HARMONIES FOR HOMES: A Benefit for Homeward Bound of WNC
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY HARMONIES FOR HOMES Join us on Sunday, October 26th at The Grey Eagle from 3 to 10 PM for Harmonies for Homes, a special evening of music and community in support of Homeward Bound of WNC and their mission to end homelessness in Asheville. This family-friendly fundraiser brings together some of the region’s most dynamic bands, including Coconut Cake, Las Montañitas, Rahm Squad, Eleanor & Friends, King Garbage, After Ours, Hype Machine, and Dr. Funky Squirrel. With genres spanning funk, jazz, soul, Latin, and beyond, it’s a celebration of the diverse sounds that make Asheville’s music scene special. In addition to an incredible lineup, guests can take part in a silent auction featuring unique items and experiences generously donated by local businesses, with all proceeds directly supporting Homeward Bound’s vital housing programs. Food and drinks will be available from The Grey Eagle’s renowned taqueria, making it a perfect night out for families, friends, and music lovers alike. Harmonies for Homes is made possible through the support of our presenting sponsors: Fred Anderson Subaru, McKibbon Hospitality, Moxy Hotel, Aloft Hotel, Infinity Wealth Management, and Town Mountain Realty. Come enjoy great music, bid on great local items, and help create lasting solutions to homelessness in our community.
Bywater Call
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY BYWATER CALL Bywater Call, is a powerhouse seven-piece Southern soul, roots rock band from Toronto, Canada, made up of Meghan Parnell (vocals), Dave Barnes (guitar), Bruce McCarthy on drums, Mike Meusel on Bass, newest member, John Kervin on Keys, Stephen Dyte on Trumpet and Julian Nalli on Tenor Sax. Bywater Call has received multiple Independent Blues and Maple Blues Award nominations including Entertainer, Electric Act and Best Female Vocalist for the 2024 Awards Season. They have toured extensively in Europe where shows have been praised by Dutch, German and UK media, with references to Meghan as one of the best female voices in blues and roots today. In August 2023, the band participated in Joe Bonamassa’s third Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Mediterranean Cruise alongside headliners Blackberry Smoke and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, and were invited to perform at the All-Star Jam on the mainstage with Bonamassa himself. Guitarist Dave Barnes was also asked to join legendary blues artist Jimmy Vivino (Conan O’Brien’s Basic Cable Band) on stage. Bywater Call have commanded festival stages in Canada and around the world, often referred to as the “find of the fest”. In May of 2023, they opened for Canadian Award-winning band White Horse at the inaugural Smokestack Music Festival in Hamilton, Ontario. In July, Meghan joined renowned pedal-steel guitarist Robert Randolph on stage at his request, at the Briggs Farm Festival in Nescopeck, PA. On October 24, 2023, Bywater performed a live stream performance for the famed German TV show and festival Rockpalast. In 2023 alone, the band played a total of 96 shows in 10 countries, 89 Cities, 19 US States and 3 Canadian Provinces. This is not including a month long duo tour in Europe and the UK where Meghan and Dave opened for Southern California rockers Robert Jon & The Wreck, who have recently partnered with Joe Bonamassa’s Journeyman Records. The band’s music is an exploration of life’s highs and lows. From intimate ballads that lay bare the complexities of human emotion to electrifying anthems that demand to be played at full volume, their catalogue is a journey through the human experience, incorporating influences from the likes of The Band, The Wood Brothers, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Otis Redding, Little Feat, Sly and the Family Stone, among others.
Save UNCA Woods Benefit Show
ALL AGESIF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, YOU CAN ALSO DONATE BY CLICKING HERE UNC Asheville’s 45-acre urban forest has been a cherished community resource and wildlife habitat for decades. It’s now under threat of development despite its status as one of the last remaining urban forests in Asheville. This show is a benefit for Friends of the Woods, a group of concerned citizens, students, UNCA faculty, neighbors, and more who have the support of the Five Points Neighborhood Association and other local organizations committed to the preservation of this precious urban forest. Given the time-sensitive nature and Friends of the Woods being an entirely volunteer-run effort, we are fundraising for a campaign to seek transparency and accountability, and to positively influence the university’s use of the forest. The money raised will be used to further the campaign’s efforts. Because this is a volunteer effort, none of the members of the Friends of the Woods group will be paid from any funds collected. If any money is left after all is said and done, we will donate it to a local land conservancy. For more information, please visit www.saveuncawoods.org LEAH SONG PROJECT (featuring members or Rising Appalachia) Leah Song is a storyteller, song-catcher, musician, poet, and community builder known primarily for her role as frontwoman of Rising Appalachia, alongside her sister Chloe. As a soloist, she incorporates sultry vocals, storytelling, folklore, ballads and boleros into her laid-back troubadour performances. Her music is based in the traditions of Southern soul, the diasporic music of the Celtic Isles and her deep studies of traditional folk music from across the Americas. WILD ROOTS Wild Roots is an independent, women-led band based in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Headed by Julia Houghton and Olivia Moore, the group released their debut album, Wild Roots Rising, in 2021 and have since continued to tour, playing stages and festivals across the country. Olivia and Julia have co-created music for nearly a decade and collaborate in many areas of life; in addition to being soul sisters, the two share a deep passion for sustainable living and environmental justice. DAVID EARL TOMLINSON David Earl Tomlinson is among Asheville, North Carolina’s more soulful singers and performers.
The Steel Wheels
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY THE STEEL WHEELS The Steel Wheels have long been at home in the creative space between tradition and innovation, informed by the familiar sounds of the Virginia mountains where the band was formed, but always moving forward with insightful lyrics and an evolving sound. In 2005, Jay Lapp (vocals, guitars, mandolin) and Eric Brubaker (vocals, fiddle) joined lead singer Trent Wagler (guitar, banjo) in forming the band as a vehicle for Wagler’s songwriting. They released several albums under Wagler’s moniker, before officially adopting the The Steel Wheels name with the 2010 release of Red Wing. Quickly staking their claim as independent upstarts in the burgeoning Americana scene, The Steel Wheels followed up this release with three more self-produced albums in the next five years, before joining forces with producer Sam Kassirer for Wild As We Came Here (2017) and Over The Trees (2019). Kevin Garcia (drums, percussion, keys) joined in 2017, bringing a new level of sonic depth and polish to the outfit. Newest member Jeremy Darrow rounds out the rhythm section and grounds the band as they continue to explore deeply rooted yet fresh folk rock sounds. Having gained the experience of thousands of shows, festivals and many miles on the road, the stubbornly independent band has formed deep bonds with each other and the audience that sustains them. The Steel Wheels have responded to this time of isolation and loss by seeking to connect with their audience in new ways. In 2020, unable to perform their rootsy brand of Americana for crowds in live settings, the musicians turned their creative powers to crafting songs for individuals. Produced in isolation in the band’s home studios, the Everyone a Song albums are part of an ongoing project to collect the personal experiences of fans and forge them into that most enduring, yet ephemeral, format we call “song.” An accompanying podcast, We Made You a Song, explores the stories behind these songs, and the songwriting process itself. While each song was commissioned to honor a specific relationship or event—a birth, a wedding, a memory of home—the emotions evoked are universal. Nowhere is this shared humanity more evident than at the band’s own Red Wing Roots Music Festival, a weekend-long celebration of music, community, and the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Hosted by The Steel Wheels every summer, the festival provides a space for the band to shine, from their high energy Saturday night main stage set to their afternoon showcase with young Red Wing Academy students. At Sunday’s gospel hour you are as likely to hear Steel Wheels originals or Warren Zevon covers as you are traditional gospel fare. The weekend is rounded out by the beloved tribute set in which the band collaborates with a cadre of fellow artists to honor an influential figure in American music, with past tributes ranging from Dolly Parton to John Prine. Whether at a joyous summer festival, in their many shows across the country and beyond, or in the studio, The Steel Wheels continue their mission set out over a decade ago; shaking up traditions to see what sticks, telling stories, and joining communities through song.
Glare with Cloakroom, Jivebomb, and Destiny Bond
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY GLARE When you hear music like this—the wild, loose and woozy drags of guitar; the impossible beauty of it all—what kind of landscape presents itself in your mind? Vistas big enough to be forgotten in. Deserts which stretch back to the beginning of time. Infinite horizons melting into pink bokehs. It’s Texas, isn’t it? Formed in 2017 in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, Glare aren’t so much genre traditionalists as they are painters of wide realms and intense moods. The four-piece band has already accumulated a large audience, both in the flesh with their reputation for sell-out shows, and on the internet, a place where people go to short-circuit feelings through their screens. Sunset Funeral, the band’s debut LP, is a fog of dreamy grief, where feeling supersedes language. It’s music, as guitarist Toni Ordaz puts it, “for people who don’t know how to talk about how they feel.” An album that’s been years in the making, Sunset Funeral is a document of unspeakable grief, charting the process of mourning and how it travels through our subconscious and dreams. One of the great charms of Sunset Funeral, and of Glare overall, is how they approach such a large, celestial sound with humble materials. Among the shoegaze revivalists, Glare come to the canvas with a more resourceful, DIY perspective than many of their peers. Glare’s music is too sublime, too huge to sound like it came from any kind of manmade instrument, tiny amp box or otherwise. On first listen, Sunset Funeral—which scans as vast as desert sand—may overwhelm the senses. But look closer, and you’ll find a multiplicity of heavily crushed textures, treasures. ‘Guts’, with its sweetly chugging guitar line, dissolves the borders between bliss and despair. ‘2 Soon 2 Tell’, one of the album’s most gauzily romantic tracks, is both tense and transcendent. Nü Burn, a crunchy and lilting number, harkens back to the band’s grittier hardcore roots. But even when they deign to go hard, you can hear a softening in Glare’s sound compared to any of their previous releases, as well as an attempt to lean into more traditional pop song structures. The music drifts heavenward, to be sure, though it’s still tethered down by steady foundations. It’s beautiful. It’s humid. It’s delirious. It’s music made by people whose feelings speak louder than their words. with special guests…. CLOAKROOM JIVEBOMB DESTINY BOND
Five Eight LIVE: Weirdo Movie Screening + PINKEYE Album Release Party
ALL AGES FEATURING PERFORMANCES FROM FIVE EIGHT & PINEYE, PLUS A SCREENING OF WEIRDO & Q&A WITH THE BAND FIVE EIGHT Hailing from the legendary music town of Athens, Georgia, Five Eight is a band that has turned personal chaos into cathartic rock anthems for over three decades. Fronted by the fearless and emotionally raw Mike Mantione—a self-described manic depressive whose songwriting pulls no punches—the band became a cult favorite by channeling raw nerves into razor-sharp emo-infused rock. Formed in the late ’80s, Five Eight first made waves with their 1989 cassette Passive-Aggressive, a fitting title for a debut that blended ferocious energy with deep introspection. Alongside Mantione, the band’s long-standing core included bassist Dan Horowitz, guitarist Sean Dunn, and drummer Patrick “Tigger” Ferguson—a lineup that would help shape their early, incendiary sound. Through lineup changes, personal battles, and shifting scenes, Five Eight has remained a band of uncompromising honesty and sonic fire—a lifeline for misfits, poets, and anyone who finds beauty in the wreckage. WEIRDO: THE STORY OF FIVE EIGHT is a feature documentary about Mike Mantione and his band Five Eight’s rollercoaster ride of a career from mental institution to touring with their heroes, R.E.M. and beyond. Director Marc Pilvinsky (editor of TORN ASUNDER: WAGING ALEX GARLAND’S CIVIL WAR and director of many music videos) spent nine years chronicling the Athens, Georgia band’s ups and downs in an attempt to figure out how a band this good, for this long, can remain relatively unknown. PINKEYE PINKEYE is a raucous punk band out of Asheville, North Carolina, born in the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as a garage project in Black Mountain quickly evolved into a full-throttle, no-holds-barred force of rock. The trio—Scott Sturdy (bass), Chad Clay (drums), and Joe Hooten (guitar)—harnesses the untamed energy of ‘70s punk, with all three members sharing lead vocal duties and songwriting duties, crafting a raw, gritty sound. Influenced by the likes of The Stooges, Dead Boys, and MC5, PINKEYE blends old-school punk swagger with their own fierce edge.In the years since, PINKEYE has become a fixture on the Southeast punk circuit, lighting up venues and building a reputation for their relentless live shows. They’ve shared stages with legends like Agent Orange, Pylon Reenactment Society, and Soul Asylum, spreading their wild punk gospel to anyone who’ll listen. With a DIY attitude and a relentless passion for their craft, PINKEYE’s no-frills approach to music is unapologetically punk—always loud, always in-your-face, and always ready to rock.PINKEYE is set to release their highly anticipated second album on August 22nd, 2025. Recorded live in the studio and produced by Kevin Boggs at Loc Level Sound in Arden, NC, the album captures the band’s raw energy and unfiltered spirit with uncompromising authenticity. This release features standout collaborations with Jay Gonzalez of Drive-By Truckers, Myles Dunder from Dr. Bacon, and the queen of the NC underground-Hope Nicholls of Fetchin’ Bones & It’s Snakes, adding bold new dimensions to PINKEYE’s gritty sound. To celebrate and support the release, PINKEYE will hit the road on tour this Fall, bringing their explosive live show to fans across the region and beyond.
That1Guy: MOON LOOPS IN 5D
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY THAT1GUY With an extensive and amazing track record of unique and imaginative performances featuring his curious instrument and copious amounts of originality, Mike Silverman, a/k/a That1Guy, has set himself apart as a true one-of-a-kind talent that rivals any other artist currently in the entertainment industry. He was the ʻTap Water Award’ winner at the Edinburgh Festival for best musical act. His legendary collaboration and multiple tours with Buckethead performing as The Frankenstein Brothers has further cemented his virtuoso story as a creative visionary. His innovation continues to soar with his latest tour, That1Guy & The Magic Pipe Present: An Evening of Musical Magical Wonder… The Likes of Which Ye Haven’t Yet Seen, which kicked off in 2014. Along with his pioneering main instrument, The Magic Pipe, a monstrosity of metal, strings, and electronics, he facilitates the dynamic live creation of music and magic in ways only That1Guy can conjure. You can also expect to see magic seamlessly integrated into the already clever performance. With the addition of magic in his live shows, he has legitimately achieved an all-inclusive audio/visual performance unlike anything experienced before. “So much of my music has miraculous qualities to it because it’s hard to tell what’s going on. There are lots of slights of hand and sonic misdirection. It feels like I was meant to do magic”. Silverman’s back-story is similar to many musicians that have come before him. He grew up a self-proclaimed music geek, soaked in the influence of his jazz musician father, and enrolled in San Fran Conservatory of Music before joining the local jazz scene himself as a sought-after percussive bassist. This is where the similarities end though and where That1Guy truly began. “In my case, being a bass player, I just felt very restricted by the instrument itself,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to sound different and have my own sound. I was headed that way on the bass, but for me to fully realize what I was hearing in my head sonically I was going to have to do it my way”. His influential and innovative double bass style eventually evolved into what we see today as That1Guy and The Magic Pipe. As his story continues to develop, Billboard has famously noted, “In the case of Mike Silverman’s slamming, futuristic funk act… the normal rules of biology just don’t apply.” In addition, Silverman also has new music and videos in the works for 2015 that will further validate his status as a trailblazer. “I like being my own person”, he says. “I didn’t set out to be a weirdo, but I’m starting to embrace it”. Ultimately, his motivation can be encapsulated as this: “Human beings do our best work when we’re challenged and pushed up against the wall”. That1Guy goes on to further explain, “By nature, we’re hunters and gatherers, spending each day looking for their next meal. It’s easy to be lazy when you don’t have to come up with something creative right away.”
Vandoliers: Life Behind Bars Tour
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY VANDOLIERS “Most personal album yet” is a well-worn cliché within the cliché-addled world of music promotion. But Life Behind Bars, the fifth studio album from beloved Texas country-punk ensemble Vandoliers, brings new meaning to that phrase. This album marks a series of firsts for the band, it’s their first release with upstart Break Maiden Records and distributed by storied indie Thirty Tigers, their first with Grammy-winning producer Ted Hutt (The Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly, Lucero), and their first recorded at the sprawling Sonic Ranch studios in West Texas. Most importantly, though, this collection of songs offers a window into frontwoman Jenni Rose’s journey through addiction and gender dysphoria — a journey that has culminated in her decision to come out as a trans woman while working in the macho worlds of Texas country and punk rock, at a moment when the rights of trans people are more intensely threatened by the day. “It’s heavier than our other stuff,” says Rose. “Why is this country punk band that’s usually a source of positive energy so melancholy? It’s because I was dealing with accepting my gender dysphoria, while also trying to get sober.” For the uninitiated, even the most melancholy Vandoliers song has a degree of exuberance and verve, full of an irrepressible energy that has led the band to tour with everyone from Flogging Molly to the Turnpike Troubadours to fellow Dallas-Fort Worth natives the Toadies and the Old 97s. Songs like pandemic anthem “Every Saturday Night,” “Cigarettes in the Rain,” “Sixteen Years” and their irresistible take on the Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” have helped the band find a devoted following across the world, fans who pack out shows that are always life-affirming and usually end with some Vandoliers hopping around onstage shirtless. It was onstage that Rose fully realized who she was for the first time. In early 2023, she was barely six months sober and fighting to stay that way while touring with some of the most raucous bands around; she was also trying to write a new collection of Vandoliers songs responding to the first feedback she’d gotten from Hutt. “Your songs are superficial,” he told Rose. “There’s a barrier between what you’re actually writing and your deeper self.” In the middle of that, Vandoliers happened to be playing a show in Maryville, Tennessee the same day that the state’s governor, Bill Lee, had signed what was generally understood as a “drag ban.” Cory Graves, who sings and plays keyboard and trumpet in the band, suggested they all wear dresses for their show that night in protest. “I was like, ‘Hell yeah, I would love to do that’ — like, how harmless is this?” says Rose. Photos from the show went viral, and were covered by Rolling Stone, among many other outlets. Rachel Maddow did a segment on the band on MSNBC. “That was the first time I had ever worn a dress in public, but not the first time I had worn a dress — and then the entire planet saw it. The wall that I had keeping this side of me invisible was completely shattered. I wrote down in my journal, ‘Fuck, I think I’m trans.'” “We’ve been breaking rules in country for 10 years,” says Rose. “‘You play too fast.’ ‘You’re too loud.’ ‘You sing too high.’ ‘You’re more of a punk band.’ All that matters, though, is that people hear our songs and they help them in any way — that’s all we can hope for. I’m struggling so much on this record, but I hope that another trans girl listens to it and finds something in it for themselves.” NATE BERGMAN
Datrian Johnson & Friends’ Soulful Christmas (feat members of ESB, Funk You & The Fritz): A Benefit for Unity Church
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY A BENEFIT FOR UNITY CHURCH, RAISING MONEY TO BRING CHRISTMAS TO FAMILIES IN NEED THIS YEAR DATRIAN JOHNSON & FRIENDS’ SOULFUL CHRISTMAS featuring members of Empire Strikes Brass, Funk You & The Fritz Join us for Datrian Johnson’s annual “Soulful” Christmas show. A local legend, Datrian is bringing out his friends, including bandmates in Funk You, Empire Strikes Brass, The Fritz and a whole lot more. This year proceeds will benefit Unit Church to help bring Christmas to families in need this year.
[CANCELED] INDIGO DE SOUZA PRESENTS: WIFI MOMMY, BOYS_CAMP, ORIGAMI
THIS SHOW HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO THE IMPACT OF HURRICANE HELENE. REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED AS SOON AS WE ARE ABLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND GRACE DURING THIS UNPRECEDENTED TIME. ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY Indigo De Souza’s Wholesome Evil Fantasy EP Release Dance Party I am throwing two dance parties to celebrate these new songs. One in LA and one in Asheville. I will not be performing, but we will be blessed with sets from some really special DJs from each city. Huge thanks to everyone involved 🙂 Can’t wait to hang with ya’ll – Indigo featuring: WIFI MOMMY BOYS_CAMP ORIGAMI
