We love celebrating traditional Irish song and Irish poetry and we’ll pay

special tribute to legendary Irish Poet Laureate WB Yeats this year.

The Southern Highlanders perform a music tapestry of Scotland, Ireland and the

Southern Appalachians, as well as more recent compositions in the traditional

mode. All are singers and instrumentalists, including the guitar, mountain

dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, piano, concertina, jaw harp and various percussive

instruments.

Doug and Darcy Orr have been performing music for over 30 years through their

previous Celtic/Appalachian band Maggie’s Fancy in Charlotte, as they recorded

and toured through several states, and during subsequent years at Warren Wilson

College where Doug served as president from 1991 to 2006. There he founded the

Swannanoa Gathering summer music camp now in its 31st year with attendees

from throughout the world. Doug co-authored the New York Times best-selling

book, Wayfaring Strangers with Fiona Ritchie, host of NPR’s The Thistle &

Shamrock, about the musical connections between Scotland, Ireland and the

Southern Appalachians. Darcy, an oil and watercolor painter, is the book’s art

editor.

Joe Holbert is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and a music educator. He and his wife, Karen, have performed over the years at many venues and events throughout the region including the Asheville Mountain Dance and Folk Festival where they won awards for their performances, and now return each year with the Southern Highlanders. Joe and Karen can be heard on numerous recordings by other folk musicians plus their own, Appalachian Saga. Joe retired after 30 plus years as a public and private school music educator, and has taught a variety of musical instruments to adults at summer music camps including the Swannanoa Gathering and the Augusta Heritage Workshop in West Virginia.

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THE BELFAST BOYS are

Alyn Mearns (guitar & vocals) and Adrian Rice (mandolin, bodhran & vocals).

Mearns and Rice both hail from the Troubled streets of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Mearns has lived in the States since his late teens, but Rice only settled in Hickory (NC) in 2005, having come to Lenoir-Rhyne College as their Visiting Writer-in-Residence. Both men have been happily ‘captured’ by lovely American brides. The men met in a local Hickory bookstore and quickly formed a strong bond based on their shared Ulster heritage and ‘Belfast-speak’.

As their friendship grew, the two men discovered their shared love of Irish traditional music. Back in Belfast, Rice had played in an Irish band in his college and post-college years; while Mearns has written and produced a successful Irish CD, entitled ‘The Tree’. So it was only a matter of time before the idea of an Irish duo would surface: thus – The Belfast Boys.

In performance, the boys work hard to deliver a serious traditional Irish set of jigs, reels, polkas and songs. They pay their own particular homage to folk classics from the likes of Planxty, The Bothy Band, and Christy Moore, mixed in with some tastefully popular pub numbers like ‘Molly Malone’ and ‘Tell Me Ma’. They even manage to breathe memorable new life into folk favourites like ‘Danny Boy’ and ‘The Wild Mountain Thyme’. The duo also incorporate some of Rice’s own poetry, and create plenty of good wholesome ‘craic’ (fun!) from the stage. They also encourage audience participation and love to share the stage with any local musicians who may want to get up there and do their little bit to make the evening hum.

————————

Bob Hinkle is a musician, poet, and celebrant of the creative spirit…..and he’s also

the owner and manager of White Horse Black Mountain. His wit and charm combined

with original music and poetry and songs of others are always an audience favorite. Bob began his musical career while still in high school, in Asheville, After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill he headed straight to New York, NY with a recording contract already secured for his trio, The Good Earth. After touring and recording with The Good Earth, Bob released his own solo LP in the early 70’s. Then he moved into artist management, serving as manager of many important artists including Harry Chapin, Etta James, and The J Geils Band. Bob’s career in music has many other highlights which you can read HERE.

Note: Bob is also renowned for telling some of the worst jokes you’ve ever heard.

Tickets The Vagina Monologues Tickets | Asheville, NC | The Orange Peel (etix.com)

FULLY SEATED SHOW

The Vagina Monologues is a play written by Eve Ensler, and is based on interviews with over 200 women. The purpose of the Monologues is to raise funds and awareness for anti-violence groups in our local communities in an effort to end domestic and sexual violence against women. 100% percent of the proceeds from this production will go directly to Helpmate of Asheville (www.helpmateonline.org), and all of our cast are volunteers.    

This is not just a show for women; men are especially encouraged to attend. These are issues that affect your mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, and friends. And you know what? Although there are aspects of the show that are heart-wrenching, the majority of it is absolutely hilarious!   

This event is a fundraising effort spearheaded by Allison Taylor of WNC Weddings & Events (www.wncweddings.net) and Skillful Solutions, LLC (www.skillfulsolutions.net), who is managing the casting, directing, and producing, as well as contributing on-stage. She will be joined by a phenomenal cast of local women, who will make you laugh hysterically, cringe in empathy, and emerge with passion and hope. Her productions have raised almost $45,000 for local women’s shelters in previous years.         

Prices are $25 for General Admission (in advance) or $35 (at the door), and $15 for students (in advance) or $20 (at the door). The Monologues definitely contain mature material, and it is recommended for ages 17 and up. Anyone age 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult.  

Live Music at Hickory Tavern, 9:00 p.m. until 12:00 a.m.

– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY

– LIMITED NUMBER OF SATSANG PRE-SHOW VIP EXPERIENCE TICKETS AVAILABLE, INCLUDING:

• One general admission ticket
• Early venue entry
• Intimate soundcheck performance by Satsang (Solo)
• Q&A session with Satsang
• Collectible 2023 tour poster, signed by Satsang
• Commemorative pre-show tour laminate
• Limited availability

SATSANG

“I just want to write and perform songs that touch the heart and help others”. Letting go of genre, expectation, and boxes, Satsang has leaned into the power of songwriting to drive their forthcoming release, Flowers From The Fray (the band’s 5th album in 6 years) due out Fall 2022.

Recorded and self-produced with the help of bandmate and longtime collaborator Parker Brown, this record finds the duo tucked away in a secluded cabin in Southwest Montana digging back into the foundation on which Satsang was founded on. “These songs were all so personal to me” says Drew McManus. “Whether it was really sifting through the stage of life I had found myself in which was a kind of dark night of the soul, or leaning into the love of my wife. This record is truly me bearing my heart. I needed to seclude myself to find out where these songs wanted to go, and having Parker’s musical guidance had a big hand in that.”

This record, coupled with the band’s last release All. Right. Now. is a maturing. A growing into the songwriter and musicians that the band was destined to be. A settled and firm foundation of influences and sound that brings every external aspect in and finds it internalized and distilled into “Flowers From the Fray”.

GRAHAM GOOD

Graham Good is hailed as the Messiah of Modern Rock (Nick Stock, jambands.com) due to his infectious energy and classic song writing. Specializing in Feel-Good//Funk-Folk-Rock, this group touches on a plethora of genres that help make them an easy band for any new fan to instantly connect with. The band has played iconic Denver venues such as Red Rocks, The Ogden, The Gothic, and The Bluebird opening up for acts such as Caamp, Andy Frasco, Satsang, and Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers. The Painters are a band of trained musicians who aim to pull the heartstrings of their audiences to step up and live life fully. This band is the ultimate feel good experience.

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.

Instructor: Lauren Rosenzweig

Ring in Spring and renew yourself with this magical Sound Healing and Reiki Experience!

Meet at One World Brewing West for some healing! Bring a mat & blanket.

There will be Tea & Tarot to follow.

Space is limited, sign up today

Thanks to our partners at Highland Brewing Company for supporting Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy through the first ever Aleblazer Beer Festival! This festival celebrates creativity & innovation in craft beer and will feature 25+ of our fellow North Carolina breweries.

– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
– THE OUTPOST – 521 AMBOY RD

Songs From The Road Band is an Asheville, North Carolina based bluegrass supergroup featuring Mark Schimick (mandolin), Charles Humphrey III (bass), Sam Wharton (guitar), James Schlender (fiddle), and Gabe Epstein (banjo). The band takes flight with virtuosic  picking, singing, and grammy award winning songwriting.  Several of their most recent singles have gone to the top of the Bluegrass Today Grassicana chart. They have 6 studio albums available at all musical outlets.

Into The Fog

– VIP PACKAGES AVAILABLE BY CLICKING HERE AND INCLUDE:  

• VIP Laminate
• Barstool Whiskey Wonderland Snowglobe
• 30 Minute Q&A and Acoustic Performance
• Meet and Greet Photo

ADAM DOLEAC

It takes time to craft a debut album. One worthy of the artist it introduces, and all the work behind it. But for Arista Nashville/Sony Music Nashville’s Adam Doleac, he’s had plenty. “I’ve had my whole life to write my first record, plus a two-year pandemic,” he says with a wry smile. “So that’s like two lifetimes.”

Luckily, he made the clock work for him. Creating a whole Barstool Whiskey Wonderland around 18 addictive tracks – almost totally from his own pen – the emerging star unveils a vision steeped in the romantic country soul of his early hits, while going much deeper as well. With tracks like the Gold-certified “Famous” and soul-mate anthem “Another,” both of which hit No. 1 on SiriusXM’s The Highway, fans have gotten only a glimpse of that wonderland so far. Now they get the full picture.

“It feels long overdue, and it’s the first time people can really see the whole me,” Doleac says. “An album is a cool thing. It allows you to tell a little bit more of your story, as opposed to just people knowing a song and not knowing you.”

And for him, a lover of all things old-school with an effortless charm and an intoxicating vocal – well suited to both champagne-popping ballrooms and keg-tapping taverns – that story is worth telling. Raised in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, you could call him a late musical bloomer, who credits devoted parents for his strong work ethic … and his dream-chasing determination.

ALANA SPRINGSTEEN

I’m alana! I was born and raised in VA Beach so I am a beach girl at heart! Ever since I can remember, I’ve been in love with music. I grew up singing in my Grandad’s church and everywhere we went, he would tell everyone, “ You gotta hear this girl sing!” So that’s what I did. :)  Everywhere I went, I was singing.

I got my first guitar when I was 7 years old. I was so drawn to it and all I knew was that I HAD to have it and I HAD to learn to play. My uncle would come over on weekends and teach me chords and strumming patterns and I was obsessed!

After a few years, I began putting lyrics to music. I wrote my first song when I was 9 and was instantly in love with telling my own stories. The more I wrote, the more I realized that it was what I was born to do.

“Tom Waits: The Early Years” a very hip Tribute to Tom Waits, the neo-beatnik songwriter who grew weirder and wilder in the ’80s, earning a cult following that only grew larger as the years passed.

A unique musical experience where Swampy blues, Beat poetry, West Coast jazz, Tin Pan Alley, country, 1930s-era cabaret, and post-Civil War parlor songs meet neon-lit carnival music and wheezing, clattering, experimental rhythms.

THE ALIEN MUSIC CLUB features

Jonathan Pearlman

Chuck Lichtenberger

Zack Page

Ben Bjorlie

and

Dylan Hannan

>>> Opening the evening will be: MY MAGNIFICENT NEMESIS

The Alien Music club is led by Jonathan Pearlman.

Jonathan Pearlman (JP) is a veteran of the Western North Carolina Music Scene, making music under the Alien Music Club moniker for over 20 years.

JP has a formidable history of original material on covering a wide and diverse landscape of musical genres. On any given night, he might jump from straight ahead Rock to Jazz/Fusion to Reggae to Rockabilly; sometimes within the same song!

In addition to original music, JP also produces tributes shows. Currently, “Tom Waits: The Early Years” and “Leonard Cohen: The Deep Cuts” are garnering rave reviews!

The list of Pearlman’s musical collaborators is extensive. He has performed with Peggy Ratusz, Zack Page, Connor Law, Ben Colvin, Kelly Jones, Jesse Barry, Ryan Kijanka, Chuck Lichtenberger, Taylor Pierson, Micah Thomas, Jason DeCristofaro, Ben Bjorlie, Linda Mitchell, Jacob Rodriguez, Justin Ray, Justin Watt, Russ Wilson, Reggie Headen, Jay Hoots, Aaron Price, Eric Congdon…The list is long and continues to grow.

Pearlman’s influences are far-reaching: The Beatles, Hendrix, Clapton, Paul Simon, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Donald Fagen, Frank Zappa, Joni Mitchell, Jeff Beck, Wes Montgomery, Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Charles Mingus, and many more.

• CLICK HERE for a sample video

Described as, “untarnished by the politics of music” (Jazz Music Archives) and “at home alongside more contemporary exponents of improvising singing” (LoudMouth, AU) Danielle Wertz is an internationally recognized jazz vocalist, composer, arranger and educator. After being named a semi-finalist in the 2015 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, she self-released a duo project that was recorded at ABC Studios in Sydney, Australia, and has been receiving high praise since its 2017 release.

Danielle lived in Northern California from 2017-2022 and rapidly gained recognition as one of the Bay Area’s most in-demand vocalists. She just signed with Outside in Music for her forthcoming record, set to release in March 2023.

Danielle has also had the privilege of working and performing with many world class musicians in a professional, non-academic setting including Cyrille Aimée, Kate McGarry, Keith Ganz, Chris Botti, Michael Bowie, Lena Seikaly, Mark G. Meadows and Chris Grasso.

From renowned concert halls, performing arts centers and music venues, Danielle has performed on stages of all sizes:

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Arsht Center, SFJAZZ Center, Blues Alley, Black Cat SF, The Mansion at Strathmore, The Carlyle Club, Bethesda Blues and Jazz, The Creative Cauldron, Twins Jazz, Nocturne Jazz and Supper Club, and the St. Petersburg Jazz Philharmonic Hall.

• Visit Danielle’s website

• Listen to Sample Video

– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY

SOULSIDE

Soulside formed in Washington, DC, in 1985, split up in 1989, then reformed in 2014 and has continued playing and writing music since then. After releasing their debut album on Sammich/Dischord, they recorded Trigger (Dischord, 1988) and Hot Bodi-Gram (Dischord, 1989), which were combined on the Soon Come Happy CD in 1990. The band toured extensively in the US and Europe during these years, including groundbreaking shows in Poland and East Berlin shortly before the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.  In 2020, Soulside put out a new 7-inch, This Ship, their first release in 30 years, which was recorded in Prague. Happy”, released in 1990 and re-mastered in 2003.

J. ROBBINS (BAND)

J. Robbins has been the guitarist/singer and primary songwriter (or pushiest collaborator) in several bands since the early ’90s, including Jawbox, Burning Airlines, Channels, and Office of Future Plans.

For the bulk of that time, he has also been active as a recording engineer/producer, working with musicians from around the world at his Baltimore-based studio, The Magpie Cage.

tickets  Death To All Tickets | Asheville, NC | The Orange Peel (etix.com)

Every Tuesday 1/2 off bottles of wine at 131 Main Restaurant

With special thanks to our training sponsor, YMCA of Western North Carolina, the Chamber is offering personal training opportunities with YMCA’s trainer Suzanne Ion.  Meet in the Chamber parking lot for a brief warm-up then head out with the group in a session designed to move you from the couch to the race course!

Sessions are every Tuesday, March 21 thru April 25th. The last session will be a preview run/walk of the actual Chamber Challenge 5k course beginning at the Chamber, winding through historic Montford and finishing in the parking lot once again.

These training sessions are open to anyone — whether you’ve registered to participate in the event or not!  But in case you DO want to join in, go here to see more details, more training tips, and to register:  www.chamberchallenge.org

We recommend you bring your own water bottle. The doors to the Visitor Center will be open 5:00-5:30 on training days so you can come in to get water, use the restroom, etc.

Grab a friend and join us!

The 2023 Chamber Challenge 5k Race is presented by EATON and Quility.

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

QUINN SULLIVAN

This spring, 22-year-old singer, songwriter, and guitarist Quinn Sullivan is set to release WIDE AWAKE, his new studio album, via Mascot Label Group/Provogue.

A rare artist who’s always sounded older than his years, Sullivan has been touring the world since he was 11-years-old, playing storied venues such as Madison Square Garden, the Hollywood Bowl and RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., as well as India’s Mahindra Blues Festival, Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival, and three Montreux Jazz Festivals. Quinn has shared the stage with his hero and mentor Buddy Guy, as well as Carlos Santana on several occasions. Quinn’s performance experience includes appearances on leading national television programs such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Conan, and The Oprah Winfrey Show, to name a few.

This Massachusetts native has taken the abundant skills of his youth and now, as a young adult, is letting them blossom and steer him into new directions of artistry and creativity. “I want to stay true to where I come from, and go from there,” says Sullivan. “The artists that inspire me to do that are always hungry for the new. They never repeat themselves. They just grow and become more unique — and that’s what I aim to do as an artist.”

Having developed genuinely jaw-dropping skills as a guitar player, Sullivan’s more recent learning curve has been with pen and paper. “I’ve always considered myself a songwriter,” he says. “On the last few records, it just wasn’t something I was doing all the time. I was focused on other things, like my guitar playing and developing my vocals, both of which I continue to do.” Since the release of 2017’s MIDNIGHT HIGHWAY, Sullivan has evolved into the singer-songwriter genre while effectively highlighting his guitar mastery.

VERONICA LEWIS

Veronica Lewis is one of the most exciting, emerging talents in the Indie Roots world. Bending genres from the Bayou to the north country, Lewis combines the true language of the Blues with the energy of early rock ‘n rollers. A teenage prodigy, piano player, singer & prolific songwriter who is ”changing the game and upping the ante”, says American Blues Scene.  With the release of her critically acclaimed, Chart-topping, debut album “You Ain’t Unlucky”, 18-year-old Veronica Lewis, is poised to bring new generations back under that big old revival tent that is Blues and Roots rock and roll.  A mesmerizing live performer with serious piano chops, soaring vocals, and trailblazing original songs, Veronica gives her audience “every last drop, every single time”.

“You Ain’t Unlucky”  blasted Veronica Lewis’ career off to a mind-blowing start, debuting at Number #2 on the Billboard Blues charts,  #1 on iTunes Blues chart, and landing the title Track ‘You Ain’t Unlucky’ as the Number #1 Blues Song of The Year 2021 (Root Music Report), and snagging two Blues Music Nominations in 2022 for Best Emerging Artist Album  & Piano Player of the Year.