Calendar of Events

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!

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.

All Ages – under 12 requires venue approval

THIS EVENT IS RAIN OR SHINE
NO BAGS ALLOWED

On Saturday, June 3rd, guitars will be abundant in Brevard as iconic guitarist Bryan Sutton hosts the Second Annual North Carolina Guitar Celebration at Brevard Music Center’s Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium and is the culmination of Sutton’s Blue Ridge Guitar Camp. The concert will feature Bryan Sutton with special guests Darrell Scott, Sierra Hull & Justin Moses, Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse), Jeff Hanna (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Dom Flemons, Jon Stickley, Ed Helms (The Office and The Hangover movies), T. Michael Coleman and Jack Lawrence along with the instructors, Chris Eldridge (Punch Brothers), Courtney Hartman, Marcel Ardans, Matt Munistari, Jake Eddy and Woody Platt. This year’s event is also celebrating Doc Watson’s 100th birthday.

Bryan Sutton is the most accomplished and awarded acoustic guitarist of his generation, an innovator who bridges the bluegrass flatpicking traditions of the 20th century with the dynamic roots music scene of the 21st. His rise from buzzed-about young sideman to first-call Nashville session musician to membership in one of history’s greatest bluegrass bands has been grounded in quiet professionalism and ever-expanding musicianship.

Auditorium seating is reserved.  Lawn seating is general admission.

“Everything has to be said.” This is the conviction guiding Indigo De Souza’s sophomore album, Any Shape You Take. This dynamic record successfully creates a container for the full spectrum—pushing through and against every emotion: “I wanted this album to give a feeling of shifting with and embracing change. These songs came from a turbulent time when I was coming to self-love through many existential crises and shifts in perspective.”

Faithful to its name, Any Shape You Take changes form to match the tenor of each story it tells. “The album title is a nod to the many shapes I take musically. I don’t feel that I fully embody any particular genre—all of the music just comes from the universe that is my ever-shifting brain/heart/world,” says Indigo. This sonic range is unified by Indigo’s strikingly confessional and effortless approach to songwriting, a signature first introduced in her debut, self-released LP, I Love My Mom. Written in quick succession, Indigo sees these two records as companion pieces, both distinct but in communion with each other: “Many of the songs on these two records came from the same season in my life and a certain version of myself which I feel much further from now.”

Throughout Any Shape You Take, Indigo reflects on her relationships as she reckons with a deeper need to redefine how to fully inhabit spaces of love and connection. “It feels so important for me to see people through change. To accept people for the many shapes they take, whether those shapes fit into your life or not. This album is a reflection of that. I have undergone so much change in my life and I am so deeply grateful to the people who have seen me through it without judgment and without attachment to skins I’m shifting out of.”

Lead single “Kill Me,” written during the climax of a dysfunctional relationship, opens with the lines “Kill me slowly/ Take me with you.” This powerful plea, that begins within the quiet strum of a single electric guitar, is diffused by Indigo’s ironic apathy—a slacker rock nonchalance that refuses to take itself seriously: “I was really tired and fucked up from this relationship and simultaneously so deeply in love with that person in a special way that felt very vast and more real than anything I’d ever experienced.”

Across the table from that irreverence sits the sincerity of the single “Hold U,” a more energized, neo soul-inspired love song that substitutes apathy for a genuine expression of care. “I wrote ‘Hold U’ after I left that heavy season of my life and was learning how to love more simply and functionally. I wanted to write a love song that was painfully simple.”

Growing up in a conservative small town in the mountains of North Carolina, Indigo started playing guitar when she was nine years old. “Music was a natural occurrence in my life. My dad is a bossa nova guitarist and singer from Brazil and so I think I just had it in my blood from birth.” It wasn’t until moving to Asheville, NC that Indigo began to move into her current sound, developing a writing practice that feeds from the currents that surround her: “Sometimes it feels like I am soaking up the energies of people around me and making art from a space that is more a collective body than just my own.”

“Real Pain,” one of the most experimental tracks on the record, is Indigo’s attempt to make that phenomena more intentionally collaborative. Starting soft before dropping down into a cavernous pit of layered screams and cries, “Real Pain” collages the voices of strangers—audio bites Indigo received after posting online asking for “screams, yells and anything else.” “Hearing these voices join together and move with my own was really powerful. The whole record was a release for me. And I hope it can be that for others.”

At the forefront of all De Souza’s projects is her magnetism—her unique quality of spirit that is both buoyant and wise. While her backing band has undergone shifts between releases, her sound has stayed tethered to her vision. Any Shape You Take is the first full-length album that Indigo produced herself. Teaming up with executive producer Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, The War on Drugs) and engineers/producers Alex Farrar and Adam McDaniel, Indigo recorded the album at Betty’s, Sylvan Esso’s studio in Chapel Hill, NC and finished it with additional production and mixing at Drop of Sun Studios in Asheville. Moving past the limitations of a home studio, Indigo could finally embody the full reach of her sound: “It felt really exciting to lean into my pop tendencies more than I have in the past and to trust my intuition to take the songs where I felt they should go. I had the tools to do it and collaborators who were willing to
go there with me.”

“I feel very much like a shape-shifter with my music, I’m always trying to embody a balance between the existential weight and the overflowing sense of love I feel in the world.” It is exactly this balance that Indigo strikes in her Saddle Creek debut, Any Shape You Take. A listening experience that gives back, as you shed and shape-shift along with her.

indigodesouza.com

Nickel Creek is the platinum-selling, internationally renowned roots trio of mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins and guitarist Sean Watkins. The Grammy-winning band has revolutionized folk and roots music since first performing together as children at a pizza parlor in San Diego in 1989, signing to acclaimed roots label Sugar Hill Records after wowing the bluegrass circuit for a decade. Nickel Creek quickly broke through in 2000 with their Grammy-nominated, Alison Krauss-produced self-titled LP, which showcased not just their instrumental virtuosity but their burgeoning songwriting prowess. The trio quickly followed that effort with the Krauss-produced This Side, a landmark release that earned Nickel Creek the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album and brought their progressive take on acoustic music to a broader audience, greatly influencing the sound and trajectory of roots music in the process. 2005’s Grammy-nominated Why Should the Fire Die? found the trio pushing genre boundaries even further, incorporating elements of alt-rock and indie pop into their singular brand of acoustic music. Nickel Creek’s most recent album, 2014’s critically acclaimed and joyously received A Dotted Line, ended a seven-year recording and touring hiatus for the band, during which members explored other musical and creative avenues.

Each member of Nickel Creek has taken part in many outside projects over the years, too. Thile is a 2012 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and served as the host of the American radio variety show Live from Here (formerly A Prairie Home Companion) from 2016 to 2020. Over the course of Nickel Creek’s career, Thile has released collaborative albums alongside world-renowned musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Brad Mehldau and Stuart Duncan. His Grammy-winning band Punch Brothers has released six studio albums, the most recent being 2022’s Hell on Church Street, a re-imagining of the beloved 1983 Tony Rice album Church Street Blues. Sean Watkins has kept busy outside of Nickel Creek, too, co-founding Watkins Family Hour alongside Sara, releasing three albums with the collective and maintaining the long-running collaborative show in Los Angeles for a decade. Sean has also released a string of solo albums, most recently 2020’s This Is Who We Are with the Bee Eaters. Sara Watkins’ extracurricular projects include the aforementioned Watkins Family Hour band, as well as co-founding the Grammy-winning roots trio I’m With Her alongside Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz. Sara has released four studio albums, most recently 2021’s Under the Pepper Tree. She has contributed fiddle to recordings by artists like Phoebe Bridgers, the Killers and John Mayer.

Nickel Creek will release Celebrants, their first new album in nine years, March 24 via Thirty Tigers.

Nickel Creek will be joined by opening act Gaby Moreno.

Looking for a buzz-worthy event? Look no further than Asheville’s 2nd Annual Honey Festival! Join the Center for Honeybee Research and Shanti Elixirs on Sunday, June 4th, from 12-6pm for a day of celebration, education, and community-building.
At the festival, you’ll enjoy live music, food trucks, and vendors showcasing the unique flavors of honey and other artisanal goods. But that’s not all: you’ll also be supporting a great cause, as proceeds from the festival will go towards saving pollinators and our planet.
The Center for Honeybee Research will be offering local and international honey for guests to sample and purchase, and you can even participate in the People’s Choice award for local honey vendors. Plus, we will be featuring the live finals of the 12th Annual International Black Jar Honey competition. Festival goers can watch as local celebrities determine the world’s best tasting honey.
And don’t forget to come dressed in your best pollinator-themed costume! It’s all part of the fun at Asheville’s 2nd Annual Honey Festival.
Personal water bottles are recommended, and families are encouraged to attend. So mark your calendars for June 4th, and come out to celebrate the wonderful world of beekeeping, honey, and all things pollinators. Together, we can help save the bees!

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/

No matter where we come from, we are all part of the same circle. We all want to dance, to get out of our heads, and tap into ourselves. When delivered by the Taj Mahal Quartet, the blues can take us there. For more than 40 years, Grammy-winning legend Taj Mahal, internationally renowned bassist Bill Rich, and revered percussionist Kester Smith have taken blues on a joyride through reggae, funk, jazz, cajun and more, leaving a trail of swinging hips and raised palms in their wake. In 2019, guitarist and lap steel master Babby Ingano joined the group, and the trio became the Taj Mahal Quartet. The four-match musical virtuosity  with downhome grit unlike anyone else: a blend of sophistication and humble familiarity that is equally at home on a shotgun-shack porch or a Carnegie Hall stage.

In 2023, Los Lobos celebrates its 50th anniversary as aband, a rare and impressive feat, as the band continues its great legacy. The quintet enjoyed critical success early on, wining the Grammy® for Best Mexican-American Performance for “Anselma” from its 1983 EP, and tying with Bruce Springsteen for Rolling Stone‘s Artist of the Year in 1984. A major turning point came in 1987 with the release of Ritchie Valens’ biopic, La Bamba. Their cover topped the charts in the U.S. and U.K., and rather than capitalize on that massive commercial success, they chose to record La Pistola y El Corazon, a tribute to Tejano and Mariachi music that won the 1989 Grammy® for Best Mexican-American Performance. That kind of sharp artistic turn has become Los Lobos’ trademark, serving to both fuel the band’s creativity and keep their fans engaged. Los Lobos has sold millions of records, won prestigious awards (four Grammys® altogether) and made fans around the world. But perhaps its most lasting impact will be how well its musicembodies the idea of America as a cultural melting pot – bringing together different genres to create a new sound that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

Taj Mahal and Los Lobos will be joined by opening act North Mississippi Allstars.

No matter where we come from, we are all part of the same circle. We all want to dance, to get out of our heads, and tap into ourselves. When delivered by the Taj Mahal Quartet, the blues can take us there. For more than 40 years, Grammy-winning legend Taj Mahal, internationally renowned bassist Bill Rich, and revered percussionist Kester Smith have taken blues on a joyride through reggae, funk, jazz, cajun and more, leaving a trail of swinging hips and raised palms in their wake. In 2019, guitarist and lap steel master Babby Ingano joined the group, and the trio became the Taj Mahal Quartet. The four-match musical virtuosity  with downhome grit unlike anyone else: a blend of sophistication and humble familiarity that is equally at home on a shotgun-shack porch or a Carnegie Hall stage.

In 2023, Los Lobos celebrates its 50th anniversary as aband, a rare and impressive feat, as the band continues its great legacy. The quintet enjoyed critical success early on, wining the Grammy® for Best Mexican-American Performance for “Anselma” from its 1983 EP, and tying with Bruce Springsteen for Rolling Stone‘s Artist of the Year in 1984. A major turning point came in 1987 with the release of Ritchie Valens’ biopic, La Bamba. Their cover topped the charts in the U.S. and U.K., and rather than capitalize on that massive commercial success, they chose to record La Pistola y El Corazon, a tribute to Tejano and Mariachi music that won the 1989 Grammy® for Best Mexican-American Performance. That kind of sharp artistic turn has become Los Lobos’ trademark, serving to both fuel the band’s creativity and keep their fans engaged. Los Lobos has sold millions of records, won prestigious awards (four Grammys® altogether) and made fans around the world. But perhaps its most lasting impact will be how well its musicembodies the idea of America as a cultural melting pot – bringing together different genres to create a new sound that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

Taj Mahal and Los Lobos will be joined by opening act North Mississippi Allstars.

No matter where we come from, we are all part of the same circle. We all want to dance, to get out of our heads, and tap into ourselves. When delivered by the Taj Mahal Quartet, the blues can take us there. For more than 40 years, Grammy-winning legend Taj Mahal, internationally renowned bassist Bill Rich, and revered percussionist Kester Smith have taken blues on a joyride through reggae, funk, jazz, cajun and more, leaving a trail of swinging hips and raised palms in their wake. In 2019, guitarist and lap steel master Babby Ingano joined the group, and the trio became the Taj Mahal Quartet. The four-match musical virtuosity  with downhome grit unlike anyone else: a blend of sophistication and humble familiarity that is equally at home on a shotgun-shack porch or a Carnegie Hall stage.

In 2023, Los Lobos celebrates its 50th anniversary as aband, a rare and impressive feat, as the band continues its great legacy. The quintet enjoyed critical success early on, wining the Grammy® for Best Mexican-American Performance for “Anselma” from its 1983 EP, and tying with Bruce Springsteen for Rolling Stone‘s Artist of the Year in 1984. A major turning point came in 1987 with the release of Ritchie Valens’ biopic, La Bamba. Their cover topped the charts in the U.S. and U.K., and rather than capitalize on that massive commercial success, they chose to record La Pistola y El Corazon, a tribute to Tejano and Mariachi music that won the 1989 Grammy® for Best Mexican-American Performance. That kind of sharp artistic turn has become Los Lobos’ trademark, serving to both fuel the band’s creativity and keep their fans engaged. Los Lobos has sold millions of records, won prestigious awards (four Grammys® altogether) and made fans around the world. But perhaps its most lasting impact will be how well its musicembodies the idea of America as a cultural melting pot – bringing together different genres to create a new sound that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

Taj Mahal and Los Lobos will be joined by opening act North Mississippi Allstars.

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

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 MONTEREY POP, the documentary film by D.A. Pennebaker showcasing the first great pop music festival. The film features legendary perfomrances by Otis Redding, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, The Grateful Dead and more than two dozen other acts. A rousing success, the festival created a template for the festival movement.Details are in the attached press release; more info at http://musoscribe.com/movies

The next installment is Wednesday, June 7, and the special guest will be BOB HINKLE, founder and owner of popular music hall White Horse Black Mountain. He got his start as a musician here in WNC, eventually forming a group; recording an album; going solo and releasing another album; working with influentail rock/Americana pioneers The Band on their popular Rock of Ages album; working for Bob Dylan’s notorious manager Albert Goldman; serving as head of A&R for a record label; becoming an artist manager himself, and managing several high-profile artists including Harry Chapin, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, The J. Geils Band and more. And even all that is only part of the story; Bob Hinkle went on to a VP position at a major label, overseeing one of its popular divisions. And then instead of retiring, he launched White Horse Black Mountain.

The man has stories.

In conversation with host/moderator Bill Kopp, Hinkle will share stories and engage with audience questions/discussion about his life and career in the music business.

• Live Music, 6:00 p.m. and $8 specialty martinis all day at Leo’s Italian Social

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!

GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer and actor Anthony Hamilton has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and been proclaimed a “national treasure” by the Los Angeles Times. The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame inductee has cemented his place in the history books as the “narrator of love” with awe-inspiring performances and emotionally raw lyrics. Hamilton first burst onto the scene in 2003 with his smash hit “Charlene,” which garnered the attention of NPR and resulted in him starring in their Noteworthy documentary series. In 2007, he made his film debut in the critically acclaimed American Gangster, and in 2012, he lent his vocals to the Django Unchained soundtrack.

Hamilton now adds author and publisher to his lists of accomplishments with the unveiling of his first self-published book Cornbread, Fish n’ Collard Greens, where he shares the inspiration for some of the iconic songs in his illustrious career and his love of southern food.

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!

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.

The beats of the Friday Night Drum Circle have been rocking Pritchard Park for decades and the circle has become so popular that it is featured in magazines and TV commercials.

Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade Tickets | Asheville, NC | Rabbit Rabbit (etix.com)

The Friday Night Music series will present the familiar 50’s and 60’s
classic rock and beach music from a host of different bands. Food vendors like Babbles Ice
Cream, Blue Ridge Hospitality and Eggs Up Grill will provide a some spice. The Carolina
Mountain Car Club will participate as in years past.

Friday Night Concerts
Super 60’s June 9
Gotcha Groove June 16
It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere June 23
Marsha Morgan June 30
Shades of Gray July 7
Thomas Brown July 14
Emporium July 21
Johnnie Blackwell Band July 28
Rock and Roll Reunion August 4
208 Army Band August 11
Night Moves Band August 18

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.

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.

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.

We’re planning to kick off Summer with a bang! Come and enjoy live music, family-friendly activities, giveaways, adventure, and more right on the beautiful Nantahala River. 

Event Highlights:

• Local Artisan Village featuring local craftspeople and artisans
• Community Partner booths
• Live Music Riverside 1 – 4 pm Jacob’s Well
• Live Music Riverside 5 – 8 pm Natti Love Joys
• Giveaways, contests, and prizes

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.