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, June 17, 2023
Smoky Mountain Beer Run: A Great Smokies Lū’au
Jun 17 all-day
Great Smoky Mountain Railroad

One of our newest Events is the Smoky Mountain Beer Run! A specialty train excursion featuring 2 samples of local craft beer on-board and a final sample when we stop off at the layover, at Innovation Station in Dillsboro, NC.

 

Every ‘Beer Run’ has a fun theme to help get into the party mood but also makes every run unique and one of a kind. With Craft Beer and a Themed menu to match, you’ll be treated and transported as we cruise through the Smoky Mountains while enjoying a night in ‘Beer Country.’

The Aloha in the Smokies is here and ready to bring on the good vibes. Grab your fav Aloha shirt or grass skirt and hop on board to get lei’d and have some l’ale’a!

Ooh La La Curiosity Market
Jun 17 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Pritchard Park

Ooh La La Curiosity Market is an artist’s market that takes place in Pritchard Park, located in the center of beautiful downtown Asheville and will showcase the work of more than a dozen local artists. Taking place on Saturdays throughout Summer and every Saturday in October. Ooh La La will feature works by local painters, leather smiths, jewelry makers, potters, up-cycled crafters, and other curious delights, all beneath the colored canopies of large market umbrellas. In addition to the artists, the market will also feature live local music with three musical acts performing each Saturday and will include everything from a solo saxophonist to folk, blues, acoustic and jazz acts.

Carolina Shine Moonshine Experience
Jun 17 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountain Railroad

“Shine and Dine” on the railway! We cordially invite you to hop on board The Carolina Shine, GSMR’s All-Adult First Class Moonshine Car! We will be proudly serving hand crafted, triple-distilled, craft moonshine. Some of the smoothest tasting moonshine in the Carolinas! Offered on the Nantahala Gorge excursion, this shine and dine experience begins in a renovated First Class train fleet car, The Carolina Shine. The interior features copper lined walls filled with the history of moonshining in North Carolina. Learn about the proud tradition that the Appalachians established when bootlegging was an acceptable way of life and local home brews were the best in town. Read about Swain County’s very own Major Redmond, the most famous mountain moonshine outlaw of the 19th century. Once your appetite for knowledge is satisfied, enjoy sample tastings of flavors like Apple Pie, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, and Strawberry moonshine. If the samples are not enough, there will be plenty of Moonshine infused cocktails like Copper Cola or Moonshiner’s Mimosa available for purchase. GSMR is excited to feature multiple craft NC based distilleries to serve our guests only the best! Each jar is handcrafted and authentically infused with real fruit, the way moonshine was meant to be made. Passengers will also enjoy a full service All-Adult First Class ride with an attendant and our popular Cajun seasoned Pulled Pork BBQ with Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce cooked in our special spices and slow roasted to perfection! During the month of October, 9am departures will feature the option of a delicious Cheesy Shrimp & Grits or Cheesy Ham Hash Brown Casserole while 2pm departures will be served the popular BBQ meal.

Gatherings of Artists + Writers Coffee
Jun 17 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Tryon Fine Arts Center

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.

Nantahala Gorge Excursion
Jun 17 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountain Railroad

TAKE A TRAIN RIDE ALONG SIDE THE BEAUTIFUL NANTAHALA RIVER ON OUR NANTAHALA GORGE EXCURSION! DEPARTING FROM BRYSON CITY, THIS 4½ HOUR ROUNDTRIP EXCURSION CARRIES YOU 44 MILES TO THE NANTAHALA GORGE AND BACK AGAIN ARRIVING AT OUR BRYSON CITY DEPOT.

Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains while traveling along the Tennessee and Nantahala (nan-tuh-HAY-luh) River. The historic trellis bridge Fontana Trestle takes you across Fontana Lake and into the beautiful Nantahala Gorge. Onboard dining is available in First Class Seating and selecting from our  First Class Dinning menu options OR you can pre-purchase a box lunch option to make this an amazing unique moving dining experience. Arrive at our layover destination in the heart of the Nantahala Gorge for a one-hour layover where you can relax by the river or enjoy sightseeing!

Itinerary

30m before departure Boarding begins at Bryson City Depot
See schedule for departure time Depart Bryson City, NC
1h 45m Reach top of the line
2h 00m Begin return
2h 30m—3h 30m Layover
3h 30m Depart Layover
4h 30m Arrive at Bryson City Depot
Time from Departure Activity
“REED ‘EM AND WEEP” FUN TRIOS FOR OBOE BASSOON, AND PIANO
Jun 17 @ 2:00 pm
White Horse Black Mountain

“REED ‘EM and WEEP”

FUN TRIOS FOR OBOE BASSOON, AND PIANO

Join us for a very fun concert featuring trios for oboe, bassoon, and piano. This unique combination of instruments is not often heard, but is truly special to listen to, especially in our intimate settings. Those wonderful reed instruments are so plaintive and expressive while also allowing for humor and great energy. On this program, we welcome back oboist Margaret Herlehy and bassoonist Janet Polk, two good friends of mine from New Hampshire. We will be performing works by Ludwig Milde, Ludwig van Beethoven, Geoffrey Bush, Margaret Dring, and Paul Carr. In fact, I could have entitled this program “Ludwigs and the Brits!”  Hope you can join us for this really cool program!

1776 the musical
Jun 17 @ 2:00 pm
Peace Concert Hall

What will it take to get two dozen powerfully passionate, exceedingly complicated, and all-too-human individuals to settle their differences, while they hold the very future of a nation in their hands? This Tony Award-winning Best Musical is tuneful, witty, and constantly surprising, especially in this revolutionary new production from directors Jeffrey L. Page (Violet) and Diane Paulus (Waitress) with a cast that reflects multiple representations of race, gender, and ethnicity. You may never think about our country—who we are and why—the same way again.

 

Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards

Book by Peter Stone

Based on a concept by Sherman Edwards

Choreography by Jeffrey L. Page

Direction by Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus

Cinderella: Enchanted
Jun 17 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

A fresh take on a timeless classic, perfect for the whole family. With great warmth and more than a touch of hilarity, the hearts of children and adults alike still soar when the slipper fits. Inspired by the acclaimed teleplay starring Whitney Houston and Brandy, this version of the magical fairy tale is reborn with the Rodgers & Hammerstein hallmarks of originality, charm and elegance.

Life Like Water
Jun 17 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Sierra Nevada Brewing

Life Like Water is a multi-colored, intricately woven tapestry of sounds. With a focus on hypnotic rhythms, elegant vocal harmonies, and melodies that contain flavors of Africa, Ireland and the Middle East, the music of this eclectic quartet is sure to uplift and inspire.

Summer Sounds in the Gorge
Jun 17 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Nantahala Outdoor Center

From the local favorites to new regional acts, all live from the river banks of the Nantahala. Raft, dine, then jam with us with Live Music every Friday and Saturday from 5pm-8pm between Memorial Day and Labor Day!

May 27th 5pm-8pm – Mama and the Ruckus

May 28th 5pm-8pm – The Lefties

June 2nd 5pm-8pm – Christina Chandler Trio

June 3rd 5pm-8pm – Laura Thurston

June 9th 5pm-8pm – Eddie Clayton

June 10th 1pm-4pm – Jacobs Well

June 10th 5pm-8pm – Natti Love Joys

June 16th 5pm-8pm – Rae and the Ragdolls

June 17th 5pm-8pm – Beer and Loathing

June 23rd 5pm-8pm – TBA

June 24th 5pm-8pm – Terry Haughton Trio

June 30th 5pm-8pm – Blue

July 1st 5pm-8pm – Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs

July 7th 5pm-8pm – Bayou Diesel

July 8th 5pm-8pm – Pioneer Chicken Stand

July 14th 5pm-8pm – Wyatt Espalin

July 15th 5pm-8pm – Christina Chandler Duo

July 21st 5pm-8pm – Terry Haughton

July 22nd 5pm-8pm – TG and the Stoned Rangers

July 28th 5pm-8pm – Blue

July 29th 5pm-8pm – Somebody’s Child

August 4th 5pm-8pm – Trial by Fire

August 5th 5pm-8pm – Andy Johnson

August 11th 5pm-8pm – Eddie Clayton Solo

August 12th 5pm-8pm – Eddie Clayton Band

August 18th 5pm-8pm – Big Deal Band

August 19th 1pm-4pm – Mckinney

August 19th 5pm-8pm – Funk N’ Around

August 25th 5pm-8pm – Wyatt Espalin

August 26th 5pm-8pm – Somebody’s Child

September 1st 5pm-8pm – TBA

September 2nd 5pm-8pm – Regatta 69

LAZOOM Tours: BAND AND BEER TOUR
Jun 17 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
LaZoom Room

Wanna hear the best local music ​and​ drink the best local beers? Hop aboard LaZoom’s Purple Bus and rock out with a local band while we take you on a journey to Asheville’s premiere local breweries.

  • Curated Live Music & Brewery Bus experience
  • 3 Hours long, includes three 30 Minute Local Brewery Stops
  • You Can Drink on the Funky Purple Bus! **Must be purchased at LaZoom or at brewery stop**
PATIO: Peggy Ratusz + Kelly Jones
Jun 17 @ 5:30 pm
The Grey Eagle

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

PEGGY RATUSZ & KELLY JONES

Local faves Kelly Jones (guitar & vocals), praised as one of the best and most versatile players on the scene and 10 times best in Blues award winner Peggy Ratusz (singer songwriter & percussionist), combine their exceptional talents for an intimate early evening 2-set showcase of their favorite acoustic Blues, Classic Country and Pop Rock covers and originals.

Expect to hear a heaping helping of Bonnie Raitt’s early classics as well as scaled down and evocative arrangements from the superb library of the late, great Piedmont guitarist and songwriter, Sean Costello. They call themselves Downtown Duo Delux, and together they’ve been seducing new and faithful fans for nearly two years. You’ll not want to miss a chance to hear them in this cozy and rustic setting out on the Grey Eagle patio stage.

PIXIES: NORTH AMERICA ‘23
Jun 17 @ 5:30 pm
Rabbit Rabbit

gates open at 4:30pm All Ages – under 12 requires venue approval RAIN OR SHINE CLEAR BAGS ONLY

OUTPOST: Snake Oil Medicine Show
Jun 17 @ 7:00 pm
The Outpost

– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
– RAIN OR SHINE

From Asheville, North Carolina, Snake Oil Medicine Show is a dedicated group of artists and musicians who love and respect tradition in acoustic music, but who also share an even stronger passion to shape its future. Snake Oil’s goal is to convey positive energy and ideals to their audiences through music and art.
Fantasies become three-dimensional, technicolor props and mysteriously gargantuan puppets at festivals and larger shows. Improvisation rules as guest musicians, rappers, freestylers, artists, puppeteers, dancers and jugglers often grace the stage. Snake Oil Medicine Show features some of the hottest talents around, no two performances are ever the same!
Snake Oil was founded by Guitarist and guru songwriter George Pond in 1993, whose witty, Dr. Suess-like lyrics explore everything from the golden rule to quantum physics. This sheriff now plays the electric as well as upright Bass and is considering attending Clown College where he will use the power of Humor to promote World Peace Through Music and Art! The group has been playing across the globe for 3 decades as Psychedelic Bluegrass-Rock Pioneers!
“REED ‘EM and WEEP” FUN TRIOS FOR OBOE BASSOON, AND PIANO
Jun 17 @ 7:30 pm
Kenilworth Presbyterian Church

Join us for a very fun concert featuring trios for oboe, bassoon, and piano.  This unique combination of instruments is not often heard, but is truly special to listen to, especially in our intimate settings.  Those wonderful reed instruments are so plaintive and expressive while also allowing for humor and great energy.  On this program, we welcome back oboist Margaret Herlehy and bassoonist Janet Polk, two good friends of mine from New Hampshire.  We will be performing works by Ludwig Milde, Ludwig van Beethoven, Geoffrey Bush, Madeleine Dring, and Paul Carr.  In fact, I could have entitled this program “Ludwigs and the Brits!”   Hope you can join us for this really cool program!
 

A wonderful new venue for us in the heart of Asheville in the beautiful Kenilworth area.   We hope to build another intimate musical community here where we can perform our thrilling and educational concerts.  This is a very welcoming Church with fantastic people and great acoustics.  Suggested admission at the door is $20 for general, $15 for Church members, and free for all children 18 and under.

1776 the musical
Jun 17 @ 8:00 pm
Peace Concert Hall

What will it take to get two dozen powerfully passionate, exceedingly complicated, and all-too-human individuals to settle their differences, while they hold the very future of a nation in their hands? This Tony Award-winning Best Musical is tuneful, witty, and constantly surprising, especially in this revolutionary new production from directors Jeffrey L. Page (Violet) and Diane Paulus (Waitress) with a cast that reflects multiple representations of race, gender, and ethnicity. You may never think about our country—who we are and why—the same way again.

 

Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards

Book by Peter Stone

Based on a concept by Sherman Edwards

Choreography by Jeffrey L. Page

Direction by Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus

Cinderella: Enchanted
Jun 17 @ 8:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

A fresh take on a timeless classic, perfect for the whole family. With great warmth and more than a touch of hilarity, the hearts of children and adults alike still soar when the slipper fits. Inspired by the acclaimed teleplay starring Whitney Houston and Brandy, this version of the magical fairy tale is reborn with the Rodgers & Hammerstein hallmarks of originality, charm and elegance.

Guy Davis + Walter Parks: The Sounds of the American South
Jun 17 @ 8:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

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

GUY DAVIS & WALTER PARKS
Guy Davis and Walter Parks, thought they were bonded simply through years of incessant touring and their love of the music of rural America. Yet they only recently discovered a deeper and very specific common connection which inspired this collaboration – their respective ties to southeast Georgia. Guy’s grandfather ran the only black-owned track-lining railroad construction company in the Waycross, Georgia area during the early 1900’s. Coincidentally this was the same era and location that spawned distinct music interpretations of hymns, hollers, reels and work songs which Walter has researched and continues to archive in The Library of Congress American Folklife Collection.

In contrast to his deep south familial ties, Guy Davis was raised in New York City by his parents Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, talented and world-renowned authors, actors and activists. And whereas The Blues remains Guy’s foundation, his live performances, with a banjo, harmonica or a six or twelve-string guitar are entrancing sonic travelogues through Americana, Folk, Blues, and even World music. In concert Guy is often light-of-foot and spirit yet on occasion he calls upon dark moments in U.S. history in hopes of realignment towards a better day, as he’s done in “God’s Gonna Make Things Over” –  a song based on the infamous “Black Wall Street” racism-doused conflagration in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Walter and Guy often crossed paths on Walter’s 10 years touring worldwide as Woodstock legend Richie Havens’ sideman. When Richie retired in 2011, Walter knew he had to forge his own style and something compelled him to wonder if music had ever been made where he frequently camped as a boy – in southeast Georgia’s Okefinokkee Swamp. Sure-enough, a Library of Congress deep-dive has given rise to Walter’s unique interpretations of historic music heretofore largely unnoticed since their original recording in the early 1940’s by naturalist Francis Harper. Walter interprets most of this playful and upbeat – Irish and Scottish rooted music in a light-modern electronica feel.

Together, Walter and Guy delve into the stories and songs of their ancestors, both familial and distant, to blow the dust off of the places and memories of those who’ve gone before them, and to shine a musical spotlight on the gifts that are out there to discover and explore.

Sunday, June 18, 2023
Carolina Shine Moonshine Experience
Jun 18 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountain Railroad

“Shine and Dine” on the railway! We cordially invite you to hop on board The Carolina Shine, GSMR’s All-Adult First Class Moonshine Car! We will be proudly serving hand crafted, triple-distilled, craft moonshine. Some of the smoothest tasting moonshine in the Carolinas! Offered on the Nantahala Gorge excursion, this shine and dine experience begins in a renovated First Class train fleet car, The Carolina Shine. The interior features copper lined walls filled with the history of moonshining in North Carolina. Learn about the proud tradition that the Appalachians established when bootlegging was an acceptable way of life and local home brews were the best in town. Read about Swain County’s very own Major Redmond, the most famous mountain moonshine outlaw of the 19th century. Once your appetite for knowledge is satisfied, enjoy sample tastings of flavors like Apple Pie, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, and Strawberry moonshine. If the samples are not enough, there will be plenty of Moonshine infused cocktails like Copper Cola or Moonshiner’s Mimosa available for purchase. GSMR is excited to feature multiple craft NC based distilleries to serve our guests only the best! Each jar is handcrafted and authentically infused with real fruit, the way moonshine was meant to be made. Passengers will also enjoy a full service All-Adult First Class ride with an attendant and our popular Cajun seasoned Pulled Pork BBQ with Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce cooked in our special spices and slow roasted to perfection! During the month of October, 9am departures will feature the option of a delicious Cheesy Shrimp & Grits or Cheesy Ham Hash Brown Casserole while 2pm departures will be served the popular BBQ meal.

Nantahala Gorge Excursion
Jun 18 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountain Railroad

TAKE A TRAIN RIDE ALONG SIDE THE BEAUTIFUL NANTAHALA RIVER ON OUR NANTAHALA GORGE EXCURSION! DEPARTING FROM BRYSON CITY, THIS 4½ HOUR ROUNDTRIP EXCURSION CARRIES YOU 44 MILES TO THE NANTAHALA GORGE AND BACK AGAIN ARRIVING AT OUR BRYSON CITY DEPOT.

Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains while traveling along the Tennessee and Nantahala (nan-tuh-HAY-luh) River. The historic trellis bridge Fontana Trestle takes you across Fontana Lake and into the beautiful Nantahala Gorge. Onboard dining is available in First Class Seating and selecting from our  First Class Dinning menu options OR you can pre-purchase a box lunch option to make this an amazing unique moving dining experience. Arrive at our layover destination in the heart of the Nantahala Gorge for a one-hour layover where you can relax by the river or enjoy sightseeing!

Itinerary

30m before departure Boarding begins at Bryson City Depot
See schedule for departure time Depart Bryson City, NC
1h 45m Reach top of the line
2h 00m Begin return
2h 30m—3h 30m Layover
3h 30m Depart Layover
4h 30m Arrive at Bryson City Depot
Time from Departure Activity
Burlesque Brunch
Jun 18 @ 11:00 am
The Grey Eagle

Burlesque Brunch is a monthly burlesque and bellydance show with a classic speakeasy feel. Join our dancing dames and dandies every third Sunday of the month for a little singin’, strippin’, and sippin’ starting at noon. It’s a Sunday afternoon to delight the senses!

Burlesque Brunch
Jun 18 @ 12:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

Burlesque Brunch is a monthly burlesque and bellydance show with a classic speakeasy feel. Join our dancing dames and dandies every third Sunday of the month for a little singin’, strippin’, and sippin’ starting at noon. It’s a Sunday afternoon to delight the senses!

1776 the musical
Jun 18 @ 1:00 pm
Peace Concert Hall

What will it take to get two dozen powerfully passionate, exceedingly complicated, and all-too-human individuals to settle their differences, while they hold the very future of a nation in their hands? This Tony Award-winning Best Musical is tuneful, witty, and constantly surprising, especially in this revolutionary new production from directors Jeffrey L. Page (Violet) and Diane Paulus (Waitress) with a cast that reflects multiple representations of race, gender, and ethnicity. You may never think about our country—who we are and why—the same way again.

 

Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards

Book by Peter Stone

Based on a concept by Sherman Edwards

Choreography by Jeffrey L. Page

Direction by Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus

“REED ‘EM and WEEP” FUN TRIOS FOR OBOE BASSOON, AND PIANO
Jun 18 @ 2:00 pm
St. Giles Chapel at Deerfield Retirement Community

Join us for a very fun concert featuring trios for oboe, bassoon, and piano.  This unique combination of instruments is not often heard, but is truly special to listen to, especially in our intimate settings.  Those wonderful reed instruments are so plaintive and expressive while also allowing for humor and great energy.  On this program, we welcome back oboist Margaret Herlehy and bassoonist Janet Polk, two good friends of mine from New Hampshire.  We will be performing works by Ludwig Milde, Ludwig van Beethoven, Geoffrey Bush, Madeleine Dring, and Paul Carr.  In fact, I could have entitled this program “Ludwigs and the Brits!”   Hope you can join us for this really cool program!

Join us in this very intimate space with wonderful acoustics and a warm atmosphere at our “home” Church on the campus of Deerfield Retirement Community that is also open to the general public.  Tickets at the door are $20 for general public, $15 for Deerfield residents, and free for children 18 and under.

Cinderella: Enchanted
Jun 18 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

A fresh take on a timeless classic, perfect for the whole family. With great warmth and more than a touch of hilarity, the hearts of children and adults alike still soar when the slipper fits. Inspired by the acclaimed teleplay starring Whitney Houston and Brandy, this version of the magical fairy tale is reborn with the Rodgers & Hammerstein hallmarks of originality, charm and elegance.

The Moon and You
Jun 18 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Sierra Nevada Brewing

At its core, The Moon and You is a charismatic husband-and-wife team. Melissa Hyman plays cello, Ryan Furstenberg plays guitar and banjo, and both sing in “voices that sound like they were made for one another” (Bill DeYoung, Connect Savannah). But whatever you might assume based on their gorgeous vocal blend and heartfelt lyrics, this ain’t your basic folk duo. With a rotating cast of talented friends to add unexpected instrumentation to their lineup, The Moon and You never plays the same show twice. This ever-evolving, expandable and collapsible model leaves the band constantly reinventing itself in ways both surprising and satisfying.

Jack of the Wood : Sunday-Irish Session
Jun 18 @ 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/

OUTPOST: Drip a Silver
Jun 18 @ 3:00 pm
The Outpost
– FREE SHOW/DONATION BASED
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
– RAIN OR SHINE

Drip a Silver
Jerry enthusiasts, Drip A Silver, render the catalog from a place of merry reverence.

1776 the musical
Jun 18 @ 6:30 pm
Peace Concert Hall

What will it take to get two dozen powerfully passionate, exceedingly complicated, and all-too-human individuals to settle their differences, while they hold the very future of a nation in their hands? This Tony Award-winning Best Musical is tuneful, witty, and constantly surprising, especially in this revolutionary new production from directors Jeffrey L. Page (Violet) and Diane Paulus (Waitress) with a cast that reflects multiple representations of race, gender, and ethnicity. You may never think about our country—who we are and why—the same way again.

 

Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards

Book by Peter Stone

Based on a concept by Sherman Edwards

Choreography by Jeffrey L. Page

Direction by Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus

SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE
Jun 18 @ 8:00 pm
The Grey Eagle

– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY

SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE

Ever since SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE released their self-titled debut in 2014, they’ve developed a reputation for being your favorite band’s favorite band. Theirs is the music of immersion, of confrontation, the kind that makes a listener stop and wonder, “How are they even doing that?” And as the years wear on, that sense of bafflement has made room for SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE to quietly but steadily ascend, with their most recent album, 2018’s Hypnic Jerks, leaving them poised on the precipice of wider recognition.

On April 9th, 2021 SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE released their fourth album and Saddle Creek debut, ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH. The album signals new chapters for the band on multiple fronts, being the first to feature their new three-piece lineup, as well as the first to be entirely self-recorded and produced. Guitarist/vocalist Zack Schwartz and bassist/vocalist Rivka Ravede are now joined by new member Corey Wichlin, a multi-instrumentalist who relocated from Chicago to the band’s home territory of Philadelphia last year. In the spring of 2020, the trio began to write their new album at a distance by emailing files back and forth. “The process of making this album was basically the exact opposite of our experience creating Hypnic Jerks,” Schwartz explains. “We had to record that in seven days, because that was the studio time we had, whereas ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH was made over the course of three, four months.”

An abundance of time wasn’t the only difference. Recording remotely offered the band an incentive to experiment with new possibilities for their sound, resulting in an album that is unlike any SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE has released before. Once the band finished recording and mixing the album digitally, they mastered it to tape, lending the collection a textured, dimensional quality. “We knew we wanted to use some new instrumental elements on this album,” Wichlin says. “We’re not going fully electronic,” Schwartz adds, “But guitar, bass, drums just get kind of monotonous.”

If there’s a song on ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH that best encapsulates what SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE is all about, it’s “THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN’T DO,” a track that illuminates the growth that this band has undergone since their foundation to now. The song wrestles between the sublime and the monstrous as Ravede’s feather-light vocals are overtaken by Schwartz’s strained howl, underscored by shattering live drums that recall the band’s scrappy origins. “This song draws on some of the sonic aesthetic of SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE’s old records and aligns those sounds with the electronic instrumentation we’ve been exploring,” Wichlin says. ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH isn’t a metamorphosis, it’s simply the newest iteration of a longstanding project. “There’s a line in the Bee Gees documentary that I think applies to us. I’ll paraphrase: ‘We may not have always connected, but we always stuck around,’” Ravede says. Schwartz jumps in, “SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE: we’re still here.”

TOMBSTONE POETRY
Tombstone Poetry hails from Asheville, NC – playing tunes that are sometimes shoegaze, sometimes noise rock, and sometimes folk. With influences ranging from Townes Van Zandt to Pavement, the 5-piece presents an eclectic set filled with “tear-in-my beer” anthems and noise rock chaos.