PATIO: Eleanor Underhill & Friends
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVEDELEANOR UNDERHILL & FRIENDS Eleanor Underhill & Friends creates sonic landscapes like you’ve never heard before. Underhill is a banjo-wielding frontwoman armed with soulful vocals, launching from well-crafted original songs to fun, upbeat cover tunes. By her side are some of Asheville’s finest musicians drawing from backgrounds of jazz, rock, and soul. The result is captivating, sometimes dizzying, and always inspired. In 2014, with a desire to create a band rooted in the Asheville music scene, Eleanor Underhill (of the internationally-acclaimed Americana group, Underhill Rose) pulled together several top-notch performers to create a powerhouse side-project: Eleanor Underhill & Friends. Each member brings their own musical instincts and influences, resulting in music that is fresh and far-reaching. Featuring all of the members of “& Friends,” Underhill’s debut solo effort, Navigate the Madness, was released in 2018 to wide acclaim: Named one of the Top 10 Releases of 2018 by Bill Kopp (Musocribe) and voted in the Top 100 International Releases by WNCW radio listeners. Asheville Citizen-Times called it “…a stunning work of a gifted, visionary singer-songwriter. With her open-back banjo, soulful and luminous vocals as the common thread, there isn’t a cliched lyric anywhere among the collection of playful, sublime and deeply affecting songs.” (Jim Simpson) The group’s follow-up release in 2020, Land of the Living, digs even deeper into Underhill’s psyche and reaches even farther into new musical landscapes. The result? American Songwriter premiered the track “Strange Chemistry” and said the album was “…Tales told in motion, with dynamic harmonies.” PopMatters weighed in, saying that it was, “…An emotionally powerful collection that inspires repeated listens.” In 2021, a live performance by Eleanor Underhill & Friends was featured on PBS-syndicated Echo Sessions along with a cover story in CenterPiece Magazine. 2022 is shaping up to be another hallmark year with the release of the group’s third album Got it Covered, packed with sixteen tracks of fan-favorite cover songs.
Quinn Sullivan / Veronica Lewis
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLEQUINN SULLIVAN This spring, 22-year-old singer, songwriter, and guitarist Quinn Sullivan is set to release WIDE AWAKE, his new studio album, via Mascot Label Group/Provogue. A rare artist who’s always sounded older than his years, Sullivan has been touring the world since he was 11-years-old, playing storied venues such as Madison Square Garden, the Hollywood Bowl and RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., as well as India’s Mahindra Blues Festival, Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival, and three Montreux Jazz Festivals. Quinn has shared the stage with his hero and mentor Buddy Guy, as well as Carlos Santana on several occasions. Quinn’s performance experience includes appearances on leading national television programs such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Conan, and The Oprah Winfrey Show, to name a few. This Massachusetts native has taken the abundant skills of his youth and now, as a young adult, is letting them blossom and steer him into new directions of artistry and creativity. “I want to stay true to where I come from, and go from there,” says Sullivan. “The artists that inspire me to do that are always hungry for the new. They never repeat themselves. They just grow and become more unique — and that’s what I aim to do as an artist.” Having developed genuinely jaw-dropping skills as a guitar player, Sullivan’s more recent learning curve has been with pen and paper. “I’ve always considered myself a songwriter,” he says. “On the last few records, it just wasn’t something I was doing all the time. I was focused on other things, like my guitar playing and developing my vocals, both of which I continue to do.” Since the release of 2017’s MIDNIGHT HIGHWAY, Sullivan has evolved into the singer-songwriter genre while effectively highlighting his guitar mastery.VERONICA LEWIS Veronica Lewis is one of the most exciting, emerging talents in the Indie Roots world. Bending genres from the Bayou to the north country, Lewis combines the true language of the Blues with the energy of early rock ‘n rollers. A teenage prodigy, piano player, singer & prolific songwriter who is ”changing the game and upping the ante”, says American Blues Scene. With the release of her critically acclaimed, Chart-topping, debut album “You Ain’t Unlucky”, 18-year-old Veronica Lewis, is poised to bring new generations back under that big old revival tent that is Blues and Roots rock and roll. A mesmerizing live performer with serious piano chops, soaring vocals, and trailblazing original songs, Veronica gives her audience “every last drop, every single time”. “You Ain’t Unlucky” blasted Veronica Lewis’ career off to a mind-blowing start, debuting at Number #2 on the Billboard Blues charts, #1 on iTunes Blues chart, and landing the title Track ‘You Ain’t Unlucky’ as the Number #1 Blues Song of The Year 2021 (Root Music Report), and snagging two Blues Music Nominations in 2022 for Best Emerging Artist Album & Piano Player of the Year.
EARLY SHOW: Ben Roy
– ALL AGES- FULLY SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM TICKETS AVAILABLEBEN ROY If you aren’t familiar with Ben Roy, he’s been taking comedy audiences by storm since 2004, bringing an unparalleled energy and unique voice to the stage. Often compared to Lewis Black or Bill Hicks due to his passionate, ranting approach, Roy has a style that is definitively his own. Roy cut his comedic teeth in Denver at the world famous Comedy Works. Since then, he has been selected to perform at the Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, Just For Laughs Toronto, Just For Laughs Chicago, The New York Comedy Festival, Austin’s South by Southwest festival, and many more. Roy has been featured on HBO’s Funny as Hell series; as well as on the Comedy Central shows Adam DeVine’s House Party, Corporate, @midnight, and This Is Not Happening. Ben has also released four stand-up comedy albums and was listed as one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics to Watch.Along with fellow Denver Comedians Adam Cayton-Holland and Andrew Orvedahl (who collectively perform as The Grawlix), Ben created, wrote, and starred in TruTV’s original comedy series Those Who Can’t, which now has all three seasons available for streaming on HBOMax. He’s also currently host of two podcasts, 97.9 The Rat Race on the All Things Comedy network, and The Grawlix Saves the World available on The Starburns Audio Network. In addition to stand-up comedy, acting, and writing, Roy is a prolific musician and the current lead singer of pop punk outfit SPELLS
Baron Vaughn
– ALL AGES- FULLY SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM TICKETS AVAILABLEBARON VAUGHN With an undeniable ability to construct and produce remarkable performances, actor/writer/comedian Baron Vaughn is a skilled talent both on and off the stage, as well as in front of and behind the camera. He can be seen acting alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin on Netflix’s Grace & Frankie in the role of “Bud” currently in its sixth season. He is the voice of “Tom Servo” in the new Mystery Science Theater 3000 (The Return and The Gauntlet) also streaming on Netflix. He has made a very personal documentary for the Fusion Network called Fatherless directed by Dawn Porter. He’s the co-creator and co-host of the acclaimed Comedy Central showcase variety series The New Negroes with Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle and the series Call & Response with Blavity and Funny or Die. He is also the host of Syfy Wire’s The Great Debate premiering June 18 on SYFY. Baron has performed stand-up comedy for 18 years. He has 2 comedy recordings Raised by Cable and Blaxistential Crisis both streaming on all platforms. He’s performed on Comedy Central in his own Half Hour, and The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail. He’s also appeared on HBO’s 2 Dope Queens, Showtime’s SXSW Comedy, and TBS’ Conan (twice). On top of headlining major clubs and colleges all over the US, Baron has performed at the Just for Laughs (Montreal), Life Is Beautiful (Las Vegas), and the New York Comedy Festival among others. Baron and Open Mike have also toured the live version of The New Negroes to many festivals, clubs and theaters across the country. Baron has punched-up shows produced by IFC and Dreamworks, was selected for the inaugural 2016 Sundance New Voices Lab, and of course, wrote on both The New Negroes and MST3K. Baron’s directorial debut, the short film “So Much To Do” featuring Toni Trucks, can be seen in the horror anthology, Scare Package, premiering June 18 on Shudder. He has a BFA in Acting from Boston University’s prestigious theatre program.
Sweet Pill
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYSWEET PILLPhiladelphia’s Sweet Pill write eruptive emo songs that embrace the edges of pop and hardcore. The kind of band whose members are fully immersed in their local scene—through a handful of notable side projects and the show-promoting Philly staple 4333 Collective—the quintet’s sound takes wide-spectrum influence from its environment. The result is an amalgam of complex song structures and flourishes of technical acumen, wholly unconcerned with genre, yet evoking the specific styles of touchstones such as Paramore and Circa Survive.On their debut longplayer Where the Heart Is, Sweet Pill’s unbound, raucous energy presents through ten autobiographical tracks that hinge on singer Zayna Youssef’s elastic, enrapturing voice—at times belting and controlled, at others textural and guttural. Supporting Youssef are guitarists Jayce Williams and Sean McCall, bassist Ryan Cullen, and drummer Chris Kearney. Their blistering lead single “Blood” sees Youssef exploring a deteriorated friendship over Williams and McCall’s trudging riffs and tactful counterpoint, with Cullen and Kearney rumbling nimbly in the song’s foundations.Second single “High Hopes” counters with introspective, melodic punk that reshapes anxiety rather than succumb to it. But third single “Diamond Eyes” momentarily slows the pace, with McCall joining Youssef on vocals for a breakup lament laden with acoustic sentimentalism and an emotive flurry from guest flutist Jill Ryan. Such range is the central facet of Where the Heart Is, where Sweet Pill’s penchant for combining punkish tropes enlivened with the vibrance of math-rock and the aggression of post-hardcore sweetened with pop sensibility compound into something stylistically new yet still familiar.Sweet Pill is Zayna, Jayce, Chris, Sean & RyanKEROSENE HEIGHTSKerosene heights is an emo band from Asheville North Carolina and make loud exciting emo punk that carries the torch of earlier emo bands. The energy of a sweaty basement show comes through even in their recordings with distorted twinkly riffs, yelled vocals, and raw production. Their debut LP comes out this summer on No Sleep Records.
PATIO: Griefcat + Brittany Ann Tranbaugh
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IN FIRST COME FIRST SERVEGRIEFCATGriefcat is an all-women musical comedy duo hailed as “local favorites” by Washington City Paper in their hometown of DC. Often referred to as “Tenacious Double D’s” due to their musicality and hilarious lyrics, their sequin studded shows have been referred to by attendees as “the most fun [we’ve] had since Lizzo.” They recently finished recording their 2nd studio album, “late stage capitalism,” with singles expected in Spring of 2023. A live clip of one of their upcoming singles, “Revolution (Poop at Work), ” recently garnered over 1M views on Instagram and counting. BRITTANY ANN TRANBAUGHBrittany Ann Tranbaugh is a singer songwriter hailing from Philadelphia. Her queer country song “Kiss You” won Song of the Year in the 2021 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and she regularly tours with Carsie Blanton. In October, she recorded a 5 song EP in LA with Grammy-nominated producer Tyler Chester, and will be releasing a single every 6 weeks beginning in March.
PATIO: 5j Barrow
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE5J BARROWInspiration seeped through the windows of apartment 5J on Barrow Street looking out over the Hudson River in NYC’s Greenwich Village, where singer-songwriters and Broadway performers, Eryn Murman and Jason Hite, soaked up the energy and passion of musicians, painters, poets and writers who created the Village vibe. Together, they paid tribute to those creative spirits and named their band 5j Barrow, writing music and lyrics with a unique folk/rock sound, touring as a duo, and often picking up Drew Jones on bass and Gerard Canonico on drums. The band has inspired audiences with soulful music, evocative imagery, and lyrics that touch the heart, from the historic Apollo Theater to the open air of Washington Square Park, from the streets of New Orleans to the Rocky Mountains, from California wine country to New England forests. Woody Platt of the Steep Canyon Rangers says his interest was piqued when he came across their live show at the Asheville Regional Airport of all places. “I checked out 5J Barrow and was totally impressed; killer vocals, cools songs and overall great energy, vibe.” The duo of Eryn Murman and Jason Hite who originally formed the band in 2011, forged an even stronger bond when they married in 2017. Since then, they’ve toured the country and discovered new inspiration in the mountains of Asheville, NC, a supportive artistic community that resembles the old Village vibe that sparked 5j’s values in independent artistry, community and collaboration. They still travel and tour, a favorite of Sofar Sounds in dozens of cities, and play diverse music venues, house concerts, and festivals all over North America. 5j Barrow was named “Best Band in NY” after winning The Greene Space WNYC/WQXR’s Battle of the Boroughs 2014. 5j Barrow released their debut album ‘From the Dim, Sweet Light’ in 2014, and their EP trilogy of The Journey Volumes 1, 2, and 3 were released from 2017-2019.
[POSTPONED] PATIO: Drunken Prayer
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVEDRUNKEN PRAYERDrunken Prayer transcends the bounds of Americana music. Morgan Geer, the wizard behind the curtain, writes songs that could emerge from a highly blissed-out biker bar or a swampy ashram.For the last year Morgan Geer has been working from his home studio with Paul Oldham (Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Palace), building on drum tracks initially recorded in New Mexico at Empty House Studios, home of doom metal bands like OM and Sleep. The end result evokes an ominous acid Western feedback-and-driftwood aesthetic.The latest Drunken Prayer releases have been 2019’s acclaimed LP Cordelia Elsewhere mixed by Mitch Easter (Let’s Active, REM) and the ambitious 17 minute long death-raga, Electric Daddyland from 2021.Over the past two years, before the pandemic, Drunken Prayer played hundreds of shows across 18 countries and across the US at venues such as the Newport Folk Festival, Pickathon and San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. Geer’s music has been featured on AMC, NPR, WFMU and SiriusXM.On the side Geer is the lead guitar player for alt-country goths Freakwater and writes for different artists including the Brooklyn rock and soul phenom Bette Smith. Morgan has also been touring internationally, opening for and often joining the eccentric Handsome Family.Today Morgan splits time between Portland, OR and Asheville, NC.
PATIO: Drunken Prayer
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVEDRUNKEN PRAYERDrunken Prayer transcends the bounds of Americana music. Morgan Geer, the wizard behind the curtain, writes songs that could emerge from a highly blissed-out biker bar or a swampy ashram.For the last year Morgan Geer has been working from his home studio with Paul Oldham (Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Palace), building on drum tracks initially recorded in New Mexico at Empty House Studios, home of doom metal bands like OM and Sleep. The end result evokes an ominous acid Western feedback-and-driftwood aesthetic.The latest Drunken Prayer releases have been 2019’s acclaimed LP Cordelia Elsewhere mixed by Mitch Easter (Let’s Active, REM) and the ambitious 17 minute long death-raga, Electric Daddyland from 2021.Over the past two years, before the pandemic, Drunken Prayer played hundreds of shows across 18 countries and across the US at venues such as the Newport Folk Festival, Pickathon and San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. Geer’s music has been featured on AMC, NPR, WFMU and SiriusXM.On the side Geer is the lead guitar player for alt-country goths Freakwater and writes for different artists including the Brooklyn rock and soul phenom Bette Smith. Morgan has also been touring internationally, opening for and often joining the eccentric Handsome Family.Today Morgan splits time between Portland, OR and Asheville, NC.
Michigan Rattlers
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYMICHIGAN RATTLERS Michigan Rattlers are a folk-rock band composed of Graham Young (guitar), Adam Reed (bass), Christian Wilder (piano), and Tony Audia (drums). Meeting as childhood friends, they began writing music and performing together in their hometown of Petoskey, Michigan. Their self-titled Michigan Rattlers EP attracted reviews from No Depression, Bluegrass Situation, B3 Science, and Rolling Stone, who named the band one of their “Ten New Country Artists You Need To Know” in 2016. They’ve continued to evolve beyond the “country” label ever since. In 2018, following a summer tour that included stops at Bonnaroo, Firefly and Electric Forest; the band released their debut full length album, ‘Evergreen’. “This is a band with solid songwriting chops and instrumental skills,” says No Depression. “‘Evergreen’ shows this four-piece from Petoskey, Michigan making a stand, making their way.” Growing into a more expansive sound, the band’s second full length album, ‘That Kind of Life’, was released in 2021 to positive reviews. With live shows being at the core of the band’s identity, the Rattlers continue to tour relentlessly, bringing their honest songwriting and high energy rock n roll to stages across the U.S and Canada. OLD SAPPoet from Chicago, rambled out to Montana, cut a banjo from a tamarack, strings across the country, foot like a freight train, voice rushing down over lush Appalachia, sings a thrush tune through the rush hour and into your long-forgotten prairie dreams.Folk. Folk Rock. Americana.
