Lineup announced for 2015 Downtown After 5 concert series

At a St. Patrick’s Day party/volunteer organization/Downtown After 5 kickoff party, the Asheville Downtown Association announced the lineup for this year’s concert series. The free shows are held on third Fridays of the month, May-September, on North Lexington Ave.

Press release from Asheville Downtown Association:

The Asheville Downtown Association today announced the lineup for the 27th season of Downtown After 5, presented by Prestige Subaru. Taking place the third Friday of the month from May through September from 5-9pm on North Lexington Avenue, Downtown After 5 is always free and open to the public.

May 15:
CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band
C.J. Chenier, son of the ‘King of Zydeco’ Clifton Chenier, joined his father’s Red-Hot Louisiana Band playing saxophone at the age of 21. His musical style ranges from the traditional zydeco of Clifton Chenier right on up to modern funk with healthy doses of blues, R&B, swamp pop and even country. C.J.’s total mastery of the accordion combined with his rich, satisfying voice are the driving forces behind this power-house zydeco band.

Bayou Diesel
The Bayou Diesel Band has been touring the bayous and valleys of Western North Carolina since 2002. The band has always focused on performing the powerful Cajun, Zydeco and Mardi Gras style dance music of Louisiana. Featuring the accordion, rubboard, rhythm section and occasional French lyrics, Bayou Diesel has cooked up some tasty jam-balaya.

June 19:
Corey Harris
Corey Harris is an American blues and reggae musician, currently residing in Virginia. Along with Keb’ Mo’ and Alvin Youngblood Hart, he raised the flag of acoustic guitar blues in the mid-1990s. He was featured on the 2003 PBS television mini-series, The Blues, in an episode directed by Martin Scorsese, and was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2007.

Zansa
The music of Zansa is a synthesis of traditional and modern styles of West Africa. The Asheville-based ensemble melds modern afropop with African folk music, African drumming and the fiery dance-oriented Ivorian street music called Zouglou.

July 17:
Asheville All Stars
If the last two years of “The Asheville All Stars” are any indication of what is to come from the third incarnation of this collective, then this is one Downtown After 5 concert that you do not want to miss. The band will be comprised of a group of our city’s finest and hardest working musicians, eager to show the Downtown After 5 crowd how much they love representing Asheville on the stage as they turn lower Lexington Avenue in to a feel good hometown throw down.

Future All Stars-Asheville Music School
Asheville Music School’s Future All-Stars features students from the school’s Sound Education Outreach Ensemble Program. These ensembles perform for underserved members of our community, and will soon be the next generation of local Asheville musicians to carry the torch of our outstanding music culture .

August 21:
Tony Furtado Band
Tony Furtado has lived primarily on the road for the last two decades. He’s been called a genius on banjo and slide guitar, and his own creative interpretation-hybrid of Americana and indie folk/rock is engaging and captivating. Onstage, whether playing with a band or solo, he owns the room, mixing stories of his travels with musicianship that is off the charts.

Brushfire Stankgrass
Brushfire Stankgrass has significant crossover appeal with bluegrass/newgrass and jam rock fans alike, showcasing their “modern mountain fusion” with a dynamic live show and two award-winning albums. Stankgrass blends the traditional with a grassy fusion inflected by analog-electronics and a hard-hitting rhythm section.

September 19:
The Suffers
The Suffers are a ten-piece band from Houston, TX who are redefining the sound of Gulf Coast Soul, intertwining elements of classic American soul with Rock & Roll. Both sonically and visually arresting, the large ensemble packs each position of the rhythm section and horn section with a level of talent and taste that provides the perfect foundation for singer Kam Franklin’s massive voice. The band will appear on The Late Show with David Letterman March 30.

September opener to be announced.

Each year, the Asheville Downtown Association chooses five nonprofits to sell wristbands at each Downtown After 5. The nonprofit receives $2000. 2015 nonprofits are Asheville Area Arts Council, Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, Blue Ridge Pride, Homeward Bound and Mountain BizWorks.

The Asheville Downtown Association is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its events. Downtown After 5 features compostable food and beverage containers, a complimentary bike corral and staffed compost and recycling stations.

Downtown After 5 is sponsored by: Prestige Subaru, Budweiser of Asheville, Sierra Nevada, Pisgah Brewing, Highland Brewing Company, 97.7 The Brew, 98.1 The River, 880 The Revolution, 105.9 The Mountain, Star 104.3, Asheville Scene, The Laurel of Asheville, WNCW, Go Mini’s, Asheville Regional Airport, Renaissance Asheville Hotel, Sound Mind Creative, The Orange Peel, The Southern, Strada Italiano, Asheville Color & Imaging, WLOS, Able Rent-a-John and Catawba Brewing.

Volunteer opportunities are still available for the Downtown After 5 Music Series. More information at www.ashevilledowntown.org/volunteer.

Downtown After 5 is a production of the Asheville Downtown Association, a nonprofit organization committed to the preservation and improvement of the central business district.

More information about Downtown After 5, presented by Prestige Subaru, and the Asheville Downtown Association can be found online at ashevilledowntown.org or by following through social media including Facebook and Twitter (@AVLDowntown).