“It keeps a lot of us in work,” says singer-songwriter Leigh Glass. “A lot of breweries cater to original music, so you don’t feel pressure to play covers people can dance to.”
The Casey Kristofferson Band releases its debut album
The band — which includes local musicians Zack Page (Kristofferson’s former bass teacher) and guitarist Aaron “Woody” Wood — recently played its first high-profile gig at this year’s MerleFest.
Asher Leigh seeks connection through making music
The show comes on the heels of Leigh’s debut album, Roots Alive, which was recorded in four days at Chris Rosser’s Hollow Reed Studio.
EP review: ‘UNCA Session’ by Tub
The group self-identifies as “chaos funk,” and while that somewhat whimsical description suggests just the sort of aural train wreck that scares off some potential listeners, what the group does draws from the melodic side of improvisation.
Smart Bets: Red, White & Boobs
Four of Washington, DC’s top female comics perform May 25 at LaZoom Room.
ABSfest returns to Asheville for its 13th year
“We all know burlesque is sexy, but for me, having a joyful pairing of sexy with comedy and other skills is really important,” Madam Onca says.
Smart Bets: Kenilworth Artists Association Tour
The annual free, self-guided tour of the Asheville neighborhood’s 40-plus artists’ studios is set for May 25-26.
Theater review: ‘Proposals’ at Flat Rock Playhouse
From the moment the lights come up we feel like we’re in Neil Simon’s version of ‘On Golden Pond.’ The woodsy scenic design by Sandra Lopez is absolutely beautiful. It is one of the production’s greatest assets.
Smart Bets: Speech & Debate
Attic Salt’s production of Stephen Karam’s dark comedy closes out its run at 35below, May 24-26.
Smart Bets: Juan Holladay
The Secret B-Sides frontman plays a single release party for his new solo track on May 24 at One World Brewing West.
30 Days out: a look at upcoming concerts
Hip-hop, blues, experimental/improvisational and jazz-pop: there’s something for nearly all musical tastes in this roundup.
Fake by the Lake
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Acoustic Asheville: John Smith
While in tour with a recent tour stop at Isis Music Hall, Smith gave a two song performance for Xpress.
Smart Bets: Big Lazy
The New York City-based instrumental trio plays The Lazy Diamond on May 20.
VIDEO & EP RELEASE: Hoo:Lumes
The Asheville-based band launches its debut EP, ‘Etchings of Birds, Swimming in Song’ and a video for the song “Tumble Me Dry.”
Guitarist Eric Gales kicks off this year’s Downtown After 5 concert series
Gales singles out Asheville bassist Cody Wright — with whom he has toured extensively — for special praise: “He’s an amazing player, and I think he’s going to go very far.”
The Moogseum shares Bob Moog’s impact well beyond synthesizers
The soft opening for the space, at 56 Broadway, is slated for Thursday, May 23, which would have been Moog’s 85th birthday.
Smart Bets: Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas
The South Louisiana ensemble plays a zydeco dance party on May 18 at The Orange Peel.
Josh Blake releases a new acoustic album
In his downtime, Blake has been messing around on acoustic guitar, writing new songs that don’t fit neatly into the funk format or the more rock ‘n’ roll format he’s chosen for previous “solo” albums.
Smart Bets: Hearts Gone South
The new-look local honky tonk band plays an album release show May 17 at The Grey Eagle.
Theatre review: ‘Buncombe Tower’ at The Magnetic Theatre
Remember those “Keep Asheville Weird” bumper stickers? Local playwright Peter Lundblad reminds us of them fondly, if ruefully, in his brainy new satire Buncombe Tower onstage through Sunday, June 2, at The Magnetic Theatre. His clever conceit is to gather a small tribe of Asheville types in an alternate universe called Wolfe City. It’s the near […]