Altamont Theatre rises again, announces upcoming shows

From Altamont Theatre co-owner Sam Katz:

The Altamont Theatre, a gorgeous event space and listening room in downtown Asheville, has been re-opened and is busier than ever!  Three new partners have taken over the briefly closed venue as of January 1st of this year.  Sam Katz, a local music promoter, Richard Barrett, The Altamont’s front of house manager for the last two years and Chris Medrano, The Altamont’s production manager for the last three years, have joined forces to take the space to the next level.

All three are very excited about this opportunity and the future that lies ahead.

Katz says, “We want to continue to bring in the top notch talent that has been the mark of The Altamont Theatre since if first opened, but we want to build and expand on that and do something with the space that has never been done.”

Fans of The Altamont and their music programming can expect to see some of the same artists that have previously graced the stage, as well as some new names and some new kinds of events altogether.  “We would like to open the space up to the Asheville community and see what comes of that. We’d like to start putting events in there during the day as well and have even been discussing doing yoga and tai chi classes,” says Medrano.  Below is a list of comedy shows scheduled at The Altamont Theatre:

THURSDAY NIGHT COMEDY:

THURS FEB 19 – comedian Tim Northern – best known from appearances on Last Comic Standing and Star Search, his enthusiasm for words and language results in what can aptly be described as humor for the thinking person, a unique combination of intellect and fun-filled observation.

THURS MARCH 5 – Reasonably Priced Babies – an Asheville based comedy improv troupe.

THURS MARCH 12 – comedian Claude Stuart – Claude’s explosive, in-your-face, rapid-fire, madman stage style is truly an exhilarating assault on the senses and has evoked comparisons to golden era physical comedians such as Steve Martin, Robin Williams and Jim Carrey.  He has regularly performed on The Tonight Show and Last Comic Standing.

THURS MARCH 26 – comedian Dave Waite – up and coming, nationally touring comic has appeared on:  Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, Comics Unleashed and was the 2012 Winner of the Laughing Skull.

THURS APRIL 2 – comedian Jarrod Harris – Harris has performed at premier comedy clubs across the US including the World Famous Improv Comedy Clubs, Punchline, Side Splitters and he has been featured on TBS’ “Lopez Tonight”, Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham,” to name a few.

UPCOMING SHOWS OF NOTE:

SAT FEB 21st  – An Evening with Elenowen – husband/wife singer/songwriter duo from Nashville who have been playing music together since they were teenagers.

THURS FEB 26 – The Vespers – Southern Folk Pop Family Band comprised of two pairs of siblings, all Nashville natives.  See this band in an intimate setting while you still can!

SAT FEB 28 – The Billy Sea & Casey Driessen – “Global Americana” group from Asheville features the world class talents of Billy Cardine on dobro/slide guitar and River Guerguerian on percussion.  Casey Driessen will open and then the bands will play a combined set.

FRI MARCH 6 – First Fridays with Zansa – Zansa plays an early, all ages show the first Friday of every month! Zansa plays a mix of traditional and modern African sounds, melding frontman Adama Dembele’s rich West African musical legacy with the western influences of violin, guitar, bass, and drums. For this show, Zansa will be joined by the Brothership Horns and local favorite Aaron Kaz on a variety of stringed instruments. Each month there will be guest musicians joining Zansa onstage to create new music every show.

SAT MARCH 7 – An Evening with Kevin Kinney (of Drivin’ n’ Cryin’) – Kevin Kinney, the frontman, songwriter and vocalist of Drivin’ n’ Cryin’ plays an intimate show armed only with a guitar and some incredibly moving lyrics.

WED MARCH 11 – An Evening with The DuPont Brothers – two brothers from Vermont who make hauntingly beautiful folk/americana music w/wonderful harmonies.  This is their Asheville debut.

SUN MARCH 15 – An Evening with David & Ida – Paired at a songwriting retreat in Sweden in 2008, Welshman David Llewellyn and Swedish Ida Kristin were presented with an afternoon to write a song about a couple sitting in a coffee shop, and discovered a magical connection that has transformed into a finely honed acoustic duo.

AFTERNOON OF SAT MARCH 21 – The Dean Ween Band – special acoustic “Afternoon WIth” Dean Ween and all original members of Ween, minus Gene.

EVENING OF SAT MARCH 21 – Jennifer Knapp – Set Me Free, released in October on Ani DiFranco’s record label, Righteous Babe Records, is Knapp’s second mainstream folk rock release after she left her Grammy-nominated Contemporary Christian Music career behind.

FRI MARCH 27 – An Evening with Feufollet – Feufollet’s last album, “En Couleurs” was praised by the New York Times and Elvis Costello who proclaimed it “…the most beautifully melodic album I’ve heard all year”. The album was nominated for a Grammy award in 2011, and was named among The Top 10 of the World cds in Songlines Magazine.

SAT MARCH 28 – An Evening with Jonathan Scales Fourchestra – Asheville based band making waves around the world with their incredible and intricate songwriting and virtuosic band, including young lion on the bass Mr. Cody Wright!

SAT APRIL 4 – Bradford Lee Folk – come see the band that has the critics going nuts!  Garnering praise from SING OUT!! to CMT Edge, as well as fellow bands and festivals all over this country, for his authentic and fantastic sound.  Catch this rising star in an intimate setting.

WED APRIL 15 – An Evening with Caravan of Thieves – Gypsy Swinging Serenading Firebreathing Circus Freaks! For the past three years, this Caravan of Thieves has roamed the North American continent recruiting a family of avid thrill seekers at their high energy shows. Driving gypsy jazz rhythms, acoustic guitars, upright bass and violin lay the foundation for mesmerizing vocal harmonies and fantastic stories. It’s theatrical and humorous. It’s musical and intense.

SUN APRIL 26 – An Evening with Karla Bonoff – primarily known for her songwriting, Bonoff’s songs have been recordeb by Bonnie Raitt, Wynonna Judd, Lynn Anderson and Linda Ronstadt, to name a few.