Bele Chere day 2 roundup

Saturday is typically Bele Chere at its wildest, craziest, most preacher-taunting, street-dancing, colorfully-attired, no-holds-barred peak. And this year was pretty much like that, only the awareness that the end was near cast the slightest of palls over the day. That, and by 8 p.m. the temperature had dropped to around 70 degrees making it, perhaps, the chilliest (in a good way) Bele Chere of all time.

Nashville-based funk/soul outfit Space Capone was on the Battery park Stage at 4:30 p.m. A few tweets about that band:
@CarmelsofAVL: Space Capone is really packing in the fans! Come on down and join the party
@michieblevins: Drinking a PBR downtown Asheville and listening to Space Capone at Bele Chere. Yup. Life is good.
@gordonsmith: Space Capone is killing it atBattery Park stage.
@Emilykr12: Space Capone has a very attractive guitarist.

Roots-rockers Matrimony, from Charlotte, played the Coxe Avenue stage at 4:45 p.m. For a full review, go here.

 

The Birchtree Band, also from Nashville took the stage at Biltmore Avenue at 5 p.m.

 

Sons of Bill are no strangers to Asheville. They played the Battery Park stage at 6:15 p.m.

 

Local funk collective Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band played its last of eight Bele Chere appearances on the Coxe Avenue stage at 6:30 p.m. Read more about that set here.

 

 

Local old-time band David Holt and the Lightning Bolts have the distinction of playing the most Bele Chere festivals (including, we think, one of the very first ones).

 

Eclectic pop artist Kishi Bashi was one of the Saturday headliners, performing an unforgettable show on the Battery Park stage at 8 p.m. Read a review of that set here.

 

 

Moon Taxi closed out Saturday night from the Biltmore Avenue stage. A few tweets from that show:
@Garofalo311: One again @RideTheMOONTAXI absolutely owns a festival performance
@totsVlz: Moon taxi at bele chere fest with my best
@dennisfeinstien: Running wild! @RideTheMOONTAXI
@StacieCheatham: @ridethemoontaxi killing it at Bele Chere! Such a good way to end my birthday! Amazing!
@rgreathouse86: Wow. Moon Taxi never ceases to amaze
@AndHerNameWas: Moon Taxi. They’re awesome and super funky! Look ‘em up!

 

And Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, regular visitors to Asheville, closed out Saturday from the Coxe Avenue stage.

Photos by John Zara, videos by Jesse Hamm. Complete slideshow to follow.

 

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About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

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