Songwriters Roller Derby Showcase
ALL AGES STANDING ROOM + SEATING, FIRST COME FIRST SERVED SONGWRITERS ROLLER DERBY SHOWCASE The Songwriters Roller Derby Showcase, presented by the Asheville Songwriters Association, is a quarterly music show with no roller skates included – just four performers “rollin’ out the songs, elbows-n-all.” Curated and hosted by Jodi John Pippin and Thomas Kozak, each “Derby Night” at The Grey Eagle will showcase the craft of songwriting in an intimate and welcoming setting. Spending an evening getting folky in “the rink” is a good thing to do. As an added element of the Songwriters Roller Derby Showcase, a guest songwriter will join the performers on stage for an interactive, on-the-spot, feedback session for a portion of the show. The performers will spend most of the evening sharing finished songs with the audience, but for these special feedback rounds, they will share new songs that have not been performed on stage. The entire house will get to experience what it’s like at one of the Asheville Songwriters Association’s “Roller Derby Songwriting Meetings” where the layers of creativity are peeled back, revealing what works with the songs and what doesn’t. Come support the songwriters as they show their vulnerable side and help nurture the art and craft of songwriting in the region and beyond. The performers for this first Derby will be: Thomas Kozak Ben Mackel Evan Veasey Alex Krug
COVERFEST V: Benefit Concert for Asheville Middle School
ALL AGES STANDING ROOM ONLY NET TICKET PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT ASHEVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL’S 8TH GRADE CAPSTONE TRIP Asheville’s favorite night of live music and community spirit, Coverfest, is back for its fifth spectacular year! Coverfest V: A Benefit for Asheville Middle School will take over the Grey Eagle on Sunday, January 18, 2026, from 5:00–11:00 PM, bringing together top local and regional musicians for an unforgettable evening of cover songs—all for a great cause. Over the past several years, Coverfest has become a beloved fixture in Asheville’s music scene, raising thousands of dollars to ensure every Asheville Middle School 8th grader can participate in their annual capstone trip. The event is as much about community as it is about music, creating a space where families, students, and music fans can celebrate collaboration, creativity, and giving back. The Grey Eagle, a longstanding champion of local arts and community initiatives, has been instrumental in making Coverfest V possible. Known for supporting charitable events, youth programs, and live music, the venue provides a stage where both up-and-coming and established artists can shine while helping meaningful causes. This year, 10 incredible local and regional artists (and one student band) will take the stage for 30-minute mini-sets of your favorite cover songs, guaranteeing a night full of energy, nostalgia, and musical surprises. Performers (in alphabetical order): Andrew Thelston Band Blue Dragons Call the Next Witness Longest Distance Relationship Lower Peaks PINKEYE Rockabilly Roy & the Kopy Kats Santiago y Los Gatos Stephen Evans and the True Grits The Corporation (student band) “This trip is one of the most important experiences our students will have during their middle school years,” said Joe Hooten, organizer, performer, and Asheville City Schools teacher. “Our staff has vowed to not let any child stay behind due to their financial situation. This community’s support ensures that promise becomes a reality.” Tickets for Coverfest V are available online through The Grey Eagle’s website and at the door on the night of the event. All proceeds go directly to funding Asheville Middle School’s 8th grade capstone trip, helping ensure every student can participate regardless of financial need.
Blue Dragons: Benefit for Asheville Holiday Fundraiser Album
ALL AGES STANDING ROOM ONLY BLUE DRAGONS: Benefit for Asheville Holiday Fundraiser Album, an IAMAVL & Citizen Vinyl projectA storm passed. The river rose. And now… so does the music. One year later, something powerful is returning to the stage…Blue Dragons are ready to breathe fire!Blue Dragons is a group of musical friends who call Asheville home. Blending original songs with a wide variety of covers, a Blue Dragons show is all about energy, exploration and fun. Lead guitarist and vocalist Jeff Mooney applies well-honed skill to each tune, soaring between mind-blowing solos and tasteful grooves. Songwriter, singer, guitarist and harp player Eddie Dewey creates music that showcases his Americana and jam roots. Bassist and vocalist James Fisher provides original songs that feature Dylan-influenced lyrics and a touch of funk. Holding it all together is drummer Christopher “Z” Zion, always pushing the band to explore deeper and groove harder. Featured in this show is original vocalist, Sara Judy. Sara doesn’t just sing, she embodies the lyrics with passion and grace. Blue Dragons are excited for her return to the stage! Blue Dragons seeks to create a unique experience with every live performance. Setlists are crafted to showcase each player while keeping an engaging vibe for both band and audience. Whether it’s a deep blues cover, Grateful Dead classic, or one their own tunes, the goal is to weave a rhythmic story that gets people moving! In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Asheville’s creative community is slowly recovering. To help celebrate and support our local musicians, executive producers Eddie Dewey, Jeff sipe and Gar Ragland have teamed up to spearhead the recording and release of an Asheville Holiday Album, featuring classic repertoire performed by some of Asheville’s and WNC’s premier musicians. The recording process is underway and the album is being recorded and pressed to vinyl at Citizen Vinyl in Asheville. Proceeds from the sale of the album will support local arts-based organizations that are actively supporting Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP: A Benefit for our Immigrant Friends
ALL AGES GA SEATING AVAILABLE 100% OF NET TICKET PROCEEDS TO SUPPORT CIMA & PISGAH LEGAL PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP: A BENEFIT FOR OUR IMMIGRANT FRIENDS Help our WNC Immigrant Community by coming to this uplifting show! Raising $ for pro-bono legal help through Pisgah Legal & CIMA. FREE educational materials & info to help you INFORM others about who & what immigrants are. Celebrate & Take Action with us! Featuring performances from…. DAVID LaMOTTE LA SONORA CAROLINA MELISSA McKINNEY & ADAMA DEMBELE MIRIAM ALLEN BETH LEE
Punch Bucket Literary Festival – Opening Night Rapid Reading & Music!
ALL AGES STANDING ROOM + SEATING, FIRST COME FIRST SERVED Punch Bucket Literary Festival – Opening Night Rapid Reading & Music! Punch Bucket Lit kicks of their 2nd annual literary festival with a Rapid Reading by featured authors Xhenet Aliu, T. Bambrick, Daniel Tam-Claiborne, Mariah Rigg, Jesse Van Eerden, Mackenzie Kozak, Austin Segrest, LaTanya McQueen, and others, along with music by Thomas Kozak and the Poets!For the opening night Rapid Reading ticket only, purchase here. For full festival passes, including the opening night event, go to Punch Bucket Lit.
Jules!
ALL AGES KIDS UNDER 1 ARE FREE SEATED SHOW JULES! Jules! (they/them) is a GRAMMY-considered children’s artist, songwriter, and educator known for their original, inclusive music that inspires empathy, self-regulation, and self-expression. Their debut album Jamming with Jules! was released in fall 2024 and was featured on the 2025 GRAMMY ballot for Best Children’s Album. Jules! has been featured on Ms. Rachel’s Songs for Littles on Netflix and has built a vibrant community through their YouTube channel, Jamming with Jules!, which has over 4 million views. Joining Jules! is their best friend and musical collaborator, Catho (she/her), a talented multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter. Catho co-produced Jamming with Jules! and brings creativity, heart, and musical sophistication to every performance. Together, Jules! and Catho create joyful, high-energy shows that celebrate imagination, kindness, and connection for kids and grown-ups alike. Their next album, Thanks A Lot: Raffi Reimagined—a tribute to the legendary children’s artist Raffi—will be released in summer 2025. Follow Jules! on all socials @julessingsforlittles to join them on their musical journey.
Mercy in the Mountains: A Blues and Soul Celebration benefitting Habitat for Humanity and LEAF Global Arts
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY – NET TICKET PROCEEDS TO DIRECTLY BENEFIT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AND LEAF GLOBAL ARTS – PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MERCY IN THE MOUNTAINS MAMA Winner of the 2025 MerleFest Band Competition. Melissa McKinney writes songs about the pain that every person inevitably experiences in their lives. She sings these songs as a cry for hope, healing, and inspiration. She is passionate about creating music in a way that makes a positive impact on the world. Melissa is the lead singer of MAMA—Melissa McKinney’s Band, a resident artist with LEAF Global Arts, the co-founder of Women to the Front Music Festival, a board member of AVLFest, and the director of The One Voice Project. Recently, she advanced to the finals of the International Blues competition in Memphis and was given the opportunity to sing at the historic Orpheum Theatre. Melissa’s biggest joy comes from performing alongside her daughter, K McKinney, who is also a musician, singer, and songwriter. MAD DOG BLUES BAND A blues and soul collective with roots in the 1990s, The Mad Dog Blues Band is made up of musicians and singers from Asheville, New York City, Washington D.C., and North Georgia. For this show, original members Mark McDaniel, Brian Harvey, Jacob Keller, Bob Walters, and Kate Brown Walters, are joined by a gifted group of performers including Andy Hunter, John Caldemeyer, Wes Snoddy, Mary Grace Walters, Ashley Berger and others. Their goal is to pay homage to the blues, roots, and soul music from the 50s, 60s, and 70s that laid the foundation for almost all popular music we have played and listened to since. ERIC FREEMAN Eric Freeman, aka The Blueridge Boy, is a genuine bluesman who shares classic acoustic blues from the Delta to the Piedmont — ragtime tunes, minstrel songs, plus a healthy dose of country and other favorites. Originally from a rural north-central Virginia community known as Gid Brown Hollow, Eric has traveled America playing the blues and living the hard life of a traveling blues man, sharing authentic roots music that is getting harder and harder to find. Brendan Boyle at Folk Arts Rare Records in San Diego says this about Eric: “He has brought the house down every time he’s played at Folk Arts. Eric has an in-depth knowledge of many different pre-war blues styles, and he never stops learning. He also has a deep understanding of what the blues is really all about.”
2nd Annual Fat Tuesday Fiesta Featuring Sal Landers’ Party Rx – Weirdly Woodstock
ALL AGES TIX INCLUDE TACO BAR DINNER (DINNER FROM 6:40PM to 7:30PM) NET TICKET PROCEEDS BENEFIT ROTARY CLUB OF ASHEVILLE BREAKFAST FOUNDATION, INC. 2ND ANNUAL FAT TUESDAY FIESTA Ft. SAL LANDERS’ PARTY RX – WEIRDLY WOODSTOCK The Rotary Club of Asheville Breakfast Foundation is holding their second annual fundraiser at The Grey Eagle. Taco Bar Dinner, No Host Bar, Auction, Live Music and Dancing. Proceeds support scholarships and community grants. Bring a shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, dish soap or laundry detergent for a chance on special gift baskets. Wear your best Mardi Gras or Fiesta dress. Come to dance, have fun and support a good cause!
Mercy in the Mountains: Ashes and Arrows w/ Abby Bryant (benefitting Habitat for Humanity and LEAF Global Arts)
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY – NET TICKET PROCEEDS TO DIRECTLY BENEFIT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AND LEAF GLOBAL ARTS – PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MERCY IN THE MOUNTAINS ASHES AND ARROWS From the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina to the peaks of Arrowtown, New Zealand, Ashes & Arrows captivate audiences around the country with their strong vocals, thoughtful lyrics, and on-stage charisma. While stuck at individual musical crossroads, Ciaran, Jonathan, and Ben met at an open mic in downtown Asheville in 2021 and immediately regained their joy and inspiration to write and perform music now as a band. Their debut EP ‘Forward’ was produced by world-renowned record producer Greg Haver and released on October 7, 2022, and one of the lead singles, ‘Gold in the Mountain’ was featured on BBC2 radio late last year. Drawing inspiration from the likes of NEEDTODBREATH, Jason Isbell, and Patrick Droney, Ashes & Arrows write their songs in an authentically original form, whilst bringing a mesmerizing flare with strong 3-part harmonies. ABBY BRYANT A music minister’s daughter turned fierce frontwoman on the festival scene, Abby Bryant found her true love for performing while attending Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Quickly forming a touring band and playing the Southeast and beyond, Bryant released her debut album Not Your Little Girl which garnered critical acclaim and Americana chart success with themes of growing up, leaving home, and finding her own identity outside of her traditional upbringing. Abby and her band are now based in Asheville, and her most recent album, Glowing, was released in September, 2024.
Zuma Coffee Recovery Fundraiser ft. Pierce Edens, Pleasure Chest, Ashley Heath and more!
ALL AGESNET TICKET PROCEEDS TO DIRECTLY BENEFIT ZUMA COFFEE’S RECOVERY FROM HELENE ZUMA COFFEE For over 20 years Zuma Coffee & Provisions has been the anchor of our little town along the French Broad River. Some folks call it Magic Town. Zuma Coffee & Provisions is located in the heart of downtown Marshall, less than a thirty minute drive from Asheville. We are proud to serve you the finest coffee, breakfast, lunch and homemade baked goods featuring our very own Zuma Gold cookies in Madison County and beyond! Featuring performances from: Tony LevitasHannah KaminerPierce EdensMany a ShipPleasure ChestAshley Heath
