Kathleen Edwards
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYKATHLEEN EDWARDS If you ask Kathleen Edwards, the best thing she ever did was quit. By 2014, the singer-songwriter had released four studio albums and amassed widespread critical acclaim. She had been touring since the release of her 2012 album, Voyageur, and the prospect of returning home—only to start writing her way toward another album, and another tour—felt impossibly daunting. She put her guitar away, at least for awhile: she moved back to her hometown of Ottawa and settled down in Stittsville, an old village on the western edge of town. A running inside joke with bandmate Jim Bryson about opening a coffee shop and naming it “Quitters” became reality. For years, the only new music she heard was playing in the background while she served her regulars at the shop, where she slowly started to fall in love with music again. “I had no desire to write, no desire to play,” she says of what she refers to as her “working sabbatical.” “It allowed me all the time and space I needed to even just enjoy listening to music again. There were so many times where, if I was thinking about my own writing or playing, my heart just wasn’t in it. Opening a cafe gave me such a clean break from the weight of what I was carrying, I worked my ass off building a shop, I didn’t have to be ‘just a singer’ anymore.” But in 2018, she received an unexpected phone call that changed that. Maren Morris, a longtime fan, invited her to Nashville for a songwriting session. Edwards accepted, and “Good Woman,” their collaboration, wound up on Morris’ 2019 album, GIRL. “It reminded me that writing and creating music is entirely my wheelhouse, and it was so easy to just jump back in and do that,” she says of her fortuitous time in Nashville. “Funny enough, the third person in the room for those two days was Ian Fitchuk, and [we] ended up starting the process of producing a record.” Edwards will make her long-anticipated return to music with Total Freedom, her fifth studio album out August 14th via Dualtone Records. Written and recorded in Canada and Nashville with longtime collaborator/guitarist, Jim Bryson, and Grammy-winning songwriter/producer, Fitchuk, Total Freedom is both a return to form and a “hard reset,” one that empowered Edwards to write and perform entirely on her terms. “I didn’t want to write songs that were going to keep me in a dark place on stage every night,” she says. “I didn’t have to carry a lot of the pressure of whatever course I was on previously… There’s a pressure sometimes to keep that ball rolling, and that’s what was so freeing about stopping altogether. I have this whole other experience now that grounded me and helped me rebuild my relationship with myself, and writing music. I’m entirely in control and deciding what my course of action is.” “I finally had this exhale from a year that was really hard,” she says of the forces shaping Total Freedom. “I went through a scary experience, extricating myself from someone, and it was this wonderful moment of resilience when I finished the album. I am super resilient. I’m always finding ways to adjust what’s not working. I’m not gonna let someone take me down in the process. I think that calling [the record] Total Freedom was a reminder that I am a really strong person.”MATT SUCICH
Harley, Kimbro, Lewis
– ALL AGES- FULLY SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE HARLEY, KIMBRO, LEWIS From Knoxville to Nashville via Hertfordshire, Martin Harley, Daniel Kimbro & Sam Lewis collaborate for the first time on a slow cooked, laid back album reminiscent of an early American songbook. Produced at Wow & Flutter studios the old fashioned way; writing songs in the morning and rolling the tape in the afternoon, the album highlights Daniel’s Appalachian roots, Sam’s Nashville tones and Martin’s traveling riverside blues. Individually they have worked with some of the biggest names in the business. This is acoustic Americana at its finest. The Harley Kimbro Lewis album received glowing reviews during its 2022 release with a comprehensive UK tour. In March 2023 the trio will tour the US performing only six dates exclusively in the Southeast. MARTIN HARLEY (UK based) has been making music and touring the world for over two decades. Exploring blues and roots in a style The Guardian referred to as ‘Spellbinding’, Harley has released eight albums to date. His carbon neutral ‘Blues Gone Green’ bicycle tour of the UK took place in 2011. He participated in the ‘World’s Highest Gig’ in the Himalayas. His motorcycle adventures have taken him across Mali in search of the roots of blues music. He toured Northern India and Nepal on a vintage Royal Enfield and spent a year living in his 1977 Holden station wagon in Australia. Recent nominations include AMA instrumentalist of the year, Best Acoustic Guitarist, and Best Acoustic Blues Artist. Notable appearances include performances at Glastonbury, Royal Albert Hall, Union Chapel and countless international venues and festivals. DANIEL KIMBRO was raised on American Roots music in and around Appalachia and is a twice GRAMMY-nominated musician from Knoxville, TN with numerous recording credits and touring appearances. Splitting his time between Knoxville and Nashville, Daniel is a regular accompanist with John Hiatt, the Jerry Douglas Band, the Earls of Leicester, and The Transatlantic Sessions. He as appeared on stage with the likes of James Taylor, Alison Krauss, Sir Aly Bain, Cara Dillon, R.B. Morris, Bela Fleck, Molly Tuttle, Maura O’Connell, and many others. SAM LEWIS is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter that has collaborated with everyone from Leon Russell to Chris Stapleton, who dubbed him “a modern Townes Van Zandt”. Lewis is often labeled with the word ‘soulful’ and a style that meets at a juncture of many different genres; a place where feel-good music meets vital social commentary. A decade worth of touring his studio efforts have captivated audiences all around the world. His songs and stories are glued together with a unique stage banter developed from performing in numerous music halls, clubs, theaters, festivals and music cruises. SARAH SISKIND: Sarah Siskind’s artistry speaks for itself – an arresting voice; a respected, much-covered songwriter; a frequently-licensed recording artist; an admired, free-spirited, commanding performer.
Jackie Venson
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLEJACKIE VENSONJackie Venson is a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter known far and wide for her complexly beautiful music and blazing guitar skills. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Jackie has traveled the world playing to massive crowds both as a headliner and as support for major acts such as Gary Clark Jr, Melissa Etheridge, Aloe Blacc, Citizen Cope to name a few. With the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cancellation of her entire tour schedule and the wave of social change sweeping across the country in 2020, Jackie committed herself to releasing more music than ever before, connecting with her fans directly and speaking up about the change she wanted to see in her city and country. Since then, Jackie has released 2 studio albums, 2 live albums under her name and several electronic albums under her side project titled jackie the robot. During the pandemic, Jackie Venson also made her National TV Performance Debut on Austin City Limits 46th season, a huge honor for the native Austinite. Venson’s most recent release, “Love Transcends”, Venson firmly established herself as a sonic force to be reckoned with out of Austin, Texas.CYNTHIA McDERMOTTCynthia McDermott pushes the envelope of what is possible with the mandolin. While her diverse musical background spans many decades and genres, her latest album of original music, slated for release later this year, hones in on her love of jazz, bossa nova and R&B to deliver a collection of songs that both soothe and stir the soul.Cynthia has developed an impressive musical presence in Asheville in the 5 years she has called it home. Currently leading 3 bands — MOOD RING (90s/2000s pop, R&B), Para Gozar (Cuban son, bolero), and The Knockin Boots (honky tonk) — and a frequent contributor to many other local projects, she averages 250+ performances a year. She is honored to bring her music to life with the support of local heavy hitters Duane Simpson (Dirty Logic, J Lloyd Mashup) on guitar, Eli Kahn (After Ours, Orange Moon) on bass, and Joe Enright (Orange Moon) on drums.Presenting her original music is a dream come true for Cynthia, and has been a long time in the making. She spent most of her 20s rambling around the US, Spain and France, formative years that would inform her musical tastes and inspire many songs. Her band during that time would feature these songs occasionally, but only as a supplement to their repertoire of vintage jazz and eclectic covers. Once she settled in Asheville, the name of the game was getting as much work as possible, and again, her original music took a backseat to the development of her nowrobust gigging career. While she loves being able to connect with audiences through cover songs they know and love, she is beyond proud and excited to take this step into sharing an even deeper experience, and she hopes that eventually she’ll be performing to listeners will sing her own songs right back to her.
The Collection
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYTHE COLLECTION When we lean on one another, we don’t fall. The Collection derives an inimitable musical language from the unbreakable bond between its members. Fronted by David Wimbish, the Saxapahaw, NC-based band places just as much emphasis on interpersonal community and relationships as it does on the music itself.On their new EP How To Survive An Ending (Nettwerk Music Group, January 2023), The Collection emanates positivity from a place of pure love encoded in a pastiche of alternative, pop, folk, and roots. This isn’t an overnight success story. This is generating tens of millions of streams across various releases, logging tens of thousands of miles on the road, earning praise from American Songwriter, Glide, Parade, and more, and landing on NPR Tiny Desk Judges’ Picks – all before signing their first record deal. Over the years, the group has fine-tuned their approach to making music and being together on the road to the point of codifying a signature set of “rules for how to be a band.” Wimbish notes these rules maintain “good boundaries and foster better relationships, better shows, and overall better conditions amongst the crew.” He reveals, “The first rule is a strict ‘No Sarcasm Rule’. We don’t put each other down or act passive aggressively.” Instead, they’re honest, direct, and open. They take time for therapy and mental health as another rule. “We’re always supportive of each other. We’re listening, we’re trying our best to show up for one another.” It’s clear when you speak to Wimbish about his bandmates that they are real friends. It isn’t just about music or the shows. They really do care for one another. “We try to give each other constant encouragement, especially on the road” notes Wimbish. “If someone needs a cheerleading session, we pitch in and encourage that person. Before we get on stage, we’ll do breathing exercises together and get everyone in the same place mentally. In general, we try to implement healthy practices—whether we’re on tour or at home. It’s part of who we are and it’s part of our community.” And that community has only continued to blossom. Following 2014’s full-length debut Ars Morendi, the band attracted a devout fanbase with Listen To The River [2017] and Entropy [2018]. Among many highlights from the latter, standout single “Beautiful Life” has gathered 6.5 million Spotify streams and counting. At the same time, they became renowned for raucous and rowdy performances. The group has lit up festival stages and crisscrossed the country with The Oh Hellos, RIPE, Tall Heights, and Sammy Rae & The Friends, to name a few. Of “Blue Day,” the first of the bunch, Parade proclaimed, “Breezy acoustic guitar and a sweet melancholy sentiment help paint this pristine vocal landscape,” and American Songwriter noted, “The raw track evokes a sense of serenity with lofty vocals that eloquently deliver a timely reminder of kindness.” “GET LOST” came along next, which Alfitude hailed as “a song with deeply meaningful lyricism, emotive vocals and a beautifully constructed melody.”MOM ROCKDISSIMILAR SOUTH
NIGHT ONE: Watchhouse (Special Duo Set) at Asheville Masonic Temple
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- AT ASHEVILLE MASONIC TEMPLEWATCHHOUSE Over a year after Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz of Watchhouse (formerly known as Mandolin Orange) reintroduced themselves on their 2021 self-titled LP, the pair shared a special surprise release: Watchhouse (Duo), a self-produced recording of Marlin and Frantz performing the most elemental possible arrangements of all nine songs from Watchhouse. It’s a project that captures the fundamental power of Watchhouse: Two singers and musicians with profound chemistry, performing earnest yet masterfully crafted songs that encompass the unknowable mysteries, existential heartbreak, and communal joys of modern life. Starting over a decade ago playing coffee shops and local restaurants around North Carolina, Watchhouse is a grassroots success story that’s been driven by Marlin’s poignant songwriting. They’ve sold out iconic venues (Red Rocks, Ryman Auditorium) and attract hundreds of millions of streams while producing exploratory music that “redefines roots music for a younger generation” (Washington Post). 2022 was filled with many endeavors including the American Acoustic Tour with Punch Brothers, headlining shows across the US, collaborating with Planet Bluegrass on Mabon, an autumn equinox concert series, and of course Watchhouse (Duo). In 2023, Marlin and Frantz will celebrate the release of Watchhouse (Duo) with a short run of shows that will feature just the two of them, harkening back to their earliest days of performing.SAMANTHA CRAINSamantha Crain is a Choctaw singer, songwriter, poet, producer, and musician from Oklahoma. She is a two-time Native American Music Award winner and winner of an Indigenous Music Award. Her genre spanning discography has been critically acclaimed by media outlets such as Rolling Stone, SPIN, Paste, No Depression, NPR, PRI, The Guardian, NME, Uncut, and others. She has toured extensively over the past 15 yearsnationally and internationally, presenting ambitious orchestrated shows with a band and intimate folk leaning solo performances. She has toured with First Aid Kit, Neutral Milk Hotel, Gregory Alan Isakov, The Avett Brothers, The Mountain Goats, Brandi Carlile, Langhorne Slim, The Staves, and many other bands and artists. With her new album, “A Small Death”, and newer EP, “I Guess We Live Here Now”, she continues her traditionof keeping things close to the heart and the ground by leaning into the fulfillment of affinity with an audience and the satisfaction of a song with a memorable melody and an honest story.
Matt Heckler w/ Vaden Landers
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLEMATT HECKLERMATT HECKLER is a solo multi-instrumentalist that barely fits into any ordinary musical category. He tends to keep to the darker side of Appalachian mountain music and early bluegrass but listen long enough and you’ll soon be transported to the mountains of Eastern Europe or a dimly lit bar in Ireland where they honor those who have passed with a gently swaying a cappella ballad.After touring almost nonstop for years in support of bands like Devil Makes Three, Lost Dog Street Band, Flogging Molly, and others, HECKLER, like the rest of us, got sidelined by the ongoing global pandemic. With the newfound time off, he set to pushing creative boundaries in his home recording studio as far as his mind would allow. Each fiddle, banjo, and guitar track carefully put in place all the while retaining the grit and energy reflected in his live shows. Paired perfectly as the sequel to After The Flood, the Blood, Water, Coal album is a defining release in his career.Blood, Water, Coal was performed and recorded by MATT HECKLER with upright bass and backing vocals provided by Jeff Loops (Lost Dog Street Band). While recording Blood, Water, Coal, MATT HECKLER released The Magnolia Sessions outdoor live set – the maiden release for the now popular series – which made it to #9 on the Bluegrass Billboard Charts. The Magnolia Sessions was still charting upon the release of Blood, Water, Coal, which debuted at #3, leaving HECKLER with two albums running on the Billboard Charts simultaneously.HECKLER writes, “I started working on this album over a year ago in my home. Ran into a lot of snags and problems inherent in self-recording, but being alone, just a mic and my instruments, was the only way to capture the raw emotions this collection of songs holds for me. Some of these tunes were written over a decade ago, most of them in more recent years. Others took years to write. But now that it’s done, I can confidently say this album is the perfect sequel to After The Flood.”VADEN LANDERSVaden Landers is a 28-yr-old emerging artist from East Tennessee, penning songs that evoke the golden era of country music. With a voice often compared to Hank Sr, this former train-hopper/street-busker has gained a reputation in Asheville NC as one of the city’s finest performers. Billed as “The Yodeling Country Bluesman”, he possesses a rare authenticity that carries on the classic tradition.
SUSTO
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYSUSTOMuch like stars across the night sky, our souls dot this plane of existence, flaring brighter over time. As one fades out, another flickers into focus—and so the cycle continues into eternity and beyond.For SUSTO, the joy of birth, the closure of death, the warmth of true friendship, and the promise of the future rotate on the axis of the band’s fourth full-length and debut for New West Records, Time In The Sun. Frontman Justin Osborne distills this ebb and flow into eleven tracks underpinned by lyrical eloquence, unpredictable dynamics, and a thoroughly alive rock ‘n’ roll spirit. “We’re all just products of the sunlight, revolving around a big ball of fire,” observes Justin. “I was thinking of the meaning of life as I’m sure many of us were in 2020. I’ve come to believe life is all one big chance happening with no deeper meaning other than what we make of it. Every album is like a timestamp, and Time In The Sun was about trying to express this moment in my life. I was stuck in the middle of losing my father and also becoming a father myself. Through these songs, I’m expressing what it felt like and how it’s changed me.”Along the way, the collective opened up for everyone from The Lumineers and Band of Horses to The Head and The Heart in addition to gracing the bills of festivals such as Hangout, Stagecoach, Austin City Limits, and more. SUSTO also made their television debut on CBS This Morning: Saturday. In the middle of this whirlwind, Justin became a father in the summer of 2019 as he started compiling ideas. He officially entered the studio with producer and engineer Wolfgang Zimmerman [Band of Horses] at the top of 2020. After a February tour, the world shutdown and Justin retreated into his next body of work. A revolving cast of collaborators, friends, and members of the Charleston musical community rolled through and contributed to the recording. “It takes a village to make a record,” he smiles.In the end, SUSTO launches a new cycle in their journey, and it’s bolder and brighter than ever. “I was exorcising a lot of emotions,” he leaves off. “I hope people connect to Time In The Sun enough that I can keep doing this again and again. I’m just excited to make another record and keep going. Maybe it will help someone work through their emotions. This was my dream at 12-years-old. It’s still what I want to do.”THE HOLLER CHOIRClint Roberts is the founder and lead singer of Holler Choir, a string band known for their tight harmonies and heartfelt songs. Roberts, whose songs often explore themes of heartbreak and existential query, started the band in Asheville, North Carolina. With their blend of folk, Appalachian, and Americana influences, Holler Choir is turning heads quickly in the roots music scene. Following well received performances at IBMA and Americana Fest, Holler Choir is performing throughout the south East in 2023.
Love Bubble Meets The Beatles
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLELOVE BUBBLE Love Bubble Meets the Beatles “Love Bubble” is the name of the freshest harmony-driven trio in WNC! Made up of 3 of our areas finest and most sought after singers, you’re in for a dreamy, nostalgic, heartwarming and whimsical time! Debuting in December 2018 at the Eagle and selling out their freshman CD release show (Love Revolution) here in 2021 as well, you’re in for another uplifting ride into the throwback pop vibe of this delightful trio. Hank Bones who is affectionately referred to as “the man of 1000 songs” is also a master on guitar, arranging and songwriting. Peggy ‘Blues Chanteuse’ Ratusz has been a staple in WNC for nearly 20 years. In 2016 she swept the Mountain Express Readers poll with honors in Best in Blues, Best Vocalist and Artist that Gives Back. Along with the brilliant and scintillating vocal abilities of performance and session’s singer to the stars, Paula Hanke, these 3 create a quintessential musical ménage e trois! Your favorite harmony driven psychedelic rock, soul, jazz and pop trio will be performing a mix of Beatles hits and their own captivating originals at the Grey Eagle!
An Evening With The Dancing Fleas
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLETHE DANCING FLEAS The Dancing Fleas, aka America’s Premier Ukulele Party Band, are a ten piece combo, heavy on the ukes but light on the attitude. Their uplifting originals and covers have been known to make even the most jaded hipsters smile unselfconsciously. The Fleas bring their high energy, big fun approach to a genre-bending set of tunes with styles ranging from classic country to sassy funky. Expect dueling ukuleles, blistering pedal steel licks, and big harmonies from the band’s five vocalists. The band’s debut album, The Dancing Fleas Play the Music of Don Gibson, is streaming on all platforms along with a handful of tasty original singles. Once you’ve seen them live, you’ll join the ranks of the #fleabitten! “Sometimes the only thing standing between you and a good time are your own reservations. These are the times when the jaded music critic in you should just let your hair down, get up out of your seat and shake your groove thing. These are the times for The Dancing Fleas to liberate your inner geek and let you remember what it was like to not be so dang self conscious about what people might think. Music fans often use the term “guilty pleasure” to refer to music that they keep to themselves even though it makes them smile. The Dancing Fleas are here to relieve you of this guilt. Go ahead, lay that burden down, brothers and sisters. Jump up out of that pew and come down front where we all can shout and sing! But here’s the other thing: The Fleas are actually very good. Like, tasty licks. Original songs that are instantly memorable. And an unlimited supply of that joyous, nerdy charisma. If you don’t believe me, just drop in on their set and you will understand. No reservations necessary. “ -Joe Kendrick, WNCW
Shawn Mullins + Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams
– ALL AGES- FULLY SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLESHAWN MULLINSAfter a series of indie record releases, Shawn Mullins’ critical breakthrough came when 1998 Soul’s Core album shot him to fame on the strength of its Grammy-nominated No. 1 hit, “Lullaby” followed by AAA/Americana No. 1 “Beautiful Wreck” from 2006’s 9th Ward Pickin Parlor. His song, “Shimmer” was used in promotion of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and was included on the Dawson’s Creek soundtrack. He co-wrote “All in My Head” which was featured in episode one of the hit TV sitcom “Scrubs.” Mullins also co-wrote the Zac Brown Band’s No. 1 country tune “Toes.” In early 2002, he formed super group The Thorns with Matthew Sweet and Peter Droge. Mullins’ most recent album My Stupid Heart, was released in 2015, the theme of which, Mullins says, can be summed up most succinctly by the song title, “It All Comes Down To Love,” the guiding force behind just about every song on the album. Mullins is currently embarking on a recording project in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the release of his album Soul’s Core, which came out July 17, 1998. He always performs songs from Soul’s Core in his live sets including “Lullaby” (Rockabye), “Gulf of Mexico,” “Twin Rocks Oregon,” “Shimmer” and “Anchored in You”. The song arrangements have evolved through the years as he continues to perform them live and grow as an artist.LARRY CAMPBELL AND TERESA WILLIAMS Multi-instrumentalist-singer-songwriter Larry Campbell and singer-guitarist Teresa Williams’ acclaimed eponymous 2015 debut, released after seven years of playing in Levon Helm’s band – and frequent guesting with Phil Lesh, Little Feat, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, brought to the stage the crackling creative energy of a decades-long offstage union. A whirlwind of touring and promo followed, and when the dust cleared, the duo was ready to do it all again. Which brings us to Contraband Love, a riskier slice of Americana. Larry, who produced Contraband Love, says, “I wanted this record to be a progression, bigger than the first one. That’s all I knew. I wanted the songwriting to be deeper, the arrangements more interesting, the performances more dynamic. Specifically how to get there, I didn’t know. I did know the songs were different. The subject matter was darker than anything else I’ve written.” “More painful!” Teresa says, and laughs. “Yeah,” Larry says with a smile. “I’m proud of our debut, but I felt like the songs were lighter than what I’m capable of doing. As a songwriter, I aspire to a sense of uniqueness: this is a great song and it could only have been written by me. I want to get there. It’s a journey, a goal, a pursuit. The mechanics of that pursuit are figuring out what you need to do to surpass your last body of work.”
