Calendar of Events

TAYLOR KNIGHTON
Singer-songwriter Taylor Knighton grew up on the Gulf Coast but now calls the mountains of Western North Carolina home. Her musical stylings reflect her southern roots, with plenty of twang, a big heartfelt voice, and a sweet pop influence. She likes to incorporate her love of mythology and folk tales into her songwriting, telling timeless stories with a fresh, fun spin.

Enrollment is now open for two adult improvisation acting classes offered by Hendersonville Theatre (HT). Classes will be taught by professional improvisation actor and comedian Emily Swindal. Both classes are open to anyone over the age of 18, regardless of experience level.

Improv Level One: Communicate. Collaborate. Play. meets on Wednesdays from April 5 to May 24. Tuition is $180. In the class, students will work at getting comfortable on stage while having fun doing it. Students will learn to have compassion for themselves and their classmates as performers as they learn the fundamentals of improvisation and develop support and spontaneity. Together, they will learn the importance of “yes-and-ing,” heightening the absurdity and raising the stakes. They will also cover the differences between short form and long form improv. This is a short form class similar to Whose Line Is It Anyway?

– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY

THE HEAVY HEAVY 
The Heavy Heavy create the kind of unfettered rock-and-roll that warps time and place, immediately pulling the audience into a euphoric fugue state with its own sun-soaked atmosphere. Led by lifelong musicians Will Turner and Georgie Fuller, the Brighton, UK-based band began with a shared ambition of “making records that sound like our favorite records ever,” and soon arrived at a reverb-drenched collision of psychedelia and blues, acid rock and sunshine pop. As revealed on their gloriously hazy debut EP Life and Life Only, The Heavy Heavy breathe an incandescent new energy into sounds from decades ago, transcending eras with a hypnotic ease.

SHANE GUERRETTE
It’s the old way of doing things that inspires a new sound for upstate NY based artist, Shane Guerrette. Drawing influence from classic soul and roots rock genres, Shane has only just begun to craft his own retro flavored sound. With a recent self-released debut album called “Here’s Hoping” and plans of touring in the near future, you’ll want to keep an eye out for what’s to come from this rising star.

We are seeking volunteers to assist us in our small after school program for children in West Asheville in low-income housing.  We provide a safe and nourishing environment, healthy snacks, and creative activities.  Our program currently meets during the school year on most Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:00-5:00pm. You may volunteer for one or two days a week. 

Volunteer Responsibilities:

• Assist with serving snacks
• Interact with children during activity time
• Supervise games and outdoor free time
• For people with background in education, there is also an opportunity to assist with curriculum development and program planning and administration

Requirements:

• Background check
• Orientation booklets will be provided
• Masks are required if unvaccinated

Explore a new topic each month through stories and hands-on S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) activities. Grades K-5.

What is sound? How does a person hear and listen to music? Why is it one of the most powerful expressions of humanity? All that exists creates sound. The tiniest elements of everything on this planet move, vibrate, and therefore create resonance or sound. This powerful force has the ability to heal and create or confuse and destroy. Once we understand what sound truly is, we have the ability to influence our consciousness, as well as our environment. Imagine a space where people of all ages can explore sound, view and play with instruments from around the world, and experience through music the commonalties of cultures. Music influences our social, emotional, cognitive, physical, spiritual, and creative selves. People will be able to understand the science behind how they listen and enjoy discovering about brainwave states and how sound effects the mechanics and of the body. That’s exactly what you can do in the LEAF Instrument Petting Zoo!

Market research isn’t just for startups; it’s an important ongoing process for every small business. Developing a focused and effective marketing plan requires up-to-date market analysis. Discover the variety of market research tools that will give you critical information about your industry and customers. Get the data you need to test the feasibility of a new business, find the competition and potential customers interested in your proposed product or service.

Speaker(s): Gary Heisey, Executive Director Mission Acceleration and Vision

Co-Sponsor(s): Henderson County Chamber of Commerce, Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce

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

Celebrate the beauty of springtime in Highlands with the return of the live concert series – Orchard Sessions. Settle into comfortable seating and relax under heirloom apple trees as a stellar lineup of musicians fill the mountain air. In the magical surroundings of The Orchard, enjoy light bites, a cash bar, and an enchanting evening. The sessions kick off Thursday, April 20 with the return of Atlanta native Mike Kinnebrew. Mike’s music can best be described as Indie folk fueled by soulful inspiration. The singer-songwriter will serenade you with new songs and old favorites. The Orchard Sessions are held at The Farm at Old Edwards – located at 336 Arnold Road in Highlands. To book online and for more information about the concert series-visit oldedwardshospitality.com/orchardsessions.

Attorney, author, and advocate Robyn B. Gigl will present “Transgender Issues: Legal and Cultural Competencies,” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 20 in the Mullen-James Humanities Hall.

Gigl’s lecture will explore current and proposed laws that impact the trans community in schools, work, prisons & in spaces of public accommodation. Gigl is a member of New Jersey Supreme Court’s Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement; a member of the Board of Directors of Garden State Equality and the Trans Affirming Alliance; and a past chair of the LGBT Rights Section of the New Jersey Bar Association.

Join New York Times Bestselling author and UNC Asheville alumnus, Wiley Cash ’00 in conversation with author Benjamin Gilmer on Thursday, April 20 at 7 p.m. at UNC Asheville’s Reuter Center in the Manheimer Room.

This event is part of the Common Word Community Read, curated by Cash. The program brings the UNC Asheville community together to engage in a collective educational experience. Each semester, one book will serve as the focus of numerous virtual and in-person lectures and discussions that will allow participants to delve deeper into the text. Over the course of the academic year, participants will read one book each semester, gaining insights and sharing ideas in a welcoming and respectful environment. Spring 2023’s selection is The Other Dr. Gilmer: Two Men, a Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice.

Our jazz trio with Thommy Knoles on keys, Felix Pastorius on bass, and Paul Gladstone on drums will perform an opening set from about 7-8:15 pm.

An open jam session follows. Drop-ins are welcome and encouraged for a suggested donation of $10.

Jazz Jam will feature a diverse array of music from jazz’s rich history, ranging from 1940s bebop up to 1970s jazz fusion, as well as material from prominent present-day composers. Bring your instruments and jam with us, or just come and enjoy!

– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
– RAIN OR SHINE

Bearly Dead is an all-star cast of players with deep roots in the New England jam & festival scene. While the band plays all of the Grateful Dead classics, they also dive into an extended catalog, which may include any song that any member of the Dead ever performed. With over 230 songs in rotation and new material being added all the time, Bearly Dead performs wildly different setlists every night and ensures that each show is a unique experience. With no designated “Jerry” or “Bobby”, this band is able to breathe new life into songs with their fresh, high-energy approach to them. Bearly Dead is a setlist-nerd’s dream!

Founded during an intense snowstorm in April 2015, Bearly Dead played its first show at Church of Boston, marking the beginning of its hallowed Wednesday Night Residency. In September of that year, Church was sold and the band found a new home on Wednesday nights at Thunder Road in Somerville. During their 5 years at Thunder Road, Bearly Dead was nominated twice for the Boston Music Award’s “Live Music Residency of the Year,” and burst onto the scene as New England’s premier Grateful Dead tribute band. The phrase “Never Miss A Wednesday Show” became ubiquitous around Boston…and you really never knew what might happen! Bearly Dead’s Wednesday Night Residency at Thunder Road continued unabated every week since its inception in September 2015 until the club’s closing in 2020. Thunder Road was a beacon to all musicians on Wednesday nights to join in the fun, with notable appearances by Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), Paul Wolstencroft (Slightly Stoopid), Steve Molitz (Particle/Phil Lesh & Friends), Kebbi Williams (Tedeschi Trucks Band), Rob Compa (Dopapod), Hayley Jane (Hayley Jane & The Primates), Johnny Trama (Dub Apocalypse), and Gary Backstrom (Gary Backstrom Band); and a surprise appearance by Jerry Garcia’s “Wolf” guitar in 2018 on Jerry Garcia’s birthday! The Wednesday Night Residency was briefly revived in 2021 at The Burren and Sonia before officially ending in May 2022.

Drawing from the sounds of Appalachia and Midwestern Americana, Palmyra captures the collective spirit of three Virginia natives, Teddy (he/him), Manoa (he/him), and Sasha (they/them). With an ever-expanding sonic palette, Palmyra’s live set explores the fusion of traditional folk string instruments, three part harmonies and foot percussion.

The burgeoning trio sounds like a distant cousin of the progressive folk band, Punch Brothers, mixed with elements of Fleet Foxes or the Avett Brothers. Palmyra’s songs are intimate and contemplative, with three-part vocal arrangements that allow them to create the illusion of a full, larger-than-three ensemble.

• Visit the PALMYRA website
• View Sample Videos

Judah and the Lion’s Revival comes at a moment of rejuvenation and evolution for the band, both personally and professionally, with a world looking to get back to normal. Judah Akers and
Brian Macdonald return with the band’s fourth album that aims to channel the energy and spirit presented at the beginning of the group’s journey.

Revival is a collection of songs that speaks to the band’s return to innocence and hope through reclamation. They look inwards on life’s changes as a group that still finds energy in innocence
after touring for 8 years and reaching heights on the Billboard charts and earning awards like iHeart Music’s Best New Alternative Rock Artist of the Year in 2018.

“It’s learning to let go of things that are out of our control,” Judah said, reflecting on working with his therapist through anxiety and depression. “Finding purity in life again. For all of us, we’re
gifted innocence when we’re born, and at some point in our lives, be it through choices or tragedy, innocence is robbed. Second innocence is where we’re not given it, but we choose to take it.”

In their last release, Pep Talks, Judah processed the loss of stability with his family. In the leadup to Revival, he was able to process his grief and anxieties alone in his home. The band toured nonstop for eight years, giving the project everything they had. Being primarily on the road prior to 2020 created a misunderstanding of where they were individually and their connection to feeling at home.

“Being home and not getting to mask my emotions with being on tour and being around crowds was big,” Judah said. “It’s an easy distraction because you can avoid dealing with it emotionally. You can get on stage and perform, and everything’s fine.”

Brian also had a journey in finding peace and putting in work to feel complete in a different emotional environment. His wife attended a graduate program in Sweden, thousands of miles from the home they made. As the world slowed to a halt, he had to find comfort in Visby Island’s cold, lonely, and grey terrain.

“The big thing for me was re-learning what ‘home’ means,” Brian said. “Leaving my home and trying to make a new one and realizing that home wasn’t a physical place for me.”

When they came back together, their fulfillment alone proved to change not just themselves but how they fit together. Founding member Nate Zuercher informed them he was leaving the group, changing dynamics for a group of friends making music together for over a decade. Brian picked up the banjo, trying his best to fill the void Nate left but making his playing be his own and offering a new style.

The loss of a key member helped Brian and Judah grow further in reinvigorating their partnership. It brought new energy to their songwriting and collaboration. In the Fall of 2021, Judah & Brian invited their longtime friends and touring musicians with them to record at Echo Mountain in Asheville, North Carolina.

“It was one of the most fun times we had in the studio,” Brian said. “There was a lot of freedom to it, and it felt like a retreat. We were all in it.”

– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY

THE SADIES