**LOCATION CHANGE** PHUNCLE SAM at The Grey Eagle
THIS EVENT HAS MOVED AND WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE GREY EAGLE IN THE MUSIC ROOM LOCATED AT 185 CLINGMAN AVE – AVL, NC 28801 ALL AGES STANDING ROOM ONLY PHUNCLE SAM 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.
The Castellows: The Homecoming Tour
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY THE CASTELLOWS Neo-Traditional Country music trio, The Castellows, bring a literal meaning to the phrase, “family tradition.” The band comprised of sisters Ellie (lead guitar), Powell (banjo) and Lily (vocals), hail from small rural Georgetown, Georgia, but now call Nashville home. The Castellows’ sound is traditional, yet modern. Authentic, yet harnessed. The common thread among the trio, other than their DNA, is their masterful three-part harmonies which blend together to create one singular, almost angelic, voice. The Castellows’ craft as songwriters is as robust as their voices, which is evident across the trio’s debut EP, A Little Goes A Long Way, which released worldwide on February 9, 2024. The band wrote/co-wrote six of the seven songs that make up the project, with the promise of much more music to come. The band began turning heads of music industry insiders in January 2023. When spring arrived, The Castellows had signed a record deal with Warner Music Nashville & Warner Records, collectively. Wasting no time on pleasantries, The Castellows immediately got to work writing, recording, and performing live. Tapping veteran producer Trina Shoemaker (Sheryl Crow, Nanci Griffith, Queens of the Stone Age), the first fruits of labor to be harvested from 2023 is the debut A Little Goes A Long Way. One year later, the three sisters from a cattle farm in Georgia are still turning heads, touting their first major award-nomination for CMT Digital-First Performance of the Year at the 2024 CMT Music Awards, announcing they’ll hit the road in the fall of 2024 with Little Big Town and Sugarland on the Take Me Home Tour, while also being named a SiriusXM “Highway Find” artist for The Highway (Ch. 56), all the very SAME week. Previously, The Castellows landed on multiple 2024 ‘Watch Lists’ including CMT Next Women of Country, CMT ‘Listen Up,’ Pandora, Country Now, and Nashville Lifestyles’ ‘Five Groups You Need To Know.’ HAYDEN BLOUNT With a distinctly raw, plainspoken form of instinctual song craft, 21-year-old Hayden Blount is the real-deal epitome of a next-gen country outsider, with a growing legion of dedicated fans. And in a world defined by the surface level, he’s got no intentions of changing that up. A committed solo songwriter now earning breakout acclaim, the self-taught talent wields a no-B.S. sound and a drive to cut his own path, with the God’s-honest-truth as his only creative requirement. Because where Blount comes from, a man’s word is still his bond.
John R. Miller w/ Liliana Hudgens
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY JOHN R. MILLER John R Miller is a true hyphenate artist: singer-songwriter-picker. Every song on his thrilling debut solo album, Depreciated, is lush with intricate wordplay and haunting imagery, as well as being backed by a band that is on fire. One of his biggest long-time fans is roots music favorite Tyler Childers, who says he’s “a well-travelled wordsmith mapping out the world he’s seen, three chords at a time.” Miller is somehow able to transport us to a shadowy honkytonk and get existential all in the same line with his tightly written compositions. Miller’s own guitar-playing is on fine display here along with vocals that evoke the white-waters of the Potomac River rumbling below the high ridges of his native Shenandoah Valley. Depreciated is a collection of eleven gems that take us to his homeplace even while exploring the way we can’t go home again, no matter how much we might ache for it. On the album, Miller says he was eager to combine elements of country, folk, blues, and rock to make his own sound. Recently lost heroes like Prine, Walker, and Shaver served as guideposts for the songcrafting but Miller has completely achieved his own sound. The album is almost novelistic in its journey, not only to the complicated relationship Miller has with the Shenandoah Valley but also into the mind of someone going through transitions. “I wrote most of these songs after finding myself single and without a band for the first time in a long while,” Miller says. “I stumbled to Nashville and started to figure things out, so a lot of these have the feel of closing a chapter.” Miller grew up in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia near the Potomac River. “There are three or four little towns I know well that make up the region,” he says, name-checking places like Martinsburg, Shepherdstown, Hedgesville, and Keyes Gap. “It’s a haunted place. In some ways it’s frozen in time. So much old stuff has lingered there, and its history is still very present.” As much as Miller loves where he’s from, he’s always had a complicated relationship with home and never could figure out what to do with himself there. “I just wanted to make music, and there’s no real infrastructure for that there. We had to travel to play regularly and as teenagers most of our gigs were spent playing in old church halls or Ruritan Clubs.” He was raised “kinda sorta Catholic” and although he gave up on that as a teenager, he says “it follows me everywhere, still.” “Music was the first thing to turn my brain on. I’d sit by the stereo for hours with a blank audio cassette waiting to record songs I liked,” he says. “I was into a lot of whatever was on the radio until I was in middle school and started finding out about punk music, which is what I gravitated toward and tried to play through high school.” Not long after a short and aimless attempt at college, I was introduced to old time and traditional fiddle music, particularly around West Virginia, and my whole musical world started to open up.” Around the same time he discovered John Prine and says the music of Steve Earle sent him “down a rabbit hole.” From there he found the 1970s Texas gods like Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Jerry Jeff Walker, Billy Joe Shaver, and Blaze Foley, the swamp pop of Bobby Charles, and the Tulsa Sound of J.J. Cale, who is probably his biggest influence. LILIANA HUDGENS
Mitchell Ferguson
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY MITCHELL FERGUSON Mitchell Ferguson is a country-soul artist from Texas whose gritty vocals and genre-blending sound have earned him comparisons to Chris Stapleton and Teddy Swims. Rooted in raw emotion and steeped in southern swagger, his music walks the line between soulful storytelling and rock-driven energy. A true independent, Ferguson built his fanbase from the ground up—connecting through viral moments, powerful live shows, and a voice that feels both familiar and fresh. He’s shared the stage with artists like Parker McCollum, Whiskey Myers, Charley Crockett, and Allen Stone, bringing an undeniable presence wherever he plays.Whether he’s delivering a stripped-down ballad or lighting up a packed venue, Mitchell brings authenticity to every line. His songs speak to heartbreak, resilience, and the messy beauty of chasing something real—and he’s only getting started. LUKE BORCHELT Luke Borchelt is a country singer, songwriter, and proud Maryland native whose music tells the story of his roots and influences. A self-taught guitarist, Luke picked up the instrument at 23 and soon began writing songs to share with those closest to him. His sound is a unique blend of classic country storytelling and the rhythmic pulse of DMV hip-hop, shaped by a diverse range of influences—from the Southern rock of Lynyrd Skynyrd to the lyrical depth of Frank Ocean and Atmosphere, to the raw authenticity of Tyler Childers. Luke’s music is a reflection of his upbringing in Maryland—honest, heartfelt, and always grounded in the experiences of real life. Whether he’s capturing the soul of the country or the grit of the streets, his work stands as a testament to the power of blending genres and staying true to his roots.
Matt Heckler
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE MATT HECKLER Matt Heckler is the fiddle player you wish still existed. Hailing from the Catskill Mtns, a physiographic subrange to the Appalachian chain, Heckler has been embraced by mountain music and culture from early on. Self-taught on fiddle, banjo and guitar, he can weave together a night of songs from all over the world. Swaying from an acapella Irish ballad to a rowdy Romani fiddle tune, Heckler has taken on a style of writing that sounds timeless, rustic and entirely his own. Touring solo for a decade, Heckler made a name for himself opening for the likes of Benjamin Tod & Lost Dog Street Band, Flogging Molly and Devil Makes Three, playing many of the biggest theatres and venues in the country. After having two album simultaneously on the Billboard Bluegrass charts (Blood, Water, Coal at #3 & Magnolia Sessions at #9) Heckler has started a band of his own to tour and record with.
Tyler Hilton: Celebrating the Music of “One Tree Hill”
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE VIP MEET&GREET PACKAGES AVAILABLE INCLUDING: Early entry, Early merch access, Access to Pre-Show Soundcheck, Photo Op w/ Tyler VIP CHECK IN: 5:45PM TYLER HILTON From portraying Elvis Presley in Walk the Line and garnering a cult following as musician Chris Keller on the CW hit TV show One Tree Hill, to writing andtouring with the likes of Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum and Joe Cocker, Tyler Hilton has enjoyed an award-winning career spanning music, film andtelevision. Born and raised in California, Tyler grew up in a family of talented musicians who had played for acts like Fleetwood Mac, George Harrison and Donovan.Performing with his family from an early age, Hilton became serious about songwriting at 14. At 15, he called into L.A.’s KLOS radio station to winconcert tickets and ended up wowing the hosts with an on-air performance. The station made him a regular guest and helped launch his debut record,which caught the ear of Warner Bros. Records, who signed him to record his second album The Tracks of Tyler Hilton, earning him two Top 40 singles.Tyler then landed the dream gig of portraying Elvis in Golden Globe-winning Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, opposite Reese Witherspoon and JoaquinPhoenix. “I’d never done any kind of professional acting, but got quite the education from those two. They were pros, and so patient.” Two of hisrecordings featured on the film’s Grammy-winning soundtrack and his portrayal of the late legend helped launch an acting career which has sinceseen him star alongside Robert Downey Jr. in the 2007 film Charlie Bartlett and opposite Halle Berry in CBS series Extant. However, it was Tyler’s musical role in One Tree Hill that helped build the devoted, global fan base he has today. The series heavily featured songs from his third album, 2012’s Forget the Storm, which reached #2 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums Chart. Tyler also featured on the show’s soundtracks with fan favorites like “When the Stars Go Blue” and “Missing You.” “I played the worst kind of person on the show, and still the fans totally took me in and connected with my music. It was an incredible fan base to be a part of!” Following 2014’s Indian Summer, Tyler released his proudest body of work yet, 2019’s City on Fire, featuring a collaboration with Lady Antebellum’sCharles Kelley (an ex-roommate). The album, rooted in Hilton’s signature cinematic folk-rock stylings, was featured heavily in film and TV includingShowtime’s Shameless. The star-studded video for the record’s gritty lead single, “City on Fire,” was directed by Tyler’s wife, Megan Park, an award winning director, writer and actress. CASEY McQUILLEN Whether touring extensively across the U.S. and Europe, gaining a loyal fan base from the millions who watched her as a powerhouse vocalist on Season 13 of American Idol, appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show, or having her most recent single played on CMT, MTV, and Sirius XM ‘The Pulse,’ Casey has accomplished so much in her short career.
Willi Carlisle: Winged Victory Tour
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY WILLI CARLISLE Folksinger Willi Carlisle holds tight the conviction that love is bigger than hate, and no-one is expendable. Carlisle’s music has always been a dance between absurdity, spectacle, and philosophy. On his fourth studio album, Winged Victory, Carlisle returns with his signature blend of traditionally-rooted folk music and kaleidoscope of oddball characters to confer with his core tenets in more overt and provocative ways. Carlisle delivers Victory as the next chapter in his long-running direct address to the hope that by understanding our collective suffering we might be free of it. He’s intent on creating art and a well-rounded life in a broken world. The idea began with 2022’s Peculiar, Missouri when Carlisle proclaimed “your heart’s a big tent, everybody gets in.” After gathering together all the world’s weirdos and misfits under the big tent, with 2024’s Critterland, Carlisle let them loose into the world. Now, on Winged Victory, they speak for themselves, unencumbered by social expectations. Victory, Carlisle’s first self-produced album, will be released June 27 via Signature Sounds. It both indulges a few of his wildest dreams (including a version of Richard Thompson’s “Beeswing,” among several traditional folk song covers), and feels like the inevitable sequel to Critterland’s charismatic menagerie of chaos. Though occasionally raunchy, and routinely provocative, Victory is not afraid to make a spectacle for the sake of a point. Victory should be understood as a reflection. It revels in the beauty of tiny, monetarily-worthless moments and things, offering with them a consideration of our innate humanity. CLOVER COUNTY Clover County is the music of A.G. Schiano, who mixes themes of modern love with playful chord structures to define a new but familiar sound that is all her own. Currently based in Athens, Georgia where she is a senior at the University of Georgia. Her well-crafted, witty lyrics and soft vocal style are complimented by her white Gretsch electric (which she calls her Cadillac). Clover County’s sound is equally charming and heartbreaking in all the best ways: she smoothly delivers longing lines with devastatingly beautiful eloquence, and can just as effortlessly move to a more upbeat tempo while maintaining her trademark intimate feel.
Bonnie “Prince” Billy
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY The human who sings and composes under the name Bonnie “Prince” Billy and acts under the name Will Oldham has, over the past three-plus decades, made an idiosyncratic journey through, and an indelible mark on, the worlds of independent music and cinema. With his highly individualistic approach to music making and the music industry, one that cherishes intimacy, community, mystery, and spontaneity; his brilliance has captivated fans and made Bonny one of our most influential and beloved songsmiths.Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s latest offerings include 2023’s Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You and 2024’s Hear the Children Sing the Evidence (with Nathan Salsburg and Tyler Trotter). He had a cameo role in Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders. BPB’s newest record is The Purple Bird (produced by David Ferguson), and features such giants of American music as John Anderson and Tim O’Brien. MATT KIVEL Matt Kivel is a songwriter based in Austin, Texas. He has released 7 full length albums. His music has received acclaim from “critics” and audiences all over the world. Not that long ago he played a sold out concert in Tokyo and couldn’t believe that people showed up. It was incredible. His music plays with form and the songs take on many different shapes. Sometimes they are loud and distorted, echoing into a mesmerizing drone; other times they are extremely quiet—like the deathbed confession of an old tycoon who’s got one last secret to share before the buzzards pick his bones clean. And other times, they are fun, warm, and warped: insular transmissions that bring to mind the tunes of slick songwriters like Ric Ocasek and Jackson Brown. Regardless, you’ll get the hang of it once you hear it. Trust me.
Erick Baker
ALL AGES FULLY SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE ERICK BAKER Erick Baker is an Emmy Award-winning writer, children’s book author, and heart-on-his-sleeve troubadour from Knoxville, TN. His music is a distinctive blend of folk, rock, and Americana-soul that isn’t just heard, it’s felt. For over a decade he’s made a life in music, sharing the stage with artists like John Legend, Brandi Carlisle, Grace Potter, Heart, Gavin DeGraw, Chris Isaak, and the Goo Goo Dolls. “His songwriting is of two worlds: The storytelling tradition of Americana (think Townes Van Zandt) and the radio-savvy world of cross-over country (think Keith Urban)…his acoustic guitar serving as rhythm and background to the swell of his voice — a smoke and whiskey tenor with plenty of range and emotion”. – Alli Marshall of the Mountain Express “Baker has built a career out of peeling back the skin and bones that surround his beating heart…watching Baker hunched over a guitar, leaning into a microphone and shining a spotlight on his soul through his R&B-tinged brand of indie folk is to witness a man who truly believes in what he’s doing.” – Steve Wildsmith of The Daily Times
Stephen Kellogg + Pat McGee
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE On June 28th, the Grey Eagle will present Stephen Kellogg’s Old Friends Tour. This one-of-a-kind touring concept features SK and a different friend in each city. Drawing on relationships and history from his 25 year career, the pair will share the stage, swapping songs and stories, for a one night only, limited engagement event. We are thrilled to be welcoming Stephen Kellogg and Pat McGee! STEPHEN KELLOGG A Stephen Kellogg performance is like watching Ted Lasso live. Whether he’s playing music or doing stand-up, his shows leave people inspired and restored. For more than two decades, this wordsmith, Tedx speaker, stand-up comic, author and troubadour, has delighted audiences around the world. Planet Bluegrass calls him “a first class songwriter with a poet’s gift for fresh imagery,” and Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz says of Kellogg, “there are few people in rock n’ roll who are just so great.” He has received the Armed Forces Entertainer of the Year award and has had his work nominated for a Grammy. Rolling Stone magazine describes his sound as “John Prine fronting the Heartbreakers.” The recent “Sit Down & Stand Up” Tour was a one man show that opened to rave reviews from fans and critics alike, culminating in a two-night filming for a forthcoming one-hour comedy special. A mix of music, humor and storytelling, each performance paints a unique canvas that covers the full spectrum of human emotions. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll go home with a full heart. PAT McGEE The Pat McGee Band is what is commonly referred to as a band of journeyman musicians. In the 25 years since their initial formation, they’ve acquired a fanatical popular following, one that was so determined that it produced sales of over 100,000 copies of their first three albums and eventually caused Warner Bros. Records to take notice and sign the group to an exclusive contract at the end of the ‘90s. The band’s dedication to working the road was so steadfast that at one point in their ten year touring stint, they played a remarkable 98 concerts in a period of 103 days. They shared stages with the Who, the Allman Brothers, James Taylor, and many more, and also achieved the ultimate honors — performing for president Bill Clinton, touring with the USO and sharing their songs onboard the USS Eisenhower with 5,000 servicemen and servicewomen serving a tour of duty in the Arabian Sea. “There was no plan B,” McGee says in retrospect. “We sold 12,000 copies of our first album out of the trunk of our car. We had a rabid fanbase that supported us every step of the way. We never had that huge pop hit, but in a way that helped assure our success. We never had to count on replaying a single song in order to move forward. It was our diligence and devotion, our steadfast approach to making music that was honest and expressive that became the backbone of our sound.” Sadly, the band’s progress came to a tragic end in October 2006 when drummer Chris Williams succumbed to a heart condition. McGee struck out on his own, adding five solo albums to the half dozen efforts recorded under the band’s own banner.
