Hannah Kaminer & The Wistfuls: “Heavy On The Vine” Album Release Show
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLEHANNAH KAMINER Hannah Kaminer makes modern American roots music that blurs the boundaries between genre and generation. As a songwriter, storyteller, and producer, she nods to the Appalachian traditions of her native North Carolina while creating a contemporary sound that’s woozy, wistful, and evocative of the landscape where it was created. She turns a new page with her third record, Heavy On The Vine. Written and recorded in Kaminer’s adopted hometown of Asheville, it’s a reflective, resilient album that finds the artist making sense of her new world—a place where boutique hotels block the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, childhood habits have given way to adulthood realities, and the Christian faith that once offered easy answers to life’s big questions has lost its magic. Heavy On The Vine isn’t just a soundtrack for Kaminer’s loss of faith; it’s a battle cry of hope and defiance, delivered by a songwriter who’s learned to live with uncertainty. “The idea of estrangement shows up everywhere,” says Kaminer, who kickstarted her career with 2015’s Acre By Acre and expanded her sound with 2018’s Heavy Magnolias. “These songs are about estrangement from myself, from family and old friends, from the Christian faith of my childhood, and from the world as I used to know it.” Kaminer’s world began taking shape in the small towns of western North Carolina, where she grew up singing hymns in church. Later, while living in central Texas as a college student, she heard a bluegrass song on the radio and found herself pining for the home she’d left behind. “I heard the banjo and thought, ‘That’s the sound of home!'” she remembers. “It took me moving halfway across the country to realize how much I gravitated toward those sounds.” Those sounds took her back to North Carolina, where Kaminer settled in Asheville and found a supportive musical community that prioritized collaboration over competition. “It was a great place to try something different,” she says. Inspired by Gillian Welch, Iris DeMent, and Patty Griffin—three artists who nodded to the old-school folk singers who came before them, yet still made modern music that balanced gorgeous melodies with grit, hard truths, and haunting arrangements—she started writing her own songs. The Grammy-winning audio engineer Julian Dreyer became one of her earliest champions, engineering her 2015 debut album and co-producing its 2018 follow-up. By the time Kaminer began writing material for Heavy On The Vine, though, she’d become more than a sharp songwriter. She’d started to think like a producer, too.THOMAS KOZAKThomas Kozak’s writing pulls myth and religion through the split-open skull of an obsessive-compulsive, anchoring the past to a new body and giving it voice through and beyond the conventions of folk and Americana.
The Moon and You, Ménage, Amanda Anne Platt (solo)
ALL AGESSEATED SHOWLIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLETHE MOON AND YOU At its core, The Moon and You is a charismatic husband-and-wife team. Melissa Hyman plays cello and bass, Ryan Furstenberg plays guitar and banjo. But whatever you might assume based on their gorgeous vocal blend and heartfelt lyrics, this ain’t your basic duo. With a rotating cast of talented friends to add unexpected instrumentation to their lineup, The Moon and You never plays the same show twice. This ever-evolving, expandable and collapsible model leaves the band constantly reinventing itself in ways both surprising and satisfying. Together, the two form a sound that is warm and inviting, atmospheric and playful. Each is a well developed songwriter with a distinctive voice, and their songs range in style from classic to quirky. Lyrics-driven and intellectual with a keen ear for arrangement, they make music perfectly suited to a listening room or a pair of good headphones. MENAGEAsheville’s original skirt and boots female trio returns to the Great Eagle stage after a 16 year hiatus. Rich and soulful three part harmony defines the sound of this fun and sultry group. Melissa Hyman (cello) from The Moon and You join original band members Sarah Roberts (guitar), and Mary Ellen Davis (bass) for this freshened up reunion-style performance which will include many original favorites from the early days of the band.AMANDA ANNE PLATTAmanda Anne Platt has been writing and performing her original songs in front of live audiences for almost two decades. With her band The Honeycutters she has released nine albums of her own original material and toured extensively in the US as well as Europe and Canada. In 2022 she released a double album, The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, which has been called “her finest work yet” by The Bluegrass Situation and landed on top ten lists across the globe. The much anticipated follow up LP, The Ones That Stay, which was co produced by Scott McMicken (Dr Dog) and Greg Cartwright (Reigning Sound), is slated for release later this year. Platt delivers a live performance as captivating as her songwriting and has been privileged over the years to share the stage with the likes of Guy Clark, Amy Ray, Billy Joe Shaver, Tift Merrit, and Radney Foster.
Jalen Ngonda
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYJALEN NGONDA Jalen Ngonda is one of the most captivating performers on today’s soul scene. His voice, equal parts raw feeling and elegance, exudes confidence and charm. At 28, his resume reads more like that of a seasoned veteran: He has performed at New York City’s Summer Stage Festival, Picktathon, Newport Folk Festival, opened for Laura Mvula and Lauryn Hill at the Montreal Jazz Festival and sold-out houses on his own in Germany, the UK and Switzerland. Most recently, Jalen thrilled audiences and garnered rave reviews with his powerful solo performance in support of Thee Sacred Souls’ US tour. Now with a pair of widely revered singles under his belt at his new home, Daptone Records, Jalen prepares for the release of his debut LP, Come Around and Love Me. Jalen Ngonda grew up in a music loving family on the outskirts of Washington D.C. He began musical studies in grade school, where he dabbled in violin, ultimately moving on to the guitar and piano. His inspiration came from listening to his father’s collection of Motown CDs (The Temptations, Mary Wells, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles), which opened his eyes to the vastness of American music, guiding him along a path of constant study and discovery–from early blues, to gospel to jazz to rock & soul. Some years later, after a serendipitous, last minute opening slot for Jools Holland–attended by Daptone Co-Founder, Neal Sugarman–the pair hit it off and plans for an album on Daptone were struck. Unfortunately, this happened to be a month before the COVID 19 pandemic shut down the world. Notwithstanding, Jalen eventually made it to Hive Mind Studios in Brooklyn, NY where he began writing and recording with the help of producer/arrangers Mike Buckley and Vincent Chiarito (both members of Charles Bradley’s Extraordinaires) and a crack team of a-list musicians from the Daptone family. The team skillfully blends heavy arrangements and introspective lyrics with motown sophistication, leaving the listener in a blissful wash of wonderment–culminating in quite possibly one of the finest soul albums of the decade.SOUNDING ARROW Sounding Arrow is the musical project by recording artist Scott Kinnebrew. The debut record Loving Is Breathing, released in September 2017, is a call to life, love and the spirit of compassion. While sitting comfortably in the contemporary Indie Folk genre, there is a patina to Sounding Arrow’s sound that’s indicative of earlier musical influences. Though a widely celebrated recording, these songs have rarely been performed live. It’s just since moving back to Asheville, NC from LA in 2020 that Kinnebrew began playing them again, having found a group of musicians that shared the right chemistry. Scott Kinnebrew is a veteran recording artist and performer. His band Truth & Salvage Co. released two records under the Megaforce Records banner and toured Nationally for years, headlining shows and supporting heavy hitters like The Black Crowes, The Avett Brothers, Levon Helm, Lynryd Skynrd, and Gov’t Mule. Before moving to Los Angeles in 2005 he led the long time local Asheville band Scrappy Hamilton.
Imarhan
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYIMARHANIn early 2019 the members of Imarhan began literally laying the groundwork for their third album. The Tuareg quintet was building a professional recording studio, the first ever in their home city of Tamanrasset in Southern Algeria, from the ground up. By March of 2020 the studio was filled with high-end audio gear otherwise inaccessible to the vast majority of musicians in much of the Saharan region. The group christened it Aboogi, named for the first semi-permanent structures their nomadic forebears built when establishing settlements and villages, and began tracking the first album they were able to record on their native soil. It seemed only natural to also call the resulting collection of songs Aboogi, a nod to the new collective space they had established, as well as the resilience of their culture and communities.The diversity, beauty, and struggles of life in Tamanrasset are reflected in the songs on Aboogi. Following the exhilarating, eclectic Temet – which OkayAfrica declared “doesn’t just take the next step in Tuareg music; it sends it into hyperspace” – Imarhan has made an album that is as serene and open as the desert it emerged from. “Aboogi reflects the colors of Tamanrasset, what we experience in everyday life,” says bandleader Iyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane, aka Sadam. “We give space to the wind and the natural energies, to the sun and the sand. We want to express their colors through music.” There is incredible warmth embedded in these steady, lilting rhythms and patiently strummed acoustic guitars, derived not just from the natural environment but from the community that surrounds them. That warmth may come from the Saharan sun and those living under it, fostered by many generations of musicians that came before them, but it emanates outwards as Imarhan become leading ambassadors for their people and culture around the world.As they have brought this music to new audiences in far-flung places, Imarhan’s musical community has also become global. Aboogi features Sudanese singer Sulafa Elyas, who contributes a gorgeous verse in Arabic on the mournful “Taghadart,” and Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys sings of the value of kinship on “Adar Newlan” in his native Welsh. Their local Tamanrasset community joins in as well, including Tinarwen’s Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni and the poet Mohamed Ag Itlale, also known as Japonais, a pillar of the city’s artistic community who passed away shortly after these recordings were made. Imarhan’s musical world has always been expansive, based in the traditional sounds of the Tuareg people but fiercely individualistic and embracing of the many varied styles they encounter. On Aboogi they emerge as a truly global group, united with their collaborators in a spirit of resistance and social change.
The Dirty French Broads: Album Release Show
– ALL AGES- LIMITED SEATING AVAILABLETHE DIRTY FRENCH BROADSThe Dirty French Broads are an Americana Grass band from the mountains of Western North Carolina bringing you heart-stirring ballads and lively cut-a-rugs with the energy of a thousand golden retriever puppies in their first snowfall. Lead singer Kate Thomas draws the audience with her rich, smoky timbre and leaves them laughing beer up their noses, wishing they’d worn their dancing shoes. This lively crew plays just about everything that has strings, but usually graces the stage with a guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, bass, and when the weather’s right – the occasional kazoo. Authentic and endearing with a little spice, they’re a few shades apart from the established Americana scene, and you’ll definitely want to join their book club.BARRETT DAVISBarrett Davis is a Western North Carolina singer-songwriter/guitarist who chose the life of a ragged troubadour. That small, glowing ember of inspiration and creativity, which has always remained at the core of Davis, is now a burning, eternal fire — bringing forth an honest sense of self through the prism of his perceptive lyrics and heartfelt melodies. His latest album “The Ballad of Aesop Fin” is a vibrant tapestry, meandering from modern Americana to classic country, indie-folk to the “high, lonesome sound” of bluegrass.
Pedal Stroke Benefit Concert for Asheville on Bikes and the United Stroke Alliance
– ALL AGES- LIMITED SEATING AVAILABLE Pedal Stroke Benefit Concert for Asheville on Bikes and the United Stroke Alliance Proceeds to benefit Asheville on Bikes, cultivating urban & commuter cycling culture through advocacy & events, and the United Stroke Alliance, dedicated to uniting and educating people about the prevention, awareness, and recovery of stroke for survivors, caregivers and their families. Several Dudes got together to write and play groovin’ music for a loyal following in Atlanta while most of the Dudes were in law school and medical school. Now lawyers, doctors, and musicians on the back ends of productive careers, the band has reformed to honor founding lead guitarist Nick Stevens after his tragic death in a cycling accident. The band will be releasing its tribute album of new original material, “Our Brother Nick” for this show. We are excited to raise funds for cycling advocacy and Stroke awareness, and to once again gig with the Karma Dogs! You can learn more at severaldudes.com Come on out for great music for great causes!! The event is sponsored by ARA Health Specialists- Committed to improving lives, creating value, and staying on the cutting edge of science.
2nd Annual Fundraiser for The Foundation Skatepark
– 6PM DOORS- ALL AGES- 100% OF PROCEEDS GO TO BENEFIT THE FOUNDATION SKATEPARKFeaturing performances from: NEGATIVE APPROACHCANDYEND ITUPCHUCKDSHK
Read Southall Band
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYREAD SOUTHALL BANDA very isolating 2020 needed shifts in musical direction to get to a place where new music, let alone the Read Southall Band’s crowning achievement could even exist. Their third studio album, For the Birds, is ambitious and captures vigorous, rock ‘n’ roll energy with elements of country and southern rock. From classic to contemporary rock, these are songs that could appeal to the disparate fanbases of Gary Stewart, Joe Walsh, Rival Sons, or Chris Cornell.American Songwriter called For The Birds, “Exploratory… Traversing through uncharted sonic territory” and Raised Rowdy proclaims, “There is a ton of excitement building around Read Southall Band at the moment.” Riff Magazine notes, “Read Southall Band combines the heavy guitars of the late- and post-grunge era with southern rock vocals and a country music sensibility to create a sound outside the expectations of any of those genres by themselves.”“I don’t think we would be a band without this album,” says frontman Southall. “I think for a while we were just focused on touring, getting out there and we didn’t take care of the music as needed. In a way, we needed that year off the road. We made an album and just worked. We refocused and decided this is what we want to be doing.”Southall and his bandmates understand that the album’s long gestation and their sonic shifts may take some adjustment for fans. But that excited uncertainty is reflected in the new album’s title. “We came up with For the Birds because it’s been so long and we were worried that nobody’s waiting for us,” says Southall. “So maybe this record is ‘for the birds.’ If you like it, you like it. It is what it is. For us, it’s six individuals making tunes.”GEORGIA THUNDERBOLTS Whether it be on the banks of the Mississippi River or deep in the heart of the English countryside, rock ‘n’ roll lives, breathes, and burns on the outskirts. Hailing from Rome, GA at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, The Georgia Thunderbolts rise up with a scorching signature style steeped in soulful southern swagger, blistering blues, and raw rock. Released October of 2021, the quintets full-length debut for Mascot Records ‘Can We Get A Witness’ conjures a tried-and-true spirit through a fresh fire. With a wide swath of inspirations, ranging from southern gospel and Hank Williams to Neil Young, Little Feat, Ozzy Osbourne and Lynyryd Skynyrd, the band cut their teeth performing with everyone from Black Stone Cherry and The Kentucky Headhunters to Blackberry Smoke. Shortly after, they hit the iconic Barrick Recording Studio in Glasgow, KY to record with producer Richard Young. The resulting EP comprises undeniable anthems steeped in anthemic riffs, wild harmonica, and pulse-pounding drums.
Thelma and The Sleaze
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYTHELMA AND THE SLEAZEThelma and the Sleaze is an independent all-female, queer southern rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. The group is the brainchild of lead vocalist and guitar player Lauren “LG” Gilbert and features an evolving cast of A-team players to back her up for an unforgettable live experience.LG is the embodiment of hustle. As the driving force behind Thelma and The Sleaze, she is the songwriter, the visionary, the take-no-shit-from-anyone front woman that is single handedly keeping rock and roll alive. Thelma and The Sleaze has been touring the US for years building a legion of fans, affectionally called her creepers. The growing social media presence, the hit podcast, the features with Yamaha Guitars are really all the result of her incredible songwriting, visceral guitar playing, and the guts to deliver on her vision of what Rock and Roll should be.LG has also launched two successful seasons of their Podcast “Queen of Shit Mountain”. Each episode features legendary musicians such as Tanya Tucker, Brittany Howard, Juliana Hatfield, Kate Pierson, Lori Barber, Patty Schemel, Mary Ramirez and Margo Price.DIAMOND AND THE CUTTERS Diamond and the Cutters erupted from the underbelly of Asheville’s music scene, fusing multiple genres into a pressurized concoction for the sharpest of ears to dissect. The four facets of this sonic gem are Travis Lundsford (of Sister Ivy, Magenta Sunshine and TakeOut) on bass, Jeff Caldwell on lead guitar, Micah Thomas (of Brushfire Stankgrass and Fresh Locals) on drums and vocals, and Jessica Korn (of the Daydream Creatures) on rhythm guitar and vocals. Diamond and Cutters are set to sparkle, bringing doomkountryschmaltzrock from core to crust of the musical strata.MONSOONMonsoon is a two-piece indie rock band from Athens, Georgia who weave together unorthodox styles to create music that dips between the conscious and subconscious. “Ghost Party” is now available on all streaming services.
Razor Braids
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYRAZOR BRAIDSRazor Braids is a Brooklyn-based, queer, all-female/non-binary rock band that combines a heavy punk energy with an indie rock vulnerability culminating in frenetic live shows and a dynamic sound anchored in a 90s alternative ethos. With each scream and snare hit, the band have honed a sound that is a testament to the redemptive power and catharsis of community. Their new album ‘I Could Cry Right Now If You Wanted Me To’ is out now.TAN UNIVERSETan Universe is 3-piece rock band from Asheville, NC, who have branded their sound as “Surfedelic Garage-Punk.” What started as a solo project of singer-songwriter Daniel O’Grady quickly turned collaborative, and has stayed that way since. The current power-trio lineup consists of O’Grady on guitar and vocals, Jack Ryan on bass, and Lawson Alderson on Drums.LAVENDER BLUE ….is the performing and songwriting alias of guitarist and producer Kayla Zuskin. She wrote, recorded and produced her most recent EP Slow Down which was released in January of 2022. Her music is best described as lullaby punk. Located in Asheville, NC, Lavender Blue is also a music teacher, an engineer/producer, and multi-instrumentalist. PAPER PILLS
