OUTPOST: J.M Clifford
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINEJ.M. Clifford A songwriter and music educator from Brooklyn, NY. His music draws on folk, bluegrass, and classic singer-songwriter styles from the 60s and 70s. Clifford’s debut record, On a Saturday Night, was featured on The Bluegrass Situation and received rave reviews from Bluegrass Today and Holler Country. Clifford will be performing as an official showcase artist at the IBMA conference in September 2023. He performed at the IBMA Songwriter Showcase in 2022 and has been selected as a finalist in the 2023 Rocky Mountain Songwriting Festival. Clifford’s upcoming record, slated for release in late 2023, was produced by platinum-selling artist Ron Pope and features Bronwyn Keith Hynes, Seth Taylor, and Jeff Picker. Clifford works as an NYC elementary public school teacher in Brooklyn and leads a bluegrass ensemble at The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.
OUTPOST: Chloe Kimes
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINEChloe KimesNashville based singer-songwriter Chloe Kimes is actively defining the next generation of folk-singing troubadours with an old-soul sensibility for storytelling in a spirited alt-country outfit. Born and raised on the lakeshores of northern Michigan, Kimes remains unbound by genre and consistently navigates a delicate balance between poignance and charm with vocals wrung out and steadfast as any before her. Named one of NPR’s 2022 Slingshot Artists to Watch, her debut album is ambitious and strikingly live. Reviewed as “reminiscent of contemporary roots heroes like Lucinda Williams,” Kimes’ self-titled debut is a raw reflection of the artist, and with music as homegrown as its penman, Kimes and her band are not to be missed.Jackson Grimmand his band marry folk pop melodies with the lonesome sound of traditional Appalachian music. In a region with a strong music culture, it is no surprise that Grimm’s songwriting is representative of his musical birthplace: Asheville, NC. A modern string band leader, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Grimm is a talent on the rise.
Love Bubble (Record Release Show)
– ALL AGES- FULLY SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLELOVE BUBBLE (RECORD RELEASE SHOW) Asheville’s favorite harmony driven Bubblegum Pop trio is at it again with their sophomore record release “Dream Big.” Expect more love, more bubble, and genius lyrics written and co-written by Hank Bones, Paula Hanke and Peggy Ratusz; all veterans of the Asheville music scene for decades. From storytelling to prose and poetry, each of the 14 tracks is rich in arrangement, instrumentation, melody, rhyme and rhythm. With reviews like the one from Music Street Journal which harkens: “it’s like a long lost gem of times gone by” and calls it “dreamy & psychedelic, entertaining & poignant.” Rocktimes finds it “wonderfully beautiful and colorful with a cool & groovy hippie vibe.” Sea of Tranquility says “with a name like Love Bubble, it’s no wonder they’d release a record with the theme of love coursing through its grooves. Listening to this album is like taking a time warp into the 1960’s or turning on your local AM dial and letting the pop vibes wash over you. Sunshiny tracks bursting with optimism! Put on your tie-dye and dive in!” Rootstime says “it’s warm, carefree and uplifting with brilliant, impeccable harmonies that invite you to forget your troubles and concerns of the modern day.”
OUTPOST: The Pinkerton Raid
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINEThe Pinkerton Raid is “a towering forest of indie rock with a timbre of folk that shadows Langhorne Slim, Cold War Kids and The Killers,” says THE SPILL. 2022’s THE HIGHWAY MOVES THE WORLD begins two decades ago in Jesse James DeConto’s childhood basement, where he learned The Beatles and first turned a songwriter’s eye on his own rich and complicated family life. “Radiant,” says AMERICAN SONGWRITER. “Poignant,” says ROLLING STONE. “Anthemic,” says AMERICANA-UK. Since the lockdowns, Jesse is back on the road with a totally new lineup, but, as always, a gang of friends with a full-band sound. The Durham, NC-based band has played at festivals from Georgia to Ohio, sharing stages with Liz Cooper, The Bones of JR Jones and The Nude Party. “A sound for dreamers around a campfire,” says GHETTOBLASTER. “Folksy indie rock,” describes FLAGPOLE MAGAZINE, “threads of the quilt of American folklore.” —–Annabelle’s Curse is an electrified indie-folk band from Bristol, TN/VA. The band has developed a reputation for high energy live shows and immersive studio albums. They have released five full-length albums and one EP. Since forming in 2010, Annabelle’s Curse has toured extensively throughout the southeast and mid-Atlantic, developing a devoted fan base. They have had the privilege of supporting acts such as Blues Traveler, Sam Bush, Langhorne Slim, Anderson East, Paul McDonald, The Hackensaw Boys, and Birds of Chicago. The band has been a staple at Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, most recently taking the stage for their 10th year, and have been featured at numerous other music festivals including Floydfest, Rooster Walk, Fall for Greenville, Rhythm N’ Blooms, and North Carolina Brewers Fest. The band has also appeared on PBS’s Music City Roots and Song of the Mountains. —–Hailing from North Carolina, two sisters and friends of the Maggie Valley Band came together in the town they now identify themselves with. Each member learned their trade of music in the beautiful mountains of Maggie Valley, NC. Sisters Whitney & Caroline Miller grew up in a home where playing the piano was a daily requirement. Daily requirements turned to passion as they hit the streets to street busk. After years of busking, The Maggie Valley Band was officially formed and decided to take it inside-to venues. TMVB released their album “The Hardest Thing” in 2018 under under the direction of Grammy & Emmy nominated producer, David Mayfield. TMVB comes together to produce a sound affectionately referred to as “Dark Appalachian”, ranging from folk rock to indie rock.
Tina and Her Pony (Album Release Show)
– ALL AGES- FULLY SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLETINA AND HER PONY “Tina & Her Pony deliver a gentle folk music that inexorably swells into a powerful wave. The songs themselves carry a gentle wisdom that invigorates the listener. Tina & Her Pony truly commit to a kind of chamber folk that feels as timeless as it does timely.” – Rachel Cholst, NO DEPRESSION In a soundscape rich in folk and americana offerings Tina and Her Pony stand out with their clarity and freshness. Harmonies, arrangements, lyrics and captivating vocals combine to create something greater than the sum of the pieces which, taken individually, are deceptively straightforward. Their music chronicles complex emotional landscapes with the kind of wisdom and honesty required from roots music in its most distilled and cherished forms. The pandemic brought much change and loss to Tina’s world, and this is reflected in her fresh material, a collection of songs that comprises her newest record, “Marigolds” (2023). But Tina has been upending expectations and convention from early on. Her distinctive vocals and songwriting are the product of both a conservatory education and her singular taste in female folk artists like Gillian Welch, Joni Mitchell and Kate Wolf. Though originally founded as a duo by both Tina Collins and Quetzal Jordan, these days the band is centered solely around the songwriting and singing of Tina, who is accompanied by a rotating cast of inspired instrumentalists and friends. The current core band features Melissa Hyman on electric bass, Ryan Furstenburg on electric guitar and Ross Montsinger on drum kit. “Even within the world of folk, Tina & Her Pony’s sound can’t be defined within a single culture or concept. What is undeniable, however, is the soul-stirring power of the music itself”. – Andria Brown, Folk All Y’all Identifying as queer also plays an important role in how Tina approaches her unique blend of indie Appalachian folk, Americana, and her essential musical and personal expression. In recordings as well as live performances, Tina always strives to provide the listener with a deep oceanic counterpoint to her earthy, time-honored musical approach. It’s an apt metaphor for the dark and the light of life, for the transformation of life’s joys and sorrows into songs that Tina & her Pony has strived to create since 2010. Tina counts through-hiking the Appalachian Trail as a formative musical and human experience, deepening her connection to that place and its musical traditions while also relishing places of fluidity in both art and expression, constantly inverting expectations. Live performances weave a fascinating web of sound and intention that draw the audience in. Listening to Tina & Her Pony offers a window into an interior landscape that begs to be explored. FWUITFwuit is an Asheville-based retro soul band consisting of members of the band MOVES and Holy Ghost Tent Revival. Dulci, Kevin and Ross play a mix of original music and carefully chosen covers, highlighting beautiful two-part harmony atop the deepest pockets of groove.
