Sat 6/27 Pokey Lafarge at Beacon Pub

Sat June 27
Pokey Lafarge
at Beacon Pub
9pm

http://www.myspace.com/pokeylafarge
http://www.beaconpub.info/


Pokey LaFarge was born in the heartland of America and took to the open roads at a young age, earning the key to the freedom by hitching rides and writing boxcar ballads that spun tales of a boy finding his way through this big wide-open country. He submerged himself with the most American of music and embraced himself in the beauty of the land while picking and strumming with down-home groups everywhere he went, falling in with traveling caravans of vaudeville poets and hell-raising bluegrass pickers alike.
In true rambler fashion, LaFarge does not look back; he looks only forward on the next road ready approaching with his guitar in his hand and his voice ready to fly. His influence is deeply rooted in the heroes and misfits of yesterday; the long lost troubadours of country, the kings of swamp-drentched ragtime, and all the legendary bluesmen of the Cotton Kingdom. The result is a boiling pot of American cultures; a wonderfully fresh and quirky kind of pop music that combines delta-meets-appalachia song-writing with a big, big beat.
Even though the songs were birthed in the hills and country towns of old America, don't call it old-timey; LaFarge is here to grace it into this modern and electric world. Along with his refreshing take on tradition, Pokey brings his irresistible charm and genuinely romantic outlook on, not only subjects such as the rivers and the land itself, but universal topics such as love, death, and real adventure. With a firm grasp on personal freedom and Shakespearean insight on humanity, Pokey remains one of the very few folks who consistently turn the abstract into a concrete reality.
Music is not just chords and notes and melody. To a person who truly loves music, it is a medium to celebrate this life. For Pokey, every show is a celebration - juke-joint style - where women twirl in their dresses and the fellas stomp their feet and clap their hands. To this day, Mr. LaFarge is still finding tranquility within the yellow highway lines playing up to two-hundred shows a year bringing his music to anyone young and old who is willing to listen.
"His guitar sounds like a ukulele, his voice like a transgendered punk Bessie Smith, and his style suggests a hobo Pee-wee Herman. .." Riverfront Times St. Louis, Mo.
"No matter how deep and colorful the ink, the plunk and stomp of Pokey’s music always rises to the top." - LEO Weekly, Louisville, KY

Sat 6/27 Brian McGee & Hollow Speed at Town Pump

Sat June 27

Brian McGee and The Hollow Speed

at Town Pump Tavern

8:30 pm

http://www.myspace.com/mcgeehollowspeed
www.myspace.com/townpumptavernllc

Back, way back, before America was America, there were songs. Songs about drinking and death and regret and fear and anger and love. These songs have been all around the world. Each new generation in each place tinkers with them a bit, changing up the words and melodies, making them louder or softer or faster or slower. Brian McGee hasn't died yet, but has done and felt all those other things in spades. And until he does die, these songs are his. They are in his lungs and in his hands.
This is the first time Brian McGee has stepped out solo, since the break-up of the Pennsylvania punk rock trio PLOW UNITED, in 1997. In 1999 he moved to Western North Carolina to emerse himself in country music and learn about guitar, banjo, and furniture building. He spent time in dance halls, barrooms and woodshops which over the course of time, had an effect on the vocabulary of his songs. This vocabulary reflects both traditional and modern American music vernacular of which Brian had not only listen to, but also lived through. With his new band, THE HOLLOW SPEED, Brian McGee is taking parts of punk rock and country music and rubbing them together to ignite his rock and roll which some may call alt.country or folk rock. Call it what you will, Brian McGee & The Hollow Speed pour on the heat and tug on the heart with a live show that has crisscrossed genres. Whether they are playing noisey bars, tourist filled street corners, punk shows or listening rooms, McGee and co. deliver. And this constant consistent delivery is leaving a trail of people talking...and talking alot

Sat 6/27 Zach Blew w/Jimmy Landry at White Horse

Sat June 27

Zach Blew

w/Jimmy Landry

at White Horse Black Mountain

8pm

http://www.myspace.com/jimmylandry
http://www.zachblew.com/



Jimmy Landry, singer-songwriter extraordinaire, opens, and Kellin Watson will be performing with Zach also.

The evening will showcase local powerhouse-vocalist and singer-songwriter, Zach Blew, Concert attendees will enjoy a warm mix of folk, blues, rock, and soul. Many who know Zach from his previous work with Kellin Watson and Electric Ghost Collective are thrilled to know that Zach has a CD of his own out. Zach is resident of Black Mountain and locals know him from his work in theatre and his excellent service at The Morning Glory Cafe.
"The first time I heard Zach Blew, I was blown away at how soulfully on point his vocals sounded. Zach has so much potential with his sleek voice and well crafted songwriting. After opening for me at my No Static CD Release party, he proved to not only be a talented artist, but an exceptional performer as well. Zach has a gift for tying in the old with the new displaying a deep-rooted respect and influence for some of the best performers and songwriters of our time. If Amos Lee and Patty Griffin had a love child, Zach is the sound I would picture." --- Kellin Watson


Zach's band for this show includes the Montreat Mafia: Peter Councell (percussion), Ben Lambert (lead guitar), Drew Powell (bass), and Andy Black (keys/organ/theremin).


Opening for Zach will be Black Mountain favorite songwriter, Jimmy Landry.
Born in Washington DC, and raised in the nearby northern Virginia suburbs, Jimmy Landry has a long and illustrious history, playing with many musical icons, from Stevie Ray Vaughn to David Crosby to Richie Havens to David Wilcox, John Gorka, Patty Larkin... it's a long list. Jimmy has performed at many of the most renowned listening rooms in the USA: The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, The Bottom Line, the Bitter End, Folk City, and the Speakeasy in New York City, Cafe Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY, Washington DC's Birchmere, Atlanta's Eddie's Attic, Poor David's Pub in Dallas... again, it's a long list. Jimmy has been featured on the stages of some of the country's finest music festivals: The Kerrville Folk Festival, The Philadelphia Folk Festival, and Telluride Bluegrass Festival are but three. Now a fixture in the burgeoning Asheville, NC music scene for over a decade, Jimmy draws from the wealth of talented musicians in the area to accompany him as often as possible in his band, The Thriftstore Congregation. Woody Wood, Jason Krekel, Billy Cardine, Allison King, Phillip Barker, Paco Shipp, and Artimus Pyle have all been members of the band at one time or another. Great songs, a memorable voice, and a passionate, sweaty enthusiasm for what he does are what linger with you after an encounter with Jimmy Landry and his music.

Fri 6/26 WSNB at Town Pump Tavern

Friday June 26

WSNB

at Town Pump Tavern

8:30pm

http://www.wsnbmusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/wsnb
www.myspace.com/townpumptavernllc


Mississippi Swamp Root Blues from the heart of Western North Carolina !!!!


WSNB is giving new life to an old style. WSNB is rock solid blues, sometimes heavy rock'n'roll. The music has a Delta blues feel with Willie Shane's growling voice hitting you all the way from his native Mississippi. His harmonica style is unique and the combination of his harp and Nathan's slide work is a breath of fresh air. Nathan's range of skill, dynamics and taste, sets him apart from many of today's guitar players. The hard driving rhythm section of Jason & Clay is steady and persistent, like pistons of a big block engine. The lyrics are intellegent, sometimes witty...covering subjects from lust, love, and insanity to Hurricane Katrina and the war in Iraq. WSNB's unique lyrics and homespun style of music is straight from soul goodness. Like a train coming through your front door, WSNB will make your hips shake, your feet move, & your big toe jump up in yo' boot!



WSNB was selected by the editors of Billboard Magazine as one of the top independent bands in the Southeast. WSNB is one of only 6 bands (out of over 1300) to be chosen and played in Disc Maker's INDEPENDENT MUSIC WORLD SERIES in Nashville, TN on September 20, 2007...... WSNB is from the Western Foothills of North Carolina. A TOP 10 FINALIST at the 2007 INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE in Memphis, Tennessee,

Fri 6/26 Spiritual Rez at White Horse Black Mtn

Fri June 26

Spiritual Rez

at White Horse Black Mountain

8pm

http://www.spiritualrez.com/
http://www.myspace.com/spiritualrez
http://www.whitehorseblackmountain.com/

The ultimate danceable party band Spirtual Rez is back in Black Mountain !!!!
SPIRITUAL REZ is a seven-piece Reggae Horn Funk Dance Party that has been tirelessly touring the country while commanding an extremely unique and high energy sound.

Theres no stopping Spiritual Rez! They tour tirelessly all over the US promoting positivity and great vibes by hitting the festival circuit, colleges and world recognized venues.Spiritual Rez is now recognized as a band with "a higher consciousness of respect through music" and will continue to grow in the hearts of music fans across the globe.

Since 2003, the band has shared the stage with internationally touring acts such as Culture, Gregory Isaacs, Jimmy Buffett, Israel Vibration, Buju Banton and Jamaican Legends The Skatalites.
They have also been lucky enough to play shows featuring Bernie Worrell (founding Parliamant Funkadelic member and keys for the Talking Heads) ..boards.

Spiritual Rez has been a past favorite at the Lake Eden Arts Festival and they'll bring their festival groove to the White Horse...so be sure and bring yours.

Thu 6/25 Jimmy Brown at Town Pump Tavern

Thu June 25

Jimmy Brown

at Town Pump Tavern

8:30 pm

http://www.myspace.com/jimmybrownmusic
www.myspace.com/townpumptavernllc

With a vibe that mingles Irish and folk and soul, placing JimmyBrown near Van Morrison is easy. Brown's songs, though, tend to be morecohesive, and his vocals are more gentle—delicate at times. "I don'tmind being compared to Van Morrison, not at all," says Brown. "He'sabout one of the most transcendent, just brilliant, artists ever."
Through a job flipping houses in the States, Brown made his way fromBelfast, Northern Ireland, to Hickory, N.C. There he found poet andfellow Belfast native Adrian Rice in a bar: "Two Irish guys meet in abar—sounds like the start of a joke—but that's where we met." Quickfriends, the two finally collaborated on lyrics two years later. Takingpart in the strong tradition of Irish poets, the two write "songs aboutpeople going out to sea in the middle of the night and tying themselvesto a mast in the storm ... because there's enough of those easygoinglove songs in the air."
While songs may tend toward the ethereal, they stay grounded. "Theonly good poetry is just a fundamental accurate statement, and that'swhat we're trying to achieve. So in a sense, poetical doesn'tnecessarily mean it's complicated."...
- Andrew Ritchey, The Independent Weekly

Thu 6/25 Phuncle Sam at Pisgah Brewing

Thu June 25

Phuncle Sam

at Pisgah Brewing

8pm

http://www.phunclesam.com/
http://www.pisgahbrewing.com/


Since their formation in October of 2004, Asheville NC based, Phuncle Sam has been firmly rooted in musical exploration. Phuncle Sam is Asheville's own Improv~ Americana, Dead~Centric "jam band" Over three years of intense jamming and rehearsing finds Phuncle Sam with an ever-expanding body of original music. The band will also serve up quintessential interpretations of Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead and many others.
Phuncle Sam is known to play concert/ parties that last all night; such as Asheville’s "after~show" shows for Ratdog, Moe, Widespread Panic and Darkstar Orchestra fans.
The band has played local venues as the Westville Pub, Stella Blue, the Emerald Lounge and The Town Pump in Black Mountain and festival venues such as The Harvest Bash in Mars Hill and The Pig Pull at Deerfields.
Phuncle Sam has also worked with the Traveling Bonfires For Peace playing in Asheville’s Pritchard park many times and also playing acoustic shows in smaller venues such as Malliprop’s bookstore and Rosetta’s Kitchen..

Tues 6/23 Buster at White Horse Black Mountain

Tues June 23

BUSTER

at White Horse Black Mountain

8:30pm

http://www.afehl.com/Buster-2009-02.pdf

http://www.whitehorseblackmountain.com/

http://bustertunes.com/bios.php

Buster is a band in Asheville, NC playing gritty in-your-face blues rock and guitar legend rock. The band features guitarist Alec Fehl, drummer Harry Lewis, bassist Bob Butcher, and vocalist Jeremy Abee.

Alec started playing guitar at age 6. His guitar influences vary greatly and range from blues players like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Johnny Winter to shredders like Yngwie Malmsteen and Paul Gilbert to guitarist’s guitarists like Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Andy Timmons, Johnny Hiland and Guthrie Govan. Alec graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1989 and spent 10 years gigging around Los Angeles before settling into Asheville, NC. His iPod holds Abba, Zappa, and everything in between. Seriously. Everything.

A native of Michigan, Bob has been playing bass since high school, introduced to and immersed in classic rock at an early age by older brothers. Over the past ten years, Bob was a member of CharleyHorse (Rochester, NY folk/rock originals), Snakedoctor (Richmond, KY classic rock covers), The Poppies (Asheville, NC 60s girl group pop), Unit 50 (Asheville, NC classic rock covers), and A Few Brave Souls (Asheville, NC folk/rock originals). You’ll find him sporting Carvin basses playing through a Bose PAS system.

Harry wanted to play drums after seeing the Beatles movie “Hard Day’s Night” as a little kid and took cookie tins from his mom and sticks from a tree limb and played in the backyard. He is influenced by many drummers, but would have to put John Bonham at the top of the list. Harry has toured extensively in the United States and in Europe and was the drummer for Epic Recording Artist “Smash Palace” and Cleopatra Recording Artist “SpahnRanch”. He has played with many different bands while living in New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, including Shag Motor Pony, Executive Slacks, Tubalcain, Robert Hazard, Roadhouse, Kelly Gitter, Felix y Los Gatos, Vertigo, and even played snare drum in a Scottish bagpipe band. He still has the kilt.

Classically-trained vocalist Jeremy has been heard in several bands and karaoke parlors across North Carolina over the years. While previously focused on singing hard rock and metal originals, Jeremy sipped the Buster Kool-Aid and has discovered the joy of singing the blues. A Raleigh native and UNC Asheville graduate, Jeremy is primed and ready to rock the house fronting Buster.

Sun 6/21 - Artimus Pyle and Friends at Town Pump Tavern

Sunday June 21

The Black Mountain Strays

featuring Artimus Pyle

at Town Pump Tavern

3pm

Buffalo Bob Recommends

You Be There

Mention the genre Southern Rock and you immediately think if Artimus Pyle of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Mention the name Town Pump Tavern and you immediately think of good times, cold beer, and great music.

Mention Artemus Pyle and Town Pump Tavern in the same sentence and you've got a class A butt-kickin southern-fried honky-tonk blowout.

Come ready to rock !!!!!!

Sat 6/20 Skinny Legs & All at White Horse Black Mountain

Saturday June 20

SUMMER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION

Skinny Legs and All

w/Seth Lee

at White Horse Black Mountain

7pm (music at 8pm)

http://www.myspace.com/skinnylegsandallband
http://www.whitehorseblackmountain.com/



Get ready for a night of incredible music from Asheville's own SKINNY LEGS AND ALL !!!This young blues band has been turning heads and ears for quite sometime. Jesse's vocals simply astound all who hear the band and leave them wondering: "how does such an old voice come out of such a young girl"

Skinny Legs & All is Asheville's freshest young band whose members range in age from 13 to 18. Jesse, Paul, Avi, David, and Colin are still in high school but have already played at festivals such as the Lake Eden Arts Festival and the International Blues Challenge in Memphis Tennessee.


Don't let their ages fool you - they are "making waves" on the local music scene knocking out youthful renditions of classic Blues, Funk, & Soul.These gifted performers deliver lip smacking, dance inspiring, mood altering grooves with strong soulful vocals that will lead you on a journey from a slow shuffle to booty grooving madness.

Also on the bill is White Horse favorite SETH LEE !!!!


This is a family friendly show and a dance friendly show.
Cover is $8 and a special rate for kids under 10 and under.

SPECIAL NOTE:
Come early and check out the new video feature at White Horse....a 17 by 9 screen covering the back of the stage where videos of all types will be shown. White Horse will be showing a variety of content in the future including full length films, shorts, cartoon, music videos, sports and .......more.

Sat 6/20 Geoge Terry & The Zealots at Town Pump

Sat June 20

George Terry and the Zealots

at Town Pump Tavern

8:30pm

http://www.myspace.com/borndreamin
www.myspace.com/townpumptavernllc


The Zealots will come at you with everything they've got, including some momentous songs. Fronted by the Carolina legend George Terry, this band converts new Zealots with every appearance. Zealots' songs deal with the always-touchy subjects of religion, taxes, and death (not to mention love). Lazy conformists beware of these sharp hooks which drop from the sky like viscious arch-angels.

Sat 6/20 Full Moon Farm Benefit at The Watershed

Saturday June 20

FULL MOON FARM BENEFIT

at The Watershed

6pm until

http://www.fullmoonfarm.org/
http://www.velvettruckstop.com/

Full Moon Farm and Velvet Truckstop proudly present the 3rd Annual Benefit Concert for Full Moon Farm, featuring The Sireens, Parker Brooks, Buzz Flueheart, Marsupial, Velvet Truckstop, Sons of Ralph, WSNB and The Swills!!



The music begins with The Sireens at The Veranda Café at 6:00 p.m.

The festivities continue at The Watershed at 7:00 p.m. with Parker Brooks, Buzz Flueheart, Marsupial, Velvet Truckstop, Sons of Ralph, WSNB and The Swills.


Tickets are $10.00 and cover both venues.

Tickets for the Sireens may be purchased in advance at The Veranda Café or at the door.

For more information, please call 828-669-1818 or 828-669-0706.

---

ReadMore about Full Moon Farm at:

http://www.fullmoonfarm.org/

http://www.myspace.com/full_moon_farm

Full Moon Farm is an organization dedicated to the well being of the wolfdog (wolf hybrid) and captive-bred wolf. Situated on 17 beautiful mountain acres in Black Mountain, NC, we operate as a federally recognized 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization for abused and refused wolfdogs and wolves who find themselves in need of love, shelter, and care through no fault of their own.Though they may be abused or neglected, homeless because of death or divorce, they are all God's Creatures and worthy of a lifetime of respect.

We are here to serve them.

For further information, please continue reading or contact Nancy Brown:Full Moon Farm P.O. Box 1374 Black Mountain, NC 28711-1374 (828)-669-1818 nancy@fullmoonfarm.org

Sat 6/20 The Sireens at Veranda Cafe

Saturday June 20

THE SIREENS

at Verenda Cafe

6pm

http://www.myspace.com/sireens

April Cope, Mary Ellen Bush (also with Menage), Shelley Friesland, Reese Grey(Firecracker Jazz Band), and mister John Corbin (Firecracker Jazz Band) make up The Sireens, a unique band whose songs evoke the classic 1920's swing era.



Self-described as "a few gals singin' some sweet harmonies nineteen twenties style with fabulous stylings of stride piano and django style guitar", the Sireens have quickly developed a solid base of loyal listeners.

The vocal harmonies are reminiscent of the famed Boswell Sisters and the only word which comes close to describing the amazing piano and guitar work of Reese Gray and John Corbin is.......WOW !!!!!!!

This concert is part of a much larger event, the Full Moon Farm Fundraiser which kicks off with this Veranda's Cafe performance and then moves across the street to The Handlebar with more great bands.

Fri 6/19 Lance Mills and Red June at White Horse

Friday June 19

Lance Mills

Red June

at White Horse Black Mtn

8pm

http://www.myspace.com/lancemillstunes
http://www.myspace.com/redjunemusic
http://www.whitehorseblackmountain.com/

Lance Mills, Will Straughan, Natalya Weinstein and John Cloyd Miller write and play great songs...period. Original music with timeless appeal mixed with few tradition mountain favorites have made these folks some of Black Mountains favorite performers. Having them all together on the same stage is a rare treat.


Lance Mills is one of the regions finest songwriters. He delivers a a blend of country and americana with lyrics which draw the listener close. Mills calls his music Truditional music, a new music that sounds old. authentic, genuine, sincere and heartfelt. a fresh pour of coffee in your grandad's favorite cup, a well worn pair of jeans with a brand new patch on the knee, real songs that lend a little comfort.


Red June brings together three contrasting but complementary musicians in a beautifully distilled form.




Will Straughan performed with the Emma Gibbs Band from 1996 to 2004 and is a talented multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and singer with an instantly recognizable vocal style and approach. He is a sought after session player and currently works with Eliza Lynn and Lance Mills, among others.



John Cloyd Miller is a versatile singer/songwriter as well, concentrating largely on bluegrass music for the past several years in the band Lo-Fi Breakdown. His vocal and instrumental style is soulful and genuine with an unmistakably authentic old-time flavor.


Natalya Weinstein plays almost any style of fiddle or violin and is a solid harmony singer. Over the past few years she has performed regularly with Polecat Creek and Lo-Fi Breakdown, has recorded on several albums, and is an accomplished instructor in the Asheville area.

The trio began performing together in The Will Band in 2005 once or twice a year as schedules allowed. With the desire to make more time for a project, Will, Natalya and John started rehearsing again in late 2008 and soon coalesced into the current ensemble, Red June. As a vehicle for Will and John's original music as well as songs we all know and love, Red June is looking forward to some great performances in 2009 and beyond.

Thu 6/18 Aaron Price at Town Pump

Thursday June 18

Aaron Price

at Town Pump Tavern

9pm

http://www.myspace.com/aaronprice

www.myspace.com/townpumptavernllc

Aaron Price will be joined by Zack Page (bass), John Spurrier (drums), and Ben Hovey (trumpet, electronics) for what will be very fun gig. They'll play some music from Price's latest recording, Glass Opera, as well as all the choice AP standards, and we'll throw in some jazz and experimentation to boot! $5 cover.

Aaron Price is a musician, producer, and composer currently residing in Asheville, North Carolina. A lifelong musician who began playing piano at the age of 2, Aaron is known as a multi-faceted artist, equally at home on stage, in the theater pit, or in the studio. In 2005 alone, he led the band for a theater production of the musical HAIR, produced several records, and released a solo piano recording under his own name.

Aaron arrived in Asheville in 1997. Within a year he formed the cabaret act Vendetta & The Nines with native chanteuse Kelly Barrow and bassist Mike Holstein. The same year he opened Collapseable Studios, setting up and cutting records in his apartment, working with engineer and bass player Bill Reynolds. Price and Reynolds engineered and produced Vendetta & The Nines and Valorie Miller’s Analog in 1999. Both albums received steady air play on WNCW radio, known for its support of regional music. The same year Vendetta & The Nines toured the UK, and Asheville’s Mountain Xpress called Aaron Price "The man behind the Asheville sound."
Conspicuously absent from Price’s resume is an eponymous pop album. While he regularly emits singles through radio and internet he seems to be in no hurry to sell his music to the public at large, opting instead to evolve at his own pace and without industry fanfare. Mr. Price concedes that putting a viable commercial album together is not in parallel with his artistic vision.

"I view genre as a limitation," he says. "I describe music in terms of intention, not ‘make and model’. Intention is the way you choose to deliver the sound, how you want the audience to feel. The genre is ‘who’ or ‘what’ music you remind the listener of. I strive to give them a unique feeling rather than remind them of anyone else, or any other song.

Such notable artists as Peggy Seeger, Malcolm Holcombe, Hollywood-Red, and Stephanie’s Id have enlisted Price’s talents on stage, in studio, or both. Seeger tapped Aaron to record her last record, Enough is Enough in late 2005; upon hearing news that she would be moving to Boston, he agreed to perform at and produce her "Thank You, Asheville" farewell concert.

Sat 6/13 Stephanie's Id at White Horse Black Mtn

Sat June 13

Stephanie's Id

at White Horse Black Mountain

8pm

http://www.stephaniesid.com/
http://www.whitehorseblackmountain.com/

"Although generally referred to as an indie-pop band, their sound is actually far more complex and compelling than that genre label implies. Starting off as a darkly bittersweet piano-bar duo Chuck Lichtenberger playing piano and Stephanie Morgan singing), the group has since expanded to a full band and become one of the most interesting, experimental and creatively edgy acts.... and [they support] the local scene through efforts like the POPAsheville music festival (formerly known as IdFest). [They] may be one of the defining Asheville-based music acts of this era."--Steve Shanafelt,

Stephaniesid is indie pop revelry! The foundation is Stephanie (lead vox, guitar, synth) and Chuck (keys, bass pedals, backing vox), and a drummer (currently the fabulous Tim Haney), and sometimes we're able to bring Matthew on vibraphone and Jacob and Justin on horns, or singers, or other folks we like to make music with. We always play with heart and lust and gusto, because there's no point in doing anything else. We care about people and things. We often brood about them. But not for terribly long, as there is no gain in taking the human condition too seriously. The music, like life itself, is striving, searching, inconclusive, and (hopefully) beautiful.We have chosen to live in the best city... Asheville, NC, in the mountains.

And they've voted us "best indie band" here, 3 years in a row! People who live elsewhere and read about us are apt to think we've got banjos on our knees. Though Steph wishes she knew how to play a banjo, we are happy that people are slowly beginning to look around obvious identifiers. We used to have a lot of other stuff about the history of the band up here on this page. But it's boring to read. Suffice to say we've been around for about 5 years, we like to tour, the national press takes notice every once in awhile, and people in increasing numbers are coming to hear us play.

Sat 6/13 Buster at Town Pump Tavern

Saturday June 13

Buster

at Town Pump Tavern

8:30pm

http://bustertunes.com/index.php
www.myspace.com/townpumptavernllc

Buster is a band in Asheville, NC playing gritty in-your-face blues rock and guitar legend rock. The band features guitarist Alec Fehl, drummer Harry Lewis, bassist Bob Butcher, and vocalist Jeremy Abee.


Alec started playing guitar at age 6. His guitar influences vary greatly and range from blues players like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Johnny Winter to shredders like Yngwie Malmsteen and Paul Gilbert to guitarist’s guitarists like Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Andy Timmons, Johnny Hiland and Guthrie Govan. Alec graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1989 and spent 10 years gigging around Los Angeles before settling into Asheville, NC. His iPod holds Abba, Zappa, and everything in between. Seriously. Everything.


A native of Michigan, Bob has been playing bass since high school, introduced to and immersed in classic rock at an early age by older brothers. Over the past ten years, Bob was a member of CharleyHorse (Rochester, NY folk/rock originals), Snakedoctor (Richmond, KY classic rock covers), The Poppies (Asheville, NC 60s girl group pop), Unit 50 (Asheville, NC classic rock covers), and A Few Brave Souls (Asheville, NC folk/rock originals). You’ll find him sporting Carvin basses playing through a Bose PAS system.


Harry wanted to play drums after seeing the Beatles movie “Hard Day’s Night” as a little kid and took cookie tins from his mom and sticks from a tree limb and played in the backyard. He is influenced by many drummers, but would have to put John Bonham at the top of the list. Harry has toured extensively in the United States and in Europe and was the drummer for Epic Recording Artist “Smash Palace” and Cleopatra Recording Artist “SpahnRanch”. He has played with many different bands while living in New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, including Shag Motor Pony, Executive Slacks, Tubalcain, Robert Hazard, Roadhouse, Kelly Gitter, Felix y Los Gatos, Vertigo, and even played snare drum in a Scottish bagpipe band. He still has the kilt.

fClassically-trained vocalist Jeremy has been heard in several bands and karaoke parlors across North Carolina over the years. While previously focused on singing hard rock and metal originals, Jeremy sipped the Buster Kool-Aid and has discovered the joy of singing the blues. A Raleigh native and UNC Asheville graduate, Jeremy is primed and ready to rock the house fronting Buster.

Sat 6/13 Now You See Them at Beacon Pub

Sat June 13
Now You See Them
at Beacon Pub
9pm

www.myspace.com/nowyouseethem
http://www.beaconpub.info/

Now You See Them is a seasoned act dedicated to careful arrangements and complex time signatures, key and even instrument changes (their hyper-paced, well-constructed original song, "Leona," has Conerty trading guitar for uke mid-stream). But that talent is tempered with wit (cheeky original, "It Could Be Worse," offers up the sage advice that "There's somebody who's got it worse than you 'cause you could be dead. Or stupid.")." Indoors or out, they look like they're just jamming in their collective basement (in an arty '80s music video sort of way, of course), but Now You See Them is as serious about their musicianship as they are about having a good time.



From Mountain Xpress:Despite the tentative name, this band claims to be in it for the long haul. Dialed-in: Now You See Them share a convoluted past, a tiny car and some sweet harmonies. Photo by Jonathan Welch."Our goal in Asheville was to make a home base," says multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Shane Conerty.





The trio, including guitarist/vocalist Dulci and percussionist Jason Mencer, has accomplished that in the past year-enough so that their dream of making a living as a band (albeit a meager one: "When we shop it's sale meat," Mencer jokes) has become a reality. There's no turning back, Mercer insists. "I could go back to video production," he muses (that was the drummer's previous field), "but this is too much fun." Mencer adds, "Asheville is fantastic because [busking] pays pretty well and the shows are starting to pay."

Fri 6/12 Taylor Martin at Town Pump Tavern

Friday June 12

Taylor Martin

at Town Pump Tavern

8:30pm

www.myspace.com/townpumptavernllc
www.myspace.com/taylormartinsmusic

Taylor Martin just released solo recording, Engine, has caught the ear of WNCW djs who've been eager to spin tracks for regional music listeners. Come hear what all the buzz is about as Taylor performs with his band at the Town Pump Tavern."Taylor Martin brings you music with a beating heart. Sparse, gritty, real and powerful, Engine is filled with music born of genuine experience painted true and honest with raw and uncommon sincerity. This is music as it should be. Simple music that expresses the difficult and complicated nature of human interaction with a candid and unflinching sense of reality that makes this record a valuable and shining example of what is right in American music today."

Fri 6/12 Dana and Susan Robinson at White Horse

Friday June 12

Dana and Susan Robinson

at White Horse Black Mountain

8pm

http://www.robinsongs.com/
http://www.whitehorseblackmountain.com/

In a Dana and Susan Robinson concert you'll hear two rich, intimate voices, intricate and powerful guitar and banjo playing with a handful of fiddle and mandolin thrown in. Dana writes songs and tells stories about America, the land and its people. They bring to their performances an understanding of America's musical heritage and convey its significance to our culture.

Dana and Susan Robinson sing dust-on-the-boots vignettes of rural America. Dana delivers his lyrics with such poetic clarity as to take the audience along riding shotgun down the highway. Their stories reflect a deep affection for the landscape and a sense of place within it. Dana and Susan are consummate multi-instrumentalists (guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin) integrating styles from the Appalachian, Celtic, and African traditions to create a fresh and contemporary sound that is uniquely their own.

Born in Oregon in 1961, Dana was raised on a steady diet of the Beatles, Dylan, Clapton and Stones. At seventeen Dana took to hitchhiking between the western states, playing in cafés and restaurants, never staying in one place for very long. This restlessness culminated in the mid-80’s with a trip to Europe to ride the trains and busk on the streets. Upon returning to America, Dana settled in Vermont where he built a cabin in the woods, and discovered both the east coast singer-songwriter scene and Appalachian mountain music. In 1994 Dana recorded his debut CD Elemental Lullabye, made an appearance at Carnegie Hall, and launched into a national touring career.

Dana and Susan met in 2002 when Sue attended a concert that Dana was giving in California. An environmental grant writer at the time, Sue had no idea what she was in for when Dana persuaded her to join him as his traveling partner. A classically trained pianist and Scottish fiddle player, Susan changed musical courses completely, launching into the mountain claw-hammer banjo, rhythm guitar playing, and harmony singing that now defines their sound.

Thu 6/11 Dave Turner & Valorie Miller at Town Pump

Thursday June 11

Dave Turner and Valorie Miller

at Town Pump Tavern

8:30 pm

http://daveturnermusic.com/
http://myspace.com/valoriemiller
http://www.myspace.com/townpumptavernllc


Valorie Miller has plenty of accolades in the world of songwriting: top finalist in the 2007 Great American Song Contest, a recent invitation to play at New York City's renowned folk club, The Bitter End, and even fan mail from Lucinda Williams herself. But to Valorie, the hallmark of personal success is the intensity with which her fans become attached to her songs. One fan recently had his favorite of her songs played at his mother's memorial service. Another sustained a life threatening injury while hiking in the wilderness alone, and later wrote her to say that playing her songs over and over in his head gave him the strength to get himself out alive. To her fans, Miller's songs are more than entertainment, they are vitally important touchstones. This phenomenon inspires her to keep touring, writing and recording. Her current release, “Autumn Eyes”, masterfully delivers her newest material with the trademarks that everyone who loves her music has come to expect: beautiful guitar picking, a genuine and singular voice, and heart-wrenching lyrics. This woman is a songwriter's songwriter, and she inhabits the Americana music scene like a true native.

As a singer-songwriter-pianist Dave Turner has developed his style in part by combining the traditions of Elton John and Tom Waits. He is a prolific writer of words and music, plays the piano with power and passion, and has a strong, soulful voice. His most recent album, "Could Have Talked All Night," was released November 16, 2007. Its captivating songs were inspired by empty pockets and starry skies, Kentucky bourbon, late-night diners, old lovers, Blue Ridge mountains, California dreams, desperation, roadside shrines, hangovers, unsent letters, beer joints, bar buddies, staying put and getting away. In fall 2007, Dave was one of eight finalists selected from across the United States in the North Carolina Songwriters Co-op 10th Annual Song Contest with two songs from the "Could Have Talked All Night" album, "Never Meant To Stay" and "Amber River."

Sat 6/6 Free Planet Radio/Akira Satake/Billy Cardine

Saturday June 6th

Free Planet Radio

with

Akira Satake

Billy Cardine

at White Horse Black Mountain

8PM

Tickets $10.
(828) 669-0816

http://www.whitehorseblackmountain.com/
http://www.freeplanetradio.com/
http://www.akirasatake.com/music.asp
www.myspace.com/billycardine


World Music Supergroup Free Planet Radio (with special guests International Artist Akira Satake and eclectic guitarist Billy Cardine) present an evening of elevated original jazz combined with masterful rhythms and unique mystical collaborations.

With the vast amount of talent, versatility and global wide experience, this evening will be certain to unfold into a memorable night of profound world music. It will be hard to imagine this stage being anything else but on sonic rhythmic fire. Chris Rossers seamless sounds on the Dotar and other Indian and Turkish instruments, along side Eliot Wadopians strong solid melodic award winning bass grooves and River Guerguerian’s one of a kind percussion techniques are the reasons why Free Planet Radio always passionately delivers. Special guests include Akiria Satake on the Shamisen (Japanese banjo) who is reflected by his peers as ‘brilliant’ and Billy Caridine, a fluent spirited musician/producer (Biscuit Burners) with knowledge and experience from all corners of the world.


Bios of the Special Guests:
Akira Satake first discovered the banjo through his older brother’s Flatt and Scruggs recordings while growing up in Osaka, Japan. After relocating to New York City in his early 20's he spent two decades honing his innovative banjo style in venues from Village clubs to Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. He went on to master the shamisen (Japanese banjo) in his own original style, and has made it an important part of his repertory.


Satake garnered international attention with his collection of original compositions, "Cooler Heads Prevail," and shared the 1998 German Music Critics’ Award for Best World Music Recording with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He has performed and/or recorded with such artists as Shawn Colvin, Jim Lauderdale, Hazel Dickens and Tony Trischka, and produced award-winning CDs for Tim O’Brien, Mamadou Diabate, Johnny Cunningham and flamenco guitarist Gerardo Nunez.

American banjo virtuoso Tony Trischka calls Satake “a brilliant banjoist with a split-level passion for the fiery breakdowns of southern Appalachia and the kaleidoscopic rhythms and melodies of World Music.”

Bill Cardine is a resophonic guitar (Dobro) player who currently performs with bluegrass band The Biscuit Burners who have been featured on BBC World's Destination Music, the PBS Roadtrip Nation, NPR's Mountain Stage, and recently The History Channel's Our GenerationBlending the stylings that propelled the instrument by bluegrass legends before him with the sounds of Indian Slide, Billy Cardine has garnered the respect of those who influenced him. In the April 2007 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited, Jerry Douglas is quoted as saying:"Billy Cardine is an amazing Dobro player. He could be the next big thing. He has within his scope all the makings. He is fluent in everything that I do, and Josh Graves, and everybody that has come before. I got to be with him for a little while at Carnegie Hall for Edgar Meyer’s 'Porous Borders' workshops and Billy was just great. Everybody wanted him to be in their band. They had all of these different bands and everyone wanted Billy and he was the only Dobro player there. I couldn’t have picked a better example for them of where the Dobro is now or what the possibilities are with the instrument."Cardine's unique approach to the instrument stems from his knowledge and appreciation for music from all corners of the world.

He has studied resophonic guitar under Mike Auldridge, Rob Ickes, and Randy Kohrs. He performed bluegrass music with Walker's Run for years.He also studied slide guitar under Indian Slide Master Debashish Bhattacharya, who serves as Cardine's musical guru. Cardine is one of the few in America who owns, and at times performs with, a chaturangui (a 22-stringed instrument created by Bhattacharya, which blends tones of Rudra-veena, violin, sarode, and sitar).While performing with and composing material for The Biscuit Burners, Billy has also produced all of their releases."The overall spirit of the music is atmospheric and playfully daring, with an especially fascinating experiment on Cardine's 'Chatuvondoo' on which the composer plays a chaturangui, a 22string slide instrument from the country of India."[1]—Bluegrass Unlimited, review of ‘The Donkeys’




"Billy Cardine is an amazing Dobro player. I couldn’t have picked a better example for them (Porous Border's of Music) of where the Dobro is now or what the possibilities are with the instrument."--- Jerry Douglas