John R. Miller + Melissa Carper
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYJOHN R. MILLERJohn R Miller is a true hyphenate artist: singer-songwriter-picker. Every song on his thrilling debut solo album, Depreciated, is lush with intricate wordplay and haunting imagery, as well as being backed by a band that is on fire. One of his biggest long-time fans is roots music favorite Tyler Childers, who says he’s “a well-travelled wordsmith mapping out the world he’s seen, three chords at a time.” Miller is somehow able to transport us to a shadowy honkytonk and get existential all in the same line with his tightly written compositions. Miller’s own guitar-playing is on fine display here along with vocals that evoke the white-waters of the Potomac River rumbling below the high ridges of his native Shenandoah Valley.MELISSA CARPERAfter the success of her critically-acclaimed 2021 release Daddy’ s Country Gold, Melissa Carper, dubbed “HillBillie Holiday” by friend and collaborator Chris Scruggs, was eager to get back in the studio. With co-producers Andrija Tokic (St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Hurray For The Riff Raff) and Dennis Crouch (The Time Jumpers) behind the boards again at Tokic’s analog paradise The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, Carper assembled that same crew of magical music makers — plus a few more — to embark on her newest effort, Ramblin’ Soul, set for release November 18th via Thirty Tigers.Carper’s deep, old-timey music roots were firmly planted as a child, playing upright bass and singing in her family’s traveling country band in rural Nebraska. Her love of country classics was cultivated as she laid beneath the console listening to her parents’ record collection. Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, and more became the soundtrack of her youth. When Carper’s father gifted her a collection of Jimmie Rodgers’ recordings, she began to find her voice and calling as a songwriter.TAYLOR KINGMANIn a time drenched in escapism, where an unceasing barrage of synthetic shine promises comfort and relief from facing the complexity of our natures, Taylor Kingman’s new album Hollow Sound is an antithetical long night in a solitary cave, with nothing but a small fire and a hard look inward to keep you company.Between his work fronting TK & The Holy Know-Nothings and his 2017 solo debut Wannabe, Kingman is no stranger to the darkness. But here he transcends the desolate rock bottom, as Hollow Sound whispers, then howls us into that place beyond brokenness where breathing begins again. To listen deeply to these songs is to lay down naked on the wet, unforgiving earth, pushing the ground through your fingers; it is to be soothed by the wholeness of who we are, filth and all. Kingman pulls no punches with his writing, and requires us to listen with the same honesty.
Chris Pureka
– w/ JOHN-ALLISON WEISS- ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLECHRIS PUREKA It’s rare for an artist to bridge the divide between critical acclaim and dedicated fan engagement. Chris Pureka is a Portland-based singer-songwriter whose body of work has resonated deeply with these seemingly disparate milieus. Her music has straddled the folk, americana and indie rock genres over the course of her 20 year career, and over that time, her bold vulnerability in processing the intimacies of life in song has struck a chord with those listeners who crave authenticity and depth. Chris’s elegant emotionality as a vocalist and her flair as a lyricist have garnered her favorable comparisons to Chan Marshall, Bruce Springsteen, and Patty Griffin. Over many years of touring on both sides of the Atlantic, she has shared the stage with such diverse and esteemed artists as The Lumineers, Gregory Alan Isakov, The Cowboy Junkies, Haley Heynderickx, and Ani DiFranco. She has had her songs featured on such television shows as Brothers and Sisters, Covert Affairs and Shameless and well as a song featured in the Sundance featured indie film, The Royal Road. Along the way, Chris has remained truly independent, selling nearly 50,000 albums through her own label, Sad Rabbit Records.JOHN-ALLISON WEISSKnown for their gritty, melodic indie pop songwriting, John-Allison Weiss emerged at the end of the 2000s as an early crowd-funding hero with a strong D.I.Y. ethos that has defined them throughout their career. After establishing themselves among the punk underground, they became a staple of the Warped Tour and released highly rated albums like 2013’s Say What You Mean and 2015’s New Love. Touring with everyone from Lou Reed to Letters to Cleo, Weiss has also collaborated as a songwriter with artists including Tegan Quin and Kevin Devine. Following a live album and 2021’s Death Valley Demos EP, they signed with Get Better Records and issued the singles “Different Now” and “Feels Like Hell” from their upcoming album ‘The Long Way’ out February 17th.
Viv & Riley (Album Release Show)
– ALL AGES- FULLY SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLEVIV & RILEY Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno play old-soul roots music, fluidly melding a backbone of Appalachian traditional music with fresh iconic melodies and the tightly wound vocal harmonies of indie folk. A bittersweet nostalgia lies at the heart of Imaginary People, the new album from Viv & Riley, coming September 15, 2023 on Free Dirt Records. Over ten tracks, the pair applies an indie roots sheen to newly composed pop gems. Rooted originally in the folk tradition, the pair reframe the production into experimental territory, crafting songs that speak to finding a path forward into adulthood in an uncertain world. Gifted songwriters and multi-instrumentalists, Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno’s first album under the name Viv & Riley is a subtle masterpiece of thought and reflection. The album brings a reflectiveness to summertime jams that speak of uninhibited joy and creative camaraderie. Coming on the heels of their acclaimed earlier albums that showed preternaturally talented songwriting from such young artists, now the songs have caught up with their lives. Now in their mid-20s, the two are building a life together, creating a supportive community, and looking back on everything they’ve been through. Based out of Durham, North Carolina, they’ve tapped into the area’s eclectic and collaborative music scene, recruiting Alex Bingham of Hiss Golden Messenger to produce the album. Bingham brings a sunny, lush sound to Viv & Riley’s music, moving beyond their earlier country roots and toward a layered sound and sonic experimentation. The songwriting has evolved as well, from the world-weary, stripped-down country songs they’re known for to indie songwriting at turns sweetly sad and gently sardonic. Ultimately, Imaginary People is about carrying and honoring our pasts, about letting that inform our new steps forward. No matter how much we might cling to where we are, sometimes we need to uproot and take a leap of faith, to open ourselves up to new experiences and ideas in order to grow and blossom.LEO SHANNON
Comedian Michael Palascak
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE- PRESENTED BY MODELFACE COMEDYMICHAEL PALASCAK Michael Palascak is a comedian who grew up in Indiana and now lives in LA. He performed on both The Late Late Show with James Corden and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in the same year. He has over 1 million views on YouTube. In addition, his resume includes A Little Late with Lilly Singh, The Tonight Show, Letterman, Craig Ferguson, Conan, has a Comedy Central Half Hour special, and was a Top 5 Finalist on Last Comic Standing where one judge claimed, “My first impression of Michael was a great likability. This is a guy that could star in a sitcom.” Michael’s likability allows him to relate to his audiences in a real way which sets up the huge laughs he gets from his sharp, personal material. Consistently writing and performing, this summer Michael released both a new album— The Internet Live through 800 Pound Gorilla and a new stand-up special on the Dry Bar app— 1984. Available for free streaming. Drew Hunt of The Chicago Reader wrote about Michael, “In a lot of ways, he represents the ideal antidote to the sort of unbridled cynicism that pervades much of contemporary stand-up.” Michael’s optimism continues in the new National Lampoon series — The Bright Side where he takes a positive stance on a negative topic streaming on YouTube.
Southern Culture on the Skids
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYSOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS Southern Culture On The Skids has been consistently recording and touring around the world since 1983. The band (Rick Miller – guitar and vocals, Mary Huff – bass and vocals, Dave Hartman – drums) has been playing together for over 30 years. Their musical journey has taken them from all-night North Carolina house parties to late night TV talk shows (Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show), from performing at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan to rockin’ out for the inmates at North Carolina correctional facilities. They’ve shared a stage with many musical luminaries including Link Wray, Loretta Lynn, Hasil Adkins and Patti Smith. Their music has been featured in movies and TV, parodied by Weird Al, and used to sell everything from diamonds to pork sausage. In 2014 the band was honored by the Southern Folklife Collection at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with an exhibition featuring their music and cultural contributions. Their legendary live shows are a testament to the therapeutic powers of foot-stomping, butt-shaking rock and roll and what Rolling Stone dubbed “a hell raising rock and roll party.” At Home with Southern Culture on the Skids is the latest full length album from the band and was released in March of 2021. It was recorded during the stay at home period of the pandemic when the band was at home and not touring. The album consists of 11 tracks recorded and mixed in Rick Miller’s living room with some additional tracks recorded at his studio, The Kudzu Ranch. The first radio single off the album is “Run Baby Run”—a rocking number with deep garage roots. SCOTS bassist Mary Huff provides an urgent vocal while the band pulls back the throttle on a full race fuzz fest—cause she’s gotta to go fast! Run Baby Run! The other songs on the album are a combination of the band’s unique mix of musical genres: rock and roll, surf, folk and country—all a bit off-center, what Rick proudly calls “our wobbly Americana”. Rick goes on, “We put a few more acoustic guitars on this one, as you would expect if you recorded in your living room, but it still rocks like SCOTS. So put your headphones on, get in your favorite chair/sofa/recliner, put on “At Home With” and let’s hang out for a while.”KREKEL & WHOAors since 2004, Jason Krekel (guitar, fiddle, drums, vocals) and Ami Whoa (keyboard, guitar, vocals) have traveled the continent and beyond sharing their infectious tunes. An adaptable duo, their show can be folk-y and acoustic, or rockin’ and electric with Krekel playing drums with his feet while still shredding the strings. This versatility means you might hear them saw through vintage fiddle tunes, weave original yarns, or pound out esoteric rock-n-roll beaters. One moment they’ll touch your heart, and the next they’ll get you dancing. Whether unplugged or cranked up, every Krekel and Whoa performance is full of heart, harmonies, and happiness.
[CANCELED] SPOTIFY PRESENTS: Faouzia “Citizens Tour”
This show has unfortunately been canceled due to circumstances beyond our control. – ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYFAOUZIA With her spellbinding voice, fierce intelligence, and larger-than-life talent, 21-year-old singer/songwriter Faouzia has an extraordinary charisma that’s equally matched by her ingenuity. Born in Morocco but raised in Canada, the classically trained multi-instrumentalist started crafting her own songs at the age of six, and soon dreamed up a hypnotic brand of pop informed by powerhouse divas like Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga along with the Middle Eastern chanteuses she listened to throughout her childhood. On the heels of her 2020 single “Minefields,” with global superstar John Legend, Faouzia is now set to deliver her most magnetic work to date, realizing her vision with more boldness and self-assurance than ever before.A brilliant introduction to her newly elevated sound, Faouzia’s high-energy single “Hero” brings bright textures and kinetic rhythms to an urgent message of self-reliance. “I wanted to write a song that’s almost the opposite of my song ‘Tears of Gold,’ which is about a one-sided love that leaves you feeling drained and empty,” she says, referring to her luminous 2019 anthem. “‘Hero’ is about refusing to accept that kind of love, in relationships or even in friendships, and wanting to build something that’s healthy and strong and beautiful.” In a testament to Faouzia’s tremendous creativity, “Hero” came to life late at night in the midst of studying for her final exams last December. “I took a break and came up with the first few lines, and pretty soon I had the hook,” says Faouzia, a computer-engineering major at the University of Manitoba. By the end of the night, she’d completed a rough version of “Hero” in her basement studio, and later worked with producer Alex Koste to shape the shimmering sonic atmosphere surrounding her fearlessly honest lyrics. The official “Hero” video, directed by Ariel Michelle, reveals Faouzia’s strong and independent nature. Battling adversity at every level, Faouzia proves she doesn’t need anyone to save her and that she will always come out on top.Not long after landing a deal with Atlantic Records, Faouzia released a string of impressive collaborations including “I Dare You” with global superstar Kelly Clarkson, “I Fly” with chart-topping DJ duo Galantis and “Money” alongside French rapper Ninho. Faouzia made her major-label debut with the 2020 EP Stripped, a six-track project comprised of beautifully stark renditions of “Tears of Gold” and singles like “Born Without a Heart.” Just a few months later, she returned with “Minefields,” a soulful and stunning ballad featuring Charlie Puth on piano. “John Legend’s name came up right away when we were brainstorming who might be the male vocalist on that song, but I figured he was way out of reach,” Faouzia says. “We sent the song over and a week later John sent it back with his vocals on it, and it sounded so amazing—like it was always meant to be that way.”openers: CARMEN DELEONGEORGEE
The Get Right Band at The Outpost
– ALL AGES- THE OUTPOST (521 AMBOY RD)- $10 ADVANCE // $12 DAY OF SHOWTHE GET RIGHT BAND “The Get Right Band are the type of performers that you just know will break out. Their songs are infectious and take you immediately to a place. The lyrics are smart and bear weight.” -The Huffington Post The Get Right Band is a psychedelic indie rock power trio from Asheville, NC. They are a band focused on following their muses to honest self-expression, to whatever excites them and pushes them into unexplored territory. The Get Right Band proudly carries the torch for a long line of genre-bending power trios from Cream to The Jimi Hendrix Experience to The Police to Violent Femmes to Primus to Green Day to Nirvana to Sublime. It’s the space between the notes, the rawness and the maneuverability, that makes a power trio, well, so damn powerful. “An ass shaking good time.” -Relix Magazine The Get Right Band’s career highlights include shows with Everclear, Rusted Root, Dr. Dog, Smash Mouth, Ozomatli, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and Victor Wooten; appearances on NPR’s World Cafe and Nashville’s Music City Roots television show; and performances at major festivals and venues including FloydFest, StrangeCreek, Riverbend Fest, The Orange Peel, Brooklyn Bowl, and The Hamilton. “I love this song!” -Marc Maron, of WTF podcast The band is built on the musical brotherhood that guitarist/vocalist Silas Durocher and bassist Jesse Gentry have formed playing music together since middle school. Durocher, who is a trained composer and has been commissioned to write for symphonies and chamber groups, has guitar chops that can soothe or rage and a charismatic swagger as a frontman and a singer. “Durocher has an impressive range and rich clarity to his vocals—think a more soulful Dan Auerbach” (Connect Savannah). Gentry’s virtuosic bass playing “catapults from elastic to nasty” (The Mountain Xpress). With the addition of Jian-Claude Mears, a drummer with “precision, passion, and an inescapable momentum” (Live For Live Music), the group’s sound has become an unstoppable force. They have been wowing audiences around the country and the Caribbean since their inception in 2011 with an unparalleled live show and a relentless tour schedule. “Tight and diverse jams and a distinctive, intellectual but accessible worldview.” -Live For Live Music
Yonder Mountain String Band 2-NIGHT PACKAGE
2-NIGHT PACKAGE ***LIMITED QUANTITY***- ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- LIMITED NUMBER OF DISCOUNTED TWO NIGHT PACKAGES AVAILABLE YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND With their latest album, “Get Yourself Outside,” Colorado-based Yonder Mountain String Band once again echoes out into the universe its place as not only a pioneering jam-grass act, but also one of the most innovative groups in the live music scene — something the groundbreaking ensemble has proudly held high for the better part of a quarter-century. “The whole thing has always been about the energy and the connection between all of us onstage and everyone out in the audience,” says guitarist Adam Aijala. “And with this iteration of Yonder Mountain, we’re really tapping into that onstage connection once again.” Aside from the obvious nature of the new album, it’s a complete restart for the live music industry. Internally, it’s also a fresh start for the group in welcoming its newest member, mandolinist Nick Piccininni. “Nick is an incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist. He’s brought a whole new vibe and dynamic to the band,” Aijala says. “But, at the same time, he’s such a natural fit. Recorded during the shutdown at Cinder Sound Studio (Gunbarrel, Colorado) co-produced by Yonder Mountain and John McVey, “Get Yourself Outside” (Frog Pad Records) is a musical odyssey of string instruments and sonic textures. There’s the usual foot-stomping melodies and sorrowful ballads that reside at the core of the Yonder Mountain signature tone. But, there’s also a deep, honest sense of renewal and rejuvenation running through the heart of the record. And, by being back on the road, Yonder Mountain has been taking note of its long, bountiful journey from its foundation in 1998 to the here and now — with its 25th anniversary just around the corner. Looking back on those early days, the members of Yonder Mountain can’t help but shake their heads in awe — of where it all originated from, and what the live music landscape looked like at that time. “When we started, we were the only example of what we were trying to do,” Kaufmann notes. “You can see a bluegrass band at a rock festival now. But, there was a time where something like that was incomprehensible.”And it’s the fearlessness of youth — of being present within the serendipitous whirlwind of artistic collaboration and musical discovery — that remains a thick thread of inspiration and ambition within Yonder Mountain. “I’ve never doubted for a second that this band wouldn’t work,” Kaufmann says. “That’s a wonderful experience to have known that early on — to not have fear or doubt in the creative experience. And when you think of it, how unlikely of a journey has this been?
Early James at French Broad River Brewery
– AT FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY- ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY (SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVED)EARLY JAMES Alabama’s native son, Early James, released his sophomore album, Strange Time To Be Alive, on August 19th, 2022. The lyrical wordsmith conjures the ghosts of great southern gothic writers from Eudora Welty to William Faulkner, while channeling the haunted spirits of Tom Waits and Townes Van Zandt. The album evokes a timeless amalgam of forsaken blues, wistful folk, and Tin Pan Alley crooning, anchored by the singer’s unmistakable voice that sways from gravel-filled shouts to pained, forlorn whispers – and songs that tread in the waters of darkly themed broken hearts, with the wry humor of the sad clown.DRUNKEN PRAYER Drunken Prayer transcends the bounds of Americana music. Morgan Geer writes songs that could emerge from a highly blissed-out biker bar or a swampy ashram. The newest Drunken Prayer album is 2022’s The Name Of The Ghost Is Home. For the last year Morgan Geer has been working from his home studio in Asheville, NC with Paul Oldham (Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Royal Trux), building on 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. Morgan Geer lives in Asheville, NC.
Chatham Rabbits: Album Release Show
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLECHATHAM RABBITS As one of North Carolina’s most beloved roots music outfits, Chatham Rabbits has swiftly emerged from the fertile Americana scene in the Triangle. The husband-and-wife duo of Sarah and Austin McCombie favors rustic, minimalist acoustic arrangements—mainly clawhammer-style banjo and guitar that showcase deftness and maturity with their songwriting. The duo has a way of connecting with their audiences that is warm and universal. Chatham Rabbits’ first album All I Want From You (2019) was recorded with the help of Watchhouse’s Andrew Marlin, and their sophomore album, The Yoke is Easy, The Burden is Full, released May 1, 2020. Their song “Oxen” was named one of the “Top Folk Songs of 2020″ by Paste Magazine and the band has been covered by Garden & Gun Magazine, American Songwriter, and No Depression. Their ingenuity during the Covid-19 crisis led to the building of their own venue, The Burrow, and the creation of their mobile concert experience, The Stay at Home Tour which took Chatham Rabbits to 194 neighborhoods in 2020-21. The duo starred in a television show for PBS NC, On the Road with Chatham Rabbits that premiered in Spring 2022. If You See Me Riding By, their highly anticipated third full-length studio album. Co-written during the height of the pandemic and honed through the reflection and challenges the crisis demanded, this album is absolutely a piece of pandemic art. If You See Me Riding By was recorded at both Bedtown Studios (Watchhouse, Libby Rodenbough) and Betty’s (Sylvan Esso, Dead Tongues) with producer Saman Khoujinian.JORDAN TICEJordan Tice is a singer, songwriter and guitarist who combines witty, well-crafted songs with deft fingerstyle and flatpick guitar playing. His performances have been compared to those of legends like Leo Kottke, John Hartford, and David Bromberg for their mix of virtuosity and playfulness and his songs have been compared to those of writers, Bob Dylan and John Prine for their humor, introspection and philosophical nature.
