Save the Emerald Lounge: venue hosts fundraiser shows May 2 & 3

The Emerald Lounge, 112 N. Lexington Ave., during Moogfest 2014. (Hayley Benton/Mountain Xpress)

Though the Emerald Lounge remains in financial trouble and risk of closure, owner Christina Brunell-Fortini told Asheville Scene that she plans to keep the establishment, even though she has listed the venue for sale as a fallback option.

Two benefit shows will take place this weekend to help support the continuance of the iconic downtown music venue. Emerald Lounge’s website reports the first show will take place tonight (Friday, May 2), at 8 p.m., and the second will be tomorrow (Saturday, May 3), at the same time.

Tonight’s show will include hip-hop performances by Free Radio, Colston (of Crazyhorse & Colston), Alpha Lee, Hunter Bennett, Avid Money, Po Folk, Ryan Randb Barber, DJ Ra Mak and Rose Royce Rique. All proceeds from the show will go to help keep the Emerald Lounge open.

Stay tuned for more on Saturday’s show.

More from Asheville Scene:

By Tony Kiss:

“I don’t want to close,” owner Christina Brunell-Fortini said Friday. The room was listed for sale at $69,000 “in case I can’t make it,” she said. “I plan to keep it, but I had to have a fallback. I don’t want the doors to just close. I want it to continue.”

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About Hayley Benton
Current freelance journalist and artist. Former culture/entertainment reporter at the Asheville Citizen-Times and former news reporter at Mountain Xpress. Also a coffee drinker, bad photographer, teller of stupid jokes and maker-upper of words. I can be reached at hayleyebenton [at] gmail.com. Follow me @HayleyTweeet

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