Shot Thru the Heart (STTH) is a professional tribute band that pays homage to the music and showmanship of Bon Jovi, one of the greatest rock bands to ever take the stage. STTH provides a high-energy concert experience, playing only the greatest hits and staying true to the original recordings. STTH is the real-deal! The music and vocals are live with meticulous attention to detail that clearly sets STTH apart from the competition. 

Each member of Shot Thru the Heart is a seasoned, professional musician and entertainer. The energy emitted from the stage is contagious and reminiscent of the great arena rock concerts of the 80s. Each member of STTH grew up on the rock music of the 80s greatest bands including Van Halen, Ratt, Poison, Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard and the Scorpions. However, all members of STTH have a very special love and respect for the music of Bon Jovi. Love for the music of Bon Jovi bleeds through every note played and sung. The nostalgia effect is real!

– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY

DRIVIN N CRYIN
Celebrating their 35th Anniversary together, Atlanta-based folk rock act, Drivin N Cryin, have spent most of their career on tour. In October 1985 Drivin N Cryin played their first show at Atlanta’s famed 688 Club. The band quickly gained attention for their blistering live shows, and amassed a rabid fanbase in the fertile soil of the late-1980s Southeast music scene.

Now, 35 years later, and after releasing four full length albums on Island Records and one on Geffen Records, founding members Kevn Kinney and Tim Nielsen find themselves enjoying a milestone anniversary for the band, having survived the pressures of fame, a shifting musical landscape, multiple lineup changes, and miles of back roads and highways to arrive here.

After a gold record, 9 full-length albums, and a handful of EPs to their credit, the band still refuses to rest. In 2012, a documentary about the band, entitled Scarred but Smarter: Life n Times of Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, was produced. In 2015, a collection of 10 choice cuts from the band’s 4-EP “Songs” series, entitled Best of Songs, was released on Nashville’s Plowboy Records. Additionally, the band was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame the same year. The following year, Drivin N Cryin released a vinyl-only album, entitled Archives Vol One, with a collection of basement recordings from the years 1988 to 1990.

With Dave V. Johnson on drums, and the band’s newest member, Laur Joamets, (originally Sturgill Simpson) added to the lineup, Drivin N Cryin continues to tour the U.S. to great acclaim.

A quote from the band’s lead singer, Kevn Kinney, gives a little insight into what Drivin N Cryin is all about: “We are a band that’s like your record collection.” Drawing influence from a wide array of musical elements, Drivin N Cryin has developed a unique sound over the years. Their name derives from the eclectic nature of this sound: a little drivin’ rock n roll and a little country twang. Comfortable with their past and confident in their future, the band has an arsenal of songs, a full tank of gas, and no plans of stopping any time soon.

LAUREN MARROW
After over a decade as the centerpiece of popular Americana band The Whiskey Gentry, Lauren Morrow packed her bags, her dogs, her cats, and husband and moved to Nashville to pursue a career as a solo artist and grow her craft as a songwriter and performer. Within months, she released her first solo EP to widespread critical acclaim and landed on many Best Of year ends lists from Rolling Stone to Garden & Gun, quickly launching her already budding career and sending it into hyperdrive. Over the next year, Morrow filmed an episode for PBS’ Bluegrass Underground and toured the US playing festivals such as Pickathon and Bristol Rhythm & Roots to name a few. Morrow recently wrapped recording her first solo, full-length album at the legendary Nashville studio, Sound Emporium. Mixed by Vance Powell (Chris Stapleton, Jack White, Phish) and Jaquire King (Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, Shania Twain) set to release in 2023, Morrow’s new album, People Talk, showcases her flawless vocals and intricate songwriting, but also her willingness to take risks — an edge that makes her stand out from the Nashville norm. Whether she’s singing an alternative/indie rock banger, a classic-country crooner, or a traditional lovesick ballad, there’s a unique impression she leaves that lingers and is unlike anything you’ve heard before.

– ALL AGES (free admission for kids) 
– LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED

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/

Book by Chris D’Arienzo
Arrangements and Orchestrations by Ethan Popp
Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals
www.concordtheatricals.com

Director: Victoria Lamberth

This five-time Tony Award-nominated musical tells the story of a small-town girl, a city boy, and a rock ‘n’ roll romance on the Sunset Strip. But when the bar where rock reigns supreme is set to be demolished, it’s up to these wannabe rockers and their band of friends to save the day – and the music. Rock of Ages takes you back to the time of big bands with big egos playing big guitar solos and sporting even bigger hair! This jukebox musical features all of your favorite ‘80s rock anthems and power ballads from bands including Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister and more.

Approximate Run Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Rating: PG-13 due to adult content, alcohol use, and language.

– FREE SHOW
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
– RAIN OR SHINE

Dirty Dead

The July installment of our monthly poetry reading series, coordinated by Mildred Barya, will feature readings by Philip Belcher, James Davis May, James Dickson, and Sara Moore Wagner.

This is a hybrid event with limited in-store seating and the option to attend online. The event is free but registration is required for both in-person and virtual attendance.  

Please click here to register for the VIRTUAL event. The link required to attend will be emailed to registrants prior to the event.

Please click here to register for the IN-PERSON event. Note the important event details on the RSVP form.

All of the poets’ new books will be available to purchase in-store at the event. You may also call us at 828-254-6734 or order online below. If you decide to attend and to purchase books, we ask that you purchase from Malaprop’s. When you do this you make it possible for us to continue hosting author events and you keep more dollars in our community. You may also support our work by purchasing a gift card or making a donation of any amount below. Thank you!

Philip Belcher is the Vice President of Programs for The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina in Asheville and the author of The Flies and Their Lovely Names, which won the South Carolina Poetry Initiative Chapbook Prize. A graduate of Furman University, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and Duke University School of Law (JD), he also earned an MFA in poetry from Converse College, and is the recipient of both the Porter Fleming Prize in Poetry and Shenandoah’s Carter Prize for the Essay. Belcher’s poems and critical prose have appeared in numerous journals, including The Southeast Review, Shenandoah, Southern Humanities Review, and elsewhere. He also served as an Advisory and Contributing Editor for Shenandoah. For more, visit https://philipbelcher.net

“Nothing dies as slowly as a scene,” Richard Hugo once said, and that line came to me often as I read these excellent, often elegiac, poems. Whether writing of youth or old age, of photographs or place, Philip Belcher creates images that endure: windblown, burning leaves become “little kites of fire”, words “bulging creels of speech”. Yet the artistry is always in service of conveying the depths of the human heart. Gentle Slaughter is a beautiful and memorable collection.” —Ron Rash

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James Davis May is the author of the poetry collection Unquiet Things, and a 2021 National Endowment for the Arts Fellow in Creative Writing. Originally from Pittsburgh, he now lives in Macon, Georgia, where he directs the creative writing program at Mercer University. His second poetry collection, Unusually Grand Ideas, was published this year by Louisiana State University Press. For more, visit https://jamesdavismay.com

“James Davis May’s second book begins quietly, chronicling a series of losses, then escalates into a harrowingly exact, artfully rendered portrait of depression: ‘I needed a darkness I’d probably survive / to escape the one I knew I wouldn’t.’ May nails the paralyzing character of his illness and somehow manages, through art and ardor, to negotiate with despair, climbing toward a position that acknowledges darkness but does not deny hope. ‘Forgive me, Love, my difficulties with joy,’ he writes to his young daughter, and to himself and his grateful readers, ‘sometimes the world doesn’t disappoint.’ Unusually Grand Ideas is wrenching, genuine, and superb.” —Mark Doty

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James Dickson teaches English and Creative Writing at Germantown High School in Mississippi. An MFA graduate from the Bennington Writing Seminars, he is the recipient of Mississippi Arts Commission fellowships, was named High School Literary Magazine Advisor of the Year by the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association, and was invited to speak at the National Educators Association 50th anniversary celebration. His poems, book reviews, and essays appear in The Common, Ruminate, Hospital Drive, The Louisiana Review, Spillway, Slant, Poetry Quarterly, McSweeney’s, Sylvia, and other publications.  Some Sweet Vandal, his first collection of poems, was published by Kelsay Books in May.  He lives in Jackson with his wife, their son, and a small menagerie of animals.

“If you’re weary of ironic poems that wink at the camera, welcome to the ardent-hearted world of James Dickson. In Some Sweet Vandal, Dickson finds delight and depth in the everyday, and always in fresh language. We meet a high school teacher who reflects on Sylvia Plath during a school shooter training, a lifeguard in a camp for mentally handicapped adults, a father imagining his toddler’s passage into a future where one day he’ll deliver his eulogy. These are poems that, with skill and insight, connect us with our humanity, and they are a tremendous gift.” ―Beth Ann Fennelly, author of Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs

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Sara Moore Wagner is the author of the poetry collection Hillbilly Madonna (2022 Driftwood Press prize winner), a 2021 National Poetry Series Finalist, and the recipient of a 2019 Sustainable Arts Foundation award. Swan Wife also won the 2021 Cider Press Review Editors’ Prize. Her poetry has appeared in many journals and anthologies including Sixth Finch, Waxwing, Nimrod, Beloit Poetry Journal, and The Cincinnati Review, among others. She lives in West Chester, Ohio with her husband Jon, and children Cohen, Daisy, and Vivienne. For more, visit www.saramoorewagner.com

“Say Dorothy Allison had a baby with Hans Christian Andersen. That ain’t right—I know it, I know—but just say. And say that girl child grows up to wander the tracks, all the while lining up pennies to be smashed on the rails, all the while picking up shed antlers and discarded needles along the berm. And say here comes a fast train, a Christ-haunted train, a train heavy with the freight of West Virginia, a cargo of such great violence and great tenderness that you know the girl is standing far, far too close to all that’s barreling past. She stands so close the force of it blows back her hair; she stands so close you’re sure she’ll get hit and won’t survive. But she doesn’t step back. No, she stands her ground. This, dear reader, is Sara Wagner, writing this book. These poems ache and ache and ache, but not once do they flinch. Read them and prepare yourself to be wrung out, to be redeemed, to be fit to be tied.” –Nickole Brown, author of To Those Who Were Our First God

Trevor Hall and The Great In-Between will be performing LIVE on the Outdoor Stage at Salvage Station on Sunday, July 9th, 2023 with special guest The California Honeydrops opening the show! Doors open at 5:30 PM and the music starts at 6:30 PM. PAID ON-SITE PARKING opens at 4:30 PM and our FREE shuttle service to our satellite lots will be available. Root Down will be serving their delicious twist on Southern Soul food PLUS we will have several food trucks and FULL bars open for you to enjoy!

Excerpts from the new musical production of At the Café will be performed at the Weaverville Community Center prior to its grand premier at Asheville’s Diane Wortham Theater in August of this year. The script and lyrics were written by local playwright Marcy Gallagher and the music was written by Sarah Kors (who you might remember graced our stage in 2022 with Tumo Kors). Marcy Gallagher will be on stage to engage with the audience for a Q&A after the performance. Free admission. Curtain time is 7:00 PM for this 75 minute performance. For more information, contact [email protected].

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

LOVE BUBBLE (RECORD RELEASE SHOW)

Asheville’s favorite harmony driven Bubblegum Pop trio is at it again with their sophomore record release “Dream Big.” Expect more love, more bubble, and genius lyrics written and co-written by Hank Bones, Paula Hanke and Peggy Ratusz; all veterans of the Asheville music scene for decades.  From storytelling to prose and poetry, each of the 14 tracks is rich in arrangement, instrumentation, melody, rhyme and rhythm.

With reviews like the one from Music Street Journal which harkens: “it’s like a long lost gem of times gone by” and calls it “dreamy & psychedelic, entertaining & poignant.” Rocktimes finds it “wonderfully beautiful and colorful with a cool & groovy hippie vibe.” Sea of Tranquility says “with a name like Love Bubble, it’s no wonder they’d release a record with the theme of love coursing through its grooves. Listening to this album is like taking a time warp into the 1960’s or turning on your local AM dial and letting the pop vibes wash over you. Sunshiny tracks bursting with optimism! Put on your tie-dye and dive in!” Rootstime says “it’s warm, carefree and uplifting with brilliant, impeccable harmonies that invite you to forget your troubles and concerns of the modern day.”

Grail Moviehouse in Asheville’s River Arts District continues its popular event series: Music Movie Mondays. Showcasing the best in new, classic and cult films about music, these special screenings feature an introduction by music journalist Bill Kopp (that’s me), followed by a screening of the film and then a moderated discussion about what we’ve just seen and heard.

The latest in the series is HEAD, The Monkee’s 1968 film made to deconstruct their cuddly TV image. Is it weird? Oh, yes indeed. Is it fun? Absolutely. And it’s rarely seen on the big screen. Details are in the attached press release; more info at http://musoscribe.com/movies

Named ‘Classical Woman of the Year’ by Performance Today, trailblazing pianist Lara Downes returns to Brevard to share music from her new album, Love at Last, a collection of solo piano works by composers who span generations, continents, and cultures. This music explores themes of love and loss, light and darkness, renewal and redemption, the possibility of peace and compassion, and the everlasting power of love.

PERFORMANCE & ARTIST DETAILS

Auditorium seating is reserved.

Andy Grammer will be performing LIVE on the Outdoor Stage at Salvage Station on Tuesday, July 11th, 2023 with Devon Cole opening the show! Doors open at 5:30 PM and the music starts at 6:30 PM. This is an all-ages event and free for children under thee age of 7.

PAID ON-SITE PARKING opens at 4:30 PM and our FREE shuttle service to our satellite lots will be available (see FAQ page for more details). Root Down will be serving their delicious twist on Southern Soul food PLUS we will have several food trucks and FULL bars open for you to enjoy!

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

THE WILDMANS

The Wildmans come from the hills of Floyd, Virginia, in the heart of the Appalachian mountain music tradition. From campsite jamming at festivals and fiddler’s conventions and a college level music education comes the foundation for musical exploration that sets this group apart, taking the audience on a musical journey that reflects the growth and passion of these talented musicians.

The band features award winning players:

• Eli Wildman, first place winner in mandolin at the Galax Old Fiddler’s Convention, 2018 and 2019, first place winner at the Mount Airy Fiddler’s 2017, 2018, 2019
• Aila Wildman, first place winner in Old Time Fiddle and Best All Around Performer at the 83rd annual Galax Old Fiddlers convention in 2018
• Victor Furtado, winner of the 2019 Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo, and first place Old Time Banjo at Galax 2015, 2016 and 2019

The group has appeared on stages large and small, performing in festivals such as Red Wing Roots, Chantilly Farm’s Bluegrass and BBQ festival, Grey Fox Bluegrass, Floyd Fest, and The Steep Canyon Rangers’ Mountain Song Festival. They also regularly represent young talent along the Crooked Road in regional fiddler’s conventions.  Having shared the stage with talents such as Bela Fleck, The Steep Canyon Rangers, The Steel Wheels, Danny Knicely, Sammy Shelor, Sierra Hull, Billy Strings, and more., these young musicians are making their way in the American stringband scene.

SAD DADDY

ACT welcomes Buncombe Turnpike for two nights of songs and stories on the Mainstage. As part of the concert, Buncombe Turnpike will celebrate the release of their latest album, “Good Measure”.

Buncombe Turnpike was founded in 1997 and is known for playing traditional and contemporary bluegrass, gospel tunes, and original compositions across Western North Carolina. The band members include Don Lewis, David Hyatt, Korey Warren, Tom Godleski, and George Buckner.

ACT audiences will remember Godleski as the creator of “Snowbound” – the “mountain play with mountain music”, produced by ACT in 2016 and 2018.

The award-winning Jasper String Quartet returns to Parker Concert Hall in a program both intimate and profound, with music that gives voice to the presence of the sublime within the human experience. Golijov’s commemoration of three young Holocaust victims, Esmail’s meditation on Indian ragas, and Beethoven’s transcendent quartet take the audience on a journey in search of spiritual nourishment in our everyday lives.

PERFORMANCE & ARTIST DETAILS

Jasper String Quartet
J Freivogel and Karen Kim, violins
Andrew Gonzalez, viola
Rachel Henderson Freivogel, cello

OSVALDO GOLIJOV Yiddishbbuk
REENA ESMAIL Ragamala
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132

Auditorium seating is reserved.

The music of Andrew Wooten & Caroline’s Roost feels like a pine-covered moonshine still on a foggy mountainside somewhere in the Carolinas. Writing from the heart Andrew seamlessly blends ear-catching vocals and genuine lyrics into a song that will leave you wanting more. This last year has seen Andrew’s career kick into gear as he has signed with Roadside Music Management, was nominated for two Upstate Music Awards in South Carolina, and performed live on Charlotte Today.

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.

The Jasper String Quartet collaborates with BMC Artist Faculty in a program of chamber music delights by composers who span two centuries of mastery. Jesse Mongomery’s playful Strum gives way to Florence Price’s epic string quartet. Mendelssohn’s youthful quintet illustrates the brilliance of the teenage phenom – only 17 years old when he started composing this gem

PERFORMANCE & ARTIST DETAILS

Jasper String Quartet
with BMC Artist Faculty

JESSIE MONTGOMERY Strum
FLORENCE PRICE String Quartet No. 2 in A minor
FELIX MENDELSSOHN Viola Quintet No. 1 in A major

Auditorium seating is reserved.

ACT welcomes Buncombe Turnpike for two nights of songs and stories on the Mainstage. As part of the concert, Buncombe Turnpike will celebrate the release of their latest album, “Good Measure”.

Buncombe Turnpike was founded in 1997 and is known for playing traditional and contemporary bluegrass, gospel tunes, and original compositions across Western North Carolina. The band members include Don Lewis, David Hyatt, Korey Warren, Tom Godleski, and George Buckner.

ACT audiences will remember Godleski as the creator of “Snowbound” – the “mountain play with mountain music”, produced by ACT in 2016 and 2018.