During a decade as Trio Solisti, the group (violinist Maria Bachmann, cellist Alexis Pia Gerlach and pianist Jon Klibonoff) has earned the accolade of "the most exciting piano trio in America" (so says The New Yorker). They've played The Kennedy Center and The Lincoln Center; they're the founding ensemble of annual chamber music event Telluride […]

New(ish) local band Ouroboros Boys (made up of former members of Ahleuchatistas and Blind Boy Chocolate & The Milk Sheiks) calls itself "weird surf." The group explains, "We are an instrumental outfit and influenced by a range of bands from Man or Astroman and Wipers to Western sounding stuff like Calexico and the Plugz." They […]

Austin, Texas-based psych-rockers Black Angels have been recognized by style magazines like Esquire and NYLON. But "Don't Play With Guns," the new single form the band's new album, Indigo Meadow, is less concerned with fashion and all about fuzzy guitars, agro drumming and a '60s garage rock-meets-futuristic no man's land sonic bombast. They play The […]

Who doesn't love a good story? "Storytelling is not just for kids," says press for the Do Tell Festival. "This is intelligent entertainment for all ages, by some of the region's best performers." Listen to tall tales from Ronnie Pepper, Gwenda Ledbetter, Mark Twain portrayer Marvin Cole and others. Saturday, April 6 (showcase of storytellers […]

Singer-songwriter Kenny Roby is the former frontman of 6 String Drag, a roots-Americana band based in Raleigh. That group's '97 album, High Hat, was co-produced by none other than Steve Earle and contributed to the band's regional acclaim. After 6 String Drag called it quits, Roby went solo and released three of his own albums […]

Locally based Galen Kipar Project (Lyndsay Pruett, Jeremy Young, Ben Portwood, Aaron Ballance and Kipar) is known for “experimental folk masterpieces" that effortlessly fuse classical, jazz and blues influences into something organic, intricate and spellbinding.” The band performed at Isis in February and wrote, on Facebook, "What a pleasure to play in such a nice-sounding […]

If you read Muriel Barbery's The Elegance of the Hedgehog, then you know Michael Reynolds (sort of): he edited the book for Europa Editions. The New York-based indie publishing house was founded in '05 and focuses on bringing European authors to American writers (to the tune of 30 titles per year). Reynolds has been editor-in-chief […]

"We follow our hero from sickly boy to exotic, world famous adventurer — and through the tangles of truth itself," reads the press release for Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told by Himself). Which is a very long name for a play but, according to director Willie Repoley, the […]

Much like life itself, Big Bad Bunny squads will rely on musicians, merchants and actors to help with their “quests through a variety of riddles, trivia, really, really, really ridiculously beautiful challenges and bad poetry.” According to press for the event, “this awesome and unique event takes teams on a journey around downtown Asheville as […]

Toronto-based duo Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine are, together, Dala, aka "the angels of folk music." They've been garnering critical acclaim since their debut, This Moment is a Flash. Their fifth studio album, Best Day dropped last summer and features the duo's signature harmonies along with sparse accompaniment from piano, acoustic guitar, ukulele and minimal […]

Newly formed local band Even the Animals blends dusky Americana with softly gritty indie rock. The band's name comes from its own achingly pretty waltz-noir "Love and Loss." The group is made up of seasoned musicians: Jeff Markham (Kerouac or the Radio, The Last Call) on guitar/vocals, Kent Spillmann (Allen Thompson Band, Dave Dribbon Project) […]

Irish music group Altan has been keeping the traditional flame alight for nearly three decades. The band was formed in the late '80s, in County Donegal, by fiddler and vocalist Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh (one of the foremost Gaelic language singers). Last year, Altan released Gleann Nimhe — The Poison Glen, their 11th studio album (and […]

Singer-songwriter Joshua James grew up in Nebraska, but lives on a farm in rural Utah, where, according to press, "He's learned to live off the land and appreciate a simpler pace." Which is probably a good balance to the rest of his life, where he's a folk troubadour, touring with the likes of The Swell […]

Need more sketch comedy in your life? Carolina Sketchfest knows how you feel. The newly launched comedy festival plans to run twice each year with a showcase of sketch-comedy groups from around the United States and Canada. The inaugural Carolina Sketchfest, aka "2013 Cackalacka Edition," starts off small, but mighty, with four regional groups: Asheville's […]

Local singer-songwriter (and Brown Bag Songwriting Competition host) Alex Krug recorded her live album, Divers, during a performance at The LAB. Krug is a self-proclaimed conservationist, a theme that can be found in her original music. "Preserving nature translates into the harmonious way Krug writes songs. She layers strong foundational rhythms and roots while still […]

"Pilobolus makes art to build community," says the website for the contemporary dance company that traces its genesis to a 1971 class at Dartmouth College. These days, Pilobolus is not only a performance company but works with film, advertising, publishing and commercial clients, and has appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Sesame Street and […]

Southwest Louisiana-based Cajun, blues and swing outfit The Revelers is made up of members of The Red Stick Ramblers and the Pine Leaf Boys (including fiddler Daniel Coolik, a former Asheville resident). They were featured on season three of HBO show Treme, and on the season finale of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. In February, the […]

Tuatha Dea (whose name is taken from Celtic Mythology) plays a special St. Patrick's Day show at Emerald Lounge on Saturday, March 16. "We're rolling in with our African drums, kilts and eclectic Celtic Tribal mix," writes the Gatlinburg, Tenn.-based Celtic-rock-meets-tribal-rhythms collective. 9 p.m. Free admission for members and guests; $1 for non-members. http://www.emeraldlounge.com. (Find […]

The Strange and Tragical Adventures of Pinocchio or Why Didn't I Just Stay a Damn Puppet? is the final production to be held at the Magnetic Theatre's Glen Rock Depot location — all the more reason to catch the last weeks of this "new reimagining" by local playwright John Crutchfield. According to press, the story […]