Coverfest IV: A Benefit For Asheville Middle School
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY 100% OF TICKET PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT ASHEVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL’S 8TH GRADE TRIP TO DC Coverfest IV: A Benefit for Asheville MiddleGet ready for an evening of incredible live music, community spirit, and heartfelt support at Coverfest IV, a one-of-a-kind benefit concert happening at The Grey Eagle in Asheville on January 19, 2025. The annual event will feature 10 outstanding local and regional acts, each performing mini-sets of cover songs from a wide range of genres and eras, Coverfest promises something for everyone — all in support of a great cause!100% of ticket sales will go directly to benefit Asheville Middle School’s 8th Grade Capstone Trip to Washington, DC, which gives students the opportunity to experience history in the making with visits to monuments, museums, and landmarks in the nation’s capital. This trip is a unique educational experience, and Coverfest IV is dedicated to helping make it possible for every student to attend. The Grey Eagle is the perfect venue for this high-energy, family-friendly event, known for its intimate atmosphere and excellent acoustics. Attendees can expect not only an incredible night of music but also the chance to connect with fellow community members, show their support for Asheville Middle School, and help send a group of deserving students on a life-changing trip to Washington, DC. Don’t forget to come hungry, the Grey Eagle Taqueria will serve dinner all evening, so bring the family!“We are thrilled to once again have Coverfest at the Grey Eagle, they are top-shelf supporters of the community,” said event organizer, local musician, & Asheville Middle teacher Joe Hooten. “This event is a fun way for our community to come together and help give our students an unforgettable experience that will help shape their education and memories for years to come. And the music is always great at Coverfest, this year’s lineup will certainly not disappoint”. Bands (not in order of appearance) Why, Why?Double Love & the TroubleSantiago y los GatosEleanor Underhill & FriendsMoon and YouMoon WaterFancy & the GentlemanJohn Kirby JR & New SeniorsPaul Edelman (Jangling Sparrows) PINKEYE
TOGETHER WE RISE: A Benefit Concert for BeLoved Asheville ft. John Cowan, Darrell Scott, Andrea Zonn, Jeff Sipe
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW 100% OF NET TICKET PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT BELOVED ASHEVILLE ABOUT BELOVED ASHEVILLE’S HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF EFFORTS: Hurricane Helene has left a wake of devastation and tragedy. Through this hardship, we’ve been surrounded by stories of generosity and solidarity, pouring in from across the nation. We are dedicating all of our resources to help everyone in our mountain home. Our immediate focus has been on critical necessities like food, water, and healthcare for survival and stability. As winter looms, we are securing warm and safe housing for the displaced. Looking further ahead, recovery from the vast destruction will be a large-scale investment over several years. We believe that we can unite to rebuild a community that embodies home, health, equity, and opportunity for all. The response from our community and beyond has been nothing short of extraordinary. We’ve received an overwhelming amount of support. Our country has exemplified the BeLoved mission to bring people together from all walks of life to tackle the toughest challenges: housing insecurity, homelessness, food insecurity, racism, poverty, climate change, and social injustice. The overwhelming support from our community has been beautiful. We are deeply grateful for the first responders, volunteers, and donors who have supported us thus far by putting love into action. Your generosity has brought hope and relief to many in dire need. At BeLoved, we dream of rebuilding our mountain home to embody the actions and empathy of our community. CLICK HERE TO MAKE ADDITIONAL DONATIONS TO BELOVED ASHEVILLE FEATURING PERFORMANCES BY: JOHN COWAN, DARRELL SCOTT, ANDREA ZONN, JEFF SIPE
Naked Giants: Shine Away Tour 2025
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY NAKED GIANTS When Naked Giants formed in 2014, the Seattle trio—vocalist/guitarist Grant Mullen, bassist/vocalist Gianni Aiello and drummer Henry LaVallee—were all eighteen years old, and full of the reckless, restless energy of youth. A decade on, both they and the world have changed immensely. Shine Away—the band’s third full-length, following on from 2018’s SLUFF and 2020’s The Shadow—is very much an acknowledgement of that. It’s an album that doesn’t just reflect on the personal life and times of the three of them and the world at large, but casts a discerning, self-reflective eye on what it’s like to be in, and be, Naked Giants. It’s the sound of a band coming into, and becoming, themselves. Of course, that’s a never-ending process, but for the first time in their career, Naked Giants are taking stock of their journey—who and what they were, are, and want to be. “Our first record was still running on fuel from starting the band as 18 year olds with a rock’n’roll dream,” says Mullen. “Since then, life has changed. We all got day jobs or went back to school, and really grew into ourselves individually. Before, we were anxious to express ourselves in whatever way we could through music. Now, we have more to say, and I think we’ve made a record with more meaning and purpose.” Despite these personal changes Shine Away contains the same sense of impetuous urgency that defined SLUFF. and the band’s preceding 2016 debut EP, R.I.P., and was still to be found within the fabric of The Shadow’s songs, too. So while the band might be removed from their younger selves, there are still traces of those people in these nine songs. “I’ve realized that being an effective communicator is such an important part of being a musician,” adds Aiello. “We’re carrying the typical garage-rock ‘throw it at the wall and see what sticks’ ethos with us to this new phase of life. This time around, there’s room in the music (and in ourselves) not only for the young raucous kids we used to be, but also for the fully emotional people we’re becoming – people with hearts that love and break and ache and all that kind of stuff.” GIRL AND GIRL In one sense, it’s easy for artists—songwriters, specifically—to express their feelings in their work. After all, that’s what the lyrics are for! But it’s much harder to convey emotional energy in how you play, slash at the guitar, and the structure of the music itself. That’s precisely why Girl and Girl’s Sub Pop debut, Call A Doctor, feels like such a vital, electrifying shock to the senses. Not since the early work of Car Seat Headrest or Conor Oberst’s widescreen emotional brutality as Bright Eyes has indie rock managed to come across as this intimate and grandiose, as the Australian quartet led by Kai James lay a lifetime’s worth of woes—mental health, the human race’s planned obsolescence if you’ve been living on this cursed rock you know what we’re getting at—across a canvas of indie rock that feels both timeless and in-the-moment.
PYLETRIBE, Andrew Thelston Band, Ashley Heath, Solvivor
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY PYLETRIBE ANDREW THELSTON BAND ASHLEY HEATH SOLVIVOR
PATIO: Chris McGinnis + Nick Shanahan
ALL AGES LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE CHRIS McGINNIS North Carolina musician Chris McGinnis writes songs that exist somewhere in between a hiccup and a heartache. His last EP, 2019’s Songs For You, touches on the absurdity of your hometown morphing beyond recognition. It tells a story of two Baby Boomers drifting together from across the US into the Golden Gate City, then drifting apart, and then together again. It is about connection and disconnection alike. With his debut full-length album, Mamaw’s Angel, Chris veers deeper into these familiar themes. “I think this album is largely about manic loneliness. These songs are ultimately about people who are afraid of losing their relationships. They refuse to accept that they may have already lost these relationships, and they refuse to accept that they are to blame.” Overbearing grandparents and stubborn grandchildren, washed-up fraternity brothers yearning for the New Year’s Eve parties of yesteryear, a missing Winnebago, a tree that just won’t quit, and other wild personalities run throughout the ten tracks found on Mamaw’s Angel. More than just a few are inspired by people and stories Chris had met and heard back towards his home in Western NC’s Linville Gorge Wilderness area. Mamaw’s Angel is a collection of sensationally-delivered tales about characters struggling on the sidelines of their own realities. “The characters in these songs are all incredibly flawed. I wanted to write songs that expressed truly ugly emotions. Loneliness, anger, denial, regret. The characters are all being eaten away by these feelings, and it motivates their words and actions. But I also think that that is how some of the absurdity is palatable.” Mamaw’s Angel was recorded at Clubmen Studio in Blairsville, GA, and produced by Atlanta-based artist Jacob Davis Martin. Among the musicians heard throughout the album are Asheville, NC’s Carly Taich, members of Asheville’s Jack Marion & the Pearl Snap Prophets, Atlanta-based strings trio Me Me Me, and Will Easter of Boone, NC. NICK SHANAHAN With a career spanning over 15 years, Nick Shanahan has established himself as a distinctive voice in the indie-country music scene. As a songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist based in Black Mountain, NC, his unique blend of storytelling and melody infuses his songs with the ethos of Cosmic American Music championed by Gram Parsons. Shanahan’s modern sound, deeply rooted in tradition, offers a fresh perspective to the country genre. His music resonates on various levels—tightly constructed, emotionally charged, and melodically rich, yet revealing layers of subtlety and thematic complexity on closer listening.
Freedy Johnston
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE FREEDY JOHNSTON Freedy Johnston is one of those rare singer-songwriters who counts critics among his biggest fans — and whose heroes consider him a peer. Not bad for a self-proclaimed “geek in glasses who never left his room.” On September 9th, Forty Below Records will release Johnston’s 9th album, Back on the Road to You. It’s a record steeped in wit, humor, pathos, love, and friendship drenched with memorable, infectious melodies. Johnston recorded the album in Los Angeles with producer Eric Corne after setting up house in nearby Joshua Tree. The new surroundings have imbued the album’s mood and instrumentation with echoes of The Byrds, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young. Joining Johnston in the studio were Aimee Mann, Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles, and long time collaborator, Susan Cowsill, along with an all-star roots music band, including Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams), Dusty Wakeman (Jim Lauderdale), Dave Raven (Shelby Lynn) and Sasha Smith (Priscilla Ahn). In 1994 Rolling Stone named Johnston the ‘Songwriter of the Year’, describing him as “A master storyteller, (who) sketches out full-blown tragedies in a few taut poetic lines.” Adding, “He joins that elite cadre of songwriters—Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Elvis Costello—whose brilliant pop compositions turn magical with the addition of a defiantly idiosyncratic singing voice.” Freedy Johnston has taken an unpredictable path throughout his 30-year career. It’s a true underdog story. He has a wicked gift for turning a melodic phrase with equal parts’ heart on his sleeve’ troubadour and weaver of mysteries. The Kansas native released his first two records with the widely respected indie label Bar/None. Can You Fly made many ‘Best of the Year’ lists, including, The New York Times, Billboard, and Spin Magazine, to name a few. Robert Christgau for The Village Voice called it “a perfect album,” and Playboy declared it “the best album by a new male singer-songwriter in at least a decade.” Can You Fly was also cited in music critic Tom Moon’s book, 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die. Back on the Road to You is a return to grace for this gifted songwriter. It embodies the sound of an American original, reminding us that he is still considered one of the best songwriters of his generation. TIN ROOF ECHO Since his 2014 debut, The Original Plan, six studio albums have been released under the Tin Roof Echo moniker-each demonstrating the DIY recording style that ultimately allows his uniquely introspective songwriting & production to be highlighted along with his varied influences. In 2021 he released Mornings Are For Singing an exceptionally unique live album captured in various stairwells at his day job. Hooten has recently released his seventh studio album, Flowers Falling.
Mike Farris
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE MIKE FARRIS Grammy winner Mike Farris is an artist’s artist, a musician’s musician, celebrated and revered by his fellow performers. It’s no wonder. He’s the one who brings everything to his music and to every live performance, every time. An amalgamation of the spiritual and the earthly, of gospel and rock ‘n’ roll, of faith and fire, Mike Farris will bring what Rolling Stone Country describes as a “supersized voice filled with the electricity of Saturday night and the godly grace of Sunday mornings.”
The Dancing Fleas
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE THE DANCING FLEAS The Dancing Fleas, aka America’s Premier Ukulele Party Band, are a ten piece combo, heavy on the ukes but light on the attitude. Their uplifting originals and covers have been known to make even the most jaded hipsters smile unselfconsciously. The Fleas bring their high energy, big fun approach to a genre-bending set of tunes with styles ranging from classic country to sassy funky. Expect dueling ukuleles, blistering pedal steel licks, and big harmonies from the band’s six vocalists. The band’s debut album, The Dancing Fleas Play the Music of Don Gibson, is now available on all streaming platforms along with a handful of original singles. Once you’ve seen them live, you’ll join the ranks of the #fleabitten!
Bill Kirchen’s Honky Tonk Holiday Show
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE Honky Tonk Holiday Show! Bill Kirchen and his Turtle Doves will make a stop on their annual Honky Tonk Holiday Tour at The Grey Eagle on Tue 12/17. Featured is a sleigh-full of rarely heard holiday numbers from the blues, rock ‘n’ roll and honky tonk bags: “Silent Surfin’ Night,” “Truckin’ Trees for Christmas,” “Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin,” and more. But be ye not afraid, there’ll be so much more than holiday songs of questionable taste; you can count on a truckload of dieselbilly classics, rockers, and country weepers to take the edge off the holiday fuss. So mark your calendars and check ’em twice – Santa Claus is back in town! Kirchen is touring with his all-star Texas guys – Jack Saunders on bass and Rick Richards on drums. BILL KIRCHEN Bill Kirchen is one of the fortunate few who can step on any stage, play those trademark guitar licks which he created for the seminal Commander Cody classic, “Hot Rod Lincoln,” and elicit immediate recognition. As a founding father of the proto-Americana group Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, Kirchen wrought a diesel-fueled guitar hook that drove their Hot Rod Lincoln into the Top 10 nationwide. Kirchen went on to the Grammys where he was nominated for Best Country Instrumental in 2001. He has recorded with Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Dan Hicks, Maria Muldaur, Hoyt Axton, Hazel Dickens, Gene Vincent and Link Wray, and has toured the world as guitarist with Cody, Nick Lowe, Hoyt Axton and Emmylou Harris. Bill Kirchen was inducted into the Hall Of Fame of the Washington DC Wammie Music Awards in 2001, alongside Dave Grohl and John Phillip Sousa. He joined a remarkable list of prior inductees including Bo Diddly, Duke Ellington, Ruth Brown, Marvin Gaye, Patsy Cline, Shirley Horn, Emmylou Harris, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady. His recent disc, Transatlanticana, entered the Americana Radio Chart Top 10 in 2018, joining his extensive catalogue of over 2 dozen albums, from the Commander Cody discs on through his current 12 releases on the Proper and Last Music Company labels. Bill’s latest releases are Back from the Ozone, a Lost Planet Airmen reunion CD out in October 2023 and, from 2021, the LPs Waxworks and Tombstone Every Mile, along with The Proper Years and Tombstone on CD and in all digital formats, all on the Last Music Company label. Washington Post: “Seldom has traveling across the rock and country landscape been this much fun” Guitar Player Magazine: “The Titan of the Telecaster…cuts loose with some of the fattest, gnarliest low-down twang imaginable”
Queen Bee and the Honeylovers Holiday Show
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE “PAY WHAT YOU CAN” TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR THOSE FINANCIALLY IMPACTED BY HURRICANE HELENE QUEEN BEE & THE HONEYLOVERS Queen Bee and the Honeylovers perform classic swing, blues and Latin music. They have been voted best in Jazz since 2019 in the Mountain Xpress “Best Of” poll. Their debut album, ‘Asheville’, celebrated their hometown’s history and won them #41 on WNCW’s listener-voted poll of Best Albums of 2019 as well as features on The State of Things with Frank Stasio and PBS Woodsongs. Their video for “Beacham’s Curve” won Best Soundtrack at the 2019 Music Video Asheville Awards. Vocal-driven with an infectious groove, the Honeylovers are guaranteed to put a grin on your face and a tap in your toes.
