Reggae legends The Wailers and country star Travis Tritt top off the headliners for this summer’s Bele Chere — the 30th anniversary of the festival. The lineup, announced today, also includes Cowboy Mouth, Doyle Lawson, Edwin McCain, the Lee Boys, The Grascals, Third World and Steve Azar.
On the local front, the festival will also feature Stephanie’s Id, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, The Goodies, David Holt and Steep Canyon Rangers.
At a news conference in Asheville today, festival organizers also debuted the poster for this year’s festival, which was produced by local artist Eddie Gumm (pictured).
For more info and updates on Bele Chere, which will be held July 25 through 27, check out the festival’s newly unveiled Web site.
— Brian Postelle, staff writer
Travis Tritt? …I’ll be in West Asheville, or perhaps even a different state.
comboy mouth and Edwin mccain… who picked this lineup… horrible
With the exception of the Wailers, it seems to be shaking up as more of a ho-down. Yeeeeehaaaa.
Third World is some classic reggae as well, but edwin mccain aside, i’ve never even heard of any of these out-of-towners. if we’re going to be exposing smaller groups, and paying them, they really ought to be almost entirely local.
Rob Close makes a good point. With this lineup, coupled with the traffic, cost, etc., there is little reason to stay in town during Bele Chere.
I don’t understand why Bele Chere continually delivers such a lack-luster line up. So disappointing. I mean, The Wailers and Travis Tritt as the Big Name Headliners? I don’t get it.
Bele Chere has never really had what I would call “top flight” entertainment. But, the Wailers will keep the hippies and college students happy and Travis Tritt will keep the people from the county happy, so I suppose that the headliners are a success in that reguard.
I propose that Bele Chere’s motto for its 30th Anniversary be “That’s Classy”, namely because everytime I have had the misfortune of coming downtown for this accursed event I see something happening and thing to myself “that’s classy”.
I agree with Rob Close. This town has a great music scene, yet Bele Chere chooses every year to pick “big name” headliners, and other bands that no one has ever heard of. With the huge influx of tourists that come to town for this every year, why not promote your city with local talent? Most of the people I know don’t even go downtown for Bele Chere…unless they want festival food or drunk chicks they will never see again. I would go if there was more of a local feel, rather than the “any streeet festival USA” feel.
The Fesitival is getting worse and worse~ It’s becoming a BEERFEST~ They are not paying attention to the locals enough~ We are starting to avoid a festival in our own town…LAME~
Ugh. Another reason to stay out of the Asheville tax district.
i cant think of 2 better headliners that would get more pseudo trustafarian hippies and drunk right wing rednecks to bele chere.jesus christ i hate this festival right down to virgin margaritas they sell.
Meh, I always have fun. Just stuff the backpack full of beer and ice in a trash bag and know which corners to piss in. Good stuff.
I’ve got a Travis Tritt t-shirt I haven’t worn since the White Trash Party two and a half years ago. I wore it under a ratty, terry-cloth robe. Looks like it’s going to get one more night on the town.
With the exception of the Wailers and Third World this is another classic example of Bele Cheres music commitee being completely cluess. Horrible,horible,horible!
I’ve seen Travis Tritt perform live, at Western Carolina. I won’t bother to detail the reasons why I went, except to say that the ticket was free.
I’m glad I went, though. It was worth it for his unintentional comedy alone. Most people probably wouldn’t think that lasers and cow hide chaps go together very well, but not Mister Tritt.
Here’s hoping that he breaks out a similarly astounding look for the Leicester crowd.
i have to agree with Bugg – the Bele Chere committee is on target here.
i’ve loved Third World since i was in high school. and Travis Tritt is simply fun country, and a far sight better than the pop music that passes for country on KISS-FM these days (though they do play Tritt’s “it’s a Great Day to Be Alive” about a million times a day.)
Gordon, i’ll take that T-shirt off ya.
-jason
We bought our hotel rooms a year in advance because we always know that Bele Chere is going to have at least one fabulous headliner to rock with. But this year it looks like we wasted our money. They have always had at least one up and coming group, or someone that appealed to the masses, but this year if you are not a hippy or a country music lover, you are just out of luck. I guess we will be canceling our reservations. Hope someone else enjoys our room this year.