It's a lot of names, but only two bands. Though Albert Adams is not actually a one-man band, nor are either of its two members (who, between them, play bass, drum, synth and sing) named Albert. One, however, is actually an Adams — Jordan Adams, that is (with Thomas McNeely). The wordier John Wilkes Boothe […]

Asheville has had its share of prodigies. Like Jack Devereux, who built his own bagpipes at age 17. Or the entire Skinny Legs and All band. And then there's Asheville native Nick Stubblefield who (according to an email he sent to Xpress) started "gigging around town from age 9 through the end of high school […]

While not every band creates the sort of fan base that follows it from state to state (The Grateful Dead, Phish and Widespread Panic make the shortlist) even fewer of those pied pipers can claim "an intense, retina-burning, intelligent light show creates an atmosphere unlike any other, assuring fans they’ll get a highly polished, yet […]

Yes, Christmas Day has come and gone. Unless you're counting the 12 days of Christmas. Or, if you're a literary type and are celebrating Dickensian-style, which can extend well before or past actual Christmas. Blue Ridge Bookfest prolongs the holiday season with Christmas with Dickens: A Victorian Dinner with Entertainment. The idea for an evening […]

Gurp City South artists (and San Francisco-by-way-of-Asheville musicians) Fist Fam return to their home turf for an end-of-year show. "Take two parts Carolina moonshine, one part San Francisco liquid acid, three parts four-track rap, and a pinch of ‘60s punk and you have the Fist Fam’s new record Posted," says press. Looking for new music? […]

You may have caught the episode of Portlandia where Fred and Carrie are being hounded by invites to DJ nights. This particular turntablist venure is not one to hide from. Adama Dembele, front man of local Afropop ensemble Zansa, spins music from the Ivory Coast. He'll trade off DJ sets with live performances by Zanza, […]

According to his bio, stand-up comic Seaton Smith is "a lover of bacon and beer. He applies a smooth charisma to a layer of explosive energy, topped off with unforgettable characters sure to permanently reside in your brain." He's charmed fans on YouTube, at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal and at The […]

Need to kick start your Christmas spirit? Balladeer and storyteller Sheila Kay Adams (a seventh-generation ballad singer from Madison County) performs "an evening of Southern Appalachian Mountains Christmas stories, traditional ballads and music" at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial. The “Christmas On The Mountain” program draws from Adams' own childhood holidays and experiences growing up in […]

Local trip-hop outfit Paper Tiger announces its last show for 2011 — this is the one to make lest those 2012 predictions come true. (And even if the Mayans were wrong, why not close out this year in high style?) The Emerald Lounge show, on Saturday, Dec. 17, kicks off at 10 p.m. with producer […]

Though "Multi-cultural Holiday Concert & Celebration" may be a long title, it's sure to pack a wallop of fun. After all, the Monday, Dec. 19 "upbeat, innovative, whimsical family show" (held at the Diana Wortham Theatre) comes straight from the wacky and wonderful mind of Billy Jonas. Expect lots of found-object percussion (buckets, broom handles, […]

Americana heirs Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion (off-stage spouses/members of The Guthrie Family Rides Again with her dad, Arlo Guthrie/children's music makers/band in their own right) used to live just down the road in South Carolina. Now they're based in Massachusetts, but they're heading back South for a handful of select shows in support […]

David Earl Tomlinson describes his sound as "amphetamine folk," though new songs posted on his ReverbNation page have plenty of slow-burn rock, too. Tomlinson's band, David Earl and the Plowshares, made a name for itself with the 2008 release Local Anesthesia. The group has since reformed with Soulgrass Rebellion's Silas Durocher on guitar and Chris […]

Avery County musician Billy Constable is known for his Appalachian approach to the banjo and for his contribution to such bands as Hypnotic Clambake, The Larry Keel Experience and Big Daddy Bluegrass Band. A recent brain tumor diagnosis has left Constable with considerable medical expenses, and like many professional musicians, he doesn't have insurance. To […]

Here's the back story: Three friends from Mars Hill College got together a year or so ago and formed a band, one which they describe as "rock with some progressive leanings and melancholic songwriting." Songs like "Five" and "Katydid" actually fall into crisp grooves and ring with haunting melody. The group — The Luxury Spirit […]