Alex Krug Combo: Alex’s Bday and the combo’s single release party at The Outpost
– ALL AGES- THE OUTPOST (521 AMBOY RD)- FREE / $10 SUGGESTED DONATION AT DOORALEX KRUG COMBO Life is at its very core about exploring. We can remain stagnant and rooted in place, or we can take a page out of Alex Krug Combo’s playbook and dive headfirst. The thrill of adventure looms ahead of this band. Their Psychedelic Smoky Mountain Americana strikes a stunningly evocative chord about life, being an outsider and the kind of heartache and healing that transforms your soul.
Nikki Lane: Denim and Diamonds Tour
– WITH DRAYTON FARLEY- ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYNIKKI LANENikki Lane’s stunning third album Highway Queen sees the young Nashville singer emerge as one of country and rock’s most gifted songwriters. Co-produced by Lane and fellow singer-songwriter, Jonathan Tyler, this emotional tour-de-force was recorded at Matt Pence’s Echo Lab studio in Denton, Texas as well as at Club Roar with Collin Dupuis in Nashville, Tennessee. Blending potent lyrics, unbridled blues guitars and vintage Sixties country-pop swagger, Lane’s new music will resonate as easily with Lana Del Rey and Jenny Lewis fans as those of Neil Young and Tom Petty.Highway Queen is a journey through heartbreak that takes exquisite turns. The record begins with a whiskey-soaked homage to Lane’s hometown (“700,000 Rednecks”) and ends on the profoundly raw “Forever Lasts Forever,” where Lane mourns a failed marriage — the “lighter shade of skin” left behind from her wedding ring. “Love is the most unavoidable thing in the world,” Lane says. “The person you pick could be half set-up to destroy your life with their own habits — I’ve certainly experienced that before and taken way too long to get out of that mistake.””Becoming a songwriter is one of the most selfish things I’ve ever done,” Lane says plainly. She describes writing her first song at age 25 like it was a necessary act of self-preservation after a devastating breakup. Many of her early songs, she said on Shame and Nothin,’ were about the fleetingness of relationships she believed were permanent, she says. Lane’s main line of work in those days was a fashion entrepreneur (she’s currently the owner of Nashville’s vintage clothing boutique High Class Hillbilly). It brought her to cities around the country, New York to Los Angeles to Nashville. And like a true wanderer, Lane’s sound crisscrosses musical genres with ease, while the lonesome romantic in her remains. Even a soft song like, “Send The Sun,” with its lilting downward strum, is flush with bittersweet emotion. “Darling, we’re staring at the same moon,” Lane sings lovingly. “I used to say that to my ex,” she says with cheerful stoicism, “to try to brighten the long nights, stay positive.”DRAYTON FARLEYAlabama native Drayton Farley has as honest a voice as you’re likely to hear in this burgeoning scene of country, folk, roots, and Americana music we’re all wrapped up in. With songs and lyrics pulled from real life experience, there’s a grounded feeling to his stories, a confessional quality that rings true to those who know. His voice fills the room like cigarette smoke, curling into every corner of you, with a fine grit rasp that smooths out every rough edge. It lingers hours, days, after you’ve left the bar – turns of phrase that tumble around your mind, bittersweet and familiar. He sings as deeply about the love he holds as the love he’s lost and there’s something so broken-in and comfortable about that Southern inflection that every song feels like coming home. Sharing stages with musicians on the rise such as Zach Bryan, Arlo McKinley and Mike and the Moonpies, Drayton has quickly gained a loyal fan base.
PATIO SHOW: Darby Wilcox
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING (FIRST COME FIRST SERVED)DARBY WILCOXStunning. Incisive. Heartbreaking. These are words that jump to mind when describing singer-songwriter and Mayor of Babetown, Darby Wilcox, whose powerful and commanding presence leaves her audiences captivated, charmed, and fascinated. With the dual powers of her tenderness and ferocity, she makes you feel as if you have been given a gift; a precious glimpse into the deepest depths of her secret soul. Her songs are places you’ve been before. They are pain. They are joy. They are honesty. They are your story through her eyes. It is this unadulterated vulnerability and strength in honesty that leaves Darby’s audiences with the feeling that ‘this too shall pass and in the morning I will try again,’ empowered, inspired, and likely misty-eyed. You can find Darby Wilcox in a plethora of venerable listening rooms, patios, and galleries throughout the Southeast, and you can find her music on any streaming platform where music is available.
I Draw Slow
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLEI DRAW SLOW Critically acclaimed roots five piece I Draw Slow are coming back to the US to launch their fifth and most exciting album to date. The band have consistently redefined roots music over four celebrated albums: their last cut, Turn Your Face to the Sun, reached number 1 in the Irish Independent Chart. Their songs are streamed in the millions worldwide and the band are in tour demand in the US, UK and across Europe. Their distinctive music has been licenced for film, TV and advertising and is widely covered and recorded by other artists. The band recently appeared in a major Kerrygold butter commercial which featured one of their songs, Swans. They are also known for their high production videos featuring actors such as Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) and award winning directors Hugh O’Conor (Three Musketeers) and Ronan Fox. I Draw Slow is helmed by siblings Dave and Louise Holden and is signed to Nashville label Compass Records, a leading independent US label that nurtures and celebrates roots and folk music. I Draw Slow write unique songs that instil love and loyalty in their supporters. Fans regularly travel hundreds of miles to see their dynamic, emotionally-charged performances that captivate audiences with exquisite balladry, then bring them to their feet with high energy, bass heavy dance trad. Their new album moves once again into new roots territory, employing traditional string instruments to deliver contemporary themes and alt-folk grooves. I Draw Slow have fully established themselves on the North American acoustic music scene, touring the U.S. and Canada multiple times a year and appearing regularly at some of the US’s biggest and most iconic roots festivals including Pickathon, Merlefest and Grey Fox. Locked down for the last two years they have completed their most ambitious album to date, to be released on Compass Records on September 9 2022.
Cordovas at The Outpost
– ALL AGES- THE OUTPOST (521 AMBOY RD)- $12 ADVANCE // $15 DAY OF SHOWCORDOVAS The latest full-length from Cordovas, Destiny Hotel is a work of wild poetry and wide-eyed abandon, set to a glorious collision of folk and country and groove-heavy rock-and-roll. In a major creative milestone for the Tennessee-based band—vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Joe Firstman, keyboardist Sevans Henderson, guitarist/vocalist Lucca Soria and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Toby Weaver—the album harnesses the freewheeling energy of their live show more fully than ever, all while lifting their songwriting to a whole new level of sophistication. The result is a batch of songs that ruminate and rhapsodize with equal intensity, inviting endless celebration on the way to transcendence. Recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Rick Parker (Lord Huron, Beck, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club), Destiny Hotel expands on the harmony-soaked roots rock of Cordovas’ ATO Records debut That Santa Fe Channel, a 2018 release that earned abundant praise from outlets like Rolling Stone and NPR Music. Before heading to L.A., Cordovas spent over three months in their second homebase of Todos Santos (an artist community in Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula), sketching dozens of songs partly sparked from their voracious reading of authors like mythologist Joseph Campbell, poet/novelist Rainer Maria Rilke, and spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle. And when it came time for the recording sessions—a frenetic seven-day stretch squeezed in just before stay-at-home orders took effect in response to the global pandemic—the band methodically eliminated any lyrics they deemed inconsequential. “We wanted to strike the term ‘want’ from our music—to get rid of all the ‘Baby, baby, baby, I want this, I want that,’ and create something more useful,” says Firstman. “We needed to make sure these were songs we’d be proud to sing forever.” But while Destiny Hotel unfolds in untold revelations on fear and ego and self-liberation, Cordovas offer up that insight without ever slipping into didacticism. In fact, much of the album radiates utter elation, each moment echoing Cordovas’ band-of-brothers kinship and extraordinary closeness: when they’re not touring the world, taking the stage at leading festivals like Stagecoach, Newport Folk and Pickathon, or hosting their own Tropic of Cancer Concert Series down in Todos Santos, Cordovas spend much of their time practicing in the barn at their communal farm home just outside Nashville. “I can’t imagine that many bands rehearse more than we do,” says Firstman, whose wife and young child also live on the farm. “We’re all here together in this wonderful space, and we’re pretty good about never taking it for granted.”
Phuncle Sam at The Outpost
– ALL AGES- THE OUTPOST (521 AMBOY RD)- $10 ADVANCE // $12 DAY OF SHOWPHUNCLE SAMPhuncle Sam is Asheville’s own Dead-Centric “jam band”. Since their formation in 2004, Phuncle Sam has been firmly rooted in musical exploration. The band serves up inventive interpretations of Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead and many others. They have built up a faithful following by using an approach that respects the improvisational traditions of The Grateful Dead, while exploring what can happen when individual band members bring their unique influences and interpretations into the mix.
Clint Roberts w/ Descolada at The Outpost
– ALL AGES- THE OUTPOST (521 AMBOY RD)- $10 ADVANCE // $12 DAY OF SHOWCLINT ROBERTSThe 5-song EP, Holler Choir, is Roberts’ most impressive project to date. Relying heavily on vocal performance and the use of Appalachian tonalities, it was recorded in Asheville, N.C., and produced by Michael Ashworth of the Grammy Award Winning Steep Canyon Rangers. “I see this EP as a shift towards my strengths, which is the human voice and mountain music,” says Roberts. His experiences and influences from growing up in Western N.C. near the Pisgah Forest bleeds into every track on Holler Choir. “The instruments played are ‘old familiar friends’ to me. I know how to arrange them in a way that feels very authentic.” Keeping with the thread of authenticity, Roberts (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, banjo, harmonica) carefully selected all fellow North Carolina musicians to accompany him on the project; Michael Ashworth (stand up bass, drums), Julian Pinelli (fiddle), Ryan Stigmon (harmony vocals, dobro, acoustic guitar, pedal steel), Helena Rose (harmony vocals, banjo), and Colton Nelson (harmony vocals).DESCOLADADescolada is the musical child of Asheville, North Carolina based singer-songwriter Colton Ray Nelson. Descolada’s sound treads the line between Country & Folk. The sounds of pedal steel, banjo, organ and fiddle are weaved into a bed of authentic, good ol’ Country vibes, with Colton’s sullen vocals taking listeners through a collection of heartfelt stories.While many things in Colton’s life have changed, music has always been that one, grounding constant. After attempting college, and dabbling with a professional job, Colton failed to find meaning or purpose in much other than music. In 2017, a tragic motorcycle accident resulting in the passing of his brother led him down the path of pursuing music full time.As Descolada, Colton released his debut record ‘Big Dam Foolishness’ in September 2021. It was recorded by Garrett Langebartels of Naptime Recordings in Indianapolis, Indiana. Big Dam Foolishness touches on themes of family, grief and loss, with an array of traditional instrumentation used to get his brand of melancholia across.
Tim O’Brien with Jan Fabricius
– ALL AGES- FULLY SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLETIM O’BRIEN WITH JAN FABRICUS Multi Grammy winner and multi instrumentalist Tim O’Brien has traveled the world and delighted audiences since 1975 with his warm vocals, string wizardry, and heartfelt original songs. His latest recording “He Walked On” maps a pathway through today’s world. In duet with his wife Jan Fabricius on mandolin and vocals, you can expect rootsy acoustic instrumentation and sweet harmony singing, interspersed with O’Brien’s self deprecating humor.PAUL BURCHPaul Burch’s thoroughly modern yet instantly classic songs have attracted fans and collaborators from Rock to Bluegrass inspiring Pop Matters to call him “one of the finest contemporary roots performers, not to mention one of the best damn songwriters, operating today.” Over a career of a dozen albums, Burch’s wide vision of American music has drawn together what for other artists would seem contradictory colleagues. Whether it’s taking part in First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move program with Doug E. Fresh at the White House or writing a one-of-a-kind opera inspired by Jimmie Rodgers (Meridian Rising), Burch’s work reveals a punk rock ethic for dismantling orthodoxy while forging deep connections everywhere.
Pixiebilly at The Outpost
– ALL AGES- THE OUTPOST (521 AMBOY RD)- FREE / $10 SUGGESTED DONATION AT DOORPIXIEBILLYPixiebilly is a musical duo made up of Miriam Allen on violin, guitar, vocals & percussion and Laura Blackley on guitar and vocals. Blackley, front woman of Laura Blackley & the Wildflowers, and Allen, front woman of Miriam & the Passionistas, started playing together at Farmer’s Markets in and around their hometown of Asheville, NC and soon had people asking them to come play their wineries, breweries, house concerts and rooftop parties. Pixiebilly plays rock, folk, classic country and blues (and we have a weakness for cheesy pop songs too). Strong musicianship and powerful harmonies.
Dylan LeBlanc at French Broad River Brewery
– AT FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY- ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY (SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVED)DYLAN LEBLANC Dylan LeBlanc is engaging and soft-spoken in person, yet his striking new album Renegade reflects the power of his live show – one that he simply describes as rock ‘n’ roll. While the album was recorded in just 10 days and tracked in three, the intensity of the project marks the culmination of more than a decade on the road. “I like the idea of a renegade — branching off from society or from the structure of the way our world is designed,” he says of Renegade, his first album for ATO Records. “It felt right to call it that. I wanted to write about the crueler, nasty aspects of the world and life.” LeBlanc’s observations are woven through Renegade, though he’s more interested in telling the story than judging the characters for their decisions. The title track, he says, is “about troubled cocky young men charming young women who were intrigued by that way of life, only for it to end in tragedy. I saw this countless times growing up.” Later he writes about his personal efforts to become a stronger person in “Born Again,” after a childhood of being bullied for his long hair and an adolescence marked by insecurity, fear, and anger. LeBlanc considers the new album a departure from his past work, but only because there’s more of an edge to these sessions, recorded with Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb in Nashville’s Studio A. This time around, LeBlanc primarily stayed plugged in for the sessions, giving Renegade a Tom Petty feel, charged with a streak of ‘80s rock. “I never really played electric guitar live in the studio like that,” he says. “I’m so used to the rhythmic, acoustic thing. It was just like playing in a show.” ANDREW SCOTCHIEThrough consistent heartfelt releases, year round touring and active charity work, Asheville NC native Andrew Scotchie is a celebrated creative force. His unique brand of rock n roll, blues and Americana has an unmatched sense of urgency and unifying social commentary.
