined by blues bands from all over the world, competing for the title previously won by acts such as Southern Avenue & Susan Tedeschi. With Patrick French and Owen Myers on guitar, Matt Guard on Keys, Michael Dunham on bass, Rob French on harmonica, and Hinton Edgerton on drums, this band is on fire. You can expect lots of special guests throughout this special evening of Blues that will support this band’s Journey to Memphis.