Born John Michael Dexter Romweber, under the sign of Gemini, the rockabilly-roots musician currently known as Dex got his start in Chapel Hill two-piece Flat Duo Jets. That band, and Romweber specifically, "was and is a huge influence on my music,” Jack White said in the 2006 documentary, Two Headed Cow. Still a fan of […]

This ride involves, as its vehicle, not a fairy godmother-transformed-pumpkin carriage or a magic carpet, but two pianos. David Troy Francis (Memphis-born recording artist for films like Pursuit of Happyness, Elegy and the remake of Fame) and Asheville-based Daniel Weiser (artistic director of Classicopia) put on a four-hand concert. So, instead of dueling pianos, this […]

The inaugural Asheville Percussion Festival taps, slaps, kicks and rolls its way into the Odyssey School's Creative Technology and Art Center for a weekend of performance and instruction. The festival's theme is "Tradition to Innovation" and the mission, say organizers, "is to provide a creative environment where percussionists of all traditions gather to explore, create […]

If indie-rock, hula-hoops, glow-sticks and sound systems don't figure into your ideal sort of festival, then the Bluff Mountain Festival might be more your speed. The annual music gathering is all about the region's best traditional old-time and bluegrass acts (including the Orpheus Supertones, pictured), ballad singers and cloggers, along with an evening square dance […]

Called "the Salvador Dali of folk music," Seattle-based musician Baby Gramps blends rags, jazz and vintage blues with originals, throat singing and palindromes. He's toured as part of the Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys CD Concert Tour, which included musicians like Marianne Faithful, Lou Reed and Suzanne Vega (not to mention that […]

Folk rockers Wilhelm McKay takes its band name, conveniently, from the band members’ names — singer-songwriters/drummers/guitarists Chris Wilhelm and Liam McKay (who perform with cellist Cristof Ensslin). Separately, Wilhelm has already released four studio albums, as has McKay. Together, they combine their various influences (Bright Eyes, M. Ward, Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson). According to […]

"Zach is back!" reads a press release from local singer-songwriter Zach Blew, who has been living in Chicago for the past two years. But he's not only returned, he comes bearing new music — an "all-vocal, all-a capella, R&B/electronica EP" called Voicebox. (If you've watched the TV show The Sing Off, you have some idea […]

Ironically, the musical production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee might not be appropriate for some children. It gets a PG-13 rating due to some adult language, and a song about an erection. But, hey, even though it’s a show about, according to press, “six young people in the throes of puberty [who] […]

Proving. Grounds is the new collection of images by local music/events/fashion photographer Micah Mackenzie. "I had a dream to see Asheville as the new Paris. With this collaboration, we are on our way,” says Mackenzie, who collaborated with local designers R. Brooke Priddy (Ship to Shore) and Danielle Miller (Royal Peasantry). The three artists worked on […]

Local used bookstore and Lexington Avenue staple Downtown Books & News is having a birthday. The shop is a Gemini. Or maybe a Cancer. Doesn’t matter — the anniversary (its 24th) lasts the entire month of June. Events kick off on Friday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. with an evening of acoustic music provided by […]

Alejandro Escovedo’s career dates back to first-wave punk band The Nuns (San Francisco, circa 1975 — the same year the Sex Pistols got their start in London). By the '80s, he had relocated to Austin, Texas, where he joined cow-punk outfit Rank and File, a precursor to many of today's roots-rock acts. Escovedo's solo career […]

Now in its sixth year, the annual Americana Burlesque & Sideshow Festival returns, Friday-Sunday, May 25-27, to venues around Asheville, with a weekend’s worth of burlesque, circus arts, live music, fire performance and more. There are also workshops for the studious (everything from tassel twirling to hula hooping, for $20-$25 per session) and an array […]

Winner of the 2009 San Francisco Comedy Competition, Tom Simmons' material ranges from his own young son to grocery shopping to politics. “I’m a likable misanthrope, a contrarian who believes we are doing it all wrong. And it’s just fun pointing that out through jokes,” he says in his bio. He's kind of a lovable […]

While the upcoming Decline of WNC show isn't necessarily the one to which you'd bring your visiting-from-out-of-town-Mary-Kay-saleswoman-of-the-quarter-Aunt-Betty, it's still a show with a lot of heart. Four bands perform a benefit for beleagured West Asheville venue The Get Down. The lineup includes B.F.O. ('90s Asheville alt-rockers Biltmore Forest Overdrive), Maggie Valley-based metal group Vic Crown, […]

Part neighborhood walk, part art exhibition, the Kenilworth Artists Studio Stroll (started in 2008) introduces the creations and working spaces of 22 artists based in historic, hilly Kenilworth. Included on the route are 92-year-old flute maker Red Ute; husband and wife collaborators Ann and Sandy Batton, who make fantastical clay forms; and Robert Kline, who […]

The AHOPE writers workshop (geared toward people who are dealing with homelessness or who have recently moved into apartments after being homeless) experiments with different literary styles to help non-writers develop their voices. Group facilitator Annie Fahy says, "Writing and art can save your life." Members of the AHOPE writers workshop will share their work […]

Now in its third year, the annual Songsmith Gathering has a dual mission: to bring together talented singer-songwriters for a night of music, and to benefit SAFE, an agency that works to end domestic violence and sexual abuse. This year's songsmiths are Americana artist Moses Atwood and world music composer Chris Rosser (both from Asheville) […]

R. Ring is a side project that is very much the sum of its parts. Still, the way those pieces are put together may surprise you. The strung-out folk duo consists of Breeders guitarist and back-up singer Kelley Deal and Ampline guitarist Mike Montgomery. In R. Ring, Deal approaches the style of sister and Breeders […]

Asheville’s own Ten Hollow make the kind of rock we music critics are trained to hate. The singing of Dave Dribbon settles into the middle ground between Rod Stewart’s raspy melodrama and Edwin McCain’s form-fitted warble. The arrangements are all strident guitars, shimmery organ and wilting pedal steel. They move with unfettered simplicity and uninhibited […]

As a man who is critical of both his beer and his music, I unabashedly endorse the pairing of Pisgah Brewing Company and Steep Canyon Rangers. This shindig on Pisgah’s outdoor stage celebrates the releases of both Nobody Knows You, the Rangers’ first independent full-length since last year’s collaboration with Steve Martin, and the Steep […]

Self-described “island-infused drum ‘n' bass gospel ninja soul” artist Zach Deputy recorded his singer-songwriter album, Another Day (expect ballads, mid-tempo songs and R&B), with a full band. But his upcoming tour is all about his one-man show, a feat of live-looping prowess. According to press, Deputy's new songs appeal to “to fans of contemporary artists […]