Big Freedia’s Christmas in Central City Tour
– ALL AGES – STANDING ROOM ONLYBig Freedia has partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 from every ticket sold will go to The Ally Coalition’s work to support homeless and at-risk LGBTQIA+ youth. Asheville and Knoxville are rescheduled dates and will not be participating in the PLUS1 partnership, but ticket buyers should keep an eye out for ways to work with The Ally Coalition on getting involved in local LGBTQIA+ organizations in their city!BIG FREEDIA New Orleans icon Big Freedia is dreaming of the future of bounce music. Over the past two decades, the Queen of Bounce has expanded the booming sounds of Southern rap on a string of high-energy, twerk-inducing projects, while showcasing her inimitable charisma on blockbuster hits by Drake and Beyoncé. But where some might rest on their laurels, the Queen Diva still sees plenty of opportunity to expand her empire. “Bounce has been through many iterations—from Triggerman to Sissy to Cash Money Bounce—but my new single is something I call Bigga Bounce,” says Freedia, heralding this new chapter for the genre. “Welcome to Central City, y’all, where I pay homage to my city, my roots, hip-hop, and to the art of creating a new sound.” The tireless mogul broke into television in 2013 with Fuse’s Big Freedia Bounces Back, released her memoir Big Freedia: God Save The Queen Diva in 2015, launched a cannabis line called Royal Bud in 2022, and is on track to open her very own Hotel Freedia in New Orleans in 2024. In addition to promoting Central City Freestyle, and $100 Bill Ft. Ciara, the Queen Diva is gearing up to launch a new original series, Big Freedia Means Business, which will explore her prolific entrepreneurial endeavors. Visuals and even more new music are already in the works too. But in the greater scheme of things, Big Freedia hopes her voice and platform as an unapologetically authentic artist will inspire, especially at a time when the rights of LGBTQ+ people are under constant attack. “We gotta keep pushing, and I hope this album speaks to my community and everyone who feels they don’t have a voice,” she adds. “I am living proof of why you don’t let yourself get dragged down. We keep going. We keep fighting.”HAIKU HANDSANJELIKA “JELLY” JOSEPH
William Elliott Whitmore
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMIITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLEWILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE A man armed only with a banjo and a bass drum can be a formidable force, especially if his name is William Elliott Whitmore. With his powerful voice and honest approach, Whitmore comes from the land, growing up on a family farm in Lee County, Iowa. Still living on the same farm today, Whitmore has truly taken the time to discover where his center lies, and from that he will not be moved. Whitmore has repeatedly carved his own path, honoring the longstanding tradition of folk music throughout his nearly 20 year career, while always allowing his blues, soul and punk rock influences to shine through. Getting his first break opening for his friend’s hardcore band with just a banjo in hand, he would discover bands like The Jesus Lizard, Bad Brains, Lungfish and Minutemen and soon learn to play his own brand of rural, roots music with that same DIY ethic. William Elliott Whitmore has been back and forth across the United States and to cities around the world. He’s toured with such diverse acts as Frank Turner, Trampled By Turtles, Clutch and Chris Cornell to name a few. He’s appeared on some of the biggest stages around the world including Stagecoach Fest, Byron Bluesfest (Australia) and End of the Road Fest (UK). His willingness to take his show to any playing field has proved invaluable as he turned strangers to diehards with every performance.CHRIS McGINNISChris McGinnis writes songs that exist somewhere between a hiccup and a heartache. His debut EP, Songs For You, touches on the peculiarity of your hometown morphing beyond recognition. It tells the story of two Baby Boomers falling in and out of love across time zones and decades. It’s about connection and disconnection alike. With the release of his debut full-length album Mamaw’s Angel, Chris veers deeper into these familiar themes. Through tales of stolen Winnebagos and hip-shaking grandbabies, Chris’ music is Appalachian absurdity for the 21st Century.
David Wilcox Annual Thanksgiving Homecoming Concert
– ALL AGES- FULLY SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLEDAVID WILCOX David Wilcox is a penetrating storyteller. The revered folk musician has an effortless talent for spinning lyrics that quietly cut deep, and crafting melodies that seamlessly ride the plot twists and turns. Wilcox handily exemplifies the power of lyrical and musical catharsisPick any song from Wilcox’s new acoustic album, My Good Friends, and you will find yourself instantly immersed. Sometimes you’ll see yourself in the lyrics, other times you’ll marvel at the four-minute mini-movie. My Good Friends is a stripped-down, acoustic collection of ten songs, a fan-requested creative respite for Wilcox as he also continues to work on a full band album coming in 2024.Of special note on the new recording is “Jolt,” with its jittery rhythm playing perfect backdrop to lyrics about today’s obsession with online fear mongering and internet disinformation. The title track is a folk-blues number about living a life filled with close calls and surviving them all. Then there’s a trio of story songs – “Dead Man’s Phone,” “This Is How It Ends,” and “Lost Man” – that are as cinematic as they are charismatic. Wilcox says those last three songs “create a whole movie in my imagination.”In fact, the way Wilcox feels about every tune on My Good Friends proves this is indeed a fan-requested labor of love. “I am grateful for the community that sustains me – my good friends,” he says. “These are the kind of friends that get you through difficult times. The kind of friends that you go to for a fresh perspective when the future looks grim. These songs grew out of conversations with friends, and they hold ideas that I like to have around.”Such dedication to honoring personal and heartfelt music has been the backbone of David Wilcox’s entire career. The Ohio native with the warm baritone found his artistic muse in North Carolina during the mid-1980s. In 1987, he released his debut album, The Nightshift Watchman, which led to winning the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in 1988. That translated to a four-album stint with A&M Records starting with 1989’s How Did You Find Me Here, which sold 100,000 copies by word of mouth. Thirty-plus years and twenty-plus albums later, Wilcox won top honors in the 23rd annual USA Songwriting Competition in 2018 for his effervescent “We Make the Way by Walking” from his last album release, The View From the Edge. Wilcox has deservedly earned praise over the years in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, and Rolling Stone, to name a few. He also has a dedicated and vocal core of fans who regularly write to thank him for his work and the impact his songs have had on their lives.Today, Wilcox is still earning his admirers with storytelling that cuts deep into the soul and observes the human condition from both the nerve center and the outside looking in. That kind of storytelling is certain to become a good friend.
STICK MEN (featuring Tony Levin, Markus Reuter, Pat Mastelotto)
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLESTICK MEN STICK MEN – Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto, the powerhouse bass and drums of the group King Crimson for a few decades, bring that tradition to all their playing. Levin plays the Chapman Stick, from which the band takes it’s name. Having bass and guitar strings, the Chapman Stick functions at times like two instruments. Markus Reuter plays his self-designed touch style guitar – again covering much more ground than a guitar or a bass. And Mastelotto’s drumming encompasses not just the acoustic kit, but a unique electronic setup too, allowing him to add loops, samples, percussion, and more. Members of STICK MEN have recorded on albums that sold over 200 million records worldwide and all 4 individual members have played collectively in many different projects in past 5 decades in over 90 countries worldwide.TONY LEVIN – Born in Boston, Tony Levin started out in classical music, playing bass in the Rochester Philharmonic. Then moving into jazz and rock, he has had a notable career, recording and touring with Peter Gabriel, John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Yes, Alice Cooper, and many more. He has also released 5 solo CDs and three books of photohraphy and poetry. In addition to touring with Stick Men, he is currently a member of King Crimson (since 1980) and Peter Gabriel Band (since 1977), and jazz bands Levin Brothers (with his older brother Pete Levin) and L’Image (with Steve Gadd, Mike Manieri, David Spinozza, Warren Bernhard). Tony Levin is one of the most recorded bass players in history of music, appearing on over 1000 albums, and one of the most iconic and recognizable rock musicians in the past 5 decades. PAT MASTELOTTO – Very rarely does a drummer go on to forge the most successful career on the demise of their former hit band. Phil Collins and Dave Grohl have managed it, so too has Pat Mastelotto, a self taught drummer from Northern California, who has also been involved with pushing the envelope of electronic drumming. Pat has spent a lifetime jumping genres from pop, to prog, to electronica to world music with – among others – Mr. Mister, XTC, David Sylvian, The Rembrandts, Kimmo Pohjonen, and for the last 25 years with King Crimson.MARKUS REUTER – Markus is a composer, guitarist, and producer. Initially trained as a pianist, he subsequently studied Robert Fripp’s Guitar Craft and learned to play the Chapman Stick, later moving onto the U8 Touch Guitar. Reuter has re- leased several solo recordings and worked extensively with other musicians. He is one of the core members of the experi- mental band Centrozoon, is half of the duo Tuner (with Pat Mastelotto) and was also a member of Europa String Choir. WE ARE ANTS TO THEM…is the modular electronic project of synthesist & guitarist André Cholmondeley. WAATT touches base on various spots in the rich 125 year history of electronic music.
ELLA VOS: The Microdose Tour
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYELLA VOSAcclaimed for her dreamy soundscapes and psychedelic anthems, Ella Vos arrived on the scene with her 2017 single “White Noise,” which became an overnight sensation, debuting at #1 on Spotify’s Viral Charts. Her debut album, Words I Never Said, shortly followed to critical praise from Rolling Stone, HuffPost, Nylon, Coveteur and more. In 2019, Vos shared her Watch and Wait EP to acclaim from The New York Times, UPROXX—who called it “cathartic and confessional”— Earmilk and more. She has consistently sold out shows across North America, and with more than 300 million streams amassed independently, her songs have soundtracked hit series on ABC, MTV, E!, The CW and more. Vos’ songwriting is celebrated for exploring modern women’s lives in their totality, from motherhood, postpartum depression, reproductive rights, a lymphoma diagnosis, her divorce, to navigating lockdown with a new partner. With SUPERGLUE, her latest album written and recorded with husband Tommy English (Kacey Musgraves, Noah Cyrus), Vos expands on the complexities of womanhood after a year of intractable life shifts.
Leanna Firestone
– ALL AGES – STANDING ROOM ONLY LEANNA FIRESTONELeanna Firestone is an impressive artist and talented musician from Nashville, Tennessee. While attending Recording Industry school, Leanna entered the professional world of songwriting by fusing her writing with the community of anime stans she found when she first joined TikTok. Ultimately, this led to a short snippet of what would become her first release, “Strawberry Mentos” which reached 5M streams. Then, in 2021, her next track “Least Favorite Only Child” reached 4M streams, while her EP Y/N peaked at #8 on the US singer-songwriter iTunes Charts. One of her songs was also featured during an episode of Love Island UK. In early 2022, she released her first full album Forward / Slash, featuring “Diet Coke”, “Gambling Addiction” and “Smitten.” Currently, Leanna is signed to Frtyfve Records out of London.ABBY CATES Abby Cates is a singer/songwriter from Cincinnati, Ohio currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee. Cates started performing in musicals at the age of seven and plays a variety of instruments including guitar, piano, and ukulele. After competing on The Voice in 2018, she continued to pursue music, uploading covers and snippets of original music to social platforms such as Instagram and Tik Tok. After garnering an impressive and loyal following on socials, Cates released her debut single, “roadtripsong” in June 2021. When she’s not creating music, Cates spends her time in class at Belmont University and enjoying the outdoors, from where she finds most of her inspiration. SYDNEY ROSE
Josiah and the Bonnevilles
– ALL AGES – FULLY SEATED SHOW – LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE JOSIAH AND THE BONNEVILLES Josiah and the Bonnevilles is a musical project led by singer-songwriter Josiah Leming. Josiah was born in Morristown, Tennessee and as a child, Josiah was fascinated by music and began playing the piano and guitar at a young age. Josiah’s musical talents became evident to his family and friends, and he began performing as a teenager catching the attention of music industry professionals. In 2010, he formed Josiah and the Bonnevilles, which presented a unique blend of Folk, Americana, and Country that draws from his roots as a true Appalachian artist, embracing honesty and putting life’s realities into his songwriting. In 2015, Josiah and the Bonnevilles released its debut album, On Trial. The album was praised for its raw, vulnerable lyrics and its combination of acoustic and electric instruments that underpinned the storytelling. The band went on tour in support of the album with the artist LP, performing at various venues across the United States and Europe. Since the release of On Trial, Josiah and the Bonnevilles have continued to make music and tour, gaining a devoted fan base along the way. Josiah remains grounded and focused on his music. He has spoken openly about his struggles with mental health, addiction, and the music industry as a whole and uses his songwriting as a form of therapy. He continues to inspire his fans with his honesty and vulnerability, and his music has touched the hearts of people around the world. MON ROVIAI’m Mon, born in Mon Rovia, Liberia. My life can be summed up by being born into a civil war, escaping the life of a child soldier, rescued by the hands of missionaries. Spent a lot of my developmental years living in a variety of places with a number of life experiences. And then layered on top of all of this is the assimilation I felt being a transracially adopted refugee. My music in a nutshell is a culmination of these experiences blended with the empathy I feel for the experiences with others. The mission of my music is to heal with others — with every nation and tongue, in due time.
OUTPOST: Anuraag Pendyal
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE “Anuraag Pendyal is a piano player and songwriter based in New Orleans and originally from Carrboro, NC. His solo show combines his original songs, which often address contemporary political and culturally-relevant themes through storytelling and satire, with stride piano, New Orleans R&B, traditional standards, improvisation, and colorful instrumental compositions. New Orleans piano is all about coherently synthesizing the wide range of musical expressions that were born in the city—you have to “play all the styles.” Funk, second line rhythms, “rhumba boogie,” rock & roll, swing, and more will be covered—from Jelly Roll Morton to Allen Toussaint to Ellis Marsalis, and plenty more in between. Check out a review of his solo album from the New Orleans cultural magazine AntiGravity: https://antigravitymagazine.com/reviews/reviews-79/ And more on the New Orleans Public Library’s online Crescent City Sounds music database: https://crescentcitysounds.org/artists/anuraag-pendyal His music is available for streaming on Bandcamp, Spotify, and all other major streaming services.”
OUTPOST: Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers and Shauna Dean Cokeland
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINEMel Bryant & the Mercy Makers write songs for screaming from the passenger seat. A nashville based, east coast born rock band inspired by modern punk, classic blues, and indie sad girls, the group embodies the spirit of a DIY band, recording all their own music in a barn-turned-studio in their backyard. Their gritty guitars, raucous grooves, raging feminine energy and frank, witty lyricism have gained them a dedicated following on social media and a Spotify stream count in the multi millions. Check out the links below to hear more and watch them live. Shauna Dean Cokeland is an acoustic folk pop artist with lyricism beyond her years and over 500,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram, comprised of real, engaged fans who know all the words to her songs—even the unreleased ones. Hailing from a small beach town in Maryland with dreams of taking over the world as the “Last Best Pop Star”, her long anticipated latest single asserts, she is bold and confident and weaves tantalizing stories in her songs. Inspired by all things 2000s, Britney Spears, Eminem, Kesha, Tyler Childers, and low rise jeans, her infectious brand of Y2K nostalgia combined with a teenage passion for both emo and country music has fostered a sense of community among the Gen Z that’s hard to put to words. McKinney is a queer femme bass player and singer/songwriter living in Asheville, NC. She is a resident artist with LEAF Global Arts and has a been a regular performer at the LEAF festivals for the past 6 years. She grew up touring with an empowerment concert tour that educates youth about mental health resources. Her diverse and inclusive ensemble combines elements of rock, jazz, blues, funk, and soul to craft songs that resonate with authenticity and vulnerability. She released her debut single in 2021 entitled “Stay,” produced by Josh Blake at Echo Mountain. You can feel the desire she has to create new music that stays true to her unique sound. With new music, coming in 2024, produced by Ted Marks & Thommy Knowles, this young woman is ready to take her place as the next powerhouse coming out of Asheville.
OUTPOST: The Grateful Family
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE- FREE SHOW
