Prolific local musician Chris Rosser is compiling an anniversary CD to commemorate the occasion and boost event proceeds, which benefit the LEAF Schools and Streets program and Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville.
Tag: LEAF
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Sound values: How LEAF’s eclectic lineup defines the festival’s ethos
The 2015 lineup for LEAF, which prides itself on its globally conscious reach, is unsurprisingly excellent. Topping the bills each night are acts that range from soul revival firebrand Charles Bradley & his Extraordinaires to Australian world-roots act Xavier Rudd & the United Nations, demonstrating the festival’s knack for mixing quality bedrock American music with an eclectic range of styles that span the Earth.
LEAF celebrates 20 years of music, art, culture and community
How do you sum up 20 years of festivals? That’s two decades of twice-yearly campouts, dances, new musical discoveries and fond favorites; of friends made and family bonds strengthened; of campfire hangouts and sunny-day revelry. For LEAF, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this May, it’s expressed in the theme, “Global Gratitude.”
5 questions (LEAF edition) with Travers Brothership
LEAF is almost here — the festival’s 40th iteration runs Thursday-Sunday, May 7-10. In advance, Xpress is talking to performers about what they have planned and why being part of LEAF’s 20th anniversary is so special.
5 Questions (LEAF edition) with Fox & Beggar Theater
LEAF is almost here — the festival’s 40th iteration runs Thursday-Sunday, May 7-10. In advance, Xpress is talking to performers about what they have planned and why being part of LEAF’s 20th anniversary is so special.
Oasis: Mobile ceremonies bring tea to the people
How do we build a community around another beverage that has innate healing qualities?
LEAF announces spring 2015 artist lineup
LEAF Community Arts, a favored event held semiannually just outside Asheville, has released the artist lineup for spring 2015. May 7-10 marks the festival’s 40th incarnation in 20 years and features headliners Xavier Rudd & the United Nations, Bombino and Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires. More info from LEAF: LEAF is thrilled to announce the […]
Xpress readers weigh in on the best performances of 2014
“There’s nothing to do” is a complaint rarely heard around Western North Carolina. There are rivers to raft, trails to hike, breweries to visit, galleries to browse, shops to consider, historical sites to take in, restaurants to sample and neighborhoods to stroll. And then — as if all of that isn’t enough fun — there’s […]
Xpress Playlist: LEAF edition
The 39th LEAF festival rolls around this weekend — it actually kicked off on Thursday for its most dedicated attendees. Dozens of artists perform on six stages around Lake Eden. If you’re planning to go, here’s a sample of the music. And if you missed out on a chance to buy tickets (they’re sold only […]
5 Questions with LEAF performer Abigail Washburn
Leading up to LEAF festival, Mountain Xpress is talking to a number of artists from across the country and across musical genres. Abigail Washburn (Uncle Earl, The Sparrow Quartet) recently released the 12-track collection Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn with her husband and fellow banjo player, Béla Fleck (The Fleck Tones, The Sparrow Quartet). They’ll […]
Smart bets: Jabali Acrobats
Visiting from Mombasa, Kenya, for their LEAF performance, the agile Jabali Acrobats aptly demonstrate the “link between athletics and arts,” transitioning from dance to human pyramids, chair balancing, complex footwork and other contortions — all to the beat of a stimulating musical backdrop. “These phenomenal acrobats combine the artistry of fast-paced movement, music, dance and […]
5 Questions with LEAF performer Dom Flemons
Leading up to LEAF festival, Mountain Xpress is talking to a number of artists from across the country and across musical genres. Folk musician Dom Flemons describes himself as an American songster. A founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, he’s since gone on to pursue a solo career and recently released his album Prospect […]
5 Questions with LEAF performer Wyatt Espalin
Leading up to LEAF festival, Mountain Xpress is talking to a number of artists from across the country and across musical genres Singer-songwriter Wyatt Espalin is the winner of this year’s NewSong competition. From a small town in Georgia, he moved to Nashville to pursue music. Espalin was a member of the band Trees Leave […]
5 Questions with LEAF performers The Revelers
Leading up to LEAF festival, Xpress is talking to a number of artists from across the country and across musical genres. The Revelers, with members of the Red Stick Ramblers and The Pine Leaf Boys, are a Cajun and swamp-pop outfit based in Lafayette, La. Regular visitors to Asheville, they’re as at home playing to […]
5 Questions with LEAF performer David Wilcox
Leading up to LEAF festival, Xpress is talking to a number of artists from across the country and across musical genres. David Wilcox is a singer-songwriter who released his first album in 1987. A Warren Wilson graduate, he was an important part of the folk music scene in Black Mountain and Asheville in the late […]
After midnight: LEAF’s late-night lineup is worth staying up for
The LEAF, now in its 39th season, is a well-honed mix of eclectic arts, the great outdoors, family-friendly activities and fun in the sun (and occasionally the rain). But with three days packed full of entertainment, it might be easy to overlook LEAF’s nighttime offerings. Don’t: Fall LEAF’s after-midnight lineup includes Bhangra-Celtic fusion, jazz-tronic dance […]
5 Questions with LEAF performers The Nth Power
Leading up to LEAF festival, Xpress is talking to a number of artists from across the country and across musical genres. The Nth Power classifies its sound as, simply, “Love.” With musicians culled from the likes of Dumpstaphunk, John Brown’s Body and John Brown’s Body, the collective performs an intoxicating mix of soul, funk, jazz, […]
5 Questions with LEAF performers Mande Foly
Leading up to LEAF festival, Xpress is talking to a number of artists from across the country and across musical genres. Local West African folk music outfit Mande Foly incorporates the kamal ngoni, syncopated rhythms and call-and-response singing. Mountain Xpress: What’s it like to be a West African band in Western North Carolina, versus in […]
Conscious Party: A swashbuckling soiree
Arrrrren’t you ready for a fun time with LEAF? The arts education outreach program is holding its annual FUNraiser to raise support for both its local and international programs.
After the Last LAAFF: New festival seeks community input, starting with a name
Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Fest, Asheville’s hyper-local street festival, returns for one final installment on Sunday, Aug. 31. And while that one-day celebration marks a farewell for the grassroots event that launched in 2002, it’s also the start of a new locally focused fest that will roll out in 2015. “The point is to celebrate […]
The LEAF list
Heading to LEAF next weekend and not quite sure what to see? The good news is that you can’t really go wrong. The festival always packs its roster with an array of stellar acts that range from traditional to contemporary and Americana to international. But this spring brings some world and fusion acts of note. Here’s a list of four bands worth checking out, and one techno contra dance (no, seriously).