Smart Bets

Larry Keel at Pisgah Brewing

Larry Keel's homegrown combination of Blue Ridge Mountain bluegrass heritage and innovative technical skill makes Larry Keel and Natural Bridge a vehement force to be reckoned with. The flat-picking virtuoso, along with his wife, Jenny (fiddle, lead and harmony vocals) and mandolin player/vocalist Mark Schimick, will be playing in Black Mountain at the Pisgah Brewing Tap Room. The trio will be gracing Pisgah Brewing's outdoor stage on Thursday, Feb. 3. 8 p.m., $10 advance/ $13 doors. pisgahbrewing.com.

Discordian Society

Asheville's Discordian Society describes itself as "an eclectic combination of funk, jazz and rock, with influences that range from Zappa and John Zorn, to Jaco Pastorius and Les Claypool" and promises "tasty recipes, daring choices, and excellent keyboards and saxophone." Get all of that and more when Discordian Society opens for Josh Roberts & The Hinges at Mo Daddy's on Thursday, Feb. 3. 9 p.m. $8. modaddysbar.com.

Pick Your Switch

Local singer/songwriter Paul Edelman, formerly of The Jangling Sparrows, returns with a new rock trio called (in either a reference to corporal punishment of electronic gadgetry) Pick Your Switch. (The band sounds neither brutal nor techy, but comes out of the gate with a heavy Americana wall of sound.) The band shares a bill with the Dave Desmelik Trio and an acoustic set by AutoWolfe (formerly Jeff Markham & The Last Call) at the LAB's back stage. Thursday, Feb. 3. 9:30 p.m. $5. lexavebrew.com.

Ceramic Heartstones for your Valentine

Looking for a personal gift for your sweetie? Black Mountain-based artist Brad Stroman leads a workshop on making ceramic heartstones, from forming and firing to hand-painting for an earthy, natural look. The workshop is held at AnTHM Gallery on Saturday, Feb. 5. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Lunch is included in workshop fee, no supplies are required. $55 person/$100 couple. anthmgallery.com.

When Jekyll Met Hyde

According to The Magnetic Theatre, "Drawing on every written, dramatized, and filmed version of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic imaginable, and relevant 19th century literary and philosophical classics, When Jekyll Met Hyde features an unusual feminist twist and a surprise ending." And to add to the fun, two productions are mounted simultaneously — one set in the 1950s and the other in the '60s, each with a different cast. Through Saturday, Feb. 12. Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Friday-Saturday at 10 p.m. $12/$14. themagneticfield.com.

Micah Mackenzie at The Red Room

Local artist Micah Mackenzie (you've probably seen his photos around, including recent work for PUSH Asheville Fashion and the HATCHBash) has a little something up his sleeve. It might be his heart. Mackenzie will present (according to Temptation's Red Room where the show will be held) "a gallery of works specifically designed around Valentines, the Red Room and sultry Awesomesauce that is Mr. Mackenzie." Wednesday, Feb. 9. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Free. temptationsredroom.com.

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