COVERFEST V: Benefit Concert for Asheville Middle School
ALL AGES STANDING ROOM ONLY NET TICKET PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT ASHEVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL’S 8TH GRADE CAPSTONE TRIP Asheville’s favorite night of live music and community spirit, Coverfest, is back for its fifth spectacular year! Coverfest V: A Benefit for Asheville Middle School will take over the Grey Eagle on Sunday, January 18, 2026, from 5:00–11:00 PM, bringing together top local and regional musicians for an unforgettable evening of cover songs—all for a great cause. Over the past several years, Coverfest has become a beloved fixture in Asheville’s music scene, raising thousands of dollars to ensure every Asheville Middle School 8th grader can participate in their annual capstone trip. The event is as much about community as it is about music, creating a space where families, students, and music fans can celebrate collaboration, creativity, and giving back. The Grey Eagle, a longstanding champion of local arts and community initiatives, has been instrumental in making Coverfest V possible. Known for supporting charitable events, youth programs, and live music, the venue provides a stage where both up-and-coming and established artists can shine while helping meaningful causes. This year, 10 incredible local and regional artists (and one student band) will take the stage for 30-minute mini-sets of your favorite cover songs, guaranteeing a night full of energy, nostalgia, and musical surprises. Performers (in alphabetical order): Andrew Thelston Band Blue Dragons Call the Next Witness Longest Distance Relationship Lower Peaks PINKEYE Rockabilly Roy & the Kopy Kats Santiago y Los Gatos Stephen Evans and the True Grits The Corporation (student band) “This trip is one of the most important experiences our students will have during their middle school years,” said Joe Hooten, organizer, performer, and Asheville City Schools teacher. “Our staff has vowed to not let any child stay behind due to their financial situation. This community’s support ensures that promise becomes a reality.” Tickets for Coverfest V are available online through The Grey Eagle’s website and at the door on the night of the event. All proceeds go directly to funding Asheville Middle School’s 8th grade capstone trip, helping ensure every student can participate regardless of financial need.
DIRTY FRENCH BROADS: Kate’s Dirty 30 Birthday Boondoggle (2nd Annual)
ALL AGESLIMITED SEATING AVAILABLE DIRTY FRENCH BROADS 50% Broads • 100% Dirty • 0% French The Dirty French Broads aren’t from France and they’re not all “broads,” but they are dirty — at least by Asheville standards. Named after the famously funky (and deeply beloved) French Broad River that winds through their hometown — this spirited Appalachian band blends Americana grass with an infectious rowdiness, and a dash of storytelling that’s both hilarious and heartfelt. In a world of big box stores and oatmeal raisin cookies, their authenticity and charisma make their shows feel like a front porch party where everyone’s invited, nobody’s judging, and someone definitely brought buffalo chicken dip. Fueled by moonshine, dragon fire, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting, The Dirty French Broads are as fun as they are endearing. Their songs are catchy enough to get stuck in your head for days, and raw enough to remind you why live music still matters. Tearing holes in floorboards and filling them in hearts – they’re the kind of people who make you throw your crocs into sport mode and spill wine on your favorite shirt. The kind of people who connect you to a room full of strangers and reconnect you to the one in your chest. Rambunctious but never rude, tender but never tragic — they’re a damn good time wrapped in southern charm, glitter, and just the right amount of weird. The kind of dirty that keeps you coming back for more (but you can still invite your mom to). still not a burlesque troupe CACTUS KATE AND THE PRICKS Cactus Kate and the Pricks is an Asheville based country-Americana band whose heartfelt original songs range from sentimental to witty dive bar country. Their music features vocal harmonies, fiddle solos, and plenty of small town gossip. Core members include singer-songwriter/fiddler Kate Leigh Bryant, cellist/bassist Ashlee Booth, guitarist Curtis Killian, and drummer Scott Voloshin.
Twen
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY TWEN Twen is a van-lifeing rock band that emerged onto the east coast music scene in 2017 with their distinct blend of shoegaze, indie rock, and post-punk influences. Though the band was formed in 2016 by lead vocalist Jane Fitzimmons and guitarist Ian Rollins Jones, their emergence post-pandemic has marked the beginning of what is essentially an entirely new project; save for their keeping the name “Twen”. This latest chapter is marked by the band booking their own tours, designing and screen printing their own merch, directing and editing their own music videos, and producing and mixing their own albums; all to a degree which would seem impossible to believe, if you didn’t know that they also built their own mobile-home from scratch and have been living in it, traversing the North American continent for the past 3 years. The duo-led 5 piece are readying their 3rd LP to be released in 2024, but have already debuted lead single ‘SeaStar’; an early 00’s throwback to Southern California beach anthems that finds the band further evolving from the coy, shoegaze aesthetics of ‘Awestruck’ (2019) – to a modern classicism; characterized on their 2nd LP ‘One Stop Shop’ (2022) by political (yet hopeful) lyrics, indelible hooks and a home-grown sonic mix that rewards the listener with each subsequent spin. With over 350 shows under their belt across North America and Europe, including arena appearances supporting Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Wet Leg, Whitney, Tacocat, & White Reaper, Twen’s live show exhibits their all-around relevance as a DIY rock band thriving in the digital age.
FREE PATIO SHOW: Stephen Evans & The True Grits
– FREE SHOW- ALL AGES – LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE STEPHEN EVANS & THE TRUE GRITS After many years of vacillating between being a professional musician and building a stable nest in Asheville, NC, Stephen Evans finally asked his friends, Brian Shoemaker (bass), Sam Hess (drums), and Woodstock (mandolin), to form the True Grits and make some music together in 2015. They recently just celebrated their 10th Anniversary as a band in 2025. Stephen Evans & the True Grits released their first LP “Something to Bleed”. Inspired to release more music, they followed two years later with their EP “Under the Bridge.” Both records received local and regional praise for their passion and creativity. Stephen’s strong melodic songwriting style is a blend of vivid imagery, darkness, and hopeful optimism. There’s no denying the feeling that shines through with his evocative vocals and lyrics. Songs like ‘Estefania’, ‘Ghost Among the Trees’, ‘The Garden’, ‘Cherokee Hills’, and ‘Buzz of Bees’ are beacons of his folk rock song craft. With radio play on Western North Carolina radio stations, as well as shows around the region, Stephen Evans & the True Grits have been a local favorite. “Buzz of Bees” is their latest album, released in December of 2022, of folk rock with some songs dipping their toes into other styles like Americana, Latin Folk, and Vaudeville. Singles from the LP, ‘Ghost Among the Trees’, ‘Winning the Day’, and ‘Estefania’, received radioplay on local stations as well as national online radio and music podcasts. Look for Stephen Evans & the True Grits playing live shows all around the area to support this beautiful album. “…overall, I highly recommend this album for those who enjoy folk rock, poetic lyricism, and an engaging sense of fun. The album is a journey through different stages of life, confusion, heartbreak, revelation, and acceptance.” – Alison Price of WNC Original Music Podcast
ARIEL PINK: With You Every Night Tour 2025
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY ARIEL PINK DAVID STAGNO Guitar / KeysSHAGS CHAMBERLAIN BassALAN CONNOR DrumsARIEL PINK Vocals David, Shags and Alan were childhood friends. Alan loved Led Zeppelin, David loved Milli Vanilli, so they formed a band inspired by their love of Zeppelin and Milli Vanilli. Ariel audiMoned to sing last minute.
JD McPHERSON – SOCKS: A ROCK N ROLL CHRISTMAS TOUR
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY JD McPHERSON Acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician JD McPherson will embark on his fifth-annual “SOCKS: A Rock n’ Roll Christmas Tour” this December with confirmed stops at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom, Nashville’s Basement East, & Minneapolis’s First Avenue, among several others. Tickets are available now via www.jdmcpherson.com/tour. These performances celebrate McPherson’s breakthrough debut Christmas album, SOCKS, which was released in 2018 on New West Records. The album features 11 all-original Christmas songs, the album has been the best-reviewed holiday record receiving overwhelming critical praise. MELISSA CARPER “I don’t think you can get this sound unless it’s borned in ya,” said bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley, when asked about what he called “old-time mountain music.” When Melissa Carper heard those words, something jumped inside her. While staying in the country with a friend, she found an old DVD of Down From the Mountain, the documentary and concert film of the “O, Brother Where Art Thou” soundtrack that featured this particular Stanley interview. She immediately jotted down “borned in ya” on a piece of paper. “I knew I had to write that song,” she recalls. In the Spring of 2023, Carper went back to East Nashville’s Bomb Shelter – the same “analog wonderland” where she’d recorded Ramblin’ Soul and its predecessor, Daddy’s Country Gold, and enlisted the help of her trusted co-producers – Dennis Crouch and Andrija Tokic. “Borned In Ya” would become the title track of the new album, out July 19th via Mae Music/Thirty Tigers.
RATBOYS: When the Sun Explodes Tour 2026
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY RATBOYS Ratboys present a momentous new single, “Light Night Mountains All That,” and announce a North American tour. This is the band’s fi rst new music, and their fi rst with New West Records, since The Window, one of the most-praised albums of 2023. The Window catapulted the band from being beloved to “feverishly fi xated upon” (Stereogum), and “Light Night Mountains All That” seizes that attention and doesn’t let it look away. The Window received a wealth of critical praise from the likes of The New York Times, NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Stereogum, and Uproxx, while Pitchfork called it “a level-up record” for the band. “Light Night Mountains All That” is singer/guitarist Julia Steiner’s most thrilling vocal take yet, bolstered by a powerhouse performance by guitarist Dave Sagan, drummer Marcus Nuccio, bassist Sean Neumann, and piano by track co-producer Chris Walla. The track, deemed their “wormhole jam” by Steiner, is driven by an unorthodox time structure, exhilarating instrumentation, and the fl are of extraterrestrial guitar bloops. In early 2026, Ratboys will perform across North America. As Paste praises, Ratboys have “a live chemistry that remains unparalleled and irreplaceable.” FLORRY The promise of a Florry show, a now familiar caravan that has been honed over ambitiously trekked zig zags across America and Europe since the release of Dear Life Records debut The Holey Bible, is the redemptive promise and prodigal joy of rock and roll guitar music. Bred in the crackling warmth of the Philadelphia DIY scene, and forged with the alloys of community action, queer liberation and bedroom poetry, bandleader Francie Medosch and her absolute unit of collaborators have put in the work of sharpening their homespun tools to take up the mantle of the great lip-puckering rock and roll tradition pioneered by the likes of The Band and the Rolling Stones, but with proudly displayed Liz Phair and Silver Jews bumper stickers on the rusty frame of the truck. At any second, the wheels could come off but they are steering just fi ne. For ‘Sounds Like…’ Florry’s sophomore effort as a fully realized band, Medosch and Co. decamped to Drop of Sun studios in the nest of the Blue Ridge Mountains to record with Asheville wunderkind Colin Miller, a critical voice behind the records of MJ Lenderman, Wednesday and Merce Lemon and a powerful songwriter in his own right. Three powerhouse days in late 2023 solidifi ed writing work done by the band earlier that summer in the now defunct Haw Creek compound under Miller’s guiding suggestion. The result is a portrait of a ripping band cresting towards the height of their powers, uniquely equipped to capture a wildly loving, barn-burning camcorder clip of a turbulent trip with your best friends, without dipping into nostalgia bait. Lyrically, Medosch’s utterances are both careful and excessive, the product of sifting through the rubble of classic good-time media, and fi nding what works for both her and her community to reach the heights of abandon.“The Jackass theme song was actually a really big influence on the new album.”
DAIKAIJU
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY DAIKAIJU “This is what you need to know about Daikaiju: They’re loud. They’re all instrumental (duh). And they’re the band to see if you want to experience surf rock at its most offensive.” – Kelly Weidman, The Informer Daikaiju is a mysterious chimera of sound and imagery that was first sighted in the winter of 1999. Entities of sonic mayhem, Daikaiju takes the sound of waves crashing and shrieking atomic lizards and makes it rock in a way that instills shock and awe in all who experience their shows-a highly interactive and confrontational performance that literally draws the audience into the massive vortex of sound generated by the band. Concealed behind masks, this troupe of mystery people create a mutant style of epic, high energy instrumental rock that seamlessly incorporates a wide variety of musical styles including surf, punk, noise, metal, psychedelic and progressive rock. Like its namesake, the music of Daikaiju is a great, mysterious beast. Compelling melodies, hard-hitting riffs and shifting dynamics fuse together to create songs that dare the listener to experience the secret history of the universe-a fantastic reality of giant monsters, super humans, and extraterrestrial invasions that unfolds like the soundtrack of the greatest monster movie never made. BAD FIDELITY IMPENDING JOY The absolutely unfettered energy of Asheville’s psych/garage band Impending Joy begs to be heard live. The driving surf punk-esque sound has to be enjoyed communally. It has the unifying spirit that solidifies what it means to be young or young at heart. It gleefully slams the point home, it rocks no matter what sub-genre you want to call it, somewhere between Surf Curse and OSEES is close enough.
Train Songz: An evening with The Asheville Mountain Boys
– ALL AGES – STANDING ROOM ONLY TRAIN SONGZ: AN EVENING WITH THE ASHEVILLE MOUNTAIN BOYS By their name, you know where they are from, and by their sound, you know what they are about. The Asheville Mountain Boys are on a mission to capture not just the style but the spirit of traditional bluegrass. Asheville, NC has long been known for great music and its roots in bluegrass go back to the founding of the genre (Bill Monroe’s first broadcast performance as the Bluegrass Boys was at Asheville radio station WWNC in 1938) A group that firmly stakes its claim to the tradition of the music from the area, The Asheville Mountain Boys spring onto the scene with a thought,” What happened to bluegrass?” It’s not a disparaging one that condemns current styles in the genre but rather asks, “Why do we love this music in the first place” and answers with an approach that is true to the originators of the genre in the sense of both style and philosophy. Train Songz started as an Instagram meme page. As its audience grew, The Conductor and his trusty engineer Promontory Paul derailed the social media train and took their audience offline with a print fanzine. The first issue of Train Songz was released in January 2024, six months after the meme page got its start, and the zine-team has released quarterly issues since. This show, featuring traditional bluegrass from the Asheville Mountain Boys, will be a launch party for the ninth issue of Train Songz—and the first of 2026, our third year in publication. On top of the music, we’ll inject the evening with some Train Songz sensibilities and welcome some friends who dye, bootleg, and peddle other such wares one might find “on lot.” We’ll have offline-exclusive merchandise and zines, as well! Hope you can join us.
Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms Country Band
ALL AGESSTANDING/DANCING ROOM ONLY CALEB KLAUDER & REEB WILLMS COUNTRY BAND Dust off your boots and gather around for some true and original modern honky tonk music. An all-star cast of master musicians backs these two soul singers of country music, Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms. These two are known to roots music fans across the globe for their soulful harmonies, driving dance tunes, classic original songs, and commitment to the raw truth of rural American music. They live in the San Juan Islands of Washington, though until recently, home was Portland, OR. They are foundational to the exceptional old-time and country music scene in the Pacific NW with the Caleb Klauder Reeb Willms Country Band and their membership in the Foghorn Stringband, of which Caleb was a founding member. Charismatic performers, they bring their unique set of talents to the stage with an eye towards good times and an ear towards the deepest songs and tunes. Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms both originally hail from Washington State: Caleb from the coastal islands, and Reeb from the high desert plateau. The two have come together in music and are hailed as some of the most compelling musicians making country roots music in America today. When these two sing together, their honest incantations leave us spell-bound and smiling. Their repertoire is made up of original songs and tunes as well as gems from American roots repertoires, and the music they make is Americana in the truest sense of the word. Music is clearly in their blood. Caleb and Reeb’s originals and interpretations of songs have been covered and recorded by many performers and their musical presence reaches into a diverse and loyal fanbase, giving credence to the impact that this duo has on their listeners. Pillars of the Northwest music scene, they carry the torch of their music around the world, and can be found touring as a duo, as well as with the Foghorn Stringband, and the Caleb Klauder Country Band. Their fans exude admiration for the timeless sound that these two produce, capturing the essence of American roots music. The blend of true harmonies, the sharply-written country songs, and the un-showy authenticity strike a rich vein that makes them seem like they are born and raised in Music City. They quietly pursue a musical vision without much of a care for what’s expected or in vogue at the time. There’s a lot to admire in this singular perseverance and honesty. SPARROW SMITH Sparrow Smith is well loved for her evocative songwriting, tasteful banjo playing, epic accordion chops, and vintage fashion. A longtime member and leader of multiple bands (most notably Resonant Rogues) with Keith Josiah Smith, her husband and collaborator, Sparrow is stepping into the spotlight under her own name with a highly anticipated new album, Carolina Mountains. The Resonant Rogues have an extensive touring history and a national fanbase, over the last couple of years they’ve opened for the likes of Sierra Ferrell, Benjamin Tod & Lost Dog Street Band, Rising Appalachia, Charlie Parr, Pete Bernhard (The Devil Makes Three), & Willi Carlisle.
