Drivin N Cryin
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYDRIVIN N CRYINCelebrating their 35th Anniversary together, Atlanta-based folk rock act, Drivin N Cryin, have spent most of their career on tour. In October 1985 Drivin N Cryin played their first show at Atlanta’s famed 688 Club. The band quickly gained attention for their blistering live shows, and amassed a rabid fanbase in the fertile soil of the late-1980s Southeast music scene.Now, 35 years later, and after releasing four full length albums on Island Records and one on Geffen Records, founding members Kevn Kinney and Tim Nielsen find themselves enjoying a milestone anniversary for the band, having survived the pressures of fame, a shifting musical landscape, multiple lineup changes, and miles of back roads and highways to arrive here.After a gold record, 9 full-length albums, and a handful of EPs to their credit, the band still refuses to rest. In 2012, a documentary about the band, entitled Scarred but Smarter: Life n Times of Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, was produced. In 2015, a collection of 10 choice cuts from the band’s 4-EP “Songs” series, entitled Best of Songs, was released on Nashville’s Plowboy Records. Additionally, the band was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame the same year. The following year, Drivin N Cryin released a vinyl-only album, entitled Archives Vol One, with a collection of basement recordings from the years 1988 to 1990. With Dave V. Johnson on drums, and the band’s newest member, Laur Joamets, (originally Sturgill Simpson) added to the lineup, Drivin N Cryin continues to tour the U.S. to great acclaim.Island Records re-released their highly recognized Mystery Road album through Universal Music Group (2017) & Darius Rucker cut Straight to Hell on his new album, When Was the Last Time, released October 2017 with guest vocal appearances by Luke Bryan, Charles Kelley, and Jason Aldean.Mystery Road was named one of “The 50 Best Southern Rock Albums of All Time” by Paste Magazine that year as well. In 2018, New West Records re-released their self-titled 1997 album with a new name, Too Late To Turn Back Now!. In addition, the band recently celebrated the release of their 9th studio album, ‘Live the Love Beautiful’. Produced by Nashville’s, and former band member, Aaron Lee Tasjan, the album was released on Drivin N Cryin Records to much praise.A quote from the band’s lead singer, Kevn Kinney, gives a little insight into what Drivin N Cryin is all about: “We are a band that’s like your record collection.” Drawing influence from a wide array of musical elements, Drivin N Cryin has developed a unique sound over the years. Their name derives from the eclectic nature of this sound: a little drivin’ rock n roll and a little country twang. Comfortable with their past and confident in their future, the band has an arsenal of songs, a full tank of gas, and no plans of stopping any time soon.
Generationals
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYGENERATIONALS Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer knew they had balked before they even got home. In the Fall of 2021, Joyner and Widmer—for a dozen years, the beguiling garage-pop pair known as Generationals—wrapped the second of two sessions in Georgia for a new EP. They’d opted out of the process of file-sharing they had used for years. Choosing instead to cut songs straight to tape in Athens, a spiritual epicenter for their brand of twinkling tunes. The results sounded great, but they didn’t think their songs were actually that exciting or up to snuff. Why busy everyone else with the rigamarole of releasing a record when they weren’t convinced by it themselves? Joyner and Widmer scrapped the sessions, relieved. The decision, after all, did not represent some existential crisis for Generationals, some what-are-we-doing-here panic; it was, instead, a validation of trusting their process and respective enthusiasms, of releasing great records rather than churning out substandard “content.” Before the veto was final, Joyner and Widmer were working on songs they already knew passed that test. Heatherhead is the winning result of that restart. Effortless and endearing, as settling as a long hug from an old friend, Heatherhead is not only the best Generationals album yet but also the one that, after all these years, finds Joyner and Widmer at last epitomizing their sound. These 11 songs are no-fuss, no-filler manifestations of Generationals’ bittersweet beauty, of would-be rock anthems made to feel like cozy sweaters. Maybe it’s the way the thick riff of the indelible “Dirt Diamond” frames a vulnerable admission or how the taut rhythm section of “Hard Times for Heatherhead” buoys a smitten plea, but this record at large feels like Joyner and Widmer digging deeper into the juxtapositions that have long made Generationals so compelling—distinct but familiar, wry but warm, soft but pointed. Heatherhead is the record Joyner and Widmer have been pursuing from the start. All was not lost down in Georgia, it seems, as the act of recording in the same room seemed to shake something loose for Joyner and Widmer. With Joyner still in the band’s hometown of New Orleans and Widmer now in Wisconsin, they’d grown comfortable passing ever-evolving tracks back and forth, adding parts or offering suggestions to one another as albums steadily cohered. They’d done compelling stuff that way, too. But after abandoning those in-person sessions, they decided to commingle ideas earlier this time. Joyner escaped the Louisiana heat in June 2022 by heading north, the two rendezvousing in Madison with loads of demos. They augmented one another’s takes in real time, shaping songs that fell together like puzzle pieces. When a tornado ripped through Widmer’s front yard and left them without power for days, they took it not as a sign to stop but as an invitation to just enjoy still being the buds in Generationals, drinking warm beer and listening to an emergency radio together.
PATIO: Doc Robinson
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVEDDOC ROBINSON“Poppy and infectious with a taste of Motown and a splash of indie rock.” – RIFF Melding eccentric lyricism, heartbreak harmonies, and dueling lead guitar synergy, the band has catapulted itself beyond genre categorization into a midwestern “gumbo” concoction. From front man Jon Elliott’s commanding tenor vocals, abstract interludes at a moment’s notice, and blissful melodic interjections, Doc revels in a deliberate spectrum of sounds, the audial counterpart to a beautifully splattered Jackson Pollak canvas. It’s “quirky sh*t”, says Elliott, who co-founded Doc back in 2016. Since its inception, the band has established itself as a pioneering voice in the grassroots indie movement of the late 2010s. Nationwide tours (alongside Caamp, Neal Francis, The Brook and the Bluff, and more) and song placements on major TV series (The Walking Dead, BoJack Horseman) have allowed them to reach audiences worldwide and has transformed their live performance into feel good sing-along parties. Following the release of four stylistically distinct and evolving albums, Doc continues to embrace the range of diverse perspectives each band member contributes to its “melting pot” sound. Shedding their skin as redefining singles usher in a new creative era and foreshadowed fifth album, the six-musician powerhouse looks toward new horizons. Doc plans to hit the road with a fresh slate of tour dates across the United States and beyond in support of their new works.
Princess Goes
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYPRINCESS GOES Princess Goes To The Butterfly Museum is a trio comprised of vocalist,lyricist, musician and Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award-winningand Emmy-nominated actor Michael C. Hall (Dexter, Six Feet Under, Hedwigand the Angry Inch), keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen (Blondie), and drummerPeter Yanowitz (The Wallflowers, Morningwood). A theatrical sensibility is part of the trio’s DNA, especially in live shows, havingmet several years ago on Broadway during the production of Hedwig and theAngry Inch. Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum eschews traditional rockinstrumentation in favor of a stripped-down synthesizer-and-drum attack,heard on their debut full-length album THANKS FOR COMING (releasedearlier this year), which follows their 2020 self-titled EP. Both have drawnpraise from Paper, Alternative Press, Associated Press, Consequence ofSound, People, American Songwriter, Magnet, FLOOD, Forbes, HuffingtonPost, NME, Line of Best Fit, The Independent, Entertainment Tonight andmore. A wealth of disparate influences flow into Princess Goes to the ButterflyMuseum’s songs – the glam, experimental, ambient music of DavidBowie, Giorgio Moroder’s ‘70s disco productions for Donna Summer, ‘80s newwave dance music, contemporary electronic dance acts like Justice, and theroster of France’s Ed Banger label. Princess Goes To The Butterfly Museum’s album Thanks For Coming was released in February 2021.
ROAMCK
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- 6PM DOORS / 7PM SHOWROAMCKRoamck is a five piece rock band from Asheville, NC. Forming in high school, music made up 100% of their extracurricular time.Consisting of Adam Macera on vocals and lead guitar, Dane Loeffler and Maddox Collina on guitar, Taylor Priola on bass and Will Holden on drums, these five bring aggressive riffs and melodic baritone vocals wherever they go.With a wide range of influence from Metal, Alt Rock, Grunge and Post Hardcore, Roamck carries a high level of energy to each venue they play at.Their second studio album, “Molly’s Medical Exam”, garnered over 56,000 streams in 2022 alone with praise from local college radio stations and music publications.Moving forward, while recording their third studio album, Roamck will continue to take the punk scene by storm, starting in Asheville and extending through the U.S. for a full tour this summer.
The Goddamn Gallows + IV + The Strange Band w/ VOLK
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYTHE GODDAMN GALLOWSIn 2004 The Goddamn Gallows began their rough and tumble voyage and haven’t looked in the review mirror since. Leaving six studio albums in their path, they have been reinventing their music with every record. Spit from the heart of America’s Rust Belt, arising from a night of flophouse violence. Drifting across the states, they cemented their sound in Portland, OR and later in Los Angeles, CA, where they lived in abandoned buildings, squatter camps, storage units and shoebox apartments. In 2007, they left everything behind and spent the next four years living out of whatever vehicle would get them to the next town. Building upon their original sound of twanged-out, punk rock “gutterbilly” (Life of Sin 2004 and Gutterbillyblues 2007), they began picking up stray musicians along the way and adding to their sound; washboard, accordion, mandolin and banjo (Ghost of th’ Rails 2009 and 7 Devils 2011) creating a sound referred to as “hobocore”, “gypsy-punk” or “americana-punk”, while never being stuck in any one sound. Enter 2018 and The Goddamn Gallows have reinvented themselves once again with The Trial. From rockabilly, psychobilly and punk rock, to bluegrass and metal, The Trial infuses disparate sounds into a new strange recipe of seamless genre bending profundities. Chock full of impromptu antics of the shocking variety and hauntingly eclectic instrumentation, The Goddamn Gallows have made legions of fans with their legendary, live shows. The Goddamn Gallows, takes their progression of mixing punk rock, bluegrass, psychobilly, and metal to a whole new level! The Goddamn Gallows have now partnered with Sailor’s Grave Records to help deliver the next chapter of their legacy to the world. The Trial begins now.IV AND THE STRANGE BAND “Patience is a virtue.” Those words are tattooed across Coleman Williams’ right arm, forever reminding the alternative-country singer/songwriter of the benefits of taking one’s time. The lesson wasn’t always so clear. As the great-grandson of Hank Williams Sr., grandson of Hank Williams Jr., and only son of Hank 3, Coleman spent years waging an internal battle with the expectations thrust upon him by his own lineage. He represented the fourth generation of country music’s most legendary family — hence his nickname, “IV” — and the pressure to launch his own career was enormous. Although Coleman would eventually make his mark with Southern Circus — the genre-bending debut from his band, IV and the Strange Band, combining southern storytelling and country textures with 100-watt guitar amps and DIY attitude — he needed to break free first and discover his own musical approach along the way. “Before I even knew who I was, people were already expecting things of me,” he says. “It felt like there was zero freedom of expression for someone with the last name ‘Williams.’ Singing about a bloodline didn’t appeal to me, though. I wasn’t interested in fitting into a shadow that already existed. What did appeal to me was the underground scene in Nashville.” Coleman became a fierce champion of Nashville’s house-show circuit as a teenager, drawn in by the scene’s supportive spirit and DIY ethics. This was a community that valued principles over pedigrees. A community that offered artists of all stripes a place to express themselves. From punk shows to heavy metal gigs to electronic experiments, Coleman loved it all… and for the first time in his life, he felt like he belonged somewhere.
Deafheaven
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYDEAFHEAVEN Deafheaven is a California-based act that has garnered acclaim for their signature hybrid sound of black metal, shoegaze, and post-rock. On October 2 the band will release their next album New Bermuda on ANTI-. George Clarke (vocals), Kerry McCoy (guitar), Dan Tracy (drums), Stephen Lee Clark (bass), and Shiv Mehra (guitar) recorded New Bermuda live to tape at 25th Street Recording in Oakland, CA and Atomic Garden Recording in East Palo Alto, CA in April 2015. It was produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by Jack Shirley who has worked with the band on their previous releases. Clarke says that he came up with the idea of “New Bermuda” to describe a new destination in life, a nebulous point of arrival, and an unknown future where things get swallowed up and dragged into darkness. The album artwork for New Bermuda is an oil painting, dense in brush strokes of darker tones and deep blues, by Allison Schulnik. The layout was designed by art director Nick Steinhardt. Formed in 2010 in San Francisco, California, the band has released two studio albums on Deathwish; Roads to Judah in 2011 and their lauded Sunbather in 2013. Sunbather received accolades from NPR on their Favorite Albums of 2013 list, a coveted Best New Music at Pitchfork, the Best Metal Album of 2013 per Rolling Stone, a 9/10 star review from Decibel Magazine, and it was the highest rated album of 2013 according to Metacritic. Deafheaven have spent the last two years touring extensively nationally and around the world with shows in Australia, Japan, Asia, Europe, Russia, the UK, and Canada with festival appearances at Pitchfork, Bonnaroo, Primavera, Roskilde, Fun Fun Fun, FYF Fest, SXSW, Basilica Sound Scape 14, Corona Capital, ATP Iceland, amongst others. Deafheaven will perform August 8 at Heavy Montreal in Canada. Details on a forthcoming North American tour are soon to be announced.
OUTPOST: Solvivor
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINESolvivor’Based in Asheville, NC, with a Post Modern Blues Rock sound (Black Keys, The Record Company, Gary Clark Jr), Solvivor is a 3-piece original Rock band featuring Ian Harrod on vocals / bass, Dorsey Parker on guitars and Joel Clark on drum kit. Constantly at work in the studio and on their live show, Solvivor boasts a large and growing catalog of originals, plus many current and ‘classic’ covers, all delivered with authenticity and ability, ranging from acoustic Country Blues stylings to Modern Rock sounds, depending on the set, party or venue. Solvivor recently released their first two studio recordings ‘Carolina Country Blues’ / ‘Cold Feet’ and look forward to many ‘small batch’ releases of studio material as well as regional performances into the new year.’
The Bright Light Social Hour
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYTHE BRIGHT LIGHT SOCIAL HOUR “Their expansive sound, penchant for experimentation and incredible shows combine a psychedelic southern blues-rock aesthetic with danceable electronics… Continually exhilarating.” –David Dye, NPR’s World Cafe Austin-based indie psychedelic band The Bright Light Social Hour kick off spring with new single “Not New” announced alongside news of tour dates and a new album, Emergency Leisure, coming August 2 via Escondido Sound. Founded by Jackie O’Brien (bass/vocals) and Curtis Roush (guitar/vocals) – and newly joined by Mia Carruthers (keys/vocals), Zac Catanzaro (drums) and Juan Alfredo Ríos (percussion) – the band’s latest single showcases the sound of the forthcoming project, melding Texas trippiness with irresistible disco-punk groove. There’s an equally lysergic music video accompanying the track, in vintage Bright Light Social Hour style. “In 2019 we did a tour we didn’t realize would be our last. At least for TBLSH as we knew it. Emergency Leisure is a fictional autobiography from this period, centered on a seminal, hedonistic night at Bar L’Escogriffe in Montreal – our own Tropic of Cancer of sorts. “Not New” kicks off the odyssey, a new beginning in our Fool’s Journey. ” –Jackie O’Brien The band’s sound is iconoclastic and ever-evolving, with four studio albums to date including the critically acclaimed Space Is Still the Place and Jude I & II. In addition to composing original soundtracks for HBO, MTV, and Nintendo, they also wrote and recorded the award-winning theme for Amazon’s “Sneaky Pete” at the request of Bryan Cranston. The band is widely known for their explosive live performances, including festivals such as Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza, as well as opening for Aerosmith, Osees, and The Flaming Lips. Their inventive sound has garnered critical acclaim with support from the likes of CLASH, NPR, The Wild Honey Pie, Earmilk and plenty more. The new single showcases a band reaching peak song-writing prowess, a tight yet bewildering journey with groove-rich drums, psychedelic synths and a dirty dancefloor payoff that would make Nile Rodgers blush. With further singles, a new album, and much touring on the horizon, 2023 is looking like an incredible year for the Austin-based outfit. “‘Not New’ is a late night smoldering in a Québécois alley punctuated by three-part harmony, dusty driving drums, fat Mustang bass, glitter and congas. It’s our first single as a renewed band in advance of our fifth album, a homespun moody after hours soundtrack to strange times called Emergency Leisure.” –Curtis Roush “Transportive… like you’re floating off to a galaxy far, far away.” – Vice “Surreal, dreamlike… take me right to bed vocals.” — The Denver Post “A lush, space-western odyssey.” – Consequence of Sound “A touch of grunge, a little grime, and lots of spacey, psychedelic mind-melting sounds.” — Leafly
OUTPOST: Phuncle Sam
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINEPhuncle Sam is Asheville’s own Dead-Centric “jam band”. Since their formation in 2004, Phuncle Sam has been firmly rooted in musical exploration. The band serves up inventive interpretations of Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead, and many others. They have built up a faithful following by using an approach that respects the improvisational traditions of The Grateful Dead, while exploring what can happen when individual band members bring their unique influences and interpretations into the mix.
