Any examination into heavy metal in Asheville runs into the inevitable gray area of what metal music is. And while this variety makes it difficult at times to tell who fits in where, one uniting and striking quality of Asheville’s metal scene is the joy its players take in their craft, regardless of material success.
Odyssey Community School’s students have been doing a lot more than traditional reading, writing and arithmetic lessons. The institution’s middle schoolers recently spent two weeks of their semester devoting all of their time and energy into creating a collaborative music video. The song, “Soaring on Strings,” and video were written, performed and edited by the […]
Local musician and kirtan leader Luna Ray calls mantras — sacred syllables or groups of words — ancient science that allows people to open up. “It’s technology with which to wake up, to touch our hearts, to remind us of who we are,” she says. “The mantras are so powerful that even if you don’t […]
The Altamont Theatre recently revealed that it will re-open. One of the current owners, Sam Katz , filled Xpress in on plans for the revamped venue, what changes to expect, and how the new Altamont Theatre will work with neighboring venue Asheville Music Hall
Tiny Ruins, a minimalist ensemble from New Zealand, recently performed at The Grey Eagle. Originally the solo project of singer-songwriter Hollie Fullbrook, Tiny Ruins has toured with the likes of Fleet Foxes and Beach House. The group is now a trio with Cass Basil on bass and Alex Freer on percussion. In advance of the […]
UNLUCKY SEVEN On Saturday, Oct. 25, Sound Tribe Sector 9 began its headlining show at the US Cellular Center without a hitch, but shortly thereafter, security personnel identified seven audience members suffering from drug-induced medical conditions. The seven were quickly transported to Mission Hospital, but over an hour later, the band’s set was stopped and the […]
Crowdfunding platforms make it possible for individuals and organizations of any size to harness social networks and raise start-up capital for projects that might otherwise fail due to lack of funding. Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd.
If you enjoy three-part harmonies, talented violinists, drum kits with kitchen pots, a bass player who occasionally plays the harmonium and the kind of lead guitarist who weaves a feather between between his frets, I sincerely hope you were at the River Whyless show at The Grey Eagle on Saturday. (If not, the next best […]
This September marks the 34th year for Heritage Weekend, a free festival that explores traditional Appalachian customs like beekeeping, coopering, heritage toy making, broom and furniture making, spinning and natural dyeing, all sponsored by the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Both Saturday and Sunday offer a full lineup of crafts, dance and mountain-inspired music with fare […]
Andrea DeMarcus (upright bass/vocals) and David Kirslis (guitar/vocals) of Cicada Rhythm claim they “tried to keep it professional” but became smitten when they started playing music together. The couple say they avoid romance songs and instead deliver jazzy, modernized folk with heartfelt vocal harmonies. Opening the evening is Sans Abri, a side project that originated […]
LEAF ticket holders may come for the music, but the healing-arts lineup has grown more and more robust, adding to a festival culture that puts a unique emphasis on wellness.
Tapping time-management skills and Don Quixote, Los Gatos Negros releases a record
With all that local musician Jeff Santiago has going on in his life, it’s a minor miracle that his new album, Rolling Towards the Moon, exists. On Saturday, April 12, the singer/guitarist and his indie rock band Los Gatos Negros celebrate that achievement with a record-release party at Asheville Music Hall.
Experimental rock band Ween formed in the mid-’80s and, after a remarkably long tenure, broke up weirdly and publicly in 2012. But all was not lost. The band’s founding members, Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo (aka Gene and Dean Ween, respectively) went on to pursue solo projects. These days, Dean Ween runs a charter boat […]
Two rock ’n’ roll bands on one stage — always a good thing. But what’s interesting about this shared bill, says Hard Rocket bassist Didier Rubio, is “the ages of the members. Hard Rocket is an older experienced group of musicians (in our late 40s) while Posh Hammer is are all in their teens.” Plus, […]
Music Video Asheville goes big Music Video Asheville is having a banner year. The local event, which marks its seventh year on Wednesday, April 16, received a record number of submissions and moved into a new venue. Produced for the third year in a row by Kelly Denson and Jason Guadagnino of Asheville’s Lush Life […]
The thing about a Kishi Bashi concert is that you don’t necessarily have to be familiar with the songs to get the show. In fact, there’s something to be said for coming into contact with a Kishi Bashi (the project of singer-songwriter/violinist/composer K Ishibashi) song for the first time. They’re not so much songs in the verse-chorus-verse sense as tiny worlds encapsulated in sound that ranges from bubbly pop to sweeping classical composition. The Athens, Ga.-based musician played The Grey Eagle on Tuesday in advance of his new album, “Lighght”; Tall Tall Trees opened.
Paper Tiger holds an album preview and dance event with a silent Auction. Held at The Millroom on Thursday, April 3. Photo by Ben Mason
At a kickoff party at The Orange Peel, the Asheville Downtown Association announced the summer 2014 lineup for the Downtown After 5 music series, followed by an electrifying performance from Empire Strikes Brass.
“Renegade traditionalist” band Mipso makes a stop at Isis Music Hall on Saturday, April 5 at 8:30 p.m. Chris Eldridge also performs.
Local indie-folk band Even The Animals played a new song, “Everybody Here Knows” at the Asheville Area Arts Council. The song will be featured on the band’s upcoming release, The Lonesome Sea. Video by Jesse Hamm.
This twice-monthly blog spotlights upcoming music shows and events of note with plenty of lead time to make plans.
