Nick Shoulders
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY NICK SHOULDERS Refugia Blues, the fifth album from songwriter Nick Shoulders, is a record of big ideas and small, intimate moments. Rooted in the acoustic stylings of Southern traditional music, it finds the Arkansas native turning off his amp and stepping up to a ribbon microphone as a solo performer, singing in a voice that’s equal parts country croon, Appalachian yodel, and high-lonesome field holler. Shoulders’ interpretation of American roots music has always been more progressive and punky than the trucks-and-beers conservatism that passes for modern-day country, and Refugia Blues offers songs about climate collapse, radical anthropology, and generative disruption. It balances the macro with the micro, too, making room for love songs and personal topics, packaging humor alongside heavy insights. At once academic and accessible, Refugia Blues isn’t just a deep dive into southernness, but also into Shoulders himself. This is a raw, resolute version of American country music, stacked high with songs that go down easy but linger in the minds of those willing to invest the time.
Meltt
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY MELTT Meltt’s upcoming third album is the culmination of everything the Vancouver indie-pop quartet have accomplished so far, all the while pushing their sound in new and exciting directions. True to its title, Pathways finds Chris Smith [lead vocals, guitar, bass, keys], Jamie Turner [drums, percussion], James Porter [guitar, keys, bass, vocals], and Ian Winkler [bass, keys, guitar] at multiple forks in the road and deciding to take all of them, submerging their sound in new rippling textures while still retaining the warm, textured glow that their music’s contained since their debut EP Visions in 2017. Thematically, Pathways approaches what Winkler refers to as “four men approaching their 30s and figuring out their paths and lives.” Big topics abound, from relationships and the aftermath of loss to the strange and uneasy feeling that accompanies navigating the modern world at large. “Our tone is usually pretty optimistic and hopeful, but this time we let some darkness in,” Porter says. “There are so many things we experience individually, but when we get in the studio, it’s clear that we’re on a journey together.” Whether you’ve been with them since the beginning or are joining them at this very juncture, Pathways will make you thankful that you’re along for the journey.
Radio Free Eagle: A Night of R.E.M.
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY RADIO FREE EAGLE On Saturday, July 11, The Grey Eagle hosts the inaugural Radio Free Eagle, a special tribute night celebrating the music and legacy of R.E.M.. Marking 45 years since the release of “Radio Free Europe,” the evening brings together a lineup of regional artists to perform short sets honoring one of the most influential bands to emerge from the American underground. With roots stretching from Athens, Georgia to North Carolina’s own recording history, the night highlights the sound and spirit that helped define college rock. Designed as a collaborative, community-driven event, Radio Free Eagle will feature a wide array of styles, genres, and musicians, each putting their own spin on R.E.M.’s catalog for what promises to be a night to remember. A portion of the proceeds will benefit a local non-profit (TBA), reinforcing the event’s connection to the community it celebrates. The show aims to establish an annual tradition at The Grey Eagle, bringing artists together to honor both the songs and the shared musical lineage that continues to connect the Southeast. Lineup TBA
Reverb of Resistance: A Night of Music and Art to Benefit LGBT+ Artists
ALL AGES PARTIALLY SEATED SHOW PAY WHAT YOU CAN MODEL DONATIONS AND TICKET PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT CAMPAIGN FOR SOUTHERN EQUALITY Free ticket link: https://southernequality.org/reverbrequest/ SOUTHERN EQUALITY STUDIOS PRESENT: REVERB OF RESISTANCE – A NIGHT OF MUSIC AND ART TO BENEFIT LGBT+ ARTISTS Join us for REVERB OF RESISTANCE, a multi-artist night of music, performance, and art to bring people together and uplift and affirm LGBTQ+ voices in the South. This event will leverage music as a force for connection, care, and resistance in the face of rising anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Performers include Las Montañitas, Elizabeth McCorvey and Her Band, and Lyric – there will also be opportunities for collective art creation, all in a joyful space built to center the authenticity and self-expression of queer and trans Southerners. Proceeds will benefit Southern Equality Studios, a program of the Campaign for Southern Equality that explores how the arts can be a catalyst and force in achieving lived and legal LGBTQ equality across the South. Tickets are pay-what-you-can – if you’d like a ticket at no cost, please get in touch at https://southernequality.org/reverbrequest/
Rock Academy Showcase
-ALL AGES-LIMITED SEATING (FIRST COME FIRST SERVE) + STANDING ROOM ROCK ACADEMY Rock Academy is a Year-Round Rock Band Performance Program that take our bands out of the classrooms and into Asheville’s music scene. Students learn to perform a wide variety of musical styles and songs of various genres including blues, classic rock, hard rock, punk, surf, americana and more. Our music students grow into skilled musicians and take their band “on the road” to play in front of live audiences at some of the top venues in the area. The Asheville Rock Academy’s talented students have played some high-profile gigs, including the Main stage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Academy bands have also played with Cliff Williams of AC/DC and American Idol’s Caleb Johnson. Join us for this year’s “Mix Tape 2025” show!
Land Of The Sky Burlesque Festival: “Geektastic Revue”
-AGES 18+-SEATED SHOW “Geektastic” is a burlesque show for NERDS! Performers pay homage to fandoms from comics, TV, film, books and more!!! The opening night of the Land of the Sky Burlesque Festival! *Weekend passes and VIP available here >>> landoftheskyburlesque.com
Land of the Sky Burlesque Festival: “Burlesque Brunch”
-AGES 18+-SEATED SHOW Welcome to the most dazzling brunch experience in Asheville! Closing out the Land of the Sky Festival weekend with tantalizing tastes and titillating performances. A feast for the senses, where laughter, glamour and allure collide. Join us afternoon of tacos and tassels!*Weekend passes and VIP available here >>> landoftheskyburlesque.com
Drivin N Cryin
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLYDRIVIN N CRYIN Drivin N Cryin is an enduring American rock band whose roots-forward sound and uncompromising spirit have made them a vital force since forming in Atlanta, Georgia in 1985. Blending Southern rock grit, folk storytelling, and hard-charging rock & roll, the band built a reputation early on as a must-see live act and a songwriter’s band with depth far beyond trends. Led by singer-songwriter Kevn Kinney and anchored by bassist Tim Nielsen and drummer Dave Johnson, Drivin N Cryin broke through nationally with a run of influential albums that helped define late-’80s and early-’90s American rock. Songs like “Fly Me Courageous,” “Honeysuckle Blue,” “Straight to Hell,” “Build a Fire,” and “Scarred But Smarter” became staples of rock and AAA radio, with Fly Me Courageous earning Gold certification and remaining a cornerstone of the band’s catalog. While they emerged during the MTV era, Drivin N Cryin never disappeared. Over four decades, they’ve remained a consistently touring, recording band — releasing new music, evolving their sound, and cultivating a loyal, multigenerational audience. Their influence extends well beyond their own recordings; “Straight to Hell” found new life through covers and collaborations that introduced the song to entirely new audiences. The band’s stature is reflected in both peer respect and formal recognition, including induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, as well as Kinney’s induction into the Milwaukee Music Hall of Fame. Touring history includes shared stages with artists spanning multiple eras and genres, The Who, Hootie & The Blowfish, The Black Crowes, ZZ Top, Soul Asylum, Blackberry Smoke, The Marshall Tucker Band, Jason Isbell, along with recent appearances on destination events like Rock Boat, Outlaw Country Cruise, and Moon Crush. Their latest album, Crushing Flowers, marks a deliberate return to the band’s core. Stripped back to the original three-piece, the record favors clarity, chemistry, and feel over excess — a confident, back-to-basics statement from a band that knows exactly who it is. Rather than chasing nostalgia or novelty, Crushing Flowers reinforces what has always set Drivin N Cryin apart: honest songs, emotional weight, and the unmistakable sound of a band still fully engaged in the work. Nearly forty years in, Drivin N Cryin remains a living, breathing American rock band — not a revival act, not a footnote, but a continuing story still being written.
TJ & Dave
ALL AGES FULLY SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM TICKETS AVAILABLE DOUBLE DIP PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS…. TJ & DAVE Join us for one night only as world-renowned improv comedy legends, TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi, aka TJ & Dave, bring their unique COMPLETELY IMPROVISED two-man show to the Grey Eagle stage!TJ and Dave walk out on stage without characters, dialog or plot. An hour later they leave an audience with one of the funniest nights of their lives. Described by The New York Times as “Second City-seasoned masters of long form improv”, TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi have become living legends in their field.Do not miss this!The comics TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi miraculously improvise a one-hour play at every performance. This is an impressive feat of mental athletics, but the results are also observant, complex and frequently enormously funny.– The New York Times“BRILLIANT, HEARTBREAKING, MIND-BLOWING, INSPIRING! The best 50 minutes of improv comedy that we’ve ever seen. But we wouldn’t want to insult their effusive skills by speaking so simplistically. Also, it’s funny. Drink their Kool-Aid.” – Time Out New York“TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi, two of the world’s finest practitioners of the art of long-form improv, create an hour long one-act play. They’re both great actors and have amazing improv chops, but it’s always hard to notice these kinds of things when you’re peeing your pants laughing.” – Time Out Chicago“The cumulative effect of their spontaneous storytelling is breathtaking…Without-a-net derring-do brand of theatre.” – nytheatre.com
J & The Causeways
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY J & THE CAUSEWAYS New Orleans soul/rock powerhouse ensemble J & The Causeways debut album, Motions, conjures a universal theme of togetherness and compassion — melodies and lyrics cultivated with a keen understanding of reaching one another through healing and transcendence. Singer and keyboardist Jordan Anderson leads with a soaring level of octave prowess and sonic range akin to that of other renowned soul acts like St. Paul & The Broken Bones or Brittany Howard. Captured by famed musicians/producers Robert Mercurio and Ben Ellman (both members of NOLA cosmic funk outfit Galactic) at Studio in the Country and Esplanade Studios, Motions is a record soaked in the freewheelin’ ethos and sonic tones of a vibrant city that Anderson proudly calls home.
