Shawn Mullins + Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams
– ALL AGES- FULLY SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLESHAWN MULLINSAfter a series of indie record releases, Shawn Mullins’ critical breakthrough came when 1998 Soul’s Core album shot him to fame on the strength of its Grammy-nominated No. 1 hit, “Lullaby” followed by AAA/Americana No. 1 “Beautiful Wreck” from 2006’s 9th Ward Pickin Parlor. His song, “Shimmer” was used in promotion of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and was included on the Dawson’s Creek soundtrack. He co-wrote “All in My Head” which was featured in episode one of the hit TV sitcom “Scrubs.” Mullins also co-wrote the Zac Brown Band’s No. 1 country tune “Toes.” In early 2002, he formed super group The Thorns with Matthew Sweet and Peter Droge. Mullins’ most recent album My Stupid Heart, was released in 2015, the theme of which, Mullins says, can be summed up most succinctly by the song title, “It All Comes Down To Love,” the guiding force behind just about every song on the album. Mullins is currently embarking on a recording project in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the release of his album Soul’s Core, which came out July 17, 1998. He always performs songs from Soul’s Core in his live sets including “Lullaby” (Rockabye), “Gulf of Mexico,” “Twin Rocks Oregon,” “Shimmer” and “Anchored in You”. The song arrangements have evolved through the years as he continues to perform them live and grow as an artist.LARRY CAMPBELL AND TERESA WILLIAMS Multi-instrumentalist-singer-songwriter Larry Campbell and singer-guitarist Teresa Williams’ acclaimed eponymous 2015 debut, released after seven years of playing in Levon Helm’s band – and frequent guesting with Phil Lesh, Little Feat, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, brought to the stage the crackling creative energy of a decades-long offstage union. A whirlwind of touring and promo followed, and when the dust cleared, the duo was ready to do it all again. Which brings us to Contraband Love, a riskier slice of Americana. Larry, who produced Contraband Love, says, “I wanted this record to be a progression, bigger than the first one. That’s all I knew. I wanted the songwriting to be deeper, the arrangements more interesting, the performances more dynamic. Specifically how to get there, I didn’t know. I did know the songs were different. The subject matter was darker than anything else I’ve written.” “More painful!” Teresa says, and laughs. “Yeah,” Larry says with a smile. “I’m proud of our debut, but I felt like the songs were lighter than what I’m capable of doing. As a songwriter, I aspire to a sense of uniqueness: this is a great song and it could only have been written by me. I want to get there. It’s a journey, a goal, a pursuit. The mechanics of that pursuit are figuring out what you need to do to surpass your last body of work.”
Midnight North
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYMIDNIGHT NORTHThere’s Always a Story represents a new chapter for Midnight North. Ten stories told through song on their most polished album to date. Reflecting on the time since their origin, Midnight North is ready to tell the world its story. A group of multi-instrumentalists with songwriting roots in Folk and Americana, Midnight North is a mainstay on the stages of the national touring circuit. Rolling Stone hailed Midnight North as the “Best New Act” in its review of 2018’s Peach Music Festival saying the band “takes the best parts of roots music and weaves them into a tapestry of rock and Americana.”Grahame Lesh, Elliott Peck, & Connor O’Sullivan began playing together in San Francisco. In early 2012 they played their first show as Grahame Lesh & Friends. Grahame & Elliott both brought a repertoire of original music to this new project that was a perfect marriage once the band began performing in earnest. In late 2012 the band went into the studio for the first time, tracking the entirety of their debut album End of the Night in just 2 days. End of the Night (mixed & produced by Connor) was released in June 2013 as they officially debuted the name Midnight North.The band began touring in June 2015, with the release of their second album Scarlet Skies. That began a five year run as a touring band, playing in 36 states in front of thousands of people across the country. They released Under the Lights, their most successful studio album to date, in summer 2017. “Across all of the tracks, when you think you have the band pegged for a style or a genre, all of a sudden a chorus, or a new solo or new instrument altogether, diverts the music boldly but smartly to a new sound and feel,” said The Poke Around in their review of Under the Lights. They also released two live albums including 2018’s Selections From the Great American Music Hall which featured Bob Weir & Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead plus members of Twiddle as special guests.A pivotal moment for the band came when Grahame met drummer Nathan Graham at a benefit show in Philadelphia in 2016. A month later Nathan sat in with the band for a show, eventually joining the band for their longest tour to date in the Spring of 2017. Bringing on the well seasoned drummer as a full-time member of the band (and learning about his banjo playing, singing, and song-writing skills) represented the next step forward as plans were made to record their fourth studio album.In January 2020, the band went into a California studio with producer David Simon-Baker to craft their fourth studio album, There’s Always a Story, released in 2021 on Americana Vibes. As the world shut down in March and the band quarantined separately around the country, the album was finished remotely in California and Pennsylvania. As the months ticked by they let the rest of the newly written & recorded songs sink into their consciousness so that when work resumed on the album in June the entire album became even better than they could have hoped.RIVER TRAMPSRiver Tramps blend the best elements of folk, blues, and classic country music, crafting tunes with harmony, gypsy jazz flourishes, and twang.
Machine Funk: A Tribute to Widespread Panic
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYMACHINE FUNK: A TRIBUTE TO WIDESPREAD PANIC Machine Funk “Tribute to Widespread Panic” was formed in the summer of 2006 in Florence, SC. The band tours the southeast covering the music of Widespread Panic. Night after night their set lists are never the same, with having over 150 songs in rotation you will not see the same show twice. MF also include songs from Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Talking Heads and many others. Machine Funk has shared the stage with musicians from The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, North Mississippi Allstars, Randall Bramblett, ALSO Todd Nance and Jojo Hermann of Widespread Panic. We thank you for your support. See you on the road! Sean Mills- Guitar, Vocals Will Ames- Bass, Vocals Greg Buie- Keyboards Laddie Johnson- Drums Parker DeWitt- Percussion/Vocals
An Evening With Vanessa Collier
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLEVANESSA COLLIER “There’s a young lady [Vanessa Collier] came onstage with me, I forget where I was, but she’s playing an alto saxophone, and man, she was amazing.” Those are the words of Buddy Guy in a recent issue of American Blues Scene, describing an impromptu performance with Vanessa Collier on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. If you haven’t been fortunate enough to meet Vanessa and witness one of her head-turning, fiery, and passionate performances, you should definitely make sure you do. As a master musician and multi-instrumentalist, Vanessa Collier, weaves funk, soul, rock, and blues into every powerful performance and she is downright impressive. With soulful vocals, searing saxophone, and witty songwriting, Vanessa is blazing a trail, racking up an impressive arsenal of honours, and has already singled herself out as an artist of distinction and one we would all do well to watch. It’s not simply the accolades she has accumulated so far, although they’ve been many — two Blues Music Awards for “Horn Player of the Year”, and a third BMA for “Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year”, eight Blues Music Award Nominations (BMAs), a Blues Blast Award nomination, the Jammingest Pro Award bestowed by the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, First Place for lyrics in the International Songwriting Competition, Best of 2014 Blues Breaker on Dan Aykroyd’s BluesMobile — it’s the fact that she has accumulated all these honours even while her career is still in its infancy. A 2013 graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, she’s toured nationally and internationally, released four critically acclaimed albums (2014’s Heart, Soul & Saxophone, 2017’s Meeting My Shadow, and 2018’s Honey Up, 2020’s Heart On The Line. Honey Up spent 9 weeks atop the Billboard Blues Album Charts Top 15, 3 months on the Living Blues Charts at #10 and #23, and continues to be spun on Sirius XM’s B.B. King’s Bluesville radio station! It’s not surprising that the press has been quick to commend her efforts as well. Blues Blast Magazine affirms, “Vanessa Collier is a fresh face on the American blues scene, and in addition to her soulful vocals, she brings a mighty sax to the table…” Blues Music Magazine proclaims, “Collier is a fresh face who comes to the blues stage carrying her reed instruments, a dual degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston, a major label debut, almost two years of touring with Joe Louis Walker, and a mature musical vision…Collier commands center stage with her vocals, soloing, and stage presence.” Midwest Record exclaims, “This bluesy singing sax player knows how to bring the slinking funk to her captivating, award winning sound that has echoes in young Bonnie Raitt/Maria Muldaur vocal sounds…Killer stuff on every level, this sounds like one of the reasons you first became a music fan. Killer stuff.” and AXS.Com declares that she “might as well go ahead and add another shelf to her trophy case because clearly, she’s going to need it. With a voice that often recalls that of blues-rock stalwart Bonnie Raitt, Collier turns up the heat…”
The Schizophonics
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYTHE SCHIZOPHONICSOver the last few years, THE SCHIZOPHONICS have built up a formidable reputation around the world as an explosive live act. Tapping into the same unstoppable combination of rock ‘n’ roll energy and showmanship that fueled THE MC5 in the heyday of the Grande Ballroom, their wild live show is heavily influenced by artists like JAMES BROWN, IGGY POP, JIMI HENDRIX, LITTLE RICHARD, and THE SONICS. Singer/guitarist Pat Beers and drummer Lety Beers formed the band in San Diego in 2009 and have worked tirelessly since then, playing hundreds of shows around the globe. In 2013 they were recruited as the backing/opening band for EL VEZ, which helped the band make a name for itself in Europe. Since then, they’ve played in numerous countries, and supported tours by like-minded acts like ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT, LITTLE BARRIE, THE WOGGLES and have opened for the DAMNED, DEVO, HIVES and CAGE THE ELEPHANT. Shindig magazine described their live show “Like watching some insane hybrid of WAYNE KRAMER, JAMES BROWN, and the Tazmanian Devil”.POWDER HORNS Powder Horns is a band born from the mind of Brett J Kent in Asheville, NC. Based in the traditions of the almighty rock and roll, Powder Horns finds itself a culmination of influences and life experiences.
Benefit Concert for Evergreen Community Charter School ft Late Shifters, Blushin’ Roulettes and more!
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYBENEFIT CONCERT FOR EVERGREEN COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL Evergreen Community Charter School is a K-8 learning community committed to the pursuit of excellence in the holistic education of mind, body, and spirit. We prepare students for successful lifelong learning, social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and service. We value the voice of every member of our community.Featuring….THE LATE SHIFTERS Southern rock meets jam band meets Americana with The Late Shifters, a necessity-born, passion-driven, local band, playing back holler, Asheville rock. With a nod to their Southern rock and Appalachian roots, The Late Shifters have found a way to express their love for the region and its rich environment and culture through amplified and warm electric sound. In 2023, the band will be releasing their debut album featuring crowd-favorite originals like Highway 191 and Letting Go. They have an enthusiastic following around town and have plans to take their show on the road regionally this spring. These five, hardworking, hard-playing family men have brought together their individual talents from both southern corners of Buncombe County. The Late Shifters have been playing around the corner and around the campfire for years, and chances are, you probably know at least one of them. Bring your families and boogie shoes for a soul-warming, bootie shaking, rocking good time. BLUSHIN’ ROULETTES The Blushin’ Roulettes deliver sultry, smoky, swingin’ twang. “Their songs are stripped down, sexy little jewel boxes stuffed with ancient mountain magic,” says the San Francisco Free Folk Festival. Guitaress and songwriter Angie Heimann belts her stirring songs of damsels in their bliss and distress in a clarion vibrato often likened to Iris Dement. Cas Sochacki thumps the double bass and interlaces bright dobro stylings amid the rich lyrics of the Roulettes’ more serious songs, and rings in vocally with his molasses baritone on the occasional cheeky duet. The Roulettes have newly expanded their North Carolina lineup to include the prominent Asheville players Cynthia McDermott (mandolin and vocals,) Jay Brown (guitar and vocals) and James T. Browne (drums.) JUAN HOLLADAYHailing from the desert southwest, Juan Holladay is a quiet storm, down tempo, lo-fi crooner.BLUESTREAK Bluestreak formed when a couple of best friends turned their love of rock into a new teenage band. They are a new generation of rockers working through the classic rock songbook and adding their own jamming blues originals to the mix. They are sure to throw in some Southern rock, a classic Country tune and maybe even an impromptu jam. Bluestreak is a rock ensemble crafting their sound from 2 guitars, bass, keyboard and drums. Their song selections are sure to please your ears no matter what generation you’re from. From the Grateful Dead to REO Speedwagon this quintet rocks the block with their amazing sound. Come out and have a blast with Bluestreak, your favorite local teen band.
Sexbruise? w/ Minka
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYSEXBRUISE? Sexbruise? is a satirical pop band from Charleston, SC that combines elements of improvisation, electronic music, poppy hooks, and audience participation to create an unforgettable live experience. Despite their extreme wealth and lavish lifestyle, Sexbruise? grew up on a dirt road right down the street from Pappy’s Hardware Shop, and subsequently is very in tune with the struggles and plight of middle america. Sexbruise? has been featured at Sweetwater 420 Fest, Hulaween, Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival, Floyd Fest, and Resonance Fest, and will be announcing other pending festies, assuming this damn virus doesn’t fuck us at the last second again. Sexbruise?’s shows can be described as a giant party. The tunes are memorable, the stage presence exciting, and the antics unpredictable. And there are snacks. Thrown from the stage. The band has prepared pancakes and pizza on stage, brought out dancers in animal costumes, hired fake demonstrators to protest their shows, and many more other cool things.MINKA
GA-20 + LadyCouch
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYGA-20 GA-20 clearly is on to something big. It’s a movement, a new traditional blues revival. The dynamic, throwback blues trio are disciples of the place where traditional blues, country and rock ‘n’ roll intersect. “We make records that we would want to listen to,” says guitarist Matt Stubbs. “It’s our take on the song-based traditional electric blues we love.” Stubbs, guitarist/vocalist Pat Faherty, and drummer Tim Carman have been at the forefront of this traditional blues revival since they first formed in 2018. It’s no wonder they skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard Blues Chart.According to Stubbs, “Since we started the band we’ve focused on the story, the melody, and on creating a mood. Playing live as much as we do, we’re finding more and more that people are discovering how cool it all is. Traditional country, soul and funk music have all had these massive recent revivals, but traditional blues so far has not.” With their new Colemine album, Crackdown, and an intensive tour schedule, that’s all about to change.On Crackdown, GA-20’s third full-length release, the band creates an unvarnished, ramshackle blues that is at once traditional and refreshingly modern. Expanding on their previous releases (2019’s Lonely Soul and 2021’s Try It…You Might Like It! GA-20 Does Hound Dog Taylor) GA-20 finds inspiration on the edges of the genre, where early electric blues first converged with country and rock ‘n’ roll. The album’s nine original songs include the loping, Louisiana-flavored Dry Run, the dirty, and bare-bones Easy On The Eyes and the melodic, garage-tinged Fairweather Friend. With tight, propulsive performances and a brevity and punk energy reminiscent of The Ramones, Crackdown is rowdy and fun, filled with instantly memorable, and well-crafted songs.LADYCOUCH “Everybody’s dancing, y’all — it’s about that time,” Allen Thompson sings during the first minute of LadyCouch’s ‘Future Looks Fine,’ setting the tone for a debut album rooted in groove, soul, and the family-like bond of the musicians. A southern-rock jam band fronted by Thompson and co-founder Keshia Bailey, LadyCouch brings together a lineup of songwriters, horn players, harmony singers, and first-rate instrumentalists. The result is a larger-than-life sound inspired by the revue bands of the 1970s, bringing a contemporary approach to the timeless influence of Delaney & Bonnie, Little Feat, and Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Funky and fiercely loyal, LadyCouch’s members are a community unto themselves, writing optimistic songs about the struggles and triumphs that connect us all. “We choose to make it through hard times by being together,” says Bailey, who previously cut her teeth in the throwback soul group Magnolia Sons. “There will always be struggle. You can sit and bask in it, or you can keep moving forward. For me, the best option is bond together and sing it out. That’s what this band does for me. LadyCouch heals me.”
Wyatt Moran, Well Kept, Convalescent, Mary’s Letter
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYWYATT MORAN Raised in the driftless north of Minnesota, Wyatt Moran has become an underground mainstay in the folk and indie rock scenes of the Twin Cities. Playing such legendary venues as 7th Street Entry like many before him, Moran has been inspired by the countless names and faces that have walked across those very same stages. From finger-picked guitars to heavy indie rock instrumentals, Moran’s music spans many genres but his intentions are always clear: write songs with integrity that people can connect to. Explosive and crushing drums lurk behind Moran’s cyclical baritone guitar riffs. Bass lines float in and out of focus as Moran’s voice carries his emo-adjacent style of songwriting. Moran currently lives in Boston, MA where he is finishing his undergrad program at Berklee College of Music, but regularly returns to Minnesota to play, record, and perform his music. With two national tours under his belt and another being planned for winter 2022, Moran plans to record his debut record in January 2023, with plans for a west coast tour and record release in the summer/fall of the same year. WELL KEPTWell Kept is an alternative rock band from Athens, GA, harnessing a potent combination of modern indie rock and classic emo. Originally formed in 2019 as the songwriting vehicle for Athens producer Tommy Trautwein, Well Kept has blossomed into a 5-piece band that is just as imaginative in the studio as they are powerful onstage. Their new record The Inquirer was self-produced by Trautwein and features a denser and more detailed sound, filled with both honest and reflective songwriting and the type of hooks that have fit in smoothly when Well Kept has shared bills with modern pop bands like Dayglow and COIN. With The Inquirer, Well Kept appear to be on the cusp of thrilling change, having proven they can craft ambitious widescreen rock songs without losing the intimacy of their home recording roots.CONVALESCENTDrawing from emo, pop punk, and Americana influences, Convalescent strives for raw, honest expression through music. Officially bearing the moniker since 2019, songwriter Joel Ragan has been writing and performing in Asheville since 2012. Convalescent’s six-song EP “I Swear I’m Trying” touches on themes of motivation, hopelessness, and questions about the meaning of life.MARY’S LETTERSeamlessly blurring the lines between 2nd wave emo acts and post rock songwriting, Mary’s Letter is a unique blend of heart on the sleeve lyricism with patient buildups and climaxes. Maintaining a sense of pop sensibility, the Asheville 5 piece manages to create sonic soundscapes which evoke intense emotions out of the listener, without losing a sense of accessibility.
Secret Shame (Album Release Show)
– w/ CAVE GRAVE, DOT COM BUBBLE, THE EMOTRON, DJ GOTHDAD – ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYSECRET SHAME Secret Shame refuse to limit their sound to a single genre but instead pull from a wide range of influences including post-punk, death rock, shoegaze, and dream-pop. Infectious guitar melodies and interlocking bass lines lead a narrative shaped by dynamic drums. There is a sonic tension between rage and melancholy, the beautiful and the bleak, that finds resolution in the way the music reflects the mood of the lyrics. So too does the dynamic range of Lena’s distinct voice, with the subdued resonance of gentler songs beckoning the listener nearer to her commanding presence in aggressive songs. Secret Shame first took shape when bassist Matthew met vocalist Lena through mutual friends in summer of 2016. Nathan, who had released the band’s first EP, later joined on drums, and not long after, Aster joined on guitar. Secret Shame’s debut full-length, Dark Synthetics, received widespread critical acclaim with the single Calm being featured on The New York Time’s weekly playlist and the album landing on many album-of-the-year lists, including #77 on Bandcamp Daily and #1 on Post-Punk.com. Secret Shame recorded Autonomy at Drop of Sun with engineer/producer Alex Farrar. Both musically and lyrically, the band reaches a new level of maturity in the album. The diverse yet cohesive eleven song record touches on addiction, body dysmorphia, abuse, and mental illness. The band is releasing their sophomore album, Autonomy, October 28th before embarking on a month-long full US tour sharing east coast dates with the goth-pop band Vision Video.CAVE GRAVEDOT COM BUBBLETHE EMOTRONDJ GOTHDAD
