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 Thomas Kozak and Jodi John Pippin, each “Derby Night” at The Grey Eagle will showcase the craft of songwriting in an intimate and welcoming setting. As an added element of the Songwriters Roller Derby Showcase, a surprise guest will join the performers on stage for interactive, on-the-spot commentary ~ a “look under the hood of the songwriting process” of sorts. The audience will have a chance to share comments as well, if they are inspired to do so. For most of the evening, the songwriters will perform finished songs, but they will also each share a brand new song that has not yet been performed on stage. 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 2nd Derby are:Will Hartz – A born entertainer and a multi instrumentalist, Will Hartz has been putting on a show for all to see before he could speak. With Appalachian funk and southern soul pouring through his fingertips, Will is best known for his ability to grab the attention of any and all audiences with his refined stylistic performances. Will started playing piano at the age of 8, later translating into years of musical theatre and a BA in musical performance. Andrea Rosal – Andrea picked up a guitar at age 40, started writing soon after and was hooked. The 2024 winner of Womansong of Asheville’s inaugural songwriting competition, Andrea has written her way through a global pandemic, cancer, parenting two kids, Hurricane Helene, and all the ups and downs of everyday life. Jackson Grimm – Jackson Grimm is an accomplished and respected band leader, multi-instrumentalist and teacher in the Western North Carolina music community. His songs marry pop melodies with the lonesome sound of Appalachian music. Grimm won the 2025 LEAF Songwriting competition and has been a 2 year finalist for the Songwriter Serenade. He has shared the stage with and opened up for acts such as Molly Tuttle, Sierra Ferrell, Shadowgrass, the Wilder Flower, Arlo Guthrie, Tim Grimm, Ben Bedford, Ordinary Elephant, Nathan Evans Fox, and more.Jane Kramer – Jane Kramer has garnered international recognition for the heartrending originality of her vocals and for the heavy-hitting lyrical eloquence of her songwriting. With deep roots in the musical traditions, culture and lore of beloved Appalachia, Kramer’s songs are introspective, gracefully gritty & fiercely memorable. A former social worker, domestic violence crisis counselor and avid humanitarian, Kramer continues to perform and teach about the songwriting process in prisons, shelters for the unhoused, programs for at-risk youth, hospitals and even animal rescues, sharing her message of music as a powerful tool for healing, connection and compassion. Quoted as “…an artist on the rise” by acclaimed American songwriter Mary Gauthier, Kramer has performed with Joan Osborne, Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls, The Steep Canyon Rangers, Sarah Siskind, Malcolm Holcombe, Josh Goforth, and Shawn Mullins.
Dolly’s 80th Birthday Bash
– ALL AGES – LIMITED SEATS, FIRST COME FIRST SERVE & STANDING ROOM DOLLY’S 80TH BIRTHDAY BASHWe will always love Dolly and we’re back at the Grey Eagle Jan. 31 to celebrate her 80th birthday! Hosted once again by CyndiLou & the Want To with special guests including Kate Bryant (Cactus Kate & the Pricks), Meaghan Collins (Sparkle Mountain), Liliana Hudgens, Erin Kinard (Rooster), Gracie Lane, Sadie Lettrich, Alissa Nordmoe (Nordmoe & the Rodeo), Tricia Tripp (Hearts Gone South) and more! Our all-star band includes Phil Alley (Heavenly Vipers) and Marty Lewis (Sons of Ralph) on guitars, Morgan Geer (Drunken Prayer) on bass, and John McKinney on keyboards. 3 sets of live music, a look-alike contest, and a portion of proceeds benefitting Buncombe County Partnership for Children, the local chapter of Dolly’s Imagination Library!
An Evening With Sun Kil Moon
ALL AGES FULLY SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE SUN KIL MOON Sun Kil Moon ‘All The Artists’ was released on Caldo Verde Records March 28, 2025. The album was recorded in Highland Park, Los Angeles 2023/2024. Music by David Stagno. Words/vocals by Mark Kozelek. Sun Kil Moon Quiet Beach House Nights was released on Caldo Verde Records, digitally, outside of North America, August 2023. Several singles including ‘Raging Bull’s Jaw’ and ‘Damian’ have been released as singles in the USA since 2022. The album was released on both CD and vinyl within the USA in 2024. Mark has toured in support of the album in both Europe and the USA throughout 2023 and 2024. Sun Kil Moon has also released various singles, worldwide, including ‘Been on Echinacea,’ ‘Santa Ana,’ and ‘All The Artists Live in L.A.’ Sun kil Moon featuring Amoeba was released outside of North America, September 2024. The album has been released on both CD and vinyl October, 2024. Sun Kil Moon featuring Amoeba is a collaboration between Hungarian band Amoeba and singer Mark Kozelek, recorded in Hungary in 2022 and 2023. The single ‘Mindy’ and ‘Hungarian Lullaby’ have been releases as singles in the USA. Mark is contributor to substack, releasing photography, music, and writing, on the first of each month.
American Aquarium
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BAND’S VIP PACKAGE AMERICAN AQUARIUM For nearly two decades, American Aquarium has pushed toward that rare form of rock-and-roll that’s revelatory in every sense. “For us the sweet spot is when you’ve got a rock band that makes you scream along to every word, and it’s not until you’re coming down at 3 a.m. that you realize those words are saying something real about your life,” says frontman BJ Barham. “That’s what made us fall in love with music in the first place, and that’s the goal in everything we do.” On their new album The Fear of Standing Still, the North Carolina-bred band embodies that dynamic, balancing their gritty breed of country-rock with Barham’s bravest and most incisive songwriting to date. “In our live show the band’s like a freight train that never lets up, and for this record I really wanted to showcase how big and anthemic we can be,” notes Barham, whose bandmates include guitarist Shane Boeker, pedal-steel guitarist Neil Jones, keyboardist Rhett Huffman, drummer Ryan Van Fleet, and bassist Alden Hedges.
An Evening With Willis Alan Ramsey
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE WILLIS ALAN RAMSEY Over 50 years after the release of his wildly influential self-titled album on Leon Russell’s Shelter Records, Willis Alan Ramsey returns to touring. Ramsey’s debut in 1972 earned scores of accolades from arti-sts ranging from The Allman Brothers to Lyle Lovett. The album was mined by many artists for their o_wn recordings including Jimmy Buffett’s “The Ballad of Spider John”, Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s “Goodbye Old Missoula”, Shawn Colvin’s “Satin Sheets”, Captain & Tennille’s “Muskrat Candlelight/Love”, Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Northeast Texas Women”, Waylon Jennings’ “Satin Sheets”, New Grass Revival’s “Watermelon Man”, and many more. Since that landmark first release, Ramsey has toured only occasionally, spending time instead with his family, honing his craft in Austin, Nashville and London, educating himself in the science of audio recording and composing new songs. His new material has received critical acclaim, including Lyle Lovett’s recordings of “Sleepwalkin”‘, “North Dakota” and “That’s Right (You’re Not From Texas”), as well as Eric Clapton’s recording of”Positively”. Ramsey’s infrequent personal appearances always gamer excitement among some of the top critics in the country as well as from his fellow artists: “His cozy, orderly, tiny-detail songs express a willful turnabout from hippie chaos, a visceral reaction particular to the early 1970’s. His songs are sweet, emotionally guarded and often musically complex, fitting strains of melody together that seem as if they ought not connect, expertly using rhythmic displacement as the words and chords unspool …. Perfection is terrifying, and some of these songs felt spooky.” – Ben Ratliff, The New York Times “You might have not seen him lately, but if you’ve listened to Shawn, Lyle or Jimmie Dale, you’ve heard him.” – John T. Davis, The Austin American Statesman “Even if Ramsey had made a dozen more albums, this would still be the record that no home should be without.” – No Depression “When I got his record, I loved everything on it. I heard some Flannery O’Connor and William Faulkner in there. It was a little more literary than most of the Texas stuff.” -Jimmy Buffett “Everybody owned his record when I lived in Austin. That’s because it’s great and them Texans knew it. I think Lyle’s great, but tell me he didn’t learn something from Willis.” – Shawn Colvin “I learned every song off his record. I went to see him every time he played, got tennis shoes like his. I wanted to be Willis Alan Ramsey.” -Lyle Lovett
Empire Strikes Brass: 12th Annual Mardi Gras Party
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY EMPIRE STRIKES BRASS “Their shows are high energy and driven – powerful affairs that carry the audience through a full-range of emotions and often force the fans to look inward throughout – while still filling the building with love, acceptance, and hope.” – Caleb Calhoun, Ashvegas.comEmpire Strikes Brass is a dynamic BrassFunkRock band hailing from Asheville, North Carolina. Their music resonates with a powerful message delivered through a captivating and larger-than-life sound. Fueled by a thumping rhythm section that sets the groove, the band’s rich horn arrangements, performed by a robust horn section, add an extra layer of depth to both their original compositions and compelling covers, showcasing the evolution of ESB.Formed in 2012, Empire Strikes Brass started as a group of friends who loved playing New Orleans-inspired second-line and funk tunes infused with elements of rock and jam. Over time, they have transformed into a collective of incredibly talented musicians, singers, songwriters, and producers. The result is a fresh and authentic sound that seamlessly combines their diverse musical influences while staying true to their roots.The band boasts a remarkable lineup of artists, each bringing their own unique contribution to the table. From the rich vocals, and harmonious saxophone of Grammy Award-winning artist Debrissa McKinney (known for her work with Secret Agent 23 Skidoo) to the masterful keyboard and production skills of Lenny Pettinelli, the thunderous beats of drummer Nik Hope, the solid bass lines of JP Furnas, the melodic guitar riffs of Chris Porter, the soulful trumpet sounds of Alex Bradley, and the sky high notes of Tim Morgan on trumpet, the smooth trombone of Jacob Bruner, the vibrant saxophone of Pauly Juhl, and the versatile keyboard and percussion talents of Sean Donnelly, every member of ESB plays a crucial role in the band’s success.Since their inception, Empire Strikes Brass has become a staple at various festivals across the USA, leaving a lasting impression with their infectious energy and electrifying performances. Their horn section has also had the honor of sharing the stage with esteemed acts like Shpongle Live Band, Umphrey’s McGee, Papadosio, and many more iconic names in the funk and jam scene.Whether performing live or working on their studio recordings, Empire Strikes Brass emanates a strength and cohesiveness that is undeniable. Their debut album, “Theme For A Celebration,” was recorded at the renowned Echo Mountain Recording Studio in Asheville and received acclaim as one of the top 100 releases of the year by WNCW 88.7 radio in 2017. Following that success, their fierce follow-up release, “Brassterpiece Theatre” (2019), was also recorded at Echo, showcasing their continued growth and artistic prowess. Both albums are available on all major music distribution, streaming, sales, and listening platforms, allowing listeners to experience the band’s exceptional musicality.As they continue to tour and captivate audiences, Empire Strikes Brass is diligently working on their highly anticipated third studio album. Between shows, they are crafting and mastering new sounds that will undoubtedly leave their fans craving for more. Keep an eye out for this remarkable band on the road and at festivals near you. Their unforgettable performances are not to be missed.
John Craigie: Spring 2026 w/ Anthony da Costa
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY JOHN CRAIGIE For over a decade, John Craigie has made music that brings people in, not with spectacle but with sincerity and songs that feel like conversations. His new album I Swam Here, out February 6, 2026 on Zabriskie Point Records, was written and produced by Craigie and recorded between New Orleans and Astoria. Seven tracks were cut at Deslonde St Studios with musicians handpicked by Sam Doores of The Deslondes, including Howe Pearson, Max Bien Khan, Jonny Campos, and a guest appearance from Desiree Cannon. Longtime collaborator Anna Moss appears across much of the record. The remaining tracks were finished at the Rope Room in Astoria, carrying over the same spirit and palette. The cover art, painted by Brittany Schall, nods to the design of mid century samba and jazz records. The album’s singles trace the path of its making. “Fire Season,” engineered by Bart Budwig, was one of the first songs written and features Cooper Trail, Nevada Sowle, Luke Ydstie, and Jamie Greenan. “Dry Land” was reworked in Astoria after early New Orleans sessions didn’t feel right. “Edna Strange,” inspired by Marty Robbins, is the only track where Craigie plays steel string acoustic, with Max Bien Khan on nylon string leads and a trio vocal arrangement in place of Moss’s harmonies. Following 2024’s Pagan Church with TK & The Holy Know-Nothings, which spent six weeks at #1 on the Americana Albums chart, I Swam Here feels both expansive and intimate, shaped by the musical history of the Gulf Coast and the stillness of the Pacific Northwest. Craigie remains a tireless live performer, touring throughout the U.S., Europe, and Australia, appearing at festivals like Newport Folk, Pickathon, Edmonton Folk Festival, and High Sierra, and sharing the stage with artists such as Langhorne Slim, Sierra Hull, Gregory Alan Isakov, Brett Dennen, and Jack Johnson. I Swam Here is a grounded, collaborative step forward, blending New Orleans grit with Pacific Northwest quiet, and showing a songwriter still widening the world of his music. ANTHONY DA COSTA Anthony da Costa played his first paid gig at 14 in Pleasantville, NY, and by 16 was the youngest-ever winner of the Kerrville and Falcon Ridge Folk Festival songwriting competitions. As a teenager, he toured widely, sharing stages with artists like Loretta Lynn, Judy Collins, Big Thief, and The Milk Carton Kids.Over the years, he’s become a sought-after guitarist and harmony singer, supporting Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, Molly Tuttle, Yola, and Joy Williams (The Civil Wars). His work has brought him to major stages including the Hollywood Bowl, Bonnaroo, and Newport Folk Festival, plus appearances on Conan and Jimmy Kimmel Live. He has released about a dozen albums and several EPs of his own.His upcoming album, The No Send Letter, is his 12th and his most personal. Self-produced and recorded between Pleasantville Recording and a barn studio in Virginia, it documents a difficult and transformative breakup. Captured across digital, reel-to-reel, and cassette formats, the album reflects a period of deep healing and renewed connection with his Nashville community, resulting in some of his most emotionally direct and sonically adventurous work.
Live Dead & Brothers: An All-Star Celebration of Grateful Dead & Allman Brothers
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY SOUNDCHECK VIP PACKAGES AVAILABLE: VIP ticket holders can attend soundcheck and will also receive a soundboard quality digital download of the show! LIVE DEAD AND BROTHERS Prepare to embark on a mesmerizing journey through the golden era of psychedelic blues and the seeds of the ‘jam band’ scene as Live Dead & Brothers takes the stage. Comprised of actual and legacy members from the extended Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers families, this exceptional ensemble is set to revive the timeless magic of the late 1960s and early 1970s, bringing fans an experience like no other. The line-up is pedigree and generational featuring Berry Duane Oakley from The Allman Betts Band, Les Dudek from the Allman Brother family, Mark Karan from Bob Weir/ Rat Dog & The Other Ones, Scott Guberman from Phil Lesh & Friends, and Pete Lavezzoli from JGB, Jazz Is Dead and Oteil & Friends. Together, these accomplished musicians skillfully recreate the magic of the Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers Band’s co-billed concerts during the period of 1969 to1973. Their performances capture the raw energy, improvisational prowess, and soul-stirring melodies that defined an era of musical innovation. Live Dead & Brothers invites fans, both old and new, to come together and relive the vibrant, transformative spirit of the 60s and 70s. Whether you’re a lifelong devotee of the Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers or discovering their magic for the first time, this is a live music experience that transcends generations.
An Evening With Chris Smither
ALL AGES FULLY SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE CHRIS SMITHER The sound and imagery of the 20th release by Chris Smither, All About the Bones, (release date: May 3, 2024 on Signature Sounds/Mighty Albert, distributed by Redeye) is as elemental as the inky black shadows cast by a shockingly bright moon. The listener is welcomed into some gothic mansion on an imaginary New Orleans street, and there in the lamplit parlor confronts the band, a minimalist skeleton crew: Smither’s inimitable propulsive guitar and rumbling baritone are joined seamlessly to producer David Goodrich’s carpetbag of instruments, Zak Trojano’s rock-steady, primal drumming, BettySoo’s diaphanous harmony vocals, and the flat, mournful flood of Jazz legend Chris Cheek’s saxophone. Recorded at Sonelab Studios in Easthampton MA by Justin Pizzoferrato (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., the Hold Steady) All About the Bones has a feel that is somehow baroque and austere at once. Smither and his longtime producer David Goodrich have been refining their musical conversation for decades, both in the studio and onstage, and by now, their bond verges on the telepathic. Goodrich plays on nearly every track. His sound is by now so translucent that it seems to function as a swath of silence, allowing the songs to burn like ciphers in the crackling air. And oh, the songs on All About the Bones. Chris Smither, after six decades of sharpening his knife as a songwriter, can at this point open damn near anything with a flick of his wrist. God and the Devil are opened here. Mortality is too. Politics, consciousness, renewal, family, vulnerability, surrender… Smither has sat with these topics like so many Zen koans, for so long, that every line is a pearl. The title track, “All About the Bones,” kicks the record off with “Consider your high station/ think about your fame. All of your creation depended on your frame.” Irony, wit, the double meaning of “depended”… each verse is a master class in songwriting. Yet the stark, elemental sage always has a twinkle in his eye, a light touch at your elbow as he guides you along. From the wickedly funny defense of the Adversary in “If Not for the Devil” to the unsentimental open-heartedness of “Still Believe in You,” he is as human as we all long to be. The disjointed imagery of “In the Bardo” and the dystopian mirror of “Close the Deal” find Smither unflinchingly staring down the mortality of both individuals and republics, and yet he is at peace, among loved ones in his cover of Eliza Gilkyson’s “Calm Before the Storm,” and turning his gaze to the future in “Completion”. As noted by the New York Times, Rolling Stone, MOJO, NPR, and others, in the decades of travels to All About the Bones, Chris Smither has gone from up-and-comer to journeyman to veteran to icon, and yet the whole time his path has more closely resembled Joseph Campbell’s “Hero with a Thousand Faces”- an unblinking, fearless trek into the depths of struggle and revelation, and a return back to the land of the living, to share the hard-won treasures found along the way. His restlessness is long gone, and his eyes are fixed “where the moonlight falls on some never-to-be-seen horizon” (“Still Believe in You”). The light given off from his music casts our own lives into a sublime and welcome clarity.
Jake Xerxes Fussell w/ Dougie Poole
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY JAKE XERXES FUSSELL Reared in Georgia and now settled in North Carolina, Jake Xerxes Fussell has established himself as a devoted listener and contemplative interpreter of a vast array of so-called folk songs, lovingly sourced from a personal store of favorites. On his latest album, When I’m Called—his first LP for Fat Possum, and his first as a parent—Fussell returns to a well of music that holds lifelong sentimental meaning, loosely contemplating the passage of time and the procession of life’s unexpected offerings. The album was produced by James Elkington and mixed by Tucker Martine. In addition to Elkington, it features the playing of Ben Whiteley (The Weather Station), Joe Westerlund (Bon Iver, Califone), and others. Blake Mills contributes guitars on several tracks. Joan Shelley and Robin Holcomb provide backing vocals. “…Fussell is the rare contemporary to approach folk in its pure form, shunning self-penned compositions about bummer relationships to concentrate on material handed down from bygone, hardened times.” – The New Yorker “(Fussell) is one of the great magpies of American song, collecting forgotten, tarnished gems with a folklorist’s zeal… his renditions aren’t so much cover versions as composites…” – The Guardian “…maybe the leading interpreter of American folk music right now.” – Ann Powers, NPR DOUGIE POOLE Dougie Poole is a musician and songwriter living in Los Angeles. Coming of age in Providence, Rhode Island’s DIY scene in the early 2010’s, he dabbled in heavier and more experimental music before maturing into a country auteur. On The Rainbow Wheel of Death, Poole’s 3rd release via Wharf Cat Records, he breathes new life into country music, retaining the acclaimed elements of his previous work — drum machines, acoustic guitars, synthesizers, and his deep-set voice — while pushing toward something warm, organic, and prismatic.
