Pile
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY PILE Sunshine and Balance Beams, Pile’s ninth album, alchemizes metaphors with its title. The first: finding happiness in nature and oneself. Second: the woozy posture one must strike to stay afloat in commercial society. These concepts seem antithetical—“But they might actually be the same thing,” hints guitarist, songwriter and singer Rick Maguire. On its newest record, Pile weaves a Sisyphean fable concerned with labor and living. “The fulfillment I receive from pursuing art has been a guiding force for me,” says Maguire. “But it can be damaging when that pursuit teases capitalist expectations of where you might be able to go, and then doesn’t square with the reality that follows.” Pile presents this parable with jagged guitars, sputtering drum bombast, eerie synths and aqueous strings, with panoramic production and loud-quiet dynamism matching the emotionality of the band’s thunderous performances. Pile formed in 2007 as Maguire’s solo outlet, soon joined by time-warping drummer Kris Kuss (in 2009) and fuzzed-yet-melodic bassist Matt Connery (in 2010), among other friends; with its explosively intricate take on heavy music, the band found devoted fans amid Boston’s bustling punk scene. Since then, Pile’s released eight acclaimed albums, each showcasing different facets of its members’ talents. Dripping, the post-hardcore 2012 breakthrough, encapsulated the frenetic power of epic basement gigs. 2017’s A Hairshirt of Purpose twisted Pile’s angularities for greater clarity, incorporating strings without losing menace. Connery’s temporary departure after this record brought respected engineer and peer Alex Molini in on bass; the electronic experimentalism of All Fiction (2023) deepened the production relationship between Maguire and Molini, proving the band’s exploratory commitment as lifelong. That doesn’t scratch Pile’s dozen other releases, including B-side compilations, outtake EPs, demo cassettes, and live reworkings. They’ve earned a reputation as workhorses, crafting thought-provoking riffs while maintaining a tour schedule of international headlining, festival slots, and support for legendary and likeminded artists like Jesus Lizard and Cursive. NNAMDÏ Musician / Artist / Performer / Label Owner
THE MOUNTAIN GOATS at Pisgah Brewing Co. (outdoor stage)
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN MOVED TO PISGAH BREWING COMPANY’s OUTDOOR STAGE LOCATED AT 2948 HWY 70 IN BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC. TICKETS PURCHASED FOR ORIGINAL LOCATION (HATCH AMPHITHEATER) WILL BE HONORED. ALL AGES STANDING ROOM ONLY AN EVENING WITH…. THE MOUNTAIN GOATS Jenny from Thebes began its life as many albums by the Mountain Goats do, with John Darnielle playing the piano until a lyric emerged. That lyric, “Jenny was a warrior / Jenny was a thief / Jenny hit the corner clinic begging for relief,” became “Jenny III,” a song which laid down a challenge he’d never taken up before: writing a sequel to one of his most beloved albums. The Mountain Goats’ catalog is thick with recurring characters—Jenny, who originally appears in the All Hail West Texas track bearing her name, as well as in “Straight Six” from Jam Eater Blues and Transcendental Youth side two jam “Night Light,” is one of these, someone who enters a song unexpectedly, pricking up the ears of fans who are keen on continuing the various narrative threads running through the Mountain Goats’ discography before vanishing into the mist. In these songs, Jenny is largely defined by her absence, and she is given that definition by other characters. She is running from something. These features are beguiling, both to the characters who’ve told her story so far and to the listener. They invite certain questions: Who is Jenny, really? What is she running from? Well, she’s a warrior and a thief, and, this being an album by the Mountain Goats, it’s a safe bet whatever she’s fleeing is something bad. Something catastrophically bad. Jenny from Thebes is the story of Jenny, her southwestern ranch style house, the people for whom that house is a place of safety, and the west Texas town that is uncomfortable with its existence. It is a story about the individual and society, about safety and shelter and those who choose to provide care when nobody else will. This is what a follow-up to All Hail West Texas entails. But if you think about the Mountain Goats as they were in 2001, when Darnielle wrote and recorded that album on his own, mostly into his Panasonic RX-FT500 boombox, and how they are now as the recording and touring outfit of Darnielle, Peter Hughes, Matt Douglas, and Jon Wurster, you may find yourself asking how. Lifted by Matt Douglas’ horn and string arrangements, the dreamy guitar of Bully leader (and Bleed Out producer) Alicia Bognanno, and backing vocals from Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go’s (“Only One Way,” “Same as Cash,” “Going to Dallas”) and Matt Nathanson (“Fresh Tattoo”), Jenny from Thebes is a widescreen musical in scope, a melodrama of richly detailed characters and sweeping emotions. The west Texas the Mountain Goats conjure for Jenny is huge and already crumbling to the ground when we meet her in lead single “Clean Slate,” where a new arrival to the safehouse finds it nearly full, his host beyond exhaustion. Her burdens are heavy, and the measures they cause her to take have consequences that scale well beyond anything she could have anticipated when she decided to open her home to others. Such gestures are noble and doomed.
PATIO: Sugar Lime Blue Duo
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE SUGAR LIME BLUE DUO The Duo of Ashley and Dave Beth are the heart and soul behind Sugar Lime Blue, a band long known for its genre-defying blend of Americana, blues, folk, and jam-infused rock. Now touring as a duo, the couple has distilled over a decade of musical chemistry, road-tested experience, and deep artistic connection into a raw, intimate performance style that feels both timeless and deeply personal. With Ashley’s powerhouse vocals—earthy, ethereal, and steeped in soul—and Dave’s masterful guitar work and songwriting, the pair has become a living, breathing embodiment of what they call the Cosmic Cowgirl sound: a free-spirited, rootsy fusion of classic storytelling and cosmic grooves.
PATIO: Sullivan Sisters
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE SULLIVAN SISTERS The Sullivan Sisters have dazzled audiences since childhood with their unique blend of fast bluegrass picking and captivating sibling harmonies, with music ranging from lyrical originals to timeless folk classics to blazing instrumentals. Inspired by the bluegrass community in North Carolina where they were born, Soraya and Luciya Sullivan began taking guitar and banjo lessons at ages 8 and 6. Now teens living in the Chicago area, The Sullivan Sisters have toured the country as featured performers at Merlefest, the Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum’s Romptober Festival, IBMA’s Bluegrass Live Festival, the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour, and the Evanston Folk Festival. Their instrumental talents have garnered them national distinction, including First Prize in Banjo and Third Prize in Guitar at Rockygrass 2023, and Second Prize in the 2024 Galax Old Fiddlers Convention Bluegrass Banjo contest. The sisters have recently formed a five-piece band by joining forces with three phenomenal teen pickers and longtime friends: Oscar Caudell on mandolin, Finn McGuinness on fiddle, and Sammy Mougin on bass. The new band launched its debut to a sold-out, standing room audience at Evanston SPACE in January 2025, and will be featured as Showcase Artists at the 2025 International Bluegrass Music Association conference.
Brotherhood: Doobie Brothers Tribute
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY BROTHERHOOD: A DOOBIE BROTHERS TRIBUTE BAND Brotherhood – A Doobie Brothers Tribute Band, is Atlanta’s powerhouse 7-piece tribute to the legendary Doobie Brothers, igniting stages with high-energy performances and spot-on harmonies. With decades of classic hits in their arsenal, they don’t just play the music—they deliver the full-throttle Doobie Brothers concert experience that fans know and love. Get ready for a ride through 50 years of rock ‘n’ roll magic!
Summer RADiance ft. The Jasper and Opal String Quartets
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW SUMMER RADIANCE The Jasper and Opal String Quartets collaborate on an exciting and eclectic program. Celebrate the laid-back mountain lifestyle this summer with a chamber music takeover at this iconic River Arts District venue. Bring your friends, grab a drink and bites from the on-site taqueria and enjoy a liberated listening experience Presented by Asheville Chamber Music Series in collaboration with the Chamber Music Society of the Carolinas.
Pachyman & MNDSGN
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY PACHYMAN Over the course of four albums under his Pachyman moniker, Pachy Garcia has proven himself a dedicated craftsman working in the lineage of dub reggae. In a way, the Puerto Rico-born, Los Angeles-based musician had mastered the methodology of genre masters like King Tubby and The Scientist, using vintage gear, constructing glorious walls of sound, and developing an intuitive understanding of the power of repetition. As the cult around his music grew, Pachy began to seek new motivation. “I was thinking, How do I feel and how do I evolve with this project? How do I inject excitement and spontaneity in this process? I needed to break out of this formalist dub reggae purist mindset to find a more personal sound, create my own niche.” If his past work, while indelibly Pachy’s own, was indebted to the masters of dub reggae, Another Place — his fifth album for ATO Records recorded, as ever, in his basement studio 333 House — is the moment when all of those debts are paid off. He leans into the idiosyncratic elements of past projects, synthesizing the myriad scenes that have recontextualized the methods and aesthetics of dub, from pioneering synth-pop weirdos like William Onyeabor and Yellow Magic Orchestra to Basic Channel’s amniotic dub techno. “I was trying to understand who I am as a musician — not just operating in a distinct lineage but how I’ve metabolized and expanded upon it,” Pachy elaborates. “Who am I behind all of this? It’s a very personal, vulnerable journey. I wanted to build my own world and create these new connections in my brain, incorporating everything: vaporwave, chillwave, soul-jazz, James Brown, Kosmiche musik and krautrock, the driving repetition of drum n bass.” MNDSGN Mndsgn, aka Ringgo Ancheta, was born in San Diego, raised in the southern region of New Jersey, and is currently based in Los Angeles. The youngest in a family of Filipino descent, Ringgo grew up in a household where the love and appreciation for music was always synonymous. Ringgo has aimed to explore the human condition in his music. Taken as a whole, his body of work chronicles the evolution of self, asking throughout: how can we live in a way that is true to ourselves? How can we find beauty in the everyday and unfamiliar?
One Hand in my Pocket: A Tribute to Alanis Morissette
ALL AGES STANDING ROOM ONLY FANCY AND THE FEMMES PRESENT…. Get ready for a night of raw emotion, powerful vocals, and unforgettable anthems as One Hand in my Pocket: A Tribute to Alanis Morissette takes over the Grey Eagle in Asheville’s historic river arts district! Celebrate the sounds of the ’90s with a full-throttle tribute to Alanis’ groundbreaking album Jagged Little Pill, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, and more. From “You Oughta Know” to “Are You Still Mad” and, of course, “Hand in My Pocket,” the angst and heart of these iconic (and ironic) anthems define yet another generation! Don’t miss your chance to feel it all over again. Doors open at 6pm. Openers Melissa and McKinney grace the stage at 7pm, and the main event kicks off at 7:45pm. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.
Sextile + Automatic
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY SEXTILE Some bands find their groove and stick to it while others choose to reinvent themselves and keep on moving. Sextile can attest to the thrill of an ever-changing road map. The LA duo comprising Melissa Scaduto and Brady Keehn ply their trade with a lust for life and a love of everything from no wave to hardstyle, having merged some of these influences on their striking 2023 debut for Sacred Bones, Push. The group’s new LP, yes, please., fuses anarchic electro fire with raw personal recollections —and enough beefed-up bass to bust a speaker or two. yes, please. is an album of contrasts: a vulnerable record that bares its soul as much as it revels in excess, showing just how far you can push your sound when you shake off your inhibitions. Together, the pair betray a confidence that never wavers, making a bold splash on the speedy intro with a rave siren cut from a ‘00s New York house party. Seemingly by the same token, the unruly spirit of electroclash stalks the yes, please. building, flashing its ID on the cowbell-peppered thunderbolts of “Freak Eyes” and “Rearrange”, and turning in a scuzzy dancefloor bomb with “Women Respond to Bass.” High on endorphins, “Push-ups”—which features vocals from Jehnny Beth—is pure muscle music, fortified by hoover bass and fleshed out by synths that hammer as hard as lumps of hail on a glass roof. AUTOMATIC With their second album ‘Excess’, Automatic — Izzy Glaudini (synths, lead vocals), Lola Dompé (drums, vocals) and Halle Saxon-Gaines (bass) — synthesizes a new strain of retrofuturist motorik pop. It’s often said yesterday’s science fiction reads like today’s grim reality. On their new album ‘Excess,’ Automatic channel both. The LA trio’s second album for Stones Throw rides the imaginary edge where the ‘70s underground met the corporate culture of the ‘80s; or, as the band puts it, “That fleeting moment when what was once cool quickly turned and became mainstream all for the sake of consumerism.” Using this point in time as a lens through which to view the present, Automatic takes aim at corporate culture and extravagance, weaving deadpan critiques into cold wave hooks. The album’s overarching themes of alienation and escapism emerged as Automatic wrote ‘Excess’ together, fleshing out songs before decamping to the studio for sprint recording sessions with producer Joo Joo Ashworth (Sasami, FROTH).On “New Beginning”, they reject the false hope of leaving behind a scorched planet in search of “a better place”, at a moment when the ultra-rich are eyeing manned space travel: “In the service of desire / We will travel far away”. Imagining the “nihilism and loneliness” of attempting to escape the planet once unchecked consumerism has reached its logical conclusion, the song pictures being “stranded in a space-void with no connection to Earth or humanity.”
That1Guy: MOON LOOPS IN 5D
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY THAT1GUY With an extensive and amazing track record of unique and imaginative performances featuring his curious instrument and copious amounts of originality, Mike Silverman, a/k/a That1Guy, has set himself apart as a true one-of-a-kind talent that rivals any other artist currently in the entertainment industry. He was the ʻTap Water Award’ winner at the Edinburgh Festival for best musical act. His legendary collaboration and multiple tours with Buckethead performing as The Frankenstein Brothers has further cemented his virtuoso story as a creative visionary. His innovation continues to soar with his latest tour, That1Guy & The Magic Pipe Present: An Evening of Musical Magical Wonder… The Likes of Which Ye Haven’t Yet Seen, which kicked off in 2014. Along with his pioneering main instrument, The Magic Pipe, a monstrosity of metal, strings, and electronics, he facilitates the dynamic live creation of music and magic in ways only That1Guy can conjure. You can also expect to see magic seamlessly integrated into the already clever performance. With the addition of magic in his live shows, he has legitimately achieved an all-inclusive audio/visual performance unlike anything experienced before. “So much of my music has miraculous qualities to it because it’s hard to tell what’s going on. There are lots of slights of hand and sonic misdirection. It feels like I was meant to do magic”. Silverman’s back-story is similar to many musicians that have come before him. He grew up a self-proclaimed music geek, soaked in the influence of his jazz musician father, and enrolled in San Fran Conservatory of Music before joining the local jazz scene himself as a sought-after percussive bassist. This is where the similarities end though and where That1Guy truly began. “In my case, being a bass player, I just felt very restricted by the instrument itself,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to sound different and have my own sound. I was headed that way on the bass, but for me to fully realize what I was hearing in my head sonically I was going to have to do it my way”. His influential and innovative double bass style eventually evolved into what we see today as That1Guy and The Magic Pipe. As his story continues to develop, Billboard has famously noted, “In the case of Mike Silverman’s slamming, futuristic funk act… the normal rules of biology just don’t apply.” In addition, Silverman also has new music and videos in the works for 2015 that will further validate his status as a trailblazer. “I like being my own person”, he says. “I didn’t set out to be a weirdo, but I’m starting to embrace it”. Ultimately, his motivation can be encapsulated as this: “Human beings do our best work when we’re challenged and pushed up against the wall”. That1Guy goes on to further explain, “By nature, we’re hunters and gatherers, spending each day looking for their next meal. It’s easy to be lazy when you don’t have to come up with something creative right away.”
