Hannah Wicklund
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYHANNAH WICKLUND Hannah Wicklund has been traveling fast and far, playing big cities and small towns around the world since starting her band at 8 years old. With her new album, Produced by Sam Kiszka, she is now arriving somewhere completely unexpected. Ethereal texturing, smokey falsetto vocals, string section surprises and guitar solos that carry equal parts pain and joy are woven tastefully into what Wicklund says is , “A record that just sounds like me”. Much like Hannah’s paintings she has become known for, each song is intricately entrancing and honored with two things seemingly lost in today’s world….patience and time. With Sam Kiszka on bass/keys/organ and Danny Wagner on drums, both of Greta Van Fleet, the songs serve as a rock ’n’ roll roadmap to a crossroads that Wicklund has been unknowingly gravitating towards for well over a decade. X marks the spot where the weary girl speeding towards the woman she will become meet in a fiery head-on collision. On this album, we hear from the woman rising from that wreckage. The woman who’s scarred but smarter, holds compassion for the girl who carried her here, and with wide-open clear eyes, unflinchingly stares down the future. Indeed, The Prize is a beautiful representation of what raw feminine power and determination look, feel and sound like. Carved with pain during the most wounded and fragile point in our young heroine’s life, this record is for anyone that has ever had to look inward to move onward. “This album was so radically healing for me, and I hope it can inspire and perhaps play a role in someone else’s story” says Wicklund. “I want us all to remember, it can be lonely and is never easy ‘doing the work’, but we are each worthy of our own love, time, and dedication.”THE HIGH DIVERS The High Divers have seen some things. There are scars adorning each member that serve as constant reminders that the traveling rock n’ roll lifestyle is not for the faint of heart. After narrowly surviving a bloody scene with a semi on an Arizona Highway in 2017, and a stage silencing pandemic, the band has proved its resilience and dedication to crafting albums that they can continue to be proud of. With the release of their newest record, “Should I be Worried” due out April 2023, the band is breathing a sigh of relief in finally getting the Sadler Vaden produced album out into the hands of their fans. “The return to live shows with all of the excitement and energy behind these new songs is going to be really healing for everyone involved”, says guitarist and singer, Luke Mitchell, “We’ve held onto some of these songs for almost three years now, and it’s felt like an absolute eternity!” Recorded in Nashville at BattleTapes and Marshall, NC at The High Divers’ own Out There Studios, this record serves as a patchwork of where the band has been and where they are going, with great care taken in curating nuanced and eclectic songs that weave into a colorful psychedelic sonic tapestry. “When you have this long to compile songs and really live with them, there are certain ones that just jump out and continue to have that sheen that keeps us all excited” says Mary Alice, whose song “Pieces” is a sparse and hauntingly beautiful look into the past “We were young, we were stupid, we were free, we were broken”.
Princess Goes
ALL AGES – STANDING ROOM ONLY PRINCESS GOES Michael C. Hall: Vocals Matt Katz-Bohen: Keyboards Peter Yanowitz: Drums “We’re a weird band,” states Princess Goes drummer Peter Yanowitz. He’s not wrong. But weird like David Bowie, Bjork and Brian Wilson’s Smile might be termed “weird.” In other words: unconventional and quite possibly irresistible. Princess Goes’ second full-length album, the 12-song Come of Age, is the trio’s most accessible work to date, yet it’s still chock-full of innovative songs that traverse a thrilling and often surprising sonic and lyrical landscape. The first single, “Shimmer,” highlights Michael C. Hall’s powerful, ethereal vocals atop quietly propulsive rhythm lines, and features Stephen Trask (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) as guest guitarist. “Shimmer”’s equally stunning and expansive video was directed by Tim Richardson (Elton John, Billie Eilish, Givenchy). “Take Me Home” serves up a soaring emotive trippiness that morphs into headbanging moments worthy of the heaviest metaller or your favorite Zeppelin album, while the haunting “Jetpack” showcase Hall’s poignant lyrics and penetrative voice, at once bell-clear and diaphanous, as the song builds to a wild and harrowing conclusion. The 12 songs on Come of Age are by turns foreboding, mystical and danceable, Ray Bradbury- meets-the-Jetsons in its galactic aural scope. The ominous semi-drone beginning of “Blur” morphs into synthwave spectacularness, the song’s dynamics suiting Hall’s lyrics about “an illicit formative encounter.” Some of Hall’s most pointed writing is on the title track, “Come of Age,” the irresistibly bouncy musicality cut by the singer’s trenchant words: “Godzilla goggles seeing nothing but King Kong makes it hard to get along,” he sings, before deadpanning, “did you really mean it when you told me I was good / or are you just a devil spitting Hollywood.” “Come of Age,” explains Hall, is neither a command that the audience come of age, nor a suggestion that Princess Goes has reached some adulting milestone. As with much of what the trio does, it just intuitively felt right. It was likewise an easy decision to include a remixed version of a previously released song, the fan favorite “Let It Go.” Princess Goes felt the cut, as originally written, was sort of an outlier. It started with Yanowitz. Katz-Bohen took it home, sped it up and it became a little more EDM, but also fun, poppy, and anthemic. The LP’s mixer and frequent collaborator Brandon Bost (HAIM, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga) worked on the song with the Princess Goes (and also plays some bass and keys to the album), and now the band can hardly wait to play the new, slightly more expeditious incarnation of “Let it Go” live. Hall, Katz-Bohen and Yanowitz are seasoned performers forging new creative ground together in PG: Hall is best known for playing moralistic serial killer Dexter Morgan from Showtime hit Dexter as well as David Fisher from HBO’s revered Six Feet Under. Katz-Bohen has played with Blondie since 2008, while Yanowitz is a veteran of the Wallflowers and his own group, Morningwood. Exclamation Pony
The Record Company
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYTHE RECORD COMPANY At 2pm on December 19, 2022 — the dreaded final day of the year in the music business — The Record Company got a telephone call from the, um, record company. It was the head of the label, who’d been sitting on their new demos for months, while the band sat in limbo. It was a scene out of a movie about the bad luck bands sometimes have with big record labels: a pleasant “hello” led to a Charlie Brown’s teacher murmur that amounted to “you’re dropped from the label, Happy Christmas, fellas.” Apparently, the label was going “in a different direction” — Hollywood code for “The Record Company’s many radio hits and Grammy nomination are no guarantee that you’re going to push further into their idea of mainstream, or that you’re great at TikTok.” “It was tough to swallow,” says bassist Alex Stiff, “because we had already set out to write the most stripped-back and raw record we’d done in years, and they had demos of this new music, and ultimately dropped us. Combine that with some new economic realities, a canceled tour, and we really felt like everything was crashing down at once.” On The 4th Album, The Record Company see that rejection as a rite of renewal, a way to cleanse themselves, to start over. They head back to their roots: creating the raw, self-produced, blues-based music that in past years earned them multiple Billboard #1 AAA songs, a Grammy nomination, and brought them from playing small clubs to arena tours supporting John Mayer and Bob Seger. These “roots” would include half-working dumpster guitars, no-name drum sets from garage sales, no click tracks or studio tricks, all recorded in the bass player’s living room. “Almost every band you love at some point tends to drift away from that raw spark that made them unique in the first place,” says drummer Marc Cazorla. “They search for bigger sounds, bigger budgets, more expensive instruments, producers, mixers, etc. We’ve been subject to that as well, but now we’ve come back full circle to what matters most: making raw, honest music that moves peoples’ souls.” The band titled the new collection “The 4th Album” to signify the start of a new chapter. When the needle drops, we hear TRC lead singer Chris Vos spit out an offhanded quip: “I ain’t ever givin’ up,” an impromptu line that is an instant touchstone for anyone who’s ever seen their dreams fading, and then been able to regain hope. That line quickly became a call-to-arms for the band and a rock-solid theme for this album. The 4th Album finds the band at peace with themselves operating as outsiders in an ever- changing musical landscape. “You’re not going to find us posting goofy videos, salad recipes, or telling the internet what every song is about,” says Chris. “We’ve had some ups and downs, but we’ve managed to find a way through it, and put it all back into the music.” JESSE AHERN When Jesse Ahern walks onstage, he looks like a regular guy-albeit one with a six string strapped across his body and an anchor tattoo under his right eye. As he tears through his set, easily rousing brand new crowds to shout his choruses back in his face, it’s clear Jesse could be everybody’s friend.
OUTPOST: Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers and Shauna Dean Cokeland
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINEMel Bryant & the Mercy Makers write songs for screaming from the passenger seat. A nashville based, east coast born rock band inspired by modern punk, classic blues, and indie sad girls, the group embodies the spirit of a DIY band, recording all their own music in a barn-turned-studio in their backyard. Their gritty guitars, raucous grooves, raging feminine energy and frank, witty lyricism have gained them a dedicated following on social media and a Spotify stream count in the multi millions. Check out the links below to hear more and watch them live. Shauna Dean Cokeland is an acoustic folk pop artist with lyricism beyond her years and over 500,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram, comprised of real, engaged fans who know all the words to her songs—even the unreleased ones. Hailing from a small beach town in Maryland with dreams of taking over the world as the “Last Best Pop Star”, her long anticipated latest single asserts, she is bold and confident and weaves tantalizing stories in her songs. Inspired by all things 2000s, Britney Spears, Eminem, Kesha, Tyler Childers, and low rise jeans, her infectious brand of Y2K nostalgia combined with a teenage passion for both emo and country music has fostered a sense of community among the Gen Z that’s hard to put to words. McKinney is a queer femme bass player and singer/songwriter living in Asheville, NC. She is a resident artist with LEAF Global Arts and has a been a regular performer at the LEAF festivals for the past 6 years. She grew up touring with an empowerment concert tour that educates youth about mental health resources. Her diverse and inclusive ensemble combines elements of rock, jazz, blues, funk, and soul to craft songs that resonate with authenticity and vulnerability. She released her debut single in 2021 entitled “Stay,” produced by Josh Blake at Echo Mountain. You can feel the desire she has to create new music that stays true to her unique sound. With new music, coming in 2024, produced by Ted Marks & Thommy Knowles, this young woman is ready to take her place as the next powerhouse coming out of Asheville.
OUTPOST: Everyman Jones and the Stick People
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE- FREE SHOW
Rock Academy – Hindsight Is 2023 Tour
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOORRock Academy students perform rock songs of various genres, including blues, classic rock, hard rock, heavy metal, punk, and more.
OUTPOST: Captain Midnight Band
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Captain Midnight BandInternationally-ignored superstar, Captain Midnight is the world’s only known purveyor of “Waterbed Rock & Roll”. Crunchy Rock Guitar Riffs, Thick R&B Grooves, and Soaring Vocal Harmonies combine to create a unique, yet familiar soundscape for jammy anthems, sci-fi imagery, and humorous adult situations. The Captain Midnight Band’s diverse appeal has resulted in club, theater, and festival dates with such acts as Dark Star Orchestra, moe, String Cheese Incident, Cypress Hill, Twiddle, Spafford, Billy Strings, Karl Denson, TAUK, and other weirdos. Flattering comparisons to genre-defying acts such as P-Funk, Frank Zappa, and Ween are evident in the live show, where a genuine, energetic exchange occurs between band, fans, and whoever is lucky enough to be in the vicinity.
Rock Academy – Hindsight Is 2023 Tour
-ALL AGES-STANDING ROOM ONLY- TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOORRock Academy students perform rock songs of various genres, including blues, classic rock, hard rock, heavy metal, punk, and more.
OUTPOST: Oweda
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINEOweda is a band out of Chattanooga, TN, with members representing many genres of rock and roll. This soulful mixture yields a sound steeped in southern blues, sustained by indie melodies, whilst echoing the honesty of folk.
CANCELED: An Evening With Skies of Avalon
– ALL AGES- PARTIALLY SEATED SHOW* This show has been canceled*SKIES OF AVALONForged by the union of bands 28 Pages and Palenium, Skies of Avalon is a semi-progressive rock band with classic rock elements from Hendersonville, North Carolina. Rock and metal DJ Nigel Metal of Nigel Metal Productions via Channel 98.9 FM in Corry, Pennsylvania says their music is reminiscent of Rush, Queensryche and Styx! The band has definitely been influenced by these iconic groups, along with other greats such as Asia, Yes, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Dream Theater and Black Sabbath. Their material can take the listener on epic journeys, encompassing unique storylines across multiple installments. Although sometimes fantasy-based in nature, their music often relates back to real life topics such as conflict, despair, integrity, life, love, and the constant demands we face daily as individuals and how the human heart deals with them. The band released their single “Tides” in October 2021 and their follow up full album “Per Tempus” in December 2022.
