OUTPOST: Joe Medwick For the Love of Levon and Lowell
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Born in the North Country of New York State, just minutes from Eastern Ontario Canada, Joe was touched by music at a very early age. His piano playing mom loved the great American song book as much as Joe adored The Beatles, Stones & Sly and The Family Stone and more. Thier home near Thompson Park was filled day and night with music from Ray Charles, Count Basie, Gordon Lightfoot and Bob Dylan, mostly on free formatted Canadian radio stations or on their always occupied turntables in the house. Joe’s first band The Baskerville Hounds were a huge hit in the summer of ’69 on the Gatsby-ish Thousand Islands, Catholic school dance and US Army and Air Force base circuits. Heady stuff for a 14-year-old soul music loving lead singer. Joe started booking bands after in high school and later became the youngest professional booking agent in NYS at age 20 in Ithaca New York, home of Cornell University, Ithaca & Wells colleges. Booking frats and shows all over the Northeast. Later stints in artist management, one stop and retail record sales followed which led him to San Francisco CA to finish school at San Francisco State University and later at the legendary Tower Records at Columbus and Bay in the city, eventually landing him a top exec job at Tower’s Corporate Offices in West Sacramento, with stops in LA, The East Bay and NYC along the way. All the time writing, performing and working for various prestigious record labels like Warner Bros, Vanguard and Rykodisc Records in their respective Creative Services and A&R departments and enthusiastically promoting friends records like Levon Helm, Little Feat, Albert Lee and Lonnie Mack and many more. Joe’s debut album MEMPHIS TO MONTREAL was released to rave reviews in 2017 and features RRHOF legend Garth Hudson from The Band, guitarist Lee and members of Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal’s bands and more. His follow up album ALL MY FRIENDS released in 2023 features long time Lucinda Williams Band guitar man Doug Pettibone and members of The Levon Helm Horns and The Savoy Family Band, legends of South Louisiana Cajun music.. His massive love for his friends Rick, Garth and esp Levon Helm from The Band and for all of his friends in Little Feat (now and then), is unmeasurable and still drives his soul today here in the new live music capital of the world music loving hometown, Asheville NC.
OUTPOST: Farewell Friend
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Farewell Friend:Hailing from the cornfields of Indiana and now residing in Greensboro, North Carolina, front man and singer/songwriter Tom Troyer’s eclectic style traverses folk, rock and blues. Farewell Friend’s music resonates with authenticity, vulnerability, and an unwavering commitment to the power of poetic storytelling. Their sound is a delicate avalanche of sonic texture – a presentation of recognizable and distorted folk and Americana forms. Tom’s exceptional talent shines through in all three albums, which he produced, wrote, recorded, mixed, and mastered. The live band lineup may vary, but Evan Campfield on upright bass has been a consistent presence since 2016, while Zac Covington, Caleb Baer, Alan Barnosky often contribute their skills for live performances and as session musicians on recordings. Wild Roots Rising is an indie folk band based in the Southeast United States. It is led by songwriters, vocalists, and instrumentalists Julia Houghton and Olivia Moore.Their music is described as a classical-folk fusion; unique arrangements and complex harmonies, combined with acoustic instruments and meaningful lyrics. They are known for sharing songs that create a beautiful, uplifting aura for the listener. WRR released their self-titled, debut album in September of 2021 and have been performing at festivals, music venues, and bars throughout the southeast. They are very excited to share their music with the public.Enviornmentalism and social justice activism are deeply important to Olivia and Julia, and these themes present themselves in the music. They create a space on stage to share, think, and talk about current issues. Together they bring strong intentions to create a positive change in the world, and to stay true to themselves in the work.
OUTPOST: Frances Eliza, AJ Buchanan, & Clara Blyth
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Frances Eliza Asheville-based singer/songwriter and guitarist Frances Eliza blends her love of songwriting with her passion for jazz, folk, and pop music. Performing around NC and SC for over a decade, Frances has been described as “An intimate storyteller who invites the listener into her private life as she shares and explores experiences of love, loss, and pain.” Influenced by artists like Joni Mitchell, The Cranberries and Taylor Swift, Frances has performed solo and with many talented musicians at hundreds of venues over the past decade, and has released 2 original EPs thus far. AJ Buchanan AJ Buchanan is a singer/songwriter based in Asheville. Her music focuses on love, her loved ones, memories, and weaving images of these themes with the feelings to which they are tied. Her sound is soft and powerful with attention to finger picking and folk/country inspired strumming on the acoustic guitar. Clara Blyth Clara Blyth is a vocalist, cellist, guitarist and alternative folk singer/songwriter based in Asheville, NC. Clara’s music is driven by crippling sentimentality and lyrical imagery, and she is currently working to release her debut EP later this year.
OUTPOST: Goings with Sani Bronco
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Goings: Formed in Philadelphia, Goings faced a turning point in 2020. With the release of their debut album “It’s For You” and a global pandemic shutting down live shows, the band, consisting of Chris Kearney, Keith Rogers, and Aidan Rogers, had to adapt. But with time on their hands, they regrouped, adding guitarists Alexi Peters and Cam Chung in 2021. This new lineup sparked a creative surge, resulting in their sophomore LP, ‘Memory Card.’ The album explores the complex relationship we have with memories, using catchy melodies and non-linear song structures to reflect on how we perceive our past. From the heartbreak of a broken engagement to the acceptance of loss, Goings confronts these emotions head-on, ultimately aiming to rewrite the narrative and find beauty in our remembrances. Recorded in August 2023, ‘Memory Card’ marks Goings’ return with 10 new songs, ready to take listeners on a journey through the ever-shifting landscape of memory. The album is set to release in September 2024.Sani Bronco: Sani Bronco is a band branded by a half-tame, half-wild mentality. Embracing the duality of heavy rock and indie folk. The band takes influence from a mixed bag such as Bright Eyes, Title Fight, Slowthai, The Rolling Stones, Oso Oso, to name a few. Founder, David Medina says this mix of influences created Sani Bronco’s sound which he dubs “adobe rock” – a genre named after the adobe architecture found in New Mexico, and many parts of Latin America. Saying “it is a good visual representation of what Sani Bronco sounds like. Adobe rock is organic and simple. It’s robust and timeless.” Sani Bronco started as a solo project, but always with the intention of one day making it a full band project. After the release of ‘One Stop Everything Repair Shop,’ David teamed up with Chris Kearney, drummer of Sweet Pill/Goings/typopro, and Kyle Bosler, former guitarist of Goings. They met online through a Facebook group in 2019 and slowly became friends, occasionally messaging back and forth. When it came time to hit the studio in July of 2022, David reached out to Chris Kearney, to join him in writing and recording the next Sani Bronco LP. The new album was made in 30 days at VuDu Recording Studio in Long Island, NY. It was recorded and produced by Frank Mitaritonna who has worked with bands such as Taking Back Sunday, Covet, As Tall As Lions, The Dear Hunter, Thought Crimes, Kevin Devine, and many more. The album was mixed by Billy Mannino at Two Worlds Recordings in Queens, NY. Billy’s most notable work is all of Oso Oso’s discography. Lastly, the record was mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music in Hudson Valley, NY. Alan has worked with Sufjan Stevens, The Promise Ring, Animal Collective, Converge, Brand New, and many more. The album is set to release in June 2024. With local support from trust blinks and Pictures of Vernon
OUTPOST: The Pinkerton Raid
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Go see a live show with The Pinkerton Raid, and songwriter Jesse James DeConto might share stories about the history and architecture of his native New England, or forest legends from the Nordic region, or Broadway-showtunes-turned-football-fight-songs from Liverpool. It’s all quite beatnik and granola, steeped in the mysticism of STAR WARS and Celtic lore, the existentialism of Kerouac, the naturalism of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, Standing Rock and Laurel Canyon, and the liberation politics of Woody Guthrie, Karl Marx and Black Lives Matter. There is a fair number of songs about trees. “A fine blend of Beatles-esque dreamy folk,” says AMERICANA HIGHWAYS. The band has opened for Illiterate Light, The Ballroom Thieves, TopHouse, Eliot Bronson, Driftwood, The Collection and Noah Gundersen. They’ve slotted at festivals like Shakori Hills, Albino Skunk, Beacon Bonfire and AVL Fest with artists such as River Whyless, Sunny War, Watchhouse, Amythyst Kiah and Tall Heights.Opening sets by The High Divers and Julia SandersAmericana artist Julia Sanders’ unfolds a meticulously arranged musical landscape anchored by transfixing vocals and a compact but thoughtful narrative style that calls to mind forebearers like Gillian Welch and Emmylou Harris. On her most recent album, Morning Star, Sanders explores the complexities of transitions: from woman to mother, partners to parents, and freewheelin’ musician to an adult with roots and responsibilities. The album is a poetic, often dark, yet silver-lined portrait of transformation and growth. With each track, Sanders explores a different facet—a career, a partner, a child—and the range of emotions they carry with them, from joy and pleasure to struggle, loneliness and self-doubt. Unafraid to address the complexities that walk hand in hand with the bliss of having children—such as the loss of autonomy and the fracturing of identity—Morning Star provides a much-needed soundtrack to the experience of matrescence—the physical, emotional and social transition to motherhood
OUTPOST: Will Overman
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Will Overman is a Virginia singer-songwriter based in Nashville TN, whose music can be best described as Country-Americana, but it’s not your typical Country-Americana sound. Sonically it is restless by nature, always searching for something new, and with Will’s heart-worn lyrics and dynamic vocal delivery, it makes for a memorable mixture that is hard to place but easy to love. Born and raised in Virginia Beach, Will began writing songs after picking up the guitar in high school. He quickly built a regional following, forming the Will Overman Band. The Southern Rock ‘n Roll influenced Americana project released two EPs and an LP, playing bar gigs and festival slots (Merlefest, Appaloosa Music Festival, Rooster Walk) up and down the East Coast until going their separate ways in the spring of 2017.Although he was unsure what to do next, Will began working on his first solo release – 2017’s Crossroads EP with a studio band of some nationally known musicians (Johnny Stubblefield – Parachute, Sam Wilson – Sons of Bill) and good friends from the central VA music scene. Following a hiatus, Will returned to Virginia in mid-2019 and went back into the studio to record the songs that would form his debut LP The Winemaker’s Daughter.Following the successful and well-received release of the debut single “Something to Hold” from The Winemaker’s Daughter on February 14, 2020, Will hit the road on his first major solo tour two weeks later – just as the pandemic started shutting down the world. Canceled and indefinitely postponed gigs quickly piled up, but rather than stop making or releasing music Will continued on, dropping singles from the album while garnering international media attention and radio play. Since breaking the ice on his own return to live shows in April 2021 to celebrate the release of The Winemaker’s Daughter in February 2021 (almost a year to the day after the release of the initial single), Will has put tens of thousands of miles on his van while traveling from shows anywhere from Savannah to Minneapolis to Boston and everywhere in between. The miles and days away have been hard, but good for Will, as he gained inspiration and experience that led to the recording and release of three brand new singles in 2022 called “Spend it All” “Heart Pine” and “Dotted Line”Whereas Will’s older work was extremely personal and reflective, Will’s singles tell his own story, while also incorporating other perspectives and experiences, all with a similar thread or vein running through them. Will’s Heart Pine EP (released Nov. 10, 2022) began putting a light on some of his darkest moments in recent memory (“Heart Pine”) and looking at other people’s mental health struggles (“Spend It All”) and how to move past them (“Dotted Line”). The next chapter in Will’s career though is the major uncovering who he actually is and what he wants – a chapter that is still being written, but has already come to the forefront through his newest single “Virginia Is For Lovers” (released 2/20/2024). Armed with a powerful voice and powerful convictions, Will Overman is slowly but surely building a name for himself performing throughout the US headlining clubs and supporting artists across genres from David Nail and Grady Spencer & the Work to Joe Pug and Town Mountain. Regardless of whether you get a first listen of Will at the next show or song on shuffle, you can be sure that it won’t be long before you know his songs by heart.Opening sets by Darby Wilcox and Jackson Grimm
OUTPOST: The Pearl Snap Prophets and Chris McGinnis
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Jack Marion and The Pearl Snap Prophets bring a youthful-exuberance and high-country swagger to the doorsteps of modern country music. The North Carolina-based band has spent the past 6 years in honky-tonks, bars, and mountain roadhouses, collecting fodder for songs along the way. There are songs about living; written in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains. They are straight-from-the-hip and straight-from-the heart. No bull-honky. All truth. But they are just as catchy as any songwriting-factory-formed mega hit that will ever curse your ear. “If young country-based bands like Jack Marion and The Pearl Snap Prophets keep raising the standards of what songs can be, maybe we can turn the tides.”- NC Music MagazineOpening set by Chris McGinnis
OUTPOST: Flashback Fringe
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Flashback Fringe is a new Asheville, NC based Psychedelic Rock Era (1967 – 1971) tribute band created to deliver energetic, true to the sound and spirit musical performances. With a growing catalog of approximately 40 songs ranging from The Byrds to Cream to The Moody Blues to The Doors, Flashback Fringe will take your audiences back to the era that contributed incredible songs to music history.
OUTPOST: Jake Xerxes Fussell & Twain
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Jake Xerxes Fussell is a singer and guitarist based in Durham, NC. He is, according to Ann Powers of NPR, “maybe the leading interpreter of American folk music right now…” Fussell’s album Good and Green Againwas released to critical acclaim in January of 2022. The album was produced by James Elkington and featured some formidable musicians, including Casey Toll on upright bass, Libby Rodenbough on strings, Joe Westerlund on drums, Joseph Decosimo on fiddle, and others. Bonnie “Prince” Billy contributed additional vocals.“…Fussell is the rare contemporary to approach folk in its pure form, shunning self-penned compositions about bummer relationships to concentrate on material handed down from bygone, hardenedtimes.” –The New Yorker“(Fussell) is one of the great magpies of American song, collecting forgotten, tarnished gems with a folklorist’s zeal… his renditions aren’t so much cover versions as composites…” –The GuardianTwain “There is nothing remarkable about my life that is necessary to know in order to appreciate the songs,” says Matthew Davidson of Twain. He describes the project as “a modern folk-opera of indefinite length consisting of songs and images from my life, a self-caricature of the musician and writer Matthew Davidson.” “Some of the songs deal with the experience of male-ness, but it isn’t necessary to identify as male or female to understand them. A lot of the music comes out of depressive or ecstatic states, but it is not necessary to have experienced those feelings in order to appreciate the music. The offering is supposed to be a very naked voice which the listener can commune with. If it were up to me, I would share this music with people who don’t know a single fact about my self, my name, my story. I make music in order to take a break from those things, and I hope the music I make offers others a chance to take a break from their own selves, names, stories.”
OUTPOST: Palmyra
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Palmyra“Like the best folk often does, [Palmyra] balances melancholic yearning with intimate beauty, crafting a dance of lovely harmony and unadorned instrumentation.” -Under The Radar, 2023 “Their voice(s) drips with a beautiful desperation, every single word holding an earnestness you don’t find just anywhere anymore.” -The Alternative, 2023 Established in the Shenandoah Valley, Palmyra’s set explores the fusion of traditional folk string instruments, three part harmonies, and earnest songwriting. The trio captures the collective spirit of three Virginia natives, Teddy (he/him), Manoa (he/him), and Sasha (they/them), often described as a distant cousin of the progressive folk band, Punch Brothers, mixed with elements of Oliver Wood or the Avett Brothers. Palmyra’s songs are intimate and contemplative, with arrangements that allow them to create the illusion of a full, larger-than-three ensemble. The trio’s sound is a nod to Appalachia and Midwestern Americana, apparent through their stirring craftsmanship and dedication to a folk-driven, innovative experience throughout each unique live performance. Palmyra has supported Watchhouse, Mipso, and Illiterate Light on the road and had the honor to play the historic Newport Folk Festival in both 2022 and 2023, Americanafest, Bristol Rhythm and Roots, and Floydfest where they were named the “On The Rise” competition winner in ’22.Time Sawyer Time Sawyer’s name reflects the pull between the past and the future. The character Tom Sawyer evokes the rural background and love of home that the band shares. Time is a muse for songwriting; it’s the thread that runs through life, bringing new experiences and giving us a sense of urgency, while still connecting us with our past. The folk-rock band has performed on the stages of some of the Southeast’s most iconic festivals, including Merlefest, Floydfest, Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, Albino Skunk Music Festival, and Carolina in the Fall. They’ve shared bills with American Aquarium, John Craigie, Hiss Golden Messenger, Langhorne Slim, John Moreland, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Wood Brothers, Susto, and many more.
