Djunah
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYDJUNAH Chicago-based Djunah spotlights the talents of Donna Diane, who pulls triple duty, simultaneously playing guitar, singing, and pulverizing a Moog bass organ with her foot — a feat some have described as “mind-blowing.” Drawing a broad range of comparisons from Diamanda Galás to Melvins, Djunah (pronounced “JUNE-uh”) pairs her powerful, unrestrained vocals and abrasive guitar with punishing drums courtesy of drummer Jared Karns (Their/They’re/There, Hidden Hospitals). Known for their massive, intense live sound, Djunah is fueled as much by big emotions as it is by love of gear. Diane, who has been featured on Premiere Guitar’s Rig Rundown, is a self-described gearhead who learned to build footswitches to make simultaneously playing both instruments possible. Shortly before the pandemic started, she launched a YouTube series called “Can I Touch Your Gear?” to help represent women’s voices in the gear space. CVLT Nation called Djunah’s first album, “Ex Voto” (2019), “an angular noise rock escalator run on power and beauty … a record that should be heard by all music lovers, no matter what scene you are a part of.” New Noise called it “an instant classic, like we’ve got a new Melvins on our hands.” Everything Is Noise raved, “Seismic guitar … 100% pure emotion … You gotta see it to believe it.” Djunah’s newest album, “Femina Furens,” fuses influences from formal poetry and heavy music to tell the story of diagnosis and continuing recovery from complex post-traumatic stress disorder, or C-PTSD. Animals, chariots/sleighs, and mythological figures appear prominently on the album as a way of exploring themes of emotional regulation, power, and control — some of the core features of trauma disorders. The album’s title comes from the Latin for a “raging” or “furious” woman.LUNGPowerhouse art-punk cello-rock duo Lung have a sound that is dark and commanding, evoking the driving sludge of early grunge with layered sinister undertones. Described as “loud, dissonant, innovative, and fearless” (Fair Shakes and Just Dessert) and “post-grunge mixed with a dose of the avant garde (Paul Silver, Jersey Beat), “Lung doesn’t try to fit in – they pry their way in with a velvet crowbar” (Brian Baker, CityBeat Cincinnati). The band is Kate Wakefield, a classically trained opera singer and cellist, and drummer Daisy Caplan, formerly of Foxy Shazam, Babe Rage, and Ayin. Playing shows from SXSW to Treefort Music Festival to famed DIY venues like 924 Gilman Street, Lung have made their presence known and developed the reputation as a “must see” band. Since their first performance in April 2016, the pair have played over 500 shows across North America and Europe. HARRIERS OF DISCORD Female fronted and formed by Aimee Jacob Oliver, along with with tasty bass licks of Duane Duaneson and the prodigious drumming styles by Marcus Trujillo, Harriers of Discord is a force to be reckoned with. The LA-based band, (currently residing in Asheville, NC) will knock you down and pick you back up again with their eclectic range of instrumental scores, heedless vocals, tremolo swells, soothing ballads, and progressive riffs that refuse to quit.
Electric Six + The Surfrajettes
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYELECTRIC SIX The Devil has always been there. He is the great outsider, the original iconoclast. He is a conniving little shit and never seems to tire of giving humanity a wedgie or a wet willie just for a laugh. The Devil is capable of taking many forms. He can exist as one being or spread out amongst many. He can present himself as an ordinary man or as a horrific cloven-hoofed beast depending on his mood. Above all else, The Devil lives to corrupt, to adulterate, to defile. Electric Six has often used The Devil as subject matter for its songs because of that last bit, the part about corruption and adulteration. That’s what Electric Six has been trying to do with its music now for quite some time!!!! We want to corrupt young women….just like The Devil!!! There’s nothing more rewarding than the seduction of a young innocent maiden, forcing her to wear demonic dresses, levitating her towards the great fiery skull and watching her eyes turn black as she gives into evil and becomes the bride of The Devil!!!! That….is why we started this band….to help women realize their potential as sexy evil maidens with eyes reflecting the utter darkness of a corrupted soul. With its fourteenth studio album Bride of the Devil, Electric Six examines the concepts of evil and corruption, humanity’s various falls from grace, the nine circles of purgatory and of course, the internet itself. Bride of the Devil opens with the thunderous opener “The Opener”, a bombastic celebration of the arena rock Electric Six never got to play. The next two numbers are textbook ear worm guitar pop numbers that deal with debilitating income inequality and nepotism (“Daddy’s Boy”) and the horrors of being forced into a pool of toxic waste by an a rabid Doberman trained to kill (“(It Gets) (A Little) Jumpy”). And then we get to the title track, a radio anthem, where it all becomes clear that The Devil is a metaphor for Russia and the United States is the young girl who is seduced, corrupted and wedded into a Satanic covenant with the beast. It’s all there in black and white. The Carrie Underwood-esque lyrics alongside a backdrop of vodka and caviar and backchannels and Seychllian bank accounts. That’s how they did it. They went after our country performers and got the rubes to feel good about being Russian assets. And still, it is the feel-good anthem of the summer. Finally, the haunting album closer “Worm In the Wood” is Electric Six at its most serious, most tender and emotional. Haunting. Effervescent. Corrupt. Jaundiced. Tired. So there you have it. Electric Six is back with its fourteenth record and it’s poppy and feel-good, as well as heavy, both sonically and lyrically. Our sound will corrupt you and enslave you as the beautiful demonic bride you know you truly are. Fraulein, take this severed hand with it’s creepy long nails from the beginning of time. To do so is truly thine destiny. THE SURFRAJETTESThe Surfrajettes are a four-piece instrumental combo from Toronto, ON, Canada. Since forming in late 2015, the band has charmed audiences with their clever mix of psychedelic rock and reverb-drenched surf music, sky-high beehives, go-go boots, and eyeliner as thick as their guitar strings. The band achieved viral online notoriety from their home-made performance videos and their feature by Norman’s Rare Guitars in LA. The debut 45 single “Party Line / Toxic” released late 2018 on Hi-Tide Recordings to immediate success.
OUTPOST: The Loudes
– FREE SHOW- ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINEThe LoudesEclectic rock band formed 4 years ago in Asheville, NC. Comprising of Anthony Preston on lead vox/rhythm guitar, Glen Case on lead guitar, Sam Barker on bass, and Tyler Matthews on drums, they have a unique style, taking influence from 80s alternative rock. The band is well-established on the local music scene, playing regularly at places such as the Joint Next Door, The Dugout Sports Bar And Grill, and Sweeten Creek Brewing.
520Fest: A ‘Funraiser’ for SoundSpace@Rabbit’s
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYSOUNDSPACE@RABBIT’S 520Fest is a local band showcase of the twanging, squealing and space-rocking sounds of Asheville. This event is a ‘funraiser’ for SoundSpace@Rabbit’s, a music rehearsal and art studio facility inside of a historic 1947 Black-owned tourist court and soul food cafe’ known as Rabbit’s Motel. Opening new soul food cafe Areta’s by chef Clarence Robinson in Fall 2023.Featuring: White Oak Splits, Hex Wizard, JD Pinkus, The Squealers
OUTPOST: Pleasure Chest
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Pleasure Chest is a high-energy Blues, Soul, Rock and Roll band hailing from Asheville NC. With the humor of Bo Diddley and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins to the swampy, dirty grit of Slim Harpo and Elmore James they’re guaranteed to please and get your booty shaking!
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.
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.
Twin Tribes
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYTWIN TRIBES Hailing from Texas, Twin Tribes is an emerging force in the darkwave scene, turning heads in 2018 with the release of their debut album “Shadows” that featured dark melodic sounds, synthesizers, lyrics about the undead, and the occult and parallel universes. They returned in 2020 with the ten-track album “Ceremony” with an evolved sound that explored love and loss while showcasing their progression as a band. With songs that are both dynamic and introspective, they balance the darker shades of the emotional spectrum with an energy and momentum that gifts their music a powerful sense of urgency and drama. Their lyrics dig deep into the personal turmoil of love, life and loss, and have forged a new aesthetic that fuses the gothic with the romantic, viewing emotional themes through a darker lens. As their second LP gains increasing critical and commercial attention, these pillars of the independent music scene continue to re-define what genres such as darkwave and post-punk mean in 2023. BOOTBLACKSBOOTBLACKS IS A BROOKLYN-BASED POST-PUNK BAND THAT WAS FORMED IN 2010. THE CURRENT LINEUP OF THE BAND CONSISTS OF PANTHER ALMQVIST ON VOCALS, BARRETT HIATT ON SYNTH, AND KALLE FAGERBERG ON GUITAR. BOOTBLACKS’ SOUND IS CHARACTERIZED BY ITS BROODING AND ATMOSPHERIC MELODIES, DRIVING RHYTHMS, AND ALMQVIST’S EMOTIVE VOCALS. THE BAND DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM THE POST-PUNK AND DARKWAVE MOVEMENTS OF THE 1980S, BUT ALSO INCORPORATES CONTEMPORARY ELEMENTS OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC INTO THEIR SOUND. SINCE THEIR FORMATION, BOOTBLACKS HAVE RELEASED SEVERAL CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ALBUMS, INCLUDING “VEINS” (2016), “FRAGMENTS” (2018), AND “THIN SKIES” (2020). THE BAND HAS ALSO TOURED EXTENSIVELY THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE, PERFORMING AT RENOWNED VENUES AND FESTIVALS. WITH THE ADDITION OF FAGERBERG, BOOTBLACKS ARE LOOKING TO EXPLORE NEW SONIC TERRITORIES AND EXPAND THEIR ALREADY FORMIDABLE MUSICAL HORIZONS. FANS CAN LOOK FORWARD TO MORE EXCITING MUSIC AND PERFORMANCES FROM THE BAND IN THE YEARS TO COME.COLD CHOIRCold Choir is an Electro/Darkwave duo with poetic, evocative lyrics, sensual vocals dressed in a cloak of moody soul, with a ferociously powerful delivery.
OUTPOST: Kenny George Band
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINEKenny George BandMusic’s elders and icons established the initial template for Rock ‘n’ Roll, but it’s the newer generation that keeps it thriving and moving forward. So credit the Kenny George Band for doing exactly that. Comprised of Kenny George (lead guitar, vocals, songwriter), Randy Borawski (drums, harmony vocals), Center Ely (steel guitar), and Brooks Andrews (bass) this hardworking ensemble has earned their stripes the hard way. Performing an average of 100 shows per year throughout the heartland, they bring their music to the masses one gig at a time. “Our goal has always been to connect with our audiences,” George insists. “Our music is honest and organic, and we deliberately avoid pretense. We may seem like a ragtag bunch, but there’s a passion, purpose and sincerity that underscores everything we do, and hopefully that’s apparent even the first time you hear us play.”The group can further be described as a country, southern rock and folk band, owing as much to Waylon and Willie as they do modern archetypes such as Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson. Hailing from Aiken, South Carolina, the Kenny George Band has created an indelible impression with fans throughout the Southeast and Midwest. They’ve traveled the highways and byways between North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Missouri, reconnecting with their fervent followers and picking up new fans along the way.
OUTPOST: Stone Jack Ballers
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Stone Jack Ballers are Spiro Nicolopolous (guitar, vocals), Paul DeCirce (drums, vocals), Jack Mascari (guitar), Bryan Solleveld (keys, vocals), Eric Swanson (bass guitar, vocals) and Keith Held (percussion). Dirty Dead melds with local rockers for the FINAL WORD in Grateful Dead inspired music. This is their first official show with their new name, having previously appeared as “Dirty Dead & Friends” their sound and show is now fully realized!
