This weekend on a shoestring

Friday, May 7
• Southern rockers Big Daddy Love (pictured; read a CD review here) kick off the weekend with a happy hour show at Highland Brewery (12 Old Charlotte Highway, Asheville, 299-3370). Food by Urban Burrito; brewery tours if you get there early enough. 5 p.m., free.

• The Waynesville Gallery Association presents its first Art After Dark event. Stroll through working studios and galleries on Main Street, Depot Street and in Historic Frog Level. May is “Women in Art” month. 6-9 p.m. Info: 452-9284.

• Singer/songwriter/Wisconsin native Derek Pritzl (below) claims his obsession with music “all things lyrical began with the meeting of Todd Snider’s Near Truths and Hotel Rooms.  The influence of the Americana movement and his favorite songwriters pushed him to put his own truths on paper and eventually start playing his stories in local dive bars and coffee houses. Since then Derek has reached a larger audience in venues across Wisconsin and the Midwest.” Pritzl sets out to conquer the Southeast with a 7 p.m. show at Pisgah Brewing (150 Eastside Dr., Black Mountain, 669-0190). $5.

• Jacob Jones recently released Bound For Glory, which American Songwriter Magazine described as “whiskey-fueled, hangover loomin’ country tunes.” Get your own hangover when Jones plays the Town Pump (135 Cherry St.,
Black Mountain, 669-4808). 8 p.m.
 
• Chattanooga’s Uncle Touchy — the band, not the Naked Puzzle Basement (?!) — appears at Mike’s Side Pocket (75 Haywood Rd., Asheville, 281-3096).8 p.m.

• Local Christian rockers Shake Azalia (below) play a free show at The Basement (293 Gap Creek Road, Fletcher). Fatal Disorder and Issachar also, you know, rock out. 8 p.m.

• Feel-good blues might be an oxymoron, but that’s how RiYeN RoOtS☮ (yep, they have a peace sign in their name) rolls. Get the full affect at Hannah Flanagan’s (27 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 252-1922). 9 p.m.

• Country rocker Joshua Singleton takes the stage at Tolliver’s Irish Pub (733 Haywood Rd.,
Asheville, 505-2129). 9 p.m.

• Surf-rockers The Krektones (pictured) join Surf Church for a [insert cheesy surf lingo here] good time at the Boiler Room (11 Grove St., Asheville, 505-1612). 10 p.m.

• Floating Action (below) shares the stage at Broadways (120 North Lexington Ave., Asheville, 285-0400) with w/ New Orleans’ Giant Cloud. 10 p.m.

• Brevard’s jazz/funk fusionists Odd Meters wrap up the evening at Mellow Mushroom (50 Broadway St., Asheville, 236-9800). 11 p.m.

Saturday, May 8
• Local singer/songwriters Galen Kipar and Woody Wood lends their talents to a Community Partnership for Pets benefit, Paws in the Park at Fletcher Community Park (Howard Gap Rd., Fletcher). The details: Grab the leash and your best furry pal (or adopt one at the event) and get to Fletcher Community Park for an afternoon filled with live music, several pet related vendors including Pet Supplies Plus, Boneafide Bakery, and White Oak Veterinary Hospital, food, microchipping, Best Dressed and Pet/Owner Lookalike contests, a Blessing the Dogs at noon, doggie games, raffles, giveaways, and MORE! This is a free event but we will be accepting any donations to go directly towards Brother Wolf and Community Partnership for Pets. You don’t want to miss it! Bring a chair and enjoy a beautiful afternoon in the park with the one that loves you most. Noon-3 p.m.

• One for the kiddies (and adults, too): Storyteller, musician and entertainer Andy Offutt Irwin (pictured; a three time featured teller at the National Storytelling Festival who tours regularly with the Kandinsky Trio Irwin) will be at the Weaverville Library (41 North Main St., Weaverville, 250-6482). He’ll recount the adventures of his Aunt Margeurite and the Southern White Old Lady Hospital. 3 p.m., free.

• Local Americana band Tennessee Hollow puts in an appearance at French Broad Tasting Room (101 Fairview Rd., Asheville, 277-0222) at 6 p.m. Tips.

• Author Ann Herendeen will be at City Lights Bookstore (3 East Jackson St., Sylva, 586-9499) to read from her bisexual romance, Pride/Prejudice: A Novel of Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, and Their Forbidden Lovers. (It’s inspired by the Jane Austin classic.) 7 p.m., free.

• Black Mountain-based singer/songwriter Paul Cataldo performs at Well-Bred Bakery (26 North Main Street Weaverville, 645-9300) at 7 p.m. Free.

• If you read this week’s Smart Bets, you know Wages play LAB tonight (39 North Lexington Ave., Asheville, 252-0212). But openers The Houstons (pictured; from Charlotte) and Gift Horse (from Athens) also deserve mention. The Houstons are brothers Justin and Matt Faircloth who used to live in Asheville (on Houston St., natch). The two of them play enough instruments to get a sweetly-melancholy garage-y pop sound. Gift Horse has some pretty serious rock cred, blogging, “just want to personally thank the one and only Meat Puppets and Dead Confederate for having us along to play some really great shows last week.” Nice. Their sound is heavier, murkier and fizzier than the Houstons, but equally listenable. 9 p.m., $5.

• Stella Blue at Seawhistle — a local experimental indie/jazz duo, describes its sound as, “We’re kind of like those guys who rode on Viking war ships and banged on drums to coordinate a bunch of Vikings as they rowed their oars, or like that scene in Seven Samurai when a bunch of peasants are rhythmically planting rice in a rice patty and there’s a band playing to help them keep time.” Row a ship or plant some rice: Seawhistle is at your service at Stella Blue (31 Patton Ave., Asheville,236-2424). 9 p.m.

• Broomstars’ guitarist Jeff Santiago (below) performs a solo set as part of a night of songwriters at Pulp (under the Orange Peel, 103 Hilliard Ave., Asheville, ) 9 p.m., $5.

• Just back from a successful European tour, and soon to head off on the summer festivals circuit, Woody Pines (below) plays Mo Daddy’s (77 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 258-1550). 10 p.m.

• You might think by the name that Rutherfordton’s Thrift Store Yuppies might be some sort of alt-rock 80s band a la R.E.M. or the DBs. Or you might now think that at all, in which case you’d be right. This very modern-sounding heavy rock quartet plays Tall Gary’s College Street Pub (4 College St., Asheville, 232-0809). 10 p.m.

• It’s worth listing all the stage names of Nashville rockers The Protomen (below) per their publcist:
“Commander – Synthesizer, Panther – Vocals / Synthesizer, Murphy – Bass Synthesizer, The Gunslinger – Guitar, Sir Robert Bakker – Guitar, The Reanimator – Drums, K.I.L.R.O.Y. – ???, Turbo Lover – Vocals, Nightwalker – Choir / Trumpet, The Gambler – Human Choir.” They play Broadway’s (120 North Lexington Ave., Asheville, 285-0400). 10 p.m.