Benefit concert for Kenny Capps at White Horse Black Mountain, Aug. 13

Black Mountain resident Kenny Capps, owner of Kudzu Printing Company, is currently undergoing treatment for bone marrow cancer. His friend and family along with local musicians will lend their support during a concernt at White Horse Black Mountain on Thursday, Aug. 13.

Press release from event organizers:

What: Benefit concert for Kenny Capps, of Black Mountain, who is fighting bone marrow cancer.
Where: White Horse Black Mountain 105c Montreat Rd. Black Mountain, NC 28711 Phone: 828-669-0816
When: Thursday, August 13th 2015. Doors open at 7:00pm. Show is at 7:30pm.
Who: Music provided by The BJ Leiderman Band, David LaMotte, Karl Werne, poetry by Barbie Angell & some surprise special guests.
Ticket info: Advance tickets $22, at the door $25. Tickets available online: whitehorseblackmountain.com

With a Little Help From My Friends; A Benny for Kenny

Friends of Kenny Capps are rallying around to support him in a difficult time. Capps, who was raised in Black Mountain, is the owner of the local Kudzu Printing Company, and the father of three. He is preparing for a bone marrow transplant in August, part of an effort to treat multiple myeloma, the aggressive form of bone marrow cancer with which he was diagnosed earlier this year. Among Kenny’s local friends are musicians BJ Leiderman, of NPR theme song fame, and David LaMotte, a long-time fixture on the WNC music scene. David had already floated the possibility of a benefit concert with Kenny when BJ contacted David to suggest the same idea. Now their plan is coming to fruition with a night of music, sprinkled with poetry. LaMotte and Leiderman will be joined by Virginia Beach-based songwriter Karl Werne and well-loved WNC poet Barbie Angell, who will emcee and share her work.

BJ Leiderman is best known as composer of the themes for Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, Car Talk, and Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me! on National Public Radio and Marketplace on American Public Media. His multifaceted career has also included stints as a composer, lyricist, producer, copywriter and voice talent. For this show, Leiderman will be joined by his band: Stephen Cohen, Tom Leiner and James Kylen. His new CD, Natural Public Leiderman, is to be released soon. www.bjleiderman.com

David LaMotte currently based in Black Mountain, has performed extensively on five continents in his 25-year music career. The Boston Globe says he “pushes the envelope with challenging lyrics and unusual tunings, but he also pays homage to folk tradition,” while BBC Radio praises his “charm, stories, humour, insightful songs, sweet voice and dazzling guitar ability.” He recently began work on his twelfth CD, due out next year. www.davidlamotte.com

Karl Werne has been entertaining audiences since he was 16. You may have seen him on tour opening for Bruce Hornsby, or perhaps performing as part of the trio Big Wide Grin, on tour opening for his friend and mentor, Keb’ Mo’. He is the first place winner of the 2011 Fishman National Songwriting Competition and VEER Magazine’s award for Best Music Video in 2013. Karl recently released a brand new CD, This Little Notebook. www.karlwerne.com

Barbie Angell is an Asheville poet, writer, comedian & artist.  She has been voted one of the Mountain Xpress’ Best of WNC poets for each of the past four years. Prominent songwriter Roseanne Cash said of her book Roasting Questions, “children and adults both will revel in her work—both her poetry and her wonderful drawings.” www.barbieangell.com

The White Horse “Benny for Kenny” concert promises some fun surprises, as these artists are not only great performers, but also great friends. Spontaneous collaborations seem likely. All of the artists are donating their time and talent so that all proceeds after production costs can go to support the Capps family. LaMotte and Capps have known each other for over 25 years, first meeting while they were working summer jobs in Montreat during their college years. “Kenny is a good friend and good man,” said LaMotte. “When someone I love comes up against something as difficult as this, I want to help, but it’s often hard to know what to do. We are so grateful to have a chance to do something that will be both tangibly helpful and fun, and to give the community an avenue to support Kenny as well.”

The money raised from the event will go to help pay medical bills and to help with expenses while Capps is being treated at Emory, in Atlanta, and his wife, Murphy Capps, owner of Kudzu Branding Co. and founder of the local Front Porch Theatre, remains in Black Mountain to care for the couple’s young children and their two businesses.
“We have been blown away by all the love and support heaped on us since Kenny’s diagnosis in February,” says Murphy Capps. “This has definitely been a very scary time for our family”. Multiple Myeloma is an incurable type of cancer with an average 3-5 year survival rate. “But, because of advancements in medicine and amazing friends and family, we know we’ve got this thing beat. Kenny and I look forward to many, many happy years together, raising our family, running our businesses, and loving our friends, right here in Black Mountain. This is what life’s all about. Loving and supporting each other. We are all in this together.”

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About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

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