Join host Tommy Hays for the monthly reading series featuring work from UNCA’s Great Smokies Writing Program and The Great Smokies Review.
Calendar of Events
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.
Friday, February
14, 2020
Valentine’s Comedy Special: Comedian & MTV’s “Girl Code” Jessimae Peluso
Syracuse native, Jessimae Peluso, from MTV’s “Girl Code”, can be heard weekly podcasts on her Sharp Tongue & Highlarious podcasts. Both available on iTunes, Stitcher, Sound Cloud and Google Play. She has a weekly Facebook live show called “Weedsday” every Wednesday that raises awareness for Alzheimer’s Disease.
You may have seen Jessimae on MTV’s “Girl Code” and “Safe Word”, TBS’s “Deal With It”, NBC’s “Last Call w/Carson Daly”, E!’s “Chelsea Lately”, FOX’s “World’s Funniest Fails”, VH1’s “Hip Hop Squares”, AXS’ “Gotham Live”, TruTV’s “Comedy Knockout” , and multiple appearances on Comedy Central’s “@Midnight. Chick be workin’!
Jessimae was featured in the Moontower Comedy Festival, New York Comedy Festival, Boston Comedy Festival, North Carolina Comedy & Arts Festival, Women in Arts Comedy Festival, and Just For Laughs and featured on Kevin Hart’s LOL Live network. She has contributed to Cosmopolitan Magazine, High Times Magazine, DOPE Magazine, Self Magazine, GQ.Com, Playboy.com, MadeMen.com, and was highlighted in the Huffington Post as ‘one of the funniest comics to follow on twitter’.
- MTV’s Girl Code
- TBS’ Deal With It
- NBC’s Last Call With Carson Daly
- E!’s Chelsea Lately
- Comedy Central
Festivals:
- Just For Laughs, Montreal
- New York Comedy Festival
- Boston Comedy Festival
- North Carolina Comedy & Arts Festival
- Women in Comedy Festival
Saturday, February
15, 2020
Greg Howard presents Middle School’s A Drag, in conversation with Bobbie Pyron
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
LaZoom Comedy: Gilbert Lawand (SATURDAY)
In this heartfelt and hilarious new novel from Greg Howard, an enterprising boy starts his own junior talent agency and signs a thirteen-year-old aspiring drag queen as his first client.
Twelve-year-old Mikey Pruitt–president, founder, and CEO of Anything, Inc.–has always been an entrepreneur at heart. Inspired by his grandfather Pap Pruitt, who successfully ran all sorts of businesses from a car wash to a roadside peanut stand, Mikey is still looking for his million-dollar idea. Unfortunately, most of his ideas so far have failed. A baby tornado ran off with his general store, and the kids in his neighborhood never did come back for their second croquet lesson. But Mikey is determined to keep at it.
It isn’t until kid drag queen Coco Caliente, Mistress of Madness and Mayhem (aka eighth grader Julian Vasquez) walks into his office (aka his family’s storage/laundry room) looking for an agent that Mikey thinks he’s finally found his million-dollar idea, and the Anything Talent and Pizzazz Agency is born!
Greg Howard was born and raised in the South Carolina Lowcountry, where his love of words and stories blossomed at a young age. Greg will be in conversation with Bobbie Pyron, author of Stay.
This event is free and open to the public. We ask that you purchase the books you want to be signed at our events from Malaprop’s. When you do this you are not only supporting the work it takes to run an events program, you are also telling the publishers that they should keep sending authors here. Can’t make it to the store for the event? Call us or order the book on our website in advance, and we’ll get it signed for you. Make sure you write your preferences in the comments if you purchase online.
Event date:
Saturday, February 15, 2020 – 11:00am to 12:00pm
Event address:
55 Haywood Street
Asheville, NC 28801
One of the funniest musicals ever written. Sondheim’s joyous musical romp through Rome has desperate lovers, scheming neighbors and secrets behind every toga. This unforgettable, hysterical musical allows a terrify ensemble of comedic actors to shine!
GILBERT LAWAND is a Brooklyn based comedian by way of Atlanta. You can see him performing all over the New York City area at some of the best shows such as Night Train, the Knitting Factory, and Bar Matchless as well as comedy clubs like Caroline’s, Gotham, New York Comedy Club, and the Creek and the Cave. He also produces the annual Red Clay Comedy Festival which takes place in Atlanta every September. Gilbert has performed in several festivals including Bridgetown, High Plains, and the Laughing Skull Festival where he was a finalist in 2015. He’s a frequent opener for Rory Scovel and has also opened for Dave Chappelle.
ages 18+
Tickets $10 advance, $12 day of
FRIDAY: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-gilbert-lawand-friday-tickets-89416522225
SATURDAY: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-gilbert-lawand-saturday-tickets-89418100947
Sunday, February
16, 2020
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
Writers at Home at Malaprop’s – Readings by Great Smokies Writing Program Prose Master Class
Writers at Home Malaprop’s
Comedy at Fleetwood’s: Aaron Naylor
One of the funniest musicals ever written. Sondheim’s joyous musical romp through Rome has desperate lovers, scheming neighbors and secrets behind every toga. This unforgettable, hysterical musical allows a terrify ensemble of comedic actors to shine!
The next installment of the monthly Writers at Home series, featuring writers from the Prose Master Class taught by Elizabeth Lutyens at UNC Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program, takes place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 16, at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, 55 Haywood St., in downtown Asheville. This event is free and open to everyone.
For more information about UNC Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program, visit the program’s website.
Aaron Naylor is a stand-up comedian from Kansas City, MO. He won the 2014 Kansas City’s Local Comic Standing, the 2017 Funniest Person in Wichita Competition, placed 2nd in the 2016 Cleveland Comedy Festival, and has performed at SF Sketchfest, Blue Whale Comedy Festival, Cape Fear Comedy Festival, Trial by Laughter, Asheville Comedy Festival and many other festivals. He has opened for real people who do this for a living.
Featuring Ryan Trickey
Tickets $7 advance, $10 day of
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/comedy-at-fleetwoods-aaron-naylor-tickets-84685056283
Wednesday, February
19, 2020
Kyle Kinane: The Spring Break Tour
Disclaimer Stand-Up Lounge Comedy Open Mic
Kyle Kinane is an internationally touring comedian who has appeared on “Drunk History”, “@Midnight,” “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” “Conan,” “Workaholics,” “This Is Not Happening,” “Not Safe with Nikki Glaser” and “Comedy Bang! Bang!” He is featured in Season 2 of Netflix’s “The Standups” released in February 2018. He invented science. He has ESP. He is a recurring character on Netflix’s “Love” created by Judd Apatow. He let someone else write most of this bio. He can swim backwards. He has released three Comedy Central specials “Kyle Kinane: Loose in Chicago”, “I Liked His Old Stuff Better” and “Whiskey Icarus”. Also, farts.
Disclaimer Stand-up Lounge is the longest running comedy open mic in Asheville happening every Wednesday night. The show starts at 9:00, and there is no cover. Anyone wanting to perform needs to sign up by 9pm, and will get five minutes on stage. Local and not-so-local, professional and not-so-professional comics perform or just anyone wanting to get up in front of people and try to make them laugh. Always fun. Always free.
Thursday, February
20, 2020
The Comedy Show
Notorious HBC (History Book Club)
The Comedy Show ft. Mia Jackson
The Comedy Show will see the historic YMI Cultural Center expand its program offerings to include a monthly night of gut-wrenching laughter. Presented in partnership with JAWBREAKING.xyz and Modelface Booking, A Comedy Show will be a night of comedy on the YMI’s main stage, featuring rising comedy stars from all over the country.
February’s show will be hosted by Asheville comic Petey Smith-McDowell and feature Tiffany Anderson, Kourtlyn Wiggins and Comedy Central’s Mia Jackson.
Mia Jackson is a bonafide Georgia peach (that’s Georgian for “native”) and self proclaimed know-it-all. After graduating from the University of Georgia she hit the local comedy scene and has thrilled audiences since day one. To her credit she has appeared on NickMom’s Night Out, Viceland and was a semi-finalist on Season 9 of NBC’s Last Comic Standing. She has appeared on Inside Amy Schumer and the movie Mother’s Day. In 2017, she was named a New Face at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal and Atlanta’s Creative Loafing named her the city’s Best Stand-Up. Her Comedy Central Half Hour special premiered this past fall. Smart, funny, and versatile, Mia entertains all types of crowds.
Join host and Malaprop’s bookseller Patricia Furnish to discuss a range of books across different periods of history. The club tackles challenging subjects, hence “NOTORIOUS.” Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!
The club meets at Malaprop’s on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm.
Event date:
Thursday, January 16, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, February 20, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, March 19, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, April 16, 2020 – 7:00pm
The Comedy Show will see the historic YMI Cultural Center expand its program offerings to include a monthly night of gut-wrenching laughter featuring comedians of color. Presented in partnership with JAWBREAKING.xyz and Modelface Comedy & Events, The Comedy Show will be a night of comedy on the YMI’s main stage, featuring rising comedy stars from all over the country.
February’s show will be hosted by Asheville comic Petey Smith-McDowell and feature Tiffany Anderson, Kourtlyn Wiggins and Comedy Central’s Mia Jackson.
Mia Jackson is a bonafide Georgia peach (that’s Georgian for “native”) and self proclaimed know-it-all. After graduating from the University of Georgia she hit the local comedy scene and has thrilled audiences since day one. To her credit she has appeared on NickMom’s Night Out, Viceland and was a semi-finalist on Season 9 of NBC’s Last Comic Standing. She has appeared on Inside Amy Schumer and the movie Mother’s Day. In 2017, she was named a New Face at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal and Atlanta’s Creative Loafing named her the city’s Best Stand-Up. Her Comedy Central Half Hour special premiered this past fall. Smart, funny, and versatile, Mia entertains all types of crowds.
ages 18+
Tickets $20 advance, $25 day of
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-comedy-show-tickets-89938018033
Friday, February
21, 2020
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
LaZoom Comedy: Joe Zimmerman (FRIDAY)
One of the funniest musicals ever written. Sondheim’s joyous musical romp through Rome has desperate lovers, scheming neighbors and secrets behind every toga. This unforgettable, hysterical musical allows a terrify ensemble of comedic actors to shine!
Joe Zimmerman grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia, and started his comedy career in North Carolina. While living in the South, his stand-up group the Beards of Comedy landed a record deal with Comedy Central Records. He moved to New York City in 2012, quickly appearing on The Late Late Show and John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, as well as performing at Montreal’s prestigious Just for Laughs festival. His resume has since grown to include The Tonight Show, Conan, Nickelodeon, Last Comic Standing, and his own Comedy Central Half Hour. Joe’s solo album Smiling at Wolves reached number two on the iTunes comedy charts and is played regularly on SiriusXM. (His second, Innocence, is due this summer on Comedy Central Records.) He has also contributed humor pieces to The New York Times.
Joe’s new podcast, “A Great Listening Experience” details his questionable attempts to attain infinite knowledge and power. Among his many podcast & radio appearances, he has recently appeared on 2 Dope Queens, The Dork Forest, Bob & Tom, The Todd Barry Podcast, and The Artie Lange Show. Joe is frequently touring, headlining clubs around the country, and occasionally opening for super stars Brian Regan and Ricky Gervais.
“The combination of Joe’s calming vocalization and inventive writing is a thing of magic. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable show.”
-Buzzfeed
ages 18+
Tickets $12 advance, $15 day of
Friday: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-joe-zimmerman-friday-tickets-87501546481
Saturday: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-joe-zimmerman-saturday-tickets-87502748075
Saturday, February
22, 2020
Frozen 2 Storytime & Dress Up at Book Warehouse – Asheville Outlets
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
LaZoom Comedy: Joe Zimmerman (SATURDAY)
Bring your little one to Book Warehouse at the Asheville Outlets (ShopAshevilleOutlets.com) in their favorite Frozen character costume for a Frozen 2 Storytime and Dress Up on Saturday, February 22nd from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Kids will enjoy a reading of Frozen 2, coloring activity, snacks, and a Frozen Scavenger Hunt complete with prizes! Taking place inside Book Warehouse, Suite 124.
One of the funniest musicals ever written. Sondheim’s joyous musical romp through Rome has desperate lovers, scheming neighbors and secrets behind every toga. This unforgettable, hysterical musical allows a terrify ensemble of comedic actors to shine!
Joe Zimmerman grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia, and started his comedy career in North Carolina. While living in the South, his stand-up group the Beards of Comedy landed a record deal with Comedy Central Records. He moved to New York City in 2012, quickly appearing on The Late Late Show and John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, as well as performing at Montreal’s prestigious Just for Laughs festival. His resume has since grown to include The Tonight Show, Conan, Nickelodeon, Last Comic Standing, and his own Comedy Central Half Hour. Joe’s solo album Smiling at Wolves reached number two on the iTunes comedy charts and is played regularly on SiriusXM. (His second, Innocence, is due this summer on Comedy Central Records.) He has also contributed humor pieces to The New York Times.
Joe’s new podcast, “A Great Listening Experience” details his questionable attempts to attain infinite knowledge and power. Among his many podcast & radio appearances, he has recently appeared on 2 Dope Queens, The Dork Forest, Bob & Tom, The Todd Barry Podcast, and The Artie Lange Show. Joe is frequently touring, headlining clubs around the country, and occasionally opening for super stars Brian Regan and Ricky Gervais.
“The combination of Joe’s calming vocalization and inventive writing is a thing of magic. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable show.”
-Buzzfeed
ages 18+
Tickets $12 advance, $15 day of
Friday: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-joe-zimmerman-friday-tickets-87501546481
Saturday: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-joe-zimmerman-saturday-tickets-87502748075
Sunday, February
23, 2020
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
QCP at Fleetwood’s ft. Kendall Farrell
One of the funniest musicals ever written. Sondheim’s joyous musical romp through Rome has desperate lovers, scheming neighbors and secrets behind every toga. This unforgettable, hysterical musical allows a terrify ensemble of comedic actors to shine!
This month’s Queer Comedy Party stars Kendall Farrell!
Kendall Farrell is a New York City based standup comedian from Vermont. He was named a ‘Comic To Watch’ at the 2019 New York Comedy Festival and will headline Caroline’s as part of their Breakout Artist series in 2020. His work has been heard on SiriusXM as well as seen in web content for Adult Swim and at comedy festivals across the country including the Brooklyn Comedy Festival, the Red Clay Comedy Festival, the Women in Comedy Festival, the 10,000 Laughs Festival, the Rogue Island Comedy Festival, and the Cream City Comedy Festival, among others.
ages 18+
Tickets $10
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/queer-comedy-party-ft-kendall-farrell-tickets-88758018623
Monday, February
24, 2020
Science Fiction Book Club
Join host and Malaprop’s Bookseller Allison Beatty to dive into the wreck of the wily and wonderful world of sci-fi, weird fiction, speculative fiction, literary horror, and disturbing fiction with a healthy mix of underappreciated classic and contemporary books. Click here to see a full schedule of what the club is reading. Club attendees get 10% off the book at Malaprop’s!
The club meets the at Malaprop’s on the last Monday of every month at 7:00pm.
Event date:
Monday, December 30, 2019 – 7:00pm
Monday, January 27, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, February 24, 2020 – 7:00pm
Monday, March 30, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, February
27, 2020
Works in Translation Book Club
Slice of Life Comedy
Join host and Malaprop’s Bookstore Manager Justin Souther to discuss writers — and their literature — in translation and the cultural, political and artistic influences that mold them. Click here to see a list of the monthly selections. Attendees receive 10% off the club’s current selection at Malaprop’s!
The club usually meets the last Thursday of every month at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe.
Event date:
Thursday, January 30, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, February 27, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, March 26, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday, April 30, 2020 – 7:00pm
Thursday night Feb 27
Slice of Life Comedy Open Mic!
Hosted by Cody Hughes
Doors 8:30p/9:00p show
$7 (+membership)
Professional Features and Newbi comics
Comics get in free (+free membership)
Free snacks from Farm Burger//drink specials
Comics sign up at door or email [email protected]
New comics to venue get 3-5m
Regular comics get as much time as available. Look for light]
Contact Michele at [email protected] for more info/sign up early or request a feature (paid 20m)
Friday, February
28, 2020
Children’s Book Sale Benefit
Larson, author of The Splendid and The Vile
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
Modelface Comedy Presents The Totally Exhausted Women of Atlanta (Friday)
Books for kids 0-18! Priced to sell! Most for $1 or less!
Proceeds provide books for young children through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Malaprop’s is pleased to partner with The Great Smokies Writing Program and Departments of History and English at UNC Asheville to bring #1 New York Times bestselling author Erik Larson back to Asheville!
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dead Wake and The Devil in the White City delivers a startlingly fresh portrait of Winston Churchill and London during the Blitz.
In THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE, Erik Larson shows, in cinematic detail, how Churchill taught the British people the art of being fearless. It is a story of political brinksmanship but also an intimate domestic drama, set against the backdrop of Churchills prime-ministerial country house, Chequers, and his wartime residence, Ditchley, where Churchill and his entourage go when the moon is brightest and the bombing threat is highest. Drawing on a wealth of untapped sources, including recently declassified files, intelligence reports, and personal diaries only now available, Larson provides a new lens on London’s darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family: his wife, Clementine; their daughters, Sarah, Diana, and the youngest, Mary, who chafes against her parents wartime protectiveness; their son, Randolph, and his beautiful, unhappy wife, Pamela; her illicit lover, a dashing American emissary; and the cadre of close advisors who comprised Churchills Secret Circle, including his dangerously observant private secretary, John Colville; newspaper baron Lord Beaverbrook; and the Rasputin-like Federick Lindemann.
THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE takes readers out of today’s political dysfunction and back to a time of true leadership when in the face of unrelenting horror Churchills eloquence, strategic brilliance, and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together.
ABOUT ERIK LARSON
Erik Larson is the author of seven books, five of which became New York Times bestsellers. His latest Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, hit #1 on the list soon after launch. His saga of the Chicago Worlds Fair of 1893, The Devil in the White City, was a finalist for the National Book Award, and won an Edgar Award for fact-crime writing; it lingered on various Times bestseller lists for the better part of a decade. Hulu plans to adapt the book for a limited TV series, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese as executive producers. Eriks In the Garden of Beasts, about how America’s first ambassador to Nazi Germany and his daughter experienced the rising terror of Hitler’s rule, has been optioned by Tom Hanks for development as a feature film. Learn more at https://eriklarsonbooks.com/
One of the funniest musicals ever written. Sondheim’s joyous musical romp through Rome has desperate lovers, scheming neighbors and secrets behind every toga. This unforgettable, hysterical musical allows a terrify ensemble of comedic actors to shine!
Lace Larrabee is back with another group of hilarious atlanta ladies for another weekend stand up comedy!!!
Featuring Shelby Tesio, Karen Felix, Heather Tolley-Bauer, and Karen Waygood
Sponsored by BRÖÖ Haircare
ages+
Tickets $12, VIP $18
FRIDAY 2/28
GA: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-totally-exhausted-women-friday-tickets-87848750979
VIP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vip-lazoom-comedy-totally-exhausted-women-friday-vip-tickets-87849198317
SATURDAY 2/29
GA: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-totally-exhausted-women-saturday-tickets-87849711853
VIP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lazoom-comedy-totally-exhausted-women-saturday-vip-tickets-87849878351
VIP tickets come with a bag of BRÖÖ Craft Beer Hair products worth $15!!!
Saturday, February
29, 2020
Children’s Book Sale Benefit
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
Gary Gulman: Peace Of Mind
Books for kids 0-18! Priced to sell! Most for $1 or less!
Proceeds provide books for young children through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
One of the funniest musicals ever written. Sondheim’s joyous musical romp through Rome has desperate lovers, scheming neighbors and secrets behind every toga. This unforgettable, hysterical musical allows a terrify ensemble of comedic actors to shine!
Gary Gulman will be performing over an hour of material that’s he’s never performed here!
A product of Boston, Gulman has been a scholarship college football player, an accountant, and a high school teacher. He has made countless television appearances as both a comedian and an actor.
Over 25 years in comedy, Gary Gulman has established himself as an eminent performer and peerless writer. Gulman’s latest special, “The Great Depresh,” available on HBO, is his most ambitious work yet – a tour de force look at mental illness, equal parts captivating and inspiring.