Bill Kirchen: “Cat Out of the Bag” Album Release Show
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE BILL KIRCHEN Grammy-nominated guitarist, singer, and songwriter Bill Kirchen first gained national recognition as a founding father of Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen. His trademark guitar licks drove their “Hot Rod Lincoln” into the Top 10 in 1972. He has released over a dozen albums under his own name and played guitar live or on record with a Who’s Who of Americana and Roots Rock and Roll, among them Gene Vincent, Link Wray, Bo Diddley, Hazel Dickens, Doug Sahm, Hoyd-Axton Emmy Do Harris, Maria Moldar, Dan Hicks, Nick Lowe, and Elvis Costello. His latest recording, “Cat Out of the Bag,” hit the streets on May 22nd, 2026, on the Last Music Company label.
Widely Grown
THE GREY EAGLE AND WORTHWHILE SOUNDS PRESENT PATIO SHOW: WIDLEY GROWN THURSDAY, AUGUST 27 5:30PM-7PM ALL AGES – LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVEWidely Grown is an Americana/AltFolk band from Jersey City, New Jersey. Widely Grown released their debut album in the summer of 2022 and toured 9 states to follow. The Widely Grown boys are known for their energetic live performances that contain their unique blend of rock, country, grass and soul. 2023 saw them travelin’ again, performing at the Barefoot Country Music Festival, Maplewoodstock, touring through 6 states and performing for the legendary throw down at Miguels Pizza celebration in Kentucky.
Dana and Alden: Papa’s Boat Tour
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY DANA AND ALDEN Jazz duo Dana & Alden have always had a wanderlust, something they credit to their maternal grandfather. Affectionately known as Papa, he was the kind of person others naturally gravitate towards. It was a photograph from one of his trips to Asia that inspired the Eugene, OR duo’s new album Papa’s Boat. In the image Papa is looking out across the horizon and stood next to his boat Sŵn y Môr (Welsh for “Sound of the Sea.”) “I think so much of what Alden and I are doing comes from just watching him live his own unique life,” says Dana. Alden agrees. “His emboldened, passionate personality gave us permission to be our own selves, to be unconventional and draw outside of the box.” Recorded with Malcolm Catto in London in March 2025, Papa’s Boat combines all their childhood love and global experience to create an ecstatic sound built on Dana’s saxophone and Alden’s drums. Recorded with the duo’s backing band, Ebba Dankel (vocals and keys), Andrew Mitchell (bass), Eli Torgersen (vocals and guitar) and Salim Charvet (sax and synths), Papa’s Boat is rooted in jazz but pulling influence from indie, pop, rap, bossa nova, and beyond. A hypnotic combination of sax and buzzing synths on “Lighthouse” sets the tone for an album that uses water as both a reflective surface and a body to get lost in. Elsewhere there are collaborations with Mei Semones, Melanie Charles, and legendary Brazilian songwriter Marcos Valle, a hero figure to the band who appears on “El Gaucho” and “Friendship Is A Boat.” Throughout its runtime Papa’s Boat sails purposefully between memories of the past and visions of a brighter future. It doesn’t just commemorate their Papa as a beloved character, but shares him with the world.
PATIO SHOW: Beth Lee, Kevin Smith & Miriam Allen
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVEBETH LEE, KEVIN SMITH & MIRIAM ALLENBeth Lee is a bluegrass and Americana artist rooted in the traditions of the genre and driven by a deep passion for lyrical storytelling. Inspired by her roots in the Hill Country of Austin, Texas and her home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, her sense of place is woven into every lyric. Songs that invite the listener on a journey — to be taken away by a story, or simply reminded of the human highway we’re all sharing. In a city where the song writers are committed to authenticity, Kevin Smith is a beacon and mentor for exactly that. His voice is of a man who emerged from the mountains hell bent on crafting songs that are true to his life and relevant to ours. At AVLfest in 2024, a song writer from Nashville told Fiddle Man that he drove six hours to see Planefolk just to get back to the emotional roots of songwriting that can get lost in production houses of Nashville. We all need to get back to the core of our humanity, Kevin helps us get there. Multi-instrumentalist Miriam Allen has spent hundreds of days & nights alone in remote Appalachian coves swimming & writing songs in her anchored sailboat. Curious about other cultures & nature, she is a lifelong outdoor adventurer, backpacker, naturalist, & activist for humanitarian & conservation efforts. Her songs are emotionally charged & give a voice to those who often don’t have one: wild spaces, wounded souls & playful humans alike. From rowdy & gritty to soothing & heartfelt; Miriam’s songs are pure passion.
Summer RADiance
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW SUMMER RADIANCE The Jasper and Opal String Quartets collaborate on an exciting and eclectic program. Celebrate the laid-back mountain lifestyle this summer with a chamber music takeover at this iconic River Arts District venue. Bring your friends, grab a drink and bites from the on-site taqueria and enjoy a liberated listening experience Presented by Asheville Chamber Music Series in collaboration with the Chamber Music Society of the Carolinas.
Ethan Regan: Young Regan Tour
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY $1 FROM EACH TICKET SOLD DIRECTLY BENEFITS THE SATO PROJECT PLEASE NOTE, THE VIP PACKAGES OFFERED DO NOT INCLIUDE A TICKET TO THE SHOW. PLEASE CART BOTH ITEMS AT CHECKOUT IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO TAKE PART IN ETHAN’S VIP PRE-SHOW HANG & PERFORMANCE. PACKAGES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: Pre-Show Acoustic Performance Q&A and hang with Ethan Individual and group photos with Ethan Commemorative VIP laminate Exclusive VIP merch item Priority access to show merch 1 hour early access to venue *GA ticket required to attend the VIP experience ETHAN REGAN Ethan Regan is just the troubadour Gen Z needs. He’s had a fair share of significant viral moments, but he’s also an accomplished and energetic showman on stage, giving performances I.R.L. that leave a lasting mark. As a songwriter, he’s both intensely introspective and sharply self-aware, espousing the importance of self-care with sensitivity.. In this respect, he makes timeless music with a modern mindset. Beyond playing instruments andsinging, this Charlotte native with a restless, road-worn spirit personally grabs the reins and produces, mixes, and masters his own songs. He has tallied nearly 100 million streams, received critical acclaim, and captivated sold-out rooms as a proven headliner. Creatively, he doesn’t follow a formula. You’re just as likely to encounter a breezy chord progression in one of his tunes as you are to hear a rowdy and boisterous horn section or big screen-sizestrings. Hitting the road, he shined on bills with Sam Barber and Rainbow Kitten Surprise as well as Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker. Ethan’s self-produced 2025 EP, honey honey honey, saw him gain further traction with “get by” and “spaceman.” In the EP’s wake, he canvased the country, headlining his “I Almost Graduated” Tour and releasing the likes of “fool” and “sweet hunger.” Looking forward, his artistry remains an unapologetic and unfiltered reflection of who he is. You’ll feel like you know him a little better on a series of 2026 singles for Columbia Records and his forthcoming debut album, “YOUNG REGAN.” LILY KERSHAW The strongest tool Lily Kershaw wields is her voice, both in the simmering ferocity it carries and the poetry it speaks. For sophomore album Arcadia, she is ultimately telling a story of acceptance, both of herself and the great mystery that is the universe. Together with producer Ben Cooper (Radical Face), Lily takes her classic folk-tinged songs and weaves warmer analog sounds like organ, harpsichord and guitar with cinematic force, creating her most intimate release to date. In song and spirit, Lily is an old soul, but upon initial meeting she’s kinetic, ebullient, lively, and kind, quick with a joke and an infectious smile. Lily is a compulsive creator, she jots down melodies and lyrics as she’s wandering through her days.
PATIO SHOW: Why, Why? & The Discs
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVEWHY, WHY? and THE DISCSEmerging from the misty shores of Asheville, NC, Why, Why? is a surf rock band that haunts the airwaves with their eerie melodies and chilling rhythms, creating a sound that’s both nostalgic and otherworldly. With every riff and beat, they assure that the spirit of surf rock will never die, but instead, will continue to haunt the dreams of those who dare to listen. The Discs are a power trio from Asheville, NC, fusing elements of hard rock, new wave, punk, power pop, and metal into sharp, riff-driven songs with existentially-themed lyrics, tight arrangements, and strong melodic hooks. The band recently released their third record, Drastic Fantastic, and are currently writing new material while gearing up for shows celebrating their fifth anniversary in August 2026.
Horse Feathers
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY HORSE FEATHERS In 2026, Horse Feathers’ debut album, Words Are Dead, celebrates its 20th anniversary. Kill Rock Stars is set to release a deluxe reissue that will be completely remastered and pressed on an exclusive vinyl color. It will include a replica of their original six-song demo CD in the package, along with a deluxe foil-stamped LP jacket. To support the release, Horse Feathers’ current ensemble of Justin Ringle (guitar, vocals, banjo), Nathan Crockett (violin, saw), Halli Anderson of River Whyless (violin, vocals), Kati Claborn of Blind Pilot (banjo, vocals, clarinet), and Luke Ydstie also of Blind Pilot (bass, cello, vocals) faithfully recreate the mood of the original release with taut dynamics and sensitive arrangements. In the years following Words Are Dead, Horse Feathers quietly built a body of work defi ned by patience and evolution rather than reinvention. Records like House With No Home, Thistled Spring, and Cynic’s New Year expanded their sonic palette without abandoning the restraint that fi rst set them apart. By the time of Appreciation, the band had begun to open its sound outward, introducing richer arrangements and a subtle warmth that suggested growth without rupture. Through it all, Ringle remained a steady center, writing songs that favored emotional precision over spectacle. The reissue of Words Are Dead does not attempt to rewrite that history. Instead, it brings the origin point back into focus, offering a rare chance to hear where it all began while recognizing how far the project has traveled since. Revisiting the album now, with two decades of distance, reveals not just a beginning but a foundation. The same careful interplay, the same attention to space and tone, still anchors the band’s work today. In that sense, the reissue feels less like a retrospective and more like a continuation. A reminder that some records do not age so much as they wait for the right moment to be heard again.
NOW! Karaoke Band
ALL AGESSTANDING/SINGING ROOM ONLY! COME JOIN THE BAND! NOW! KARAOKE BAND This one’s for the night owls. The dreamers. The magical believers.This one is for the Nights. The Nights Of Wonder.Embrace the mystery of the hidden card. Sip from the goblet of illusion. Grasp the hare of life from the nape of its neck and pull slowly. Now Karaoke Band is bringing the magic on the road. And you know the magic words.Join us on the road this summer for NIGHTS OF WONDER! Coming to a city near you.
FREE SHOW – PATIO: Dave Desmelik with Laura Blackley
– 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. Laura Blackley Laura Blackley has been making music in Western North Carolina for several years. She’s a singer, songwriter and guitarist who specializes in country, blues and rock with an emphasis on songwriting. BPR News
