Local funk ensemble Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band kicked off Bele Chere’s Saturday night with style to spare, and a fierce horn solo or two. Photos by John Zara.
Matrimony at Bele Chere
The family band from Charlotte, N.C., put their own spin on roots-rock during an energetic and uplifting set. Photos by John Zara.
SoundTrack web extra: Hi-Alta
Former Sonmi members make up this electronic duo. They play One Stop on Friday, Aug. 2. Xpress will give away a pair of tickets.
Bele Chere day 1 roundup
Click through for photos (by John Zara) of Bright Lights Social Hour, Dan Deacon and Wanda Jackson, and videos (by Jesse Hamm) of CrazyHorse & Colston and Chuck Brodsky.
A September to remember
Although LAAFF will not take place this year, two other festivals (CCX Music Fest and Big Love) will fill downtown with revelry after Labor Day. Photo from loveasheville.org.
CrazyHorse & Colston at Bele Chere
The local hip-hop act opened the festival in style, with a set of songs that celebrated the South (and specifically, Asheville) with plenty of swagger. And lots of guests.
Last stop shopping
Even if this is the final Bele Chere, the arts, crafts and wares for sale are as good as ever. Shop on Haywood and College Streets; Patton, Battery Park and Biltmore Avenues; and in the Art Park on Patton Avenue.
The local lineup
Here’s your guide to catching WNC-based bands at this year’s Bele Chere.
Beyond Bele Chere
Looking for afterparties or an escape from festival crowds? There’s life (lots of it) beyond the borders of Bele Chere. For a full listing of events and activities, visit Clubland, Calendar and mountainx.com or our handy pocket guide included with this week’s issue.
Unrace down the French Broad
The Media Arts Project offers a different type of lecture and experience on Saturday.
CalCast: July 26-28
There’s more to do around the region than Bele Chere. Find out about this weekend’s festivals, classical music and theater. Podcast by Ms. Amandi of Asheville Free Media’s Bombshell-ter Radio.
The last LAAFF?
While organizers have pulled the plug on the 2013 Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival, they remain hopeful that the beloved street party will return in 2014.
The Pop Culture Emporium pops up
For Bele Chere weekend only, Creative Allies hosts a shop at 58 Wall St. selling limited edition band t-shirts, posters, mugs and iPhone cases created by some of the best emerging designers from around the world.
This weekend on a shoestring
The madness of Bele Chere descends on downtown Friday morning, but don’t fear. We’ve highlighted a host of low-cost events for those who prefer to avoid the massive street festival.
Savagist brings feral fury to Asheville
The Athens, Ga. heavy metal miscreants will play the Odditorium on Saturday.
Bele Chere preview
Local bands will talk about their sets at this weekend’s street festival. Tune in to iamavl on Thursday afternoon for interviews.
Wet, but worth it
Despite the rain, the 11th annual Forecastle Festival included memorable sets by Shovels & Rope, Foxygen, Killer Mike and El-P, Robert Plant and others.
Good weird
If you've heard of Dan Deacon, you were probably stoked (and a little surprised) to see his name on the Bele Chere lineup. If you're not familiar, prepare to be confused and possibly even elated by his set. First, a little background for the latecomers: Deacon is an articulate, lighthearted, classically-trained composer/multi-instrumentalist best known for […]
Guns blazing
Jimmy Brown is from Ireland, but he considers North Carolina to be home. Probably because that’s where his band, Matrimony, is based. And because that band, as its name suggests, is a family affair. It began with Brown and his wife, Ashlee Hardee Brown (and whomever they could find to fill out the lineup for […]
No reservations
K Ishibashi (known, on stage, as Kishi Bashi), likes the fun and excitement of a festival though, he points out, often festivalgoers are not his fan base. “It feels like I have something to prove, or I have to fight for their attention, which is a good challenge,” he says. But, even if you’re not […]
Last hurrah
It’s a strange thing to be ramping up for a festival that’s in the process of winding down. Not that Bele Chere, which began in 1979, won’t be as crowded/colorful/overwhelming/noisy/jubilant/arty/street food-y/dance-y as ever. But there’s a very good chance that 2013 marks not only firsts (will septuagenarian rockabilly songstress Wanda Jackson and Baltimore-based electronic musician/Moogfest […]