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.
A highly versatile group, Gypsy Grass can play classy swing jazz all day, then throw a foot stomping dance party all night. While the band can easily hold their own within each genre, they have the unique ability to fuse the styles in an engaging, organic, and captivating way.
You’ve never heard violin like this! The world’s premier visionary violinist, Dixon’s life mission is to inspire people – and he has done so across North America, including giving three TED talks/performances, over ten years at Burning Man, plus radio, TV, and film appearances. A former technology leader and symphony violinist, Dixon walked away from a distinguished career to follow his dream full-time, and invented a whole new music genre. Dixon now improvises on a 5-string electric violin with a looping system he developed to create an all-live one-man symphony, guided by his remarkable personal story of life transformation.
Word wizard raised on hip hop with a flair for the mythopoetic. I call my sound bard hop. Dialing in the sweet spot between spoken word, storytelling & rap. My first mixtape “Evolution” is up on SoundCloud.
Program Dates: June 23 – July 16, 2022
Deadline: March 15, 2022
Ages: 14-18
Tuition: $4150, includes all instruction, housing, and meals
Application fee: $40, apply now through MyBMC
Please note: Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for all students, faculty, and summer staff for the 2022 season. Please see our FAQ page for more information.
The Program
The Classical Voice program is for high school singers ages 14-18 who plan to pursue vocal studies in college. Each student receives two private lessons per week, in addition to individual and group coachings. Students have extensive performing opportunities, including recitals, masterclasses, and a program of solo arias and staged opera scenes. Students are also invited to audit rehearsals of Brevard’s Janiec Opera Company.
The daily schedule of classes includes:
- music theory and literature
- acting
- movement
- vocal technique and diction
- masterclasses in performance and audition techniques
This program is led by Director Janine Hawley.
Audition Requirements
Admission to the Brevard Music Center is determined by audition. Voice applicants must submit a video recording by including YouTube video link(s) in their application.
Perform from memory two songs from the classical repertoire (not musical theater). One must be sung in English.
Submissions do not have to be one continuous take; once you add one selection, the option to add another will appear.
Tuition and Payment Schedule
The tuition for the 3-week High School Voice program is $4150. This includes all instruction, housing, meals, and the opportunity to attend on-campus concerts and other events. Each participant is responsible for travel to and from Brevard.
A non-refundable enrollment fee of $500 is due within 2 weeks of acceptance and applies toward the cost of tuition. The remaining tuition balance is due by May 15.
Refunds
All payments, except the $40 application fee and $500 enrollment fee, will be fully refunded if the Center receives notice of cancellation due to serious illness before May 15. Written verification from an M.D. is required before a refund can be made. No reduction in fees can be made for late arrival or early departure. No refunds will be made after May 15.
Scholarships
Brevard Music Center offers scholarship support according to a student’s audition and demonstrated financial need, and program need. In recent years, Brevard has provided scholarship support to more than 70% of its students. Scholarship support includes merit, need-based, and the BMC Opportunity Scholarship open to students of African-American and Latinx descent.
Please visit the Scholarship section of our FAQ page for more information.
Intro to Guitar with Melissa McKinney – Students will receive a solid foundation in beginner rhythm guitar for vocalists. Chords, Rhythm patterns, and basic theory will be introduced while learning songs with an uplifting message. Students will also learn to play the song that the Songwriting Class will be writing and will record it in the One Mic Studio.
Tuesdays from 4pm-5pm at LEAF Global Experience (19 Eagle St, Asheville, NC, 28801)
*Dates/times subject to change – interested in attending this class but unsure if it works with your schedule, or if it suits your student’s skill level? Reach out to us at [email protected]! We are always looking to adapt and expand our class schedules to accommodate new students!
Intro to Ukulele with Melissa McKinney – Students will receive a solid foundation in beginner Ukulele skills for vocalists. Chords, Rhythm patterns, and basic theory will be introduced through songs with an uplifting message. Students will also learn to play the song that the Songwriting Class will be writing and get to record it in the One Mic Studio.
*Dates/times subject to change – interested in attending this class but unsure if it works with your schedule, or if it suits your student’s skill level? Reach out to us at [email protected]! We are always looking to adapt and expand our class schedules to accommodate new students!
Langhorne Slim didn’t write a song for more than a year. A battle with clinical anxiety disorder and prescription drug abuse, which came to a head in 2019, had dimmed the light within. The man who once seemed to ooze spontaneity was now creatively adrift, stumbling along in the fog. Knowing he was struggling to write songs and make sense of it all, Slim was finally able to flesh out a throwaway ditty one afternoon. His close friend Mike then suggested he try penning a song a day. Slim didn’t like the idea, but he gave it a shot.
To his surprise, the songs came. In a flurry of stream-of-consciousness writing, the new tunes tumbled out, one after another, like little starbursts of joy, gifts from the gods you might say. Slim was tuning out the noise and finding beauty in the madness of a world coming undone. Over the course of a couple of months from March to May 2020, Slim penned more than twenty that were certified keepers. These songs make up his new album, Strawberry Mansion, which is being released this winter on Dualtone Records.
The road to Strawberry Mansion, which was recorded at Daylight Sound in Nashville with longtime compadres Paul DeFigilia (Avett Brothers) and Mat Davidson (Twain), began in 2019 with Slim’s decision to get sober. That experience and his ongoing recovery program have given him a framework for grappling with the personal demons that have always skulked in the shadows, and helped him find light in the void.
Ages 18+
Stand for Myself is the anthemic new album from Yola. Produced by Dan Auerbach, the record is a timeless masterpiece marking
an idiosyncratic sonic shift, which will defy all expectation. A sophisticated and diverse sonic mix of symphonic soul and classic pop,
tracing an expansive musical thread to Yola’s most eclectic musical inspirations. Yola’s inimitable vocals share nuanced stories of
allyship, black feminine strength through vulnerability, collective awakening and loving connection from the sexual to the social.
Yola declares that it is only when we stand for ourselves, and acknowledge our complexity, that we can be truly alive. For Yola,
living is more than merely surviving.
Program Dates: June 23 – July 16, 2022
Deadline: March 15, 2022
Ages: 14-18
Tuition: $4150, includes all instruction, housing, and meals
Application fee: $40, apply now through MyBMC
Please note: Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for all students, faculty, and summer staff for the 2022 season. Please see our FAQ page for more information.
The Program
The Classical Voice program is for high school singers ages 14-18 who plan to pursue vocal studies in college. Each student receives two private lessons per week, in addition to individual and group coachings. Students have extensive performing opportunities, including recitals, masterclasses, and a program of solo arias and staged opera scenes. Students are also invited to audit rehearsals of Brevard’s Janiec Opera Company.
The daily schedule of classes includes:
- music theory and literature
- acting
- movement
- vocal technique and diction
- masterclasses in performance and audition techniques
This program is led by Director Janine Hawley.
Audition Requirements
Admission to the Brevard Music Center is determined by audition. Voice applicants must submit a video recording by including YouTube video link(s) in their application.
Perform from memory two songs from the classical repertoire (not musical theater). One must be sung in English.
Submissions do not have to be one continuous take; once you add one selection, the option to add another will appear.
Tuition and Payment Schedule
The tuition for the 3-week High School Voice program is $4150. This includes all instruction, housing, meals, and the opportunity to attend on-campus concerts and other events. Each participant is responsible for travel to and from Brevard.
A non-refundable enrollment fee of $500 is due within 2 weeks of acceptance and applies toward the cost of tuition. The remaining tuition balance is due by May 15.
Refunds
All payments, except the $40 application fee and $500 enrollment fee, will be fully refunded if the Center receives notice of cancellation due to serious illness before May 15. Written verification from an M.D. is required before a refund can be made. No reduction in fees can be made for late arrival or early departure. No refunds will be made after May 15.
Scholarships
Brevard Music Center offers scholarship support according to a student’s audition and demonstrated financial need, and program need. In recent years, Brevard has provided scholarship support to more than 70% of its students. Scholarship support includes merit, need-based, and the BMC Opportunity Scholarship open to students of African-American and Latinx descent.
Please visit the Scholarship section of our FAQ page for more information.
Option 1: Classic Rock for acoustic guitar
Join beloved Polk County musician Woody Cowan and learn YOUR favorite tunes. In this setting, the students pick the songs, and Woody leads the teaching. This friendly class is full of peer-to-peer encouragement and collaboration. Artists covered included Janis Joplin, Neil Young, Old Crow Medicine Show, & Grateful Dead. Whether you know a lot of chords or just a couple, this class will move you forward musically while taking you back through the best era of radio-played folk music.
Option 2: Beginner/Intermediate Folk Jam
World-class musician Gaye Johnson leads this class, gently raising your comfort level to play freely in a group setting. Rooted in traditional folk music, aspiring mandolin, and guitar students will join together to gain more comfort and self-assurance in a group setting, while also diving into rhythm techniques and ornamentations.
Option 3: Intermediate/ advanced band
Bob and Amy Buckingham guide adults on all instruments (guitar, clawhammer banjo, fiddle, mandolin, ukulele, & bass). Several songs are picked by the group at the start of the semester, and over the 10 week semester, the musicality and “setlist” grow exponentially. Adults love this format for
guided jamming.
Wednesday
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
All beginning students receive 45 minutes of group instruction and 45 minutes of singing/storytelling.
Group song & story: Gaye Johnson (known for having the sweetest voice in the region) gives students the strong foundation they need for learning an instrument. To learn music most effectively, students must know the songs before they play them on an instrument – then the learning becomes intuitive. This fun class equips students with the classic songs and stories of the region and helps launch their musical abilities.
Instrument options:
Age ranges are suggestions. Please email Julie if your child is outside the age range for the class they wish to take.
Option 1: Beginning ukulele, ages 6-8
Option 2: Instrument Survey, ages 8-14
Continuing from last semester, this instrument survey class will focus on clawhammer banjo, plus one additional instrument to be chosen by the students.
Option 3: Beginning guitar, ages 8-14
Option 4: Beginner mandolin ages 8-14
Option 5: Beginner fiddle ages 8-14
*Please be sure to select the student’s 1st and 2nc\d instrument choices when registering.
Wednesdays
4:30 pm-6:00pm
All students with some experience under their belt will take an intermediate or advanced group instrument class, and a band class.
- 4:30-5:15
Jam Band: Phil Jenkins & Carson Moore help young musicians find their voice in a band environment.
- 5:15 – 6:00
Option 1: Intermediate Guitar
Option 2: Intermediate Fiddle
Option 3: Intermediate Mandolin
Option 4: Three-finger banjo- all levels
Clover Pickers: 4:00- 6:00
PacJAM’s house band gets rigorous coaching this semester from Emily Wait and special guest coaches. Clover Pickers will spend 5 weeks of the semester practicing their teaching skills from 4-4:45 weekly, and 5 weeks working on choosing and arranging songs for Clover Picker performance. Band rehearsal and coaching last from 4:45-6 for all 10 weeks. Clover Pickers band is by invitation and the commitment requires extra rehearsals as determined by the group.
While participating in the Lights program, students can develop their songwriting, performing, and musicianship skills while exploring music from around the world. They will have extensive performance opportunities with a focus on music that inspires, uplifts, and spreads a music of unity and hope. Students will record their music in the One Mic studio and learn about the music industry and explore topics such as audio engineering, stage presence, graphic design, videography, website development and more while learning to use their music to be a force for change. Advanced students will have the opportunity to work towards touring locally and regionally with the Lights concert tour. They will also have the opportunity to regularly interact with and learn from LEAF resident artists. Students will be exposed to music from a diverse range of genres and cultures. Students will have the opportunity to see how music connects us on a deep level and how it can create joy, bring people together, and instigate change. LEAF lights will lift young leaders and give them a platform to make a difference in the lives of others.
Wednesdays at 5pm (Junior Group) & 6pm (Senior Group) at LEAF Global Experience (19 Eagle St, Asheville, NC, 28801)
Dates/times subject to change – interested in attending this class but unsure if it works with your schedule, or if it suits your student’s skill level? Reach out to us at [email protected]! We are always looking to adapt and expand our class schedules to accommodate new students!
Versatile hard rock quartet, All Them Witches, thrive on contrast. Now six records deep into a tenure that began in 2012, Ben McLeod (guitarist,) Charles Michael Parks, Jr. (bass/vocals,) Robby Staebler (drums,) and Allan Van Cleave (keys) are unremittingly forward-looking. There is a ferocious energy and rhythmic nuance to the band that delivers devastating guitar riffs in a raw blend of progressive, bluesy, neo-psychedelic rock.
The band has relentlessly toured since inception, performing at festivals including Voodoo Music & Arts, Bonnaroo, Forecastle Festival, and Pukkelpop; while also sharing tours with acts such as Mastodon, Ghost, and Primus.
All Them Witches’ most recent record was recorded in Abbey Road and released September 4, 2020 on New West Records. They continue to hone their unique meld of crafted songwriting and spacious grooves on the road with 30+ date tour this winter with plays at Shakey Knees Festival and a sold-out Halloween show at Ryman Auditorium in their hometown, Nashville. All Them Witches have deep musical roots and grow a heavy, visceral sound, with sheer dexterity delivered in every song.
THE ORANGE PEEL PRESENTS
Legendary artist Graham Nash is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee – with Crosby, Stills, and Nash and with the Hollies. He was also inducted twice into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, as a solo artist and with CSN, and he is a GRAMMY Award winner.
Towering above virtually everything that Graham Nash has accomplished in his long and multi-faceted career, stands the litany of songs that he has written and introduced to the soundtrack of the past half-century. His remarkable body of work, beginning with his contributions to the Hollies opus from 1964 to ’68, including “Stop Stop Stop,” “On A Carousel,” and “Carrie Anne,” continues all the way to This Path Tonight (2016), his most recent solo album. Fifteen of his songs are celebrated in the 2018 release, Over the Years…, a 2-disc collection of some of Nash’s best-known works from the past 50 years and more than a dozen unreleased demos and mixes.
The original classic union of Crosby, Stills & Nash (& Young) lasted but twenty months. Yet their songs are lightning rods embedded in our DNA, starting with Nash’s “Marrakesh Express,” “Pre-Road Downs” and “Lady Of the Island,” from the first Crosby, Stills & Nash LP (1969). On CSNY’s Déjà Vu (1970), Nash’s “Teach Your Children” and “Our House” beseeched us to hold love tightly, to fend off the madness that was on its way.
Overlapping CSNY, Nash’s solo career debuted with Songs For Beginners (1971), whose “Chicago/We Can Change the World” and “Military Madness” were fueled by the Long Hot Summer, the trial of the Chicago Eight, and the ongoing Vietnam war. Songs from that LP stayed in Nash’s concert sets for years including “I Used To Be A King” and “Simple Man”. His next album, Wild Tales (1974), addressed (among other issues) unfair jail terms for minor drug offenses (“Prison Song”), unfair treatment of Vietnam vets (“Oh! Camil”) and the unfairness of fame (“You’ll Never Be the Same”).
The most resilient, long-lived and productive partnership to emerge from the CSNY camp launched with the eponymously titled Graham Nash/David Crosby (1972), bookended by Nash’s “Southbound Train” as the opening track and “Immigration Man” as the closer. The duo contributed further to the soundtrack of the ’70s on their back-to-back albums, Wind On the Water (1975) and Whistling Down the Wire (1976).
On the CSN reunion studio LP (1977), Nash took top honors with “Just A Song Before I Go” (written in the space of one hour, and a Top 10 hit single). Lightning struck once more on CSN’s Daylight Again (1982), on which Nash penned their second (and final) Top 10 hit, “Wasted On the Way,” lamenting the energy, time and love lost by the group due to years of internecine quarrels.
Nash’s passionate voice continues to be heard in support of peace, and social and environmental justice. The No Nukes/Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) concerts he organized with Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt in 1979 remain seminal benefit events. In 2011, Nash was instrumental in bringing MUSE back to the forefront with a concert to benefit Japan disaster relief and groups promoting non-nuclear energy worldwide. That same year, he and Crosby were among the many musicians who made their way to the Occupy Wall Street actions in lower Manhattan.
In September 2013, Nash released his long-awaited autobiography Wild Tales, which delivers an engrossing, no-holds-barred look back at his remarkable career and the music that defined a generation. The book landed him on the New York Times Best Sellers list, and was released in paperback in late 2014.
In recognition for his contributions as a musician and philanthropist, Nash was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth. While continually building his musical legacy, Nash is also an internationally renowned photographer and visual artist. With his photography, Nash has drawn honors including the New York Institute of Technology’s Arts & Technology Medal and Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters and the Hollywood Film Festival’s inaugural Hollywood Visionary Cyber Award. His work is collected in the book, Eye to Eye: Photographs by Graham Nash; he curated others’ work in the volume Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock ‘n’ Roll Photographs Selected by Graham Nash (2009).
VIP PACKAGES
GRAHAM NASH FRONT ROW – VIP PACKAGE
– One reserved ticket in Front Row (See map for exact location. Distributed day of show)
– Visit to preshow Sound Check with Graham Nash
– One autographed tour poster
– One commemorative Graham Nash laminate
– One commemorative Graham Nash ticket
– Crowd free merchandise shopping
– On site VIP staff
GRAHAM NASH SOUNDCHECK PACKAGE
– One reserved floor ticket within first 5 rows (See map for exact location. Distributed day of show)
– Visit to preshow Sound Check with Graham Nash
– One autographed tour poster
– One commemorative Graham Nash laminate One commemorative Graham Nash ticket
– Crowd free merchandise shopping
GRAHAM NASH PREMIUM PACKAGE
– One reserved floor ticket within first 10 rows
– One Graham Nash tour item
– One commemorative Graham Nash ticket
GUACAMOLE FUND
Graham Nash’s passionate voice has often been heard in support of social and environmental justice. During this tour, Graham is partnering with the Guacamole Fund and 100% of lift on Guacamole Fund tickets is paid to organizations that work in the areas of the environment and wildlife, social change, peace with justice, energy and a non nuclear future. Graham has supported the Guacamole fund for decades.
All VIP & GUACAMOLE FUND tickets are for WILL CALL ONLY and will be available exclusively for pick up at the venue on the evening of the show with valid ID. Tickets are non-transferable.
For Briston Maroney, it’s been a journey to arrive at the current moment. A mental, physical, emotional, and musical one. But it’s left him equipped: not only with a deep understanding of self, discovered through life’s trials and errors, but just as important, with a piece of art that reflects his personal growth. Sunflower, Maroney’s debut album, is the culmination of the past decade of the now-22-year old’s life. “It’s all of the things I’ve been stoked about since I was 12 coming together,” the wise-beyond-his-years, Nashville-based singer-songwriter says with a laugh of his striking album. “It’s been a literal and physical relationship with the record as far as coming to a point where I understand what parts of me it represents, what it means to me as a person and what it means for my entire life.”
Recorded between the summer of 2019 and early 2020 in LA with acclaimed producer John Congleton, Sunflower is “definitely a milestone,” Maroney admits. “I’d be lying to say I didn’t feel a little bit of that. And why not let yourself enjoy it?” It’s also a gut-punch of fuzzy power chords (“Sinkin”) and genteel acoustics (“Cinnamon”); deftly-composed pop songs (“Freeway”) and hard-charging rockers (“Rollercoaster”). “I put all of myself into it,” Maroney adds of the 10-track LP. In retrospect, he adds, “I definitely have this sense of calmness now. I did what I was capable of doing and I’m just glad I was around my friends and my people to help me get to this point.”
An energetic live performer with a craft first honed in basements, living rooms, and jam-packed clubs, Maroney quickly developed a style steeped in the sweat and sounds of Nashville’s DIY scene. After self-releasing his 2017 debut EP Big Shot and amassing a strong local fan base, Maroney ultimately attracted the attention of Canvasback Music. After signing with the label, his subsequent releases — Carnival (2018), Indiana (2019), and Miracle (2020) — remained entirely self-written with just a single producer credited on each project, namely Grammy Award-winning producer Tone Def and UK-based producer Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys, Adele).
When Maroney began to tour the US and Europe alongside other artists, co-writing sessions became commonplace as they created music together while on the road. It was at this point he made the conscious decision that he would seek out additional songwriters and producers to work with on his debut full-length project; as Maroney’s music world grew, so too did his desire for collaboration.
While Maroney is the first to admit he was ‘terrified-in-a-good-way’ to be working alongside top-notch talents with the likes of Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull and venerated songwriter Dan Wilson on the creation of Sunflower, over time he came to understand a simple lesson. That being, “If you’re approaching what you’re doing from a place of love and kindness and passion you can be as open and flowing artistically as you want to be with your collaborators,” he says. “I learned a ton from writing with those people,” Maroney continues. “I think the biggest thing I took away is you get to decide how open you want to be, and you get to decide how much of a stage you want to set for emotions in songwriting.”
If there was a sense of apprehension heading into such sessions, it’s only because songwriting, for Maroney, has long been such a highly personal process. “It’s been my journal for a really long time,” he explains. “There’s a beauty in songwriting. It’s a scrapbook. It’s a photo album. And if you’re really putting your heart into what you’re doing and writing songs for the right reasons, every one of them should take you back to a very specific place.” For Maroney, the songs that comprise Sunflower take him along the long and winding path to the present, from his time as a young, upstart-tween musician busking at the Knoxville farmer’s markets to playing dank basement gigs, sobering up amid personal struggles, and finally arriving right now at his most fully-realized self.
“Hopefully this record is representative of my journey,” Maroney says, singling out the opening track “Sinkin” as summing up the record to him in a single cut. “Here’s 100 percent of who I am,” he says of the brash and bursting song. “It feels the most connected to my heart.”
“I hope that people hear the record and see the songs as windows into what I’ve been experiencing and hopefully they’ll relate to that,” Maroney says, continuing. “I know these songs will continue to do that for me.”
Working with producer John Congleton, Maroney explains, was about learning to trust his impulse. While Maroney had long been the first to question initial instincts, Congleton taught him to respect his gut. “He communicates really directly and really taught me a lot about speaking precisely and speaking about what you want to accomplish with a song and a record,” Maroney recalls. “Whereas I have a tendency to be really abstract. I learned to be able to switch into that mode. He had my back the whole time.”
Maroney gushes as he reflects on the session with Congleton that resulted in “It’s Still Cool If You Don’t.” Their initial stab at writing together, “was the first experience of really letting go,” Maroney contends of the song. “Just coming in and having a silly idea and being down to see where it goes.” Working on “Cinnamon” alongside seasoned songwriter Jenny Owens Young, which Maroney describes as a “quieter more low-key song,” was by contrast an exercise in “being all gushy” and exploring his feelings on love. “That was really fun to write a love song with someone else who was also in love with a person,” Maroney offers.
Where “Rollercoaster,” an older track that Maroney and his band typically closed out their sets with, was his attempt at getting a bit raucous, the track “Deep Sea Diver,” which Maroney penned with Dan Wilson, was a far more meditative affair. Or as Maroney says with a laugh, “It’s like, well, if this really pissed off angry rock thing doesn’t work here’s my best attempt at trying to be John Prine.”
If anything, the process of assembling Sunflower was the best way Maroney learned to take his foot off the gas a bit and ease into his life in a more gratifying way. Where he admits at times throughout the recording process he was “squeezing it so hard,” completing a brilliant debut album to him “was so much about just learning to be a little more laid back,” Maroney says with a smile. “I still feel really connected to it, but I’m so stoked to share it and especially one day play it live,” Maroney adds of Sunflower. “Right now, I am just so thankful and happy.”
Tuesday – October 4
Use code SEXYVILLIAN
Code valid 3/17 10am – 10pm
Robert Earl Keen at The Orange Peel on May 27, 2022 8:00 PM (etix.com)
May 27 Use code REKPEEL Code valid 3/17 10am – 10pm
Queer Music Exploration with Kayla Lynn – Students will explore guitar, bass, drums, singing and piano with a focus on learning music by artists from the LGBTQ+ community. Students will have the chance to interact with their peers and share their experiences through music
Cocktails, taps & menu available while you laugh the night away to some of the areas best Standup Comics
in a ridiculously fun adult environment!!
For more info contact Michele at [email protected]
3/17 Hosted by Morgan Bost
Comedy Open Mic Featuring
Petey Smith McDowell, Art Sturtevant & Cory Thompson
7:30p-till, 18+
Doors 6:30p: [Music before show provided by Buzz Radio Asheville]
Comedy Open Mic plus Three Professional featured performers. Open mic comics signup at door get 3-5m. [Free entry for performing comics, free pizza at comics table]
Buy tix at: https://www.ashevillebrewing.com/location/north/
GUS CLARK & THE LEAST OF HIS PROBLEMS
At the tender age of eighteen, the northwest-born crooner Gus Clark hit out to explore the United States with a backpack and a mandolin, cutting his teeth playing on the street and traveling by freight train or the kindness of those still bold enough to pick up a hitchhiker. Emerging over ten years later as an accomplished vocalist and multi-instrumentalist (guitar, accordion, mandolin, and more), he now pays beautiful homage to a deep well of golden-era American music traditions, ranging from pre-WWII blues to 1960s Nashville honky tonk. In a voice that combines unique sincerity with pitch-perfect emotive richness, Clark delivers classic barn-burners, good-time dance tunes, bittersweet heartbreak ballads, and his own originals. His remarkable tenor and powerful musical presence are guaranteed to both wrench hearts and propel listeners onto the dance floor, whether Clark performs solo or backed by his rock-solid honky tonk band.
Gus currently resides in the Hill Country of Texas, performing in the area’s renowned country dance bars and Americana venues and lighting up its largest festivals with a range of projects as well as national touring. Over the years, he’s shared the stage with contemporary greats and up-and-comers such as Jim Lauderdale, Dale Watson, Wayne Hancock, Rosie Flores, Charlie Crockett, Pokey LaFarge, Eilen Jewell, Cactus Blossoms, Jeremy Pinnell, Whitney Rose, Easy Leaves, Jaime Wyatt and many more.
Hailing from the heart of railroad country in Opelika, Alabama, cosmic country outfit B.B. Palmer have made a name for themselves over the past several years, honing a sound steeped in the traditions of American country music.
The band’s latest offering, Krishna Country, sees the group approaching their craft with a much more expansive worldview — folding traditional Indian sounds into their work and creating a further-mesmerizing brand of ethereal roots music. On paper, it might seem an unexpected or jolting shift in direction, but for B.B. Palmer it’s simply the next step forward in their collective journey.
Make no mistake, this is still country music at its core, but the addition of sitar and horns awash in reverb elevates the overall product to something more, standing on its own as a truly unique output. Imagine if Ravi Shankar recorded with the Byrds backed by Stax’s Memphis Horns, and you’d be pretty close to imagining this Alabama outfit’s forthcoming output.
A native of Theodore, Alabama, Bernard Palmer (the band’s namesake) was raised as a strict Catholic. It wasn’t until a few years ago — following a moment of what could well be described as divine intervention — that he found himself drawn to a belief system far different from that of his youth.
“I found a copy of the Bhagavad Gita,” Palmer recalls. “I can’t remember where I found it, if someone gave it to me, or if it just materialized — but I’m thinking it’s the latter, because I just can’t put a finger on it.”
He pored over the text and found that it resonated with him on a deeply personal level. This newfound enlightenment inspired Palmer to dive even deeper into Indian culture, and he was hooked from the start. He began listening to and studying raga, a classical style of Indian music, and applied these eastern influences in his own songcraft. Krishna Country showcases his discoveries from this newfound styling, blending his honky tonk roots with a yet-untapped well of musical modes and instrumentation from India.
“It was the duality of it all that made it so natural,” he notes while mentioning that the studio had always felt tiresome and tedious prior to this project. “Everything fell into place so effortlessly. That made it unique in the way that we’ve never had in the recording process before.”
“I thought he had lost his mind,” guitarist Josh “Bucky” McKenzie says of the day Palmer floated the initial concept. “We had no money to do this. Where would we find the money, let alone someone to play sitar, horn players, engineers, extra session players, and how in the hell would we record it?”
McKenzie recalls Palmer seeming unphased by these looming challenges, as if he had already seen the project come together before it even began. Sure enough, things started to fall into place. The group were able to source a sitar player (in Alabama, of all places) on short notice, schedules lined up for their first-choice studio players, and studio staff offered their services pro-bono, excited at the prospect of this new and different endeavor. Krishna Country came together swiftly against all odds, seemingly out of thin air.
From the moment the Bhagavad Gita landed in Palmer’s possession, to the first drafts of these news songs, all the way through studio time and mastering, Krishna Country seemed inevitable despite all the perceived challenges that stood in the way. It’s an undeniably singular output from these Yellowhammer State mainstays, and a worthy entry in the canon of cosmic “American” music — with more than a dash of instant karma backing it up.
Larry Keel Experience will be performing LIVE on the Indoor Stage at Salvage Station on Friday, March 18th with Doug McElvy and the Clydes with special guest Billy Cardine! Doors open at 7pm and the music starts at 8pm. 18+ ONLY (no exceptions)! FREE ON-SITE PARKING! Root Down will be serving their delicious twist on Southern Soul food PLUS we will have our FULL bar open for you to enjoy!
CDC guidelines + band requirements + our venue policies are subject to change daily, so please keep your eyes on https://salvagestation.com/covid-policy/ for updates. We do not issue refunds based on our Covid-19 policies and reserve the right to change them at any time. Check out our FAQ page here to learn about parking options (FREE on-site parking available for this event), what you can and cannot bring inside the venue, and MORE!
ABOUT LARRY KEEL:
Larry Keel is an award-winning innovative flat picking guitarist and singer/songwriter hailing from Appalachia. From an early age he began to forge a distinctive sound, taking traditional music and infusing it with modern light. As a composer and singer, Keel integrates raw honesty and charming grit to form a unique brand of music he calls ‘experimental folk’. He has appeared on over 20 albums and has written songs that have been recorded and performed by distinguished artists including Grammy-award winners Del McCoury and The Infamous Stringdusters. Keel has collaborated and continues to merge creative forces with some of the greatest artists in modern roots music such as Tyler Childers, Billy Strings, Tony Rice, Keller Williams and Sam Bush, to name a few. His latest recording is a solo album titled American Dream, a project entirely written, produced and performed by Keel on a variety of instruments in his home, during the 2020 pandemic quarantine.
It all starts and ends with the music.
For PJ Morton, the songs, records, and shows say everything that needs to be said — and more. Whether performing, playing, or producing, the GRAMMY® Award- and Dove® Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, Morton Records founder, and Maroon 5 keyboardist fills one timeless role most comfortably, that of a “Music Man.“
In doing so, he consistently crafts work of a classic caliber on stage and in the studio.
“I’ve been blessed to communicate through songs better than words or anything else,” he admits. “I believe in the power of music and honesty. When those two things come together, there’s nothing more powerful. I endeavor to be a true ‘Music Man’ who loves these instruments and the lineage that got us here. It doesn’t matter if I’m putting out another artist on my label, making material of my own, producing someone else, or in Maroon 5, I’m a ‘Music Man’ in every way.”
2019 upheld this claim for Morton. Recorded live in New York and released under his own New Orleans-based Morton Records, Gumbo Unplugged garnered three 2019 GRAMMY® Award nominations — “Best R&B Album,” “Best Traditional R&B Performance” for “How Deep Is Your Love” [feat. Yebba], and “Best R&B Performance” for “First Began” — and brought his total back-to-back tally of solo nominations to five, including a pair of 2018 GRAMMY® nods for the original Gumbo. Just a week prior to the ceremony, he walked on to the world’s biggest stage and delivered a historic performance alongside Maroon 5 at Super Bowl LIII.
These moments marked a much-deserved victory lap for the consummate musician. Throughout 2018, he continued a steady expansion of his growing discography. He composed the score for YouTube Premium’s critically acclaimed comedy series Champaign ILL and penned the theme to OWN’s Ready to Love. Not to mention, he wrapped up a heartfelt holiday album, Christmas With PJ Morton, which Entertainment Weekly dubbed “this year’s surprise stocking stuffer.” He touched down on a total of four continents during the six-month Gumbo World Tour, selling out gigs everywhere from Spain and Japan to Seoul, Korea.
At the same time, he focused on further building his company. He grew the roster by way of flagship signings The Amours and producer Erick Bardales. Two Washington D.C.-bred sisters, The Amours traveled the world as part of the label founder’s band and could be heard on Gumbo Unplugged as backing vocalists. As Morton manned the board as producer and executive producer back in New Orleans, the pair cooked up a striking, simmering, and soulful debut for 2019.
“Morton Records is starting to become what I envisioned it to be outside of my solo records,” he explains. “I really want to help other artists achieve success in their careers. I want to spotlight New Orleans talent, and I also want to give writers and producers a platform. I signed Erick first. After spending so much time on the road alongside The Amours, I really got to know them. It goes without saying they’re talented, but their character interested me more than anything else. We have a connection. It felt like an organic, natural progression for them to be my first artist.”
Morton has quietly, independently, and humbly secured his position at the forefront of 21st century soul and R&B. In 2017, Gumbo bowed in the Top 10 of the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart and received praise from The Washington Post and The Advocate, to name a few. Generating over 30 million cumulative streams in under three years, he regularly averages over half-a-million monthly listeners on Spotify. Meanwhile, 2013’s New Orleans received a 2014 GRAMMY® Award nomination in the category of “Best R&B Song” for “Only One” [feat. Stevie Wonder]. Putting it best, Pitchfork described the project as “a smooth and soulful pop/R&B hybrid.”
In addition to figuring prominently on Maroon 5’s multiplatinum Overexposed, V, and Red Pill Blues, he has written and produced for everybody from BJ The Chicago Kid, Jermaine Dupri, and Jazmine Sullivan to Monica and India.Arie, winning a GRAMMY® for collaborating with the latter in 2008. His compositions have also popped up in films such as Couples Retreat and more. Among many other accolades, he has received Dove® and Stellar® Awards, published his literary debut Why Can’t I Sing About Love? in 2009, and become music director for Solange following the release of her critically acclaimed opus A Seat At The Table.
In the end, he embodies the spirit of a “Music Man” through and through as he redefines the term for a new era.
“If Gumbo, Gumbo Unplugged, and the label have taught me anything, it’s to bet on myself and bet on the things that make me different instead of trying to focus on what could make me the same as other artists,” he leaves off. “We’re clear and confident about who we are as individuals. The creative freedom extends to Morton Records. I want people to always expect us to do something different, special, and creatively free. I also want to give back to my city and display my passion for New Orleans. It’s the best thing I can do with all of this.”
Aunt Vicki is a dreamy husband/wife acoustic/electric folk duo that leans heavily on vocal harmonies. Currently out of Asheville, NC and originally from Northern Michigan, their music ranges from dark story telling ballads to up-beat retro rock and roll.
The Hypnotic Band is a five to six piece local band of veteran musicians with lead singer Olympea spanning the musical spectrum from Jazzy soul to R & B, reggae ,and rock> The band’s entire playlist is family friendly. The Hypnotic Band aim is to inspire young people to learn how to play live instruments and respect all humanity in the process.
The Peace Center’s Songwriters Series returns! Led by accomplished songwriter Maia Sharp, each concert brings a new guest singer-songwriter to the Upstate for a one-of-a-kind listening room experience in Genevieve’s theater lounge.
Maia Sharp has had her songs recorded by The Chicks, Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood, Keb’ Mo’, Cher, Lisa Loeb, Art Garfunkel and more. Through it all, Sharp has continued to record her own albums, including eight solo releases, one collaboration with Art Garfunkel and Buddy Mondlock and her duo project Roscoe & Etta with Anna Schultz, her writing and production partner. Each release has been embraced by press and radio, leading to extensive touring and appearances on Mountain Stage, World Café, NPR’s “All Things Considered,” and “The Today Show” to name a few. Her latest album Mercy Rising is out now featuring the single “Backburner.”
Long before glowing acclaim from NPR and Billboard, packed shows, millions of streams, and collaborations with global groups, the journey of The Accidentals commenced in a public high school classroom. As the story goes, concertmaster violinist Savannah Buist and cellist Katie Larson volunteered to play a music boosters concert and wound being musical soulmates. Over time, their reputation for scoring strings quickly established Sav and Katie as the go-to string team for other artists’ abums. They have written and performed string parts on eleven albums, including Keller Williams’ “Hate, Greed, Love” and a remix of “Euphoria” by K-pop juggernaut and global superstars BTS. This was all while producing their own music as well. Their most recent album release Vessel, which came out earlier this year, is a natural evolution for the pair as they switch off on strings, vocals, and a number of other instruments.
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The Grey Eagle and Andrew Scotchie present a benefit show to raise funds for those in need in the war-torn Ukraine. All ages, 8pm show.
Perhaps one of Asheville’s greatest gifts to the world is its eclectic music community and the compassion of its members. Local artist Andrew Scotchie and The Grey Eagle have teamed up to create a night of music that advocates for peace and relief for those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Proceeds from the show will help the Ukraine Red Cross, UNICEF, and International Medical Corps as they actively support people within Ukraine and refugees fleeing the war-torn nation. Featuring performances from: Andrew Scotchie & Logan Fritz, Travers Brothers, Lo Wolk, Hunter Begley, Ashley Heath, Rhoda Weaver, Los Gatos Acoustic, Dave Desmelik, Ian Harrod, Alex Bradley, JP Furnas, and many more! What organization(s) the door donations will benefit: Ukraine Red Cross, Unicef, and International Medical Corps |
On their self-titled fourth album, La Luz launch themselves into a new realm of emotional intimacy for a collection of songs steeped in the mysteries of the natural world and the magic of human chemistry that has found manifestation in the musical ESP between guitarist and songwriter Shana Cleveland, bassist Lena Simon, and keyboardist Alice Sandahl.
To help shape La Luz, the band found a kindred spirit in producer Adrian Younge. Though primarily known for his work with hip-hop, soul, and jazz acts, Younge saw in La Luz a shared vision that transcended genre. “We both create music with the same attitude, and that’s what I love about them,” he says. “They are never afraid to be risky and their style is captivating. It was an honor to work with them.”
The result is an album that is both the most naturalistic and psychedelic of the band’s career. All the elements of classic La Luz are still present—the lush harmonies, the impeccable musicianship, the gorgeous melodies—but it’s a richer, earthier iteration, replete with inorganic sounds that mimic the surreality of nature—the humming of invisible bugs, the atmospheric sizzle of a hot day. La Luz is an album that celebrates love—of music, of friendship, of life in all its forms.
Join us in Downtown Weaverville from 2pm – 7pm for food, drink, and fun in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day! The Block Party will occupy sections of Florida Avenue and Merchant’s Alley. The party will feature food vendors, a costume contest, Irish inspired beer and cocktails, music, a raffle, and more.