PATIO: Freddie McClendon
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE FREDDIE MCCLENDON Timeless rebel meets Southern gentleman. Freddie McClendon is a rising force in American music—a bold synthesis of country, soul, and rock & roll, carried by a voice that hits like a freight train wrapped in velvet. Rooted in small-town South Carolina, he delivers the swagger of a headline act and the heart of a hometown storyteller. His sound feels timeless yet fresh, conjuring the raw power of Otis Redding, the fire of early Elvis, and the grit of Chris Stapleton. While Freddie first caught national attention with an unforgettable American Idol audition, it’s his original songs, magnetic live shows, and deep connection with fans that are defining his trajectory. With a debut EP ready for release and headline dates in the pipeline, Freddie McClendon isn’t chasing fame—he’s forging a legacy poised for global resonance.
PATIO: Electric Blue Yonder w/ Randy Steele
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE ELECTRIC BLUE YONDER Hailing from Montgomery, Alabama, and residing in Key West, FL, EBY blends psychedelic folk, cosmic country, and vintage surf rock into a genre-bending sound they call “Real American Space Folk.” Their music draws from the rich history of 20th-century parlor guitar traditions, the cosmic curiosity of the Space Age, and the adventurous spirit of bands like Pink Floyd and The Byrds. At the heart of their sonic explorations is a belief that imagination is a powerful survival tool — and every song is a portal to a new world. Their latest creation, MicroParty, expands this philosophy into a vibrant children’s universe full of music, puppetry, and play, proving that wonder has no age limit. RANDY STEELE Randy Steele is an award winning banjo pickin’ singer/songwriter from Chattanooga, Tennessee. His first solo album was released in early 2017 followed by an EP released in the summer of 2018. Both albums were met with critical acclaim and spotlights from dozens of music critics, including Relix Magazine, No Depression, and The Bluegrass Situation. In 2018 Steele won an Independent Music Award for Bluegrass ‘Song of the Year’ for “Mobile Soon” and was also selected as a Finalist in the New Song LEAF Songwriting Competition. Steele then spent 2019 hard on the road clocking in 90 shows in 17 states in 47 cities before being forced off the road by the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic. 2021 – 2023 Steele put together a bluegrass band of Southeastern Tennessee musicians called the High Cold Wind and began playing festivals and shows in Tennessee, Atlanta, Asheville, Charleston SC, and a few cities saw multiple repeat performances by either Randy Steele solo or Randy Steele & High Cold Wind. In 2023 Steele was named s Semi Finalist in the American Songwriter ‘Song of the Year’ for 2022, then he was named a Finalist in the legendary ‘New Folk’ Songwriting Competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. Randy released ‘High Cold Wind’ in 2023 to acclaim from Bluegrass Today, Bluegrass Unlimited, Americana Highways and multiple other media sources. Steele is currently touring around the South East and recording new material whenever possible.
PATIO: Tony Kamel
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE TONY KAMEL On his new album, We’re All Gonna Live, Tony Kamel captures a no frills live-to-tape energy perfectly complimenting the weighty but optimistic subjects encompassed in his character based songs. As the frontman and main songwriter for acclaimed bluegrass band Wood & Wire, they garnered praise throughout the music world for their unique approach to performing, writing, and recording – leading to a GRAMMY nomination for Best Bluegrass Record in 2018. For his debut solo record Back Down Home (2021), he teamed up with legendary songwriter Bruce Robison and his analogue based production company, The Next Waltz. It held a #1 spot on the Alt. Country Radio chart, and was on the Americana Charts for several weeks. His shows, both solo and w/ a full band, showcase his versatility as a multi-instrumentalist and compelling story teller – engaging with the audience, playing guitar and clawhammer banjo for a performance beyond some dude simply singing his songs. Whether it’s a raucous festival crowd, or a listening room, he finds a way to sync up with the folks he’s in the room with. With new songs, and some newfound viral fame, he went back into The Next Waltz studio to record this compelling follow up. If he isn’t on your radar now, he will be soon.
Golden Folk Sessions
ALL AGES 6PM DOORS / 7PM SHOW FULLY SEATED SHOW GOLDEN FOLK SESSIONS Golden Folk Sessions (formerly Open Folk AVL) offers an intimate, carefully curated listening experience that celebrates the art of original music. Each event showcases six handpicked artists, performing three-song sets in a quiet, seated environment where the music takes center stage. To add a sense of surprise and discovery, the lineup is revealed only when the show begins. Running from 7–9 PM, these early shows create the perfect evening for music lovers who value live performances and a good night’s rest. With over 100 shows hosted and extraordinary artists from around the globe gracing our stage, Golden Folk Sessions is entering an exciting new chapter. Under a new name and with a new home at The Grey Eagle—one of the Southeast’s most iconic venues—we’re thrilled to continue fostering community through music. Staying true to our values of accessibility, we aim to make music available to everyone. Presale tickets guarantee your seat and support both Golden Folk Sessions and The Grey Eagle. For those attending on the day of the show, our “pay what you can, if you can” option ensures that all are welcome to be part of this unique and meaningful experience. • $10 General Admission (presale) • $0-$25 Day-of-Show (no minimum) We can’t wait to see y’all there.
PATIO: The Pinkerton Raid
ALL AGESLIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE THE PINKERTON RAID The Pinkerton Raid crafts “a fine blend of Beatles-esque dreamy folk,” says AMERICANA HIGHWAYS. “There’s glorious spirit to it.…thoroughly alive and refreshing.” It’s all quite beatnik and granola, steeped in the mysticism of STAR WARS, the existentialism of Kerouac, the naturalism of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, Standing Rock and Laurel Canyon, and the liberation politics of Woody Guthrie and John Lennon. With new singles due in 2025, the band has been slotting at Mile of Music, AVLFest and other festivals with artists like Carsie Blanton, Tre Burt and River Whyless. There is a fair number of songs about trees.
PATIO: Kim Smith
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE KIM SMITH MUSIC Kim Smith is a singer-songwriter/collaborator based out of Asheville, North Carolina. “Songwriting is not just a passion it’s an expression and an extension of myself in the most valuable and strongest times.” Kim continues to record and release songs produced by Asheville-based Chris Rosser as well as Nashville-based Dean Miller.
PATIO: Bam-a-Lam
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BAM-A-LAM This duo of guitar/drums one-man-band multi-dextrous rock-n-roll fire and standup bass acrobatics with harmony singing appears to have several more arms and heads (than 4 and 2 respectively) and serve up lo-fi pop aural satisfaction. Made up of Asheville musical veterans Jason Krekel and Craig Kelberg who combined have performed under more bands and diverse genre styles than can be counted…Has to be seen to be believed!
Golden Folk Sessions
ALL AGES 6PM DOORS / 7PM SHOW FULLY SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE GOLDEN FOLK SESSIONS Golden Folk Sessions (formerly Open Folk AVL) offers an intimate, carefully curated listening experience that celebrates the art of original music. Each event showcases six handpicked artists, performing three-song sets in a quiet, seated environment where the music takes center stage. To add a sense of surprise and discovery, the lineup is revealed only when the show begins. Running from 7–9 PM, these early shows create the perfect evening for music lovers who value live performances and a good night’s rest. With over 100 shows hosted and extraordinary artists from around the globe gracing our stage, Golden Folk Sessions is entering an exciting new chapter. Under a new name and with a new home at The Grey Eagle—one of the Southeast’s most iconic venues—we’re thrilled to continue fostering community through music. Staying true to our values of accessibility, we aim to make music available to everyone. Presale tickets guarantee your seat and support both Golden Folk Sessions and The Grey Eagle. For those attending on the day of the show, our “pay what you can, if you can” option ensures that all are welcome to be part of this unique and meaningful experience. • $25 for Priority Seating (first three rows) • $10 General Admission (presale) • $0-$25 Day-of-Show (no minimum) We can’t wait to see y’all there
Golden Folk Sessions
ALL AGES 6PM DOORS / 7PM SHOW FULLY SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE GOLDEN FOLK SESSIONS Golden Folk Sessions (formerly Open Folk AVL) offers an intimate, carefully curated listening experience that celebrates the art of original music. Each event showcases six handpicked artists, performing three-song sets in a quiet, seated environment where the music takes center stage. To add a sense of surprise and discovery, the lineup is revealed only when the show begins. Running from 7–9 PM, these early shows create the perfect evening for music lovers who value live performances and a good night’s rest. With over 100 shows hosted and extraordinary artists from around the globe gracing our stage, Golden Folk Sessions is entering an exciting new chapter. Under a new name and with a new home at The Grey Eagle—one of the Southeast’s most iconic venues—we’re thrilled to continue fostering community through music. Staying true to our values of accessibility, we aim to make music available to everyone. Presale tickets guarantee your seat and support both Golden Folk Sessions and The Grey Eagle. For those attending on the day of the show, our “pay what you can, if you can” option ensures that all are welcome to be part of this unique and meaningful experience. • $25 for Priority Seating (first three rows) • $10 General Admission (presale) • $0-$25 Day-of-Show (no minimum) We can’t wait to see y’all there
PATIO: Anthony Wayne Vibe
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE ANTHONY WAYNE VIBE Anthony Wayne is a musician and songwriter from Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. A beautiful area, ripe with mountainous forests and skies for days, where many call Home. Where Anthony has created his brand of genreless Vibe. Taking time to create this brand of Vibe he wanted, had been kicking around, writing and touring since 1995, from Virginia to Nashville to Texas and coast to coast and back. It is often said that a songwriter or song can be genre defining or to be easily compared to or paralleled with an artist or band currently on a certain chart. Anthony Wayne did not set out to be genreless but with so many influences and a vast creative pallet, he has given his music a challenging classification and ultimately, Freedom. Influences ranging from Singer Songwriter, Metal, Punk, Percussion, Poetry, Theater and most places in between, allow him the diversity. Unable to prevent all artistic outlets to spoil his Vibe, Anthony Wayne is equal parts Indie, Americana, Jam, Rock, and Progressive. That is just the start of what might be. A genreless, free spirited collected compass, with so many points North that, Home is all around him and wherever he goes. Utilizing harmonies, guitars, samples, drums, percussion, rhythm and groove; Anthony Wayne is allowing his hands and heart to deliver a unique Vibe unlike anything seen before. With a vibrant and raucous stage delivery, Anthony Wayne is Live and Ready. This year will see the release of recorded material that has been waiting for the right moment to see the light. To celebrate, Anthony Wayne is peeling back the layers of sound to reveal the basics. A guy and a guitar and tons of new material.
