Having just dropped her new album, Elsebound, Memphis-based country artist Ashley McBryde hit the road for a Southeast tour. McBryde co-wrote every song on Elsebound, from the catchy "Break It Fast" to the gospel-turned-rocker of "Holy Water" (which opens with an earnest chorus of "Amazing Grace"). "Put her on a stage and you will see […]

Knoxville trio Hudson K (fronted by singer/songwriter Christina Horn) describes itself as "eccentric anti-pop piano rock." What that means is it’s theatrical and entertaining while not veering too far into the surreal. Horn, a classically trained pianist, cut her teeth in Erick Baker's band before striking out on her own. Last year Hudson K released […]

In case you've been wondering, Asheville-based math rock/prog rock/punk/jazz duo Ahleuchatistas takes its name from the melding of two words: The Charlie Parker song title "Ah-leu-cha" and Zapatista (as in the Mexican liberation movement). The band (Shane Perlowin on guitar, Ryan Oslance on drums) is rather like both: a composition of disparate and experimental forces. […]

In case you missed the last “Gurp City South Presents” event at Emerald Lounge (it sold out early in the evening), the next hip-hop showcase, also at Emerald Lounge, is set for Saturday, July 16. Gurp City South represents regional hip-hop acts, like Foul Mouth Jerk, TopR, Fist Family, The Ville Boyz and Smidi — […]

"A wealthy widow is found murdered and a man stands accused. His only hope is the testimony of his wife, but she has some secrets of her own." No, it's not the season opener of Desperate Housewives, it's the 1925 short story, Witness for the Prosecution, by crime writer Agatha Christie, first staged as a […]

It's that time of year again: When Morgan Christopher Geer, former Asheville-based frontman of hard-driving The Merle and country noir The Unholy Trio, comes back into town and plays a number of shows. Those dates start out with Geer and his current Portland, Ore.-based project Drunken Prayer performing at Broadways. Expect a solo set followed […]

Now that local road warriors Toubab Krewe (the five-piece band that so seamlessly blends American and West African sounds) has mastered the festival circuit, it seems only fitting that they play Pisgah Brewing Company's recently expanded outdoor stage. The Saturday, July 9 show includes performances by The Secret B-Sides and Floating Action. 7 p.m., $12.50 […]

It's been awhile since the Dreamland Flea Market was just a quick drive for local bargain hunters. But an even more wonderful world of kitsch, craft and ephemera is readying its vendor booths. The Paris of the South Flea Market holds a grand opening celebration at at 530 Lyman St., in the River Arts District, […]

Held in Blue Spiral 1's lower level, group show Storyline opens on Thursday, June 30 with a reception from 5-8 p.m. It's a collection of "Narrative and contemporary paintings and drawings on paper which often feature elements of text," and showcases six regional artists: Phil Blank (who has illustrated the cover of Xpress), Taiyo la […]

The summer-long Pickin' On the Porch series at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial is already underway. (Through October, musical acts perform on the porch of the Old Kentucky Home, the boarding house where native author Thomas Wolfe spent much of his boyhood.) On Friday, July 1, Irish music duo The Belfast Boys (percussionist/bodhran player Alyn Mearns […]

When Sara Baird, artistic director of Anemone Dance Theater (recently relocated from New York City to Asheville) teamed up with Julie Becton Gillum, artistic director of local company Legacy Butoh, the result was Yugen. Butoh originated in Japan after WWII and "uses the body brazenly to attain personal, social, or political transformations." Yugen includes performers […]

"Zansa" is a street word from the Ivory Coast meaning "a blend" and newly-formed Asheville-based electric West African ensemble Zansa (featuring members of Afromotive) is just that. The group mixes modern and traditional styles, African and American sounds, folk and Afropop, rock and reggae. Adama Dembele, a 33rd-generation djembe player from the Ivory Coast leads […]