The Secret Sisters
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF VIP MEET & GREET PACKAGES AVAILABLE INCLUDING: One premium seating ticket with guaranteed seating in the first 3 rows VIP early entry into the venue Exclusive meet & greet with The Secret Sisters Personal photograph with The Secret Sisters Access to a private pre-show soundcheck performance Q&A session One tour poster, autographed Commemorative meet & greet laminate Merchandise shopping opportunity before doors open to public THE SECRET SISTERS Since their 2010 self-titled debut, The Secret Sisters have brought their spellbinding harmonies to songs that untangle the thorniest aspects of life and love and womanhood. In the making of their new album, Mind, Man, Medicine, Alabama-bred siblings Laura Rogers and Lydia Slagle found their songwriting transformed by a newfound sense of self-reliance and equanimity, threading their lyrics with hard-won insight into the complexities of motherhood, commitment, compassion, and self-preservation in an endlessly chaotic world. Centered on a kaleidoscopic sound that boldly blurs the edges of country-folk, the duo’s fifth full-length ultimately confronts many of modern life’s harshest challenges while leading the listener toward a more open-hearted state of mind. The follow-up to Saturn Return—their 2020 Grammy-nominated LP co-produced by Brandi Carlisle and lavishly praised by the likes of Rolling Stone—Mind, Man, Medicine finds The Secret Sisters co-producing alongside Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes, St. Paul & the Broken Bones) and John Paul White (formerly of Grammy-winning duo the Civil Wars). “On Saturn Return we’d gotten much more confident as far as directing the sound of the record and knowing how to capture our voices in the most honest way, so it felt like the right time for our first foray into production,” says Rogers. The latest in a series of critically lauded releases, the album came to life at FAME Studios (the historic spot in their hometown of Muscle Shoals) and at Sun Drop Sound in nearby Florence, with contributions from such esteemed musicians as Alabama Shakes bassist Zac Cockrell and legendary multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell (Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Levon Helm). Looking back on the creation of Mind, Man, Medicine, The Secret Sisters reveal that the immense support of their fans played a major role in their willingness to tread previously uncharted emotional terrain. “I remember playing a show last fall and expressing my gratitude to the crowd that they’d come out to see us, because as mothers of young children we now understand how challenging that can be,” says Rogers. “Later on that night a woman came up to us with her daughter and husband and said something like, ‘I know it’s so hard to leave your babies—but you leaving your babies at home for a little while is what makes moments like this happen for other families.’ It was so gratifying to hear that, and reminded me of the whole purpose behind the music that we make: it’s to benefit the hearts of other people, anyone who needs that healing or validation or connection, or even just the space to cry. That’s why we keep doing this.” CALEB ELLIOTT
Ponch Bueller, Matt Rivers, Ramblin’ Ricky Tate & Woolybooger
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW PONCH BUELLER Ponch Bueller and the Loaded & Baked Potatoes started making waves in the New Orleans country music scene in the spring of 2018 and have been unstoppable ever since. With an ear for good music and an eye for good times, Ponch Bueller and the Loaded & Baked Potatoes deliver a modern take on a classic honky tonk and country sound, complete with two fiddlers and three part harmonies. They never fail to get the party started with their good-time, honky tonk attitude! RAMBLIN’ RICKY TATE Ramblin’ Ricky Tate is a singer and songster from Birmingham, Alabama playing Blues, Folk, & Bluegrass. Ricky travels far and wide singing old forgotten tunes as well as weaving those sounds together into soulful, sometimes dark originals of his own. MATT RIVERS Matt Rivers is a modern relic & torchbearer for the old ways of song craft & performance; following in the footsteps of such artists as: Woody Guthrie, Blind Willie McTell, Harry McClintock, & countless nameless & forgotten forebears of the folk tradition. WOOLYBOOGER Woolybooger is an Appalachian Blues man with some Jazz/Folk habits he can’t kick, and a country leaning that’d bout make you fall over.
The Local Honeys w/ Abby Hamilton
ALL AGES STANDING ROOM ONLY THE LOCAL HONEYS Though many artists are defined by place, only a handful of artists come to define the places they’re from. The Local Honeys are Kentucky and Kentucky runs through their veins like an unbridled racehorse. When a master songsmith like Tom T Hall calls an artist “a great credit to a wonderful Kentucky tradition” it’s time to pull up a chair and pay attention. As it pertains to The Local Honeys he was right on the money. For almost a decade the duo (Montana Hobbs and Linda Jean Stokley) have been an integral part of the Kentucky musicscape. They’ve paid their dues, garnering countless accolades and accomplishments (tours with Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, praise from the New York Times) and have become the defining sound of real deal, honest-to-god Kentucky music. With their self-titled debut on La Honda Records, (home of some of today’s most gifted songwriters; Colter Wall, Riddy Arman, Vincent Neil Emerson) the duo have set forth on a journey to create something true to themselves while pushing the envelope within the traditions they hold dear. Carefully crafted vignettes of rural Kentucky soar above layers of deep grooves and rich tones masterfully curated by longtime mentor Jesse Wells, Grammy nominated producer and musician (Assistant Director at the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead State). “Jesse grew up with sisters. He was cut from the same cloth as us and we knew he would understand what we wanted to do.” What they ended up with is the most nuanced, moody, deep-holler sound they have captured to date. “This is the first time we’ve actively gotten to express who we are and where we’re from” says Linda Jean, “The songs on the album speak for us,” adds Montana “they’re about what we know, reflections of us as people. We realized we have the power to add our own narrative into Kentucky music.” Through that realization the two were able to uncover and dissect themes unique to Central Appalachia and in turn their own lives, capturing small moments in time that deliver thunderous results. ABBY HAMILTON Born and raised in Nicholasville, KY, artist-to-watch Abby Hamilton is in the midst of a breakout year following the release of her acclaimed debut album, #1 Zookeeper (of the San Diego Zoo). Released Fall ’23 via Blue Gown Records—a new imprint run by WhizzBangBAM’s Ian Thornton (Tyler Childers) in partnership with Virgin Music— the album was produced by Justin Craig and Duane Lundy and further establishes Hamilton as one of music’s most intriguing new voices. Of the record, American Songwriter praises, “infectious…introducing the acclaimed songsmith’s captivating blend of folk and indie rock,” while Holler declares, “one of the most refreshingly out of step voices in country music has made one of the year’s most genuinely brilliant and beautiful records” and Wide Open Country proclaims, “channels a universal relatability that will aid anyone’s journey of self-discovery and healing”.
Celebrating John Prine with Gill Francis (of The Knotty G’s) and Friends
– ALL AGES- PARTIALLY SEATED SHOW Join us at The Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC on Saturday, October 11th, 2025 at 8pm for a heartfelt evening honoring the legendary songwriter John Prine. Soul-soaked Americana artist Gill Francis will be joined by an incredible lineup of local and regional guests — including Jeff Sipe, Quinn Sternberg, Thommy Knowles, Brennan Dugan, J Lloyd, Jonathan Cole, Chris Everett, Ashley Heath, and more — to bring Prine’s timeless songs to life. Come celebrate the wit, warmth, and enduring spirit of John Prine’s music with a night of stories, songs, and community.
FREE SHOW – PATIO: Chris McGinnis & Mamaw’s Angels
– FREE SHOW- ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE CHRIS MCGINNINS & MAMAW’S ANGELS Chris McGinnis writes songs that exist somewhere between a hiccup and a heartache. His most recent EP, Songs For You, touches on the peculiarity of your hometown morphing beyond recognition. It tells the story of two Baby Boomers falling in and out of love across time zones and decades. It’s about connection and disconnection alike. With the release of his debut full-length album Mamaw’s Angel, Chris veers deeper into these familiar themes. Through tales of stolen Winnebagos and hip-shaking grandbabies, Chris’ music is Appalachian absurdity for the 21st Century.
The 2025 Christmas Yarn Ball w/ Cruz Contreras
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY YARN You might expect a band that calls itself Yarn to, naturally, tend to spin a yarn or two. “That’s what we do, we tell stories, live and in the studio, truth and fiction”,singer/songwriter Blake Christiana insists. “We don’t always opt for consistency. There’s a different vibe onstage from what comes through in our recordings. There’s a difference in every show as well, you never know what you’re going to get.” Yarn’s ability to persevere ought to come as no great surprise, especially for a band that spent two years honing their chops during a Monday night residency at the famed Kenny’s Castaway in New York’s Greenwich Village. In effect, it allowed them to rehearse onstage, mostly in front of audiences that often ranged in size from five to a hundred people on any given night. 10 studio albums followed — Yarn (2007), Empty Pockets (2008), Leftovers Part One (2009), Come On In (2010), Leftovers Part 2 (2011), Almost Home (2012), Shine the Light On (2013), This Is The Year (2016), and Lucky 13 parts 1 & 2 (2019). The band then took to the road, playing upwards of 170 shows a year and sharing stages with such superstars as Dwight Yoakam, Charlie Daniels, Railroad Earth, Marty Stuart, Allison Krauss, Leon Russell, Jim Lauderdale, Leftover Salmon, Amos Lee, The Lumineers and many more. They’ve driven nonstop, made countless radio station appearances, driven broken-down RVs and watched as their van caught fire. They’ve paid their dues and then some, looking forward even as they were forced to glance behind. It’s proof positive that the Brooklyn and Raleigh based band have made their mark, and in dealing with their emotions, scars and circumstances, they find themselves in a position to share those experiences with others who have juggled similar sentiments CRUZ CONTRERAS Raised between the rugged lines of Tennessee and the long shadows of Michigan, Cruz Contreras has spent nearly thirty years forging his path through the Americana musical landscape. He’s a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, bandleader, producer, and storyteller whose voice cuts through noise like a well-honed blade. He got his start at 15, playing guitar behind his younger brother Billy Contreras at fiddle competitions—long before Billy became a world-renowned fiddler, known for his work with George Jones, Sierra Ferrell, Oliver Anthony and Ricky Skaggs. But it was a moment in 1993 that sealed Cruz’s fate: finding himself in a room with the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe. That room, that sound, that presence—it lit a fire that’s never gone out. Now touring behind his debut solo album Cosmico, Cruz is joined once more by a band of road-tested companions under the name Cruz Contreras and The Black Lillies. Together, they bring with them a catalog of songs that stretch across time — from the familiar past to the hopeful unknown.
FREE SHOW – PATIO: Dave Desmelik
– FREE SHOW – ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE DAVE DESMELIK “Desmelik delivers. He is reliable. He is tenacious, steadfast, and solid. His music is earthy and elemental, unpretentious and observational, and when he’s performing, his head is in the song he is playing for you and the rest of the audience.” -ashevillestages.com Dave Desmelik is a singer-songwriter and instrumentalist whose musical focus is on original compositions. What attracts listeners to Desmelik’s tunes, old and new, is the element of authenticity incorporated in them. There is no sugar coating involved. His songs are not wrapped in false smiles, rather they are stark and open and tend to settle on the pulse of everyday life. An unclosed and evolving journal of thoughts set to music and melodies in prose and instrumental performance. If you listen to Dave Desmelik’s songs, whether lyrical or instrumental, you may become pleasantly fixed in the simplistic realness of them and if you hear Desmelik in a live setting you may realize that there are no tricks, just a genuine venture into the highs and lows of life.
NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition
ALL AGES 6PM DOORS / 7PM SHOW FULLY SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE In celebration of its 24th anniversary, the NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition — presented by Citizen Vinyl — will welcome eight finalists from across North America to Asheville for an evening of songs and connection The event takes place at The Grey Eagle on Thursday, December 11. The internationally recognized event, previously held at the prestigious Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, has since found a home in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The finalists (TBA in early October), selected from advance online submissions, will bring their musical chops to Asheville to perform, compete, and connect with one another. A panel of music industry judges will select one grand prize winner who will receive a fully funded six-song EP, recorded and mixed at Citizen Studios, and a music vinyl package pressed at Citizen Vinyl.Citizen Vinyl, established by NewSong Music director and co-founder Gar Ragland, is North Carolina’s first vinyl pressing facility, and boasts a variety of amenities including a full-scale recording studio, high quality vinyl pressing and cassette duplication, direct-to-customer fulfillment, and more. Now in its 24th year, the NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition is one of North America’s premier showcases of emerging performers and songwriters today. This crowd-sourced effort seeks to identify the truly exceptional artists within our communities and to work closely with them to develop their careers and introduce their music to a broader, international audience while building a supportive community of performers and songwriters across all genres of music and levels of skill.
Jordan Tice & Joseph Terrell
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMUIM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE JORDAN TICE Jordan Tice is a musical seeker of the most dedicated sort. Growing up in Annapolis Maryland, as a teenage rocker and student of jazz and music composition at Towson University, he has become among the most innovative acoustic guitarists of the modern age. Surrounded by a family of bluegrass musicians and opening for American music luminaries such as David Bromberg and Tony Rice at an early age, Tice found his musical center, one which he now channels into a refreshing approach to songcraft. Speaking to the components that fuel the progressivism intrinsic to some of his closest heroes, Jordan says, “Artists like John Hartford or Norman Blake chose to look beyond the idiomatic elements of the music and tap into where those things came from. They learned from literal examples, but they were working more off abstractions that they absorbed into their own work, creating something entirely new.” JOSEPH TERRELL Joseph grew up in a big Quaker family in the North Carolina Piedmont. He’s spent the last ten years writing and singing with folk band Mipso. “To call a howl “good for nothing” is a compliment. all of the best howls are. i got a howl stuck in my head a few years ago when i started noticing the trees. somehow they’d escaped my imagination since i was a kid in the woods. i welcomed them back. sycamores in particular captured my attention. their bark is a cousin to skin. i learned there are sixty-two types of oaks in north carolina. the water oak is my favorite. its waxy teardrops droop over creeks. i thought a good bit about hackberry and greenbriar, too, and when summer ended i fell in love with goldenrod. it felt good to pay attention. they had been there all along. i was moving around a lot at the time. i crashed with barry and susan, spent a while in alex and caroline’s basement. i quit trying to write all together, quit playing for a while too. then at the beginning of spring i started dragging a chair under a tree in the yard. wherever i was i would try to spend the morning outside with a guitar. i found a lot of songs that way, like they were already there, waiting for me to sing them out loud. i hope that sounds as strange as it felt.
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND Three time BMA nominee’s The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band are “the greatest front-porch blues band in the world”. They are led by Reverend Peyton, who most consider to be the premier finger picker playing today. He has earned a reputation as both a singularly compelling performer and a persuasive evangelist for the rootsy, country blues styles that captured his imagination early in life and inspired him and his band to make pilgrimages to Clarksdale, Mississippi to study under such blues masters as T-Model Ford, Robert Belfour and David “Honeyboy” Edwards. Their last record Dance Songs For Hard Times went #1 on the Billboard, iTunes and Sirius XM Blues Charts and was produced by Grammy winner Vance Powell. The record was critically acclaimed by Rolling Stone, Relix, Popmatters, Guitar World, American Songwriter, No Depression, Glide, Wide Open Country, Paste, American Blues Scene and many more! Their new record, Honeysuckle was produced and recorded by Reverend Peyton and mixed by six-time Grammy winner Vance Powell (Chris Stapleton, Jack White). The record features many special guests, including gospel music group The McCrary Sisters on the song “Manger,” Blues Music Hall of Famer and Grammy-nominated harmonica player Billy Branch who plays on the Blind Lemon Jefferson song “Nell (Prison Cell Blues),” Grammy award-winning and IBMA’s 10-time Fiddle Player of the Year Michael Cleveland plays on “Freeborn Man” and Colton Crawford from The Dead South plays banjo on “The Good Die Young.” CHRIS McGINNIS Chris McGinnis writes songs that exist somewhere between a hiccup and a heartache. His most recent EP, Songs For You, touches on the peculiarity of your hometown morphing beyond recognition. It tells the story of two Baby Boomers falling in and out of love across time zones and decades. It’s about connection and disconnection alike. With the release of his debut full-length album Mamaw’s Angel, Chris veers deeper into these familiar themes. Through tales of stolen Winnebagos and hip-shaking grandbabies, Chris’ music is Appalachian absurdity for the 21st Century.
