The Laurel of Asheville’s Community Events Calendar
If you would like to submit an event to appear in our online Community Events Calendar, please visit our submission page.
The Laurel of Asheville is a lifestyle magazine focused on the arts, culture, and communities of Western North Carolina, and submitted events should fall within this context.
All submissions are subject to editorial approval and edits for clarity and style before being published online. If you are going to include a photograph, please be certain that you have the rights to utilize that image. If there is a question about image rights, we may remove the image. Also, images should be no larger than 2000 pixels wide. Large images will prevent the event from being submitted.
Please allow up to 5 days for your event to be posted. If you encounter difficulties submitting an event, please email amy@thelaurelofasheville.com.
Isaac Hadden x New Dawn Starkestra

STANDING ROOM ONLY
Isaac Hadden + New Dawn Starkestra
Hailing from rural Southwest, VA, and currently based in the hills of Western, NC, Isaac Hadden is a young, genre-smashing guitarist, vocalist, and bandleader. His cutting-edge playing style and animated stage presence, combined with his passion and talent, have helped him build a supportive fanbase in the United States and abroad.
New Dawn Starkestra is a new collaboration between four heavyweights of the Western North Carolina music scene: vocalist and songwriter Rebekah Todd, guitarist Isaac Hadden, bassist Quinn Sternberg, and drummer Jeff Sipe, a veteran of the jam and jazz worlds known for his work with Aquarium Rescue Unit and beyond. Together, they’ve formed something that feels less like a supergroup and more like a conversation — one that’s unfolding live, night after night. At its core, the band is rooted in trust: each member brings original songs to the table, but there’s no fixed destination. Their sets blend composed material with extended improvisation and unexpected detours. One moment might feel like Southern soul, the next like spacey fusion, and the next like something you’ve never quite heard before. It’s not genre-hopping — it’s just what happens when four players actually listen to one another. What separates New Dawn Starkestra is their ability to stretch out without losing the thread. The musicianship is airtight, but it never gets in the way of the emotional core. They’re not afraid of silence, or space, or slowness — and when the energy builds, it feels earned. Their shows aren’t about replication; they’re about discovery.
