Jodi John EP Release Show + Asheville Songwriters Showcase
ALL AGES STANDING ROOM + LIMITED SEATING, FIRST COME FIRST SERVED JODI JOHN EP RELEASE SHOW + ASHEVILLE SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE Celebrate the release of Jodi John’s debut EP, Sybelia – a collection of true coming-of-age songs. Jodi leads the Asheville Songwriters Association, whose mission is to nurture the art and craft of songwriting in Western North Carolina and beyond. Most of her songs reflect a narrative lyric style on top of strong melodies. She believes that stories lead us to understand others and ourselves alike, both when we are the teller, and the listener. The second half of the evening will be a showcase of Asheville area songwriters involved in the Sybelia project, who will each share songs of their own. Come enjoy an evening of creative performances and joyful collaboration. Featuring: Thomas Kozak Old Sap Melissa Hyman Will Hartz Jack Victor
Richard Shindell
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE RICHARD SHINDELL Richard Shindell lives as both an immigrant and emigrant, crossing thresholds, that informs his illumination of the human experience through narrative song. Shindell has inhabited a Zen Buddhist monastery and busked in the streets of Paris. Originally from New York, now living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Shindell is a writer whose songs paint pictures, tell stories, juxtapose ideas and images, inhabit characters, vividly evoking entire worlds along the way and expanding our sense of just what it is a song may be. Meticulously recorded over three years in New York and Buenos Aires, his most recent release, Careless, offered an ambitious, luxurious, full- length statement. Shindell immersed himself in the studio, allowing the time and latitude to explore, experiment, take risks—to play—as each of these eleven songs was given form and substance. While his signature acoustic guitar style is used to good effect, Careless also found Shindell plugging in more. “The wider sonic and dynamic range of the electric has been a real inspiration. Rejuvenating.” During the pandemic, Shindell stayed in Argentina, out on the wide open Pampa, reading, writing, taking walks, doing a little experimental recording, and tending the garden. He now returns to the road for a limited number of performances. Innovative, original and occasionally spiritual, Shindell’s songs weave tales that interchangeably champion the downtrodden, exalt the disaffected or wax empathetic to those lost to society’s fringes. From lighthearted ballads and adulterous love songs, to dirges and diatribes that skillfully skewer politics, prejudice, war and religion, to the comic point-of-view of a cow stuck in a barbed wire fence, he has a unique ability to morph into the soul of the many and varied personalities he casts as narrators in certain songs—veritable novellas framed in haunting acoustic melodies. MANY A SHIP Many a Ship is an indie-folk-rock band deeply rooted in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Formed in 2017, this group of musical friends was drawn together by Vickie Burick (Warm the Bell, Nevada), united to craft a new sound, drenched in inspiration from nature, humanity, frailty, nostalgia and love. Burick serves as the anchor to this ever changing crew of shipmates that harbor in each performance— her original songs taking on new life and energy with each configuration, just like the ebb and flow of the tides. Original members included Burick on vocals, songwriting, guitar; Josh Gibbs (Dave Desmelik, Camp David, Velvet Truckstop) on lap steel, Andy Gibbon (Dave Desmelik,Why Why) on bass, and Sam Brinkley (Raif Hollister) on drums/vocals. Additional crew include Elizabeth Terry (violin), Stevie Lee Combs (guitar), Sarah McCoy (keys, harmonium, vocals) and William Drake (guitar). Collectively their music is a sea of stories about life, love, heartache, truth and hope.
David Wilcox Annual Thanksgiving Homecoming Concert
– ALL AGES- FULLY SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLEDAVID WILCOX David Wilcox is a penetrating storyteller. The revered folk musician has an effortless talent for spinning lyrics that quietly cut deep, and crafting melodies that seamlessly ride the plot twists and turns. Wilcox handily exemplifies the power of lyrical and musical catharsisPick any song from Wilcox’s new acoustic album, My Good Friends, and you will find yourself instantly immersed. Sometimes you’ll see yourself in the lyrics, other times you’ll marvel at the four-minute mini-movie. My Good Friends is a stripped-down, acoustic collection of ten songs, a fan-requested creative respite for Wilcox as he also continues to work on a full band album coming in 2024.Of special note on the new recording is “Jolt,” with its jittery rhythm playing perfect backdrop to lyrics about today’s obsession with online fear mongering and internet disinformation. The title track is a folk-blues number about living a life filled with close calls and surviving them all. Then there’s a trio of story songs – “Dead Man’s Phone,” “This Is How It Ends,” and “Lost Man” – that are as cinematic as they are charismatic. Wilcox says those last three songs “create a whole movie in my imagination.”In fact, the way Wilcox feels about every tune on My Good Friends proves this is indeed a fan-requested labor of love. “I am grateful for the community that sustains me – my good friends,” he says. “These are the kind of friends that get you through difficult times. The kind of friends that you go to for a fresh perspective when the future looks grim. These songs grew out of conversations with friends, and they hold ideas that I like to have around.”Such dedication to honoring personal and heartfelt music has been the backbone of David Wilcox’s entire career. The Ohio native with the warm baritone found his artistic muse in North Carolina during the mid-1980s. In 1987, he released his debut album, The Nightshift Watchman, which led to winning the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in 1988. That translated to a four-album stint with A&M Records starting with 1989’s How Did You Find Me Here, which sold 100,000 copies by word of mouth. Thirty-plus years and twenty-plus albums later, Wilcox won top honors in the 23rd annual USA Songwriting Competition in 2018 for his effervescent “We Make the Way by Walking” from his album, The View From the Edge. Wilcox has deservedly earned praise over the years in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, and Rolling Stone, to name a few. He also has a dedicated and vocal core of fans who regularly write to thank him for his work and the impact his songs have had on their lives.Today, Wilcox is still earning his admirers with storytelling that cuts deep into the soul and observes the human condition from both the nerve center and the outside looking in. That kind of storytelling is certain to become a good friend.
PATIO: Sara Jean Kelley
ALL AGES LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVESARA JEAN KELLEYA lover of wild things— plants, animals, people, and music— Nashville native Sara Jean Kelley crafts songs that combine upbeat, pop-inspired country hooks with thoughtful, often philosophical lyrical themes that explore our human connection to the natural world. Due to her dark sensibility and slightly melancholic sense of humor, Kelley’s particular brand of alternative country is multidimensional, with one foot firmly rooted in her Nashville Country/Americana background, another foot exploring the realms of alternative rock, rock and roll, pop, and even hip hop influences. Her voice, at times husky, dark and sultry, at times floating light-as-a-feather, has been compared to celebrated female country stars Brandi Carlisle, Patti Griffin, and Lucinda Williams. She’s opened for country music icons Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, and her songwriting reveals a clear, intuitive understanding of what makes a song work. Her latest EP Black Snake, is about life and death, transformation and rebirth, strength and resilience; all the things you experience in your early thirties that you wish you had known a decade earlier.
Davy Knowles + Jeffrey Gaines
ALL AGESSEATED SHOWLIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLEDAVY KNOWLESWhether playing acoustic, mandolin, national steel, or screaming electric guitar, Davy Knowles has an unmistakable style. Knowles has several top-5 Billboard Blues charting albums under his belt, high profile TV appearances (Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS Good Morning America among others), and has been praised with high accolades from heroes and press alike – but it’s not just the music industry who has taken note. Knowles was also the very first artist in history to perform live to the International Space Station directly from mission control in Houston TX, and has had his music taken to the Space Station by two astronauts, Nicole Stott and Ron Garan, on their respective missions orbiting Earth. Never one to be satisfied or to sit still, Knowles has explored multiple genres and styles, from the hard-hitting 70’s classic rock influenced album ‘Three Miles From Avalon’, to the haunting acoustic delta blues of ‘1932’, and the sweet, soul-searching folk of 2023’s ‘If I Should Wander’. Whether spending an evening onstage armed with just an acoustic guitar, or wielding his well worn and trusty Telecaster while fronting his blues/rock trio – and at any point in between the two – Davy Knowles is one of the most versatile and formidable songwriters, vocalists and musicians in the world today. A true artist in every sense of the word. JEFFREY GAINESJeffrey Gaines has been heralded for his soul-searching lyrics and his powerful live performances. With only his voice and a guitar for accompaniment, Gaines has earned a reputation as a captivating performer, entertaining his audiences worldwide. Throughout his three-decade recording career, Gaines has maintained an impressive standard for soul-searching, introspective lyrics and catchy, uplifting melodies. Since bursting on the scene with his self-titled 1992 debut album, the charismatic singer-songwriter-guitarist has built a beloved body of recordings that’s won him a large and deeply devoted international fan base.Gaines has been pursuing musical transcendence for much of his life. Raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, by soul-music-loving parents, he began his musical life playing guitar in local cover combos, before his songwriting muse became too insistent to ignore. He soon landed his first record deal shortly after graduating from high school, and in 1992 released his widely acclaimed debut album Jeffrey Gaines. The eponymous disc won massive amounts of critical and audience acclaim, spawning the hit “Hero in Me.” Somewhat Slightly Dazed (1994) and Galore (1998) further expanded his audience. Interview magazine described Gaines’ work as “soul-searching” and “refreshingly free of jargon, sentiment or cliché.” With more than a quarter-century of recording and performing under his belt, Jeffrey Gaines is enjoying life and music more than ever. “Nowadays, I know what the job is about so there’s nothing to stress about, he says. “I know that there’s people out there who want it, so I have the opportunity to extend their experience. I guess I could lay my albums all out and see that they tell a story, but personally I prefer to keep looking forward.”
PATIO: Stella Prince w/ Old Sap & Jackson Grimm
ALL AGES LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVESTELLA PRINCE2022 has been a groundbreaking year for Stella Prince. Her first single that went to radio, “Crying on a Saturday Night”, charted on the Americana Singles Chart, was played on over 100 radio stations internationally, and was the most added song on folk radio in March of 2022. Her debut music video for the song has received over 80,000 views on YouTube alone, and has received support from legendary outlets such as CMT, Ditty TV, Heartland, The Country Network, and Discover Music Videos. This year Stella has been featured over 50 times in various articles by outlets such as Americana Highways, Country Music Views, Teen Look, Think Country, NY State Music, Cowgirl Magazine, and Music City Magazine, among others. Touring has been another breakthrough for Stella. She completed her first international run of the UK, as well as an 18 city tour of the Southwest. She has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, such as London’s “The Bedford” and “Spice of Life”, New York’s “Bitter End” and “Arlene’s Grocery”, Austin’s “Cactus Cafe”, and Nashville’s “Bluebird Cafe”.
PATIO: Barrett Davis
ALL AGES LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVEBARRETT DAVISFor Western North Carolina singer-songwriter/guitarist Barrett Davis, he chose the life of a ragged troubadour. It’s a whirlwind existence of stages and microphones, of anonymous faces in the crowd eager to see what you have to offer, an arduous trek along that lost highway — constantly in search of your inner truths and honest self. “I just came to this serious point in my life where I realized that if I want to make music and perform, then it’s now or never — I’ve got to make something of it,” the 29-year-old Davis says. That something is Davis’ latest album, “The Ballad of Aesop Finn,” a vibrant tapestry, meandering from modern Americana to classic country, indie-folk to the “high, lonesome sound” of bluegrass. The record itself is a kitchen sink of tones — as heard on “Quiver,” “Lazarus” and “Carolina Still” — one which ideally showcases the wide-range and unknown depths of Davis, his musical pursuits and exploits. — Garret K. Woodward
PATIO: Jim Swayzee & Annie Myers
ALL AGES LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVEJIM SWAYZEEJim Swayzee moved to Asheville in 2016 and has been performing in the WNC area ever since then. He writes melody-driven original folk rock songs and draws his influence from classic rock songwriters such as Neil Young, Jackson Browne, and even Tom Waits. ANNIE MYERS Annie Myers is a singer/songwriter with roots in folk country and classic americana music. Influenced by musical pillars such as Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, and John Prine, Annie’s music reflects her love of storytelling through song. Annie moved to Asheville via Philadelphia in 2012 and has been performing solo, as well as alongside Erin Kinard in folk rock duo “Rooster” ever since.
PATIO: The Lads
ALL AGES LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVETHE LADSClassic rock and blues. They call it classic for good reason. The Lads will make you want to dance, sing along, or both. Get classic with The Lads avl.
PATIO: Keturah Allgood
ALL AGES LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVEKETURAH ALLGOODNamed as one of the “Fifteen Best New Artists Of 2023” American Songwriter. The Soulful Americana Troubadour, Keturah Allgood is currently bookingshows for 2024. Her latest album “Shine” was released this past August to the delight of her fans who have been waiting several years for a new record and the press who had this to say: “Keturah Allgood’s album Shine is a horse pill of optimism against chaos and despair.” Rachel Cholst – Rainbow Rodeo “Allgood’s voice is honeyed, allowing her to dig in her teeth and deliver rich emotion. She bares her heart and soul, even if her scars still throb sore and red.” Bee Deloras – B-sides and Badlands “Thank God” we have artists like Keturah with the boldness to open our senses eyes to our deeper, higher natures so that we may, as she sings in another emotional centerpiece, the acoustic blues-driven anthem “Love, “Baby, it’s love that can show us a better way. . .Let it burn through the night/Lead us to a brighter day.” Jonathan Widran – The JW Vibe Keturah and her band have played many shows and festivals throughout the 20 plus years that she has been performing, including, The Grey Eagle, The Bluebird, 3rd & Lindsley, The Orange Peel, Sisters On Stage Festival, The Handlebar, Green River Festival, Apple Valley Festival and Preservation Pub to name a few. Born and raised in the mountains of Western North Carolina, Keturah Allgood is a soulful Americana, queer artist who draws on her myriad of life experiences for inspiration. While traversing the dusty back roads and often forgotten places, she gently taps into the heart and soul of our shared existence, believing that music has the power to bring us together, reminding us that love, kindness and compassion always shine through the darkness of these often-trying times.“I love to express the importance of kindness and compassion,” the Brevard, North Carolina native says. “I feel like it is insanely important, especially in today’s toxic and divisive climate, to promote as much love as you can.”
