The Laurel of Asheville

5Rhythms Sweat Your Prayers® on Weds Nights hosted by Karen
2026-04-29 17:00 - 18:45 (America/New_York) | Homewood, 19 Zillicoa St, Asheville, NC, 28801
BEGINNING, MIDDLE AND END!
Beginnings are always exciting! Beginnings to a new relationship always brings on perkiness. Beginnings of becoming a parent for the first time. Beginnings to a new job may bring on nervousness. Enter training that enhances your personal growth is helpful.
Middle: you are comfortable in what you are doing at the moment and trying to figure out what the next steps maybe. There is a sense of stability and organization. On the hand, in the middle things can happen such as heartbreak, unstableness or things can be really stressful and topsy-turvy.
End; all things must come to an end. Our retirement from work. An ending of a relationship, loss of parents, and loss of an animal. Take notice of how you end things in your life. We move to the Maps created by Gabrielle Roth.
About 5Rhythms®
Created by Gabrielle Roth and practiced by tens of thousands worldwide. 5Rhythms® is a dynamic movement practice rooted in the principles that if you put the psyche in motion it will heal itself.
About Karen:
5Rhythms dance is for everyone. This meditative freeform dancing practice was created by dancer and visionary Gabriellle Roth. Accredited 5Rhythms teacher Karen Chapman has been hosting dances in Asheville and around the country for 9 years. Through the dance, Karen acts as a guide for the dancer on their journey through the rhythms. Karen is interested in how energy moves on the dance floor through the Breath and Body!
Dance movement timeline:
Doors open at 5 PM for warm up and close at 5:45 for the opening circle. The wave is complete at 6:45PM. If you can arrive at 5 PM that is best but you are welcome to come to the dance anytime before 5:45 PM.
5 PM: Warm-up, Meditative stretching and dancing.
5:45 PM: Doors Close, Opening circle
Demonstration of the 5 Rhythms of Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, and Stillness. Welcoming walking meditation
6:00 PM: Dancing the wave of the 5 Rhythms
6:45 PM:Share,Closing Circle/End
Thank you and see ya on the dance floor soon! Love K

Free Screening of "A Life Reimagined: The George Masa Story"
2026-04-29 18:30 - 21:00 | FINE ARTS THEATRE, 34 BILTMORE AVE,, ASHEVILLE , NC , 28804
“A Life Reimagined: The George Masa Story” is a new documentary about George Masa, a Japanese immigrant photographer whose images helped build public support for what would become the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Drawing on newly uncovered research, including previously unknown letters, the film reveals new dimensions of Masa’s life and legacy. This free screening includes an opportunity to hear from Emmy-winning Asheville-based filmmaker Paul Bonesteel.

Boogarins w/ DOOM GONG + Silver Doors
2026-04-29 20:00 - 23:30 | The Grey Eagle Music Hall and Pub, 185 Clingman Ave, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
ALL AGES
STANDING ROOM ONLY
BOOGARINS
Formed in 2013 by Fernando de Almeida Filho (vocals and guitar), Benke Ferraz (guitar), Raphael Vaz (bass and keyboards), and Ynaiã Benthroldo (drums), Brazilian psychedelic rock band Boogarins announces a commemorative tour celebrating the ten-year anniversary of “Manual, ou Guia Livre de Dissolução dos Sonhos.” With concerts in Brazil and the United States, the band also announces future steps in this tour, bringing the special guest Adrian Quesada of Black Pumas for the Bandshell Beach Club Festival at the Miami Beach Bandshell, who is also collaborating with Boogarins on a new single set for release early this year.
Nominated for a Latin Grammy Award in the category of Best Portuguese-Language Rock Album, “Manual, ou Guia Livre de Dissolução dos Sonhos” is the band’s second studio album, released in October 30th of 2015, by Other Music/Fat Possum. The record confirmed to both audiences and critics that Boogarins were more than just a promise, consolidating them as one of the most important Brazilian rock bands of their generation.
Recorded in the coastal city of Gijón, in northern Spain, “Manual” was made during a one-month break in the middle of the band’s first international tour—which included over 100 shows across cities in the United States, Europe, and Brazil. Unlike their debut album, recorded at home with a more lo-fi aesthetic, the songs on “Manual” were born and developed on the road, during live performances, and were captured in a fully analog studio. The recording process preserved the energy of four young musicians living the dream of traveling the world and making a living from music, while simultaneously developing a new language for Brazilian psychedelic rock.
DOOM GONG
Formed in 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky by 7 music school nerds, DOOM GONG has made a name for themselves internationally with their own home-baked genre, Denim Psych – a hodgepodge of psychedelic rock, jazz fusion, prog rock, bedroom pop, lo-fi, contemporary classical music, as well as blood, sweat, and a lot of denim.
SILVER DOORS
Formed in 2022, The Silver Doors is a psychedelic rock band from Asheville, NC. Channeling through the lens of the Appalachian mountains, they tap into shoegaze, blues, psych, and krautrock, all with electric violin as the center point. They released their debut album in 2024 that was recorded, mixed, and mastered at Drop of Sun Studios with Alex Farrar and Lawson Alderson. Since then, they have shared the stage with regional and touring bands, hit the road with their own tour up the east coast, and begun honing a new collection of sounds and songs all the while.

Dwelling In Color
2026-04-30 17:00 - 20:00 | Open Hearts Art Center, 217 Coxe Ave #4006, Asheville, 28801
Please join us on Thursday, April 30th at the Open Hearts Art Center gallery (217 Coxe Ave) for our next showcase, “Dwelling In Color.”
Our artists and staff have been hard at work in the studio creating a vibrant collection of one-of-a-kind, handmade pieces, all centered around the theme of “home” and what it means to truly dwell. This special exhibit will feature earrings, ceramic lamps, vases, cards, handpainted furniture, and original artwork, each piece crafted with care and creativity.
Whether you’re looking for something meaningful for your space or the perfect, heartfelt Mother’s Day gift, this is a beautiful opportunity to support local artists and take home something truly unique.
Learn more about Open Hearts Art Center by visiting www.openheartsartcenter.org

NOW That’s What I Call Music BINGO!
2026-04-30 18:00 - 21:00 | The Grey Eagle Music Hall and Pub, 185 Clingman Ave, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
Grey Eagle Events and our Brewery of the Month, Hi-Wire, are hosting NOW That’s What I Call Music BINGO!
Thursday April 30th 6pm-9pm
This is a FREE event!
We take your three favorite things and combine them into one. Beer, Music, & Bingo!
Bring your charged cell phone, listed to music, mark off squares until you get a bingo, win prizes!

Antidote Comedy featuring Zlata Cass
2026-04-30 19:00 - 21:00 | antidote, 151 Coxe Avenue, Asheville, NC, 27106, United States
Every Thursday Modelface Comedy brings the best local and touring comedians to Asheville! This week we have local favorite Zlata Cass on the rooftop at Antidote!
Zlata Cass moved to the US when she was 3 years old, where she immediately began working on her tight five. Since 2016, she has performed across the Carolinas & Southeast. Her jokes are a tongue in cheek twist on her own personal experiences, and she enjoys bringing the audience along with her for the ride.
ages 21+
doors at 6:30pm, show at 7pm
Tickets $15

Tryon Little Theater's "Steel Magnolias"
2026-04-30 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-05-01 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-05-02 19:30 - 21:30 | Tryon Little Theater Workshop, 516 S. Trade St., Tryon, 28782
Theater production

Asheville Rockestra: Celebrating 1976
2026-04-30 19:30 - 22:30 | The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
It’s been 50 years since 1976, a year of music that celebrated huge records from Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Queen, ABBA, The Ramones, Heart, and so many more. Each year for their annual benefit concert, Sound Effects, Asheville Music School selects a musical focus. For 2026, students and teachers alike have spent months studying and rehearsing some of the greatest hits of 1976. They’ve created a huge band – the Asheville Rockestra, made up of dozens of students, and a few teachers, to celebrate (and perform live) the 50th anniversary of that classic year.

AyurPrana Listening Room Presents: Prana Mela - 3 Days of Music, Community, and Yoga
2026-05-01 - 2026-05-03 | AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC, 28806
Join us for Prana Mela, a three-day gathering devoted to music, wellness, and community at AyurPrana Listening Room.
Experience live music, yoga, meditation, healing arts, and nourishing food in an intimate setting designed for connection and renewal.
Throughout the weekend, we’ll host three ticketed evening concerts:
Friday, May 1st, Simrit Acoustic Ensemble – 6PM
Friday, May 1st, Simrit Full Band Performance – 8PM
** SIMRIT will perform two events on May 1st: an Acoustic Ensemble Performance and an evening show. Please note each ticket before you purchase, to ensure you’re purchasing the event you wish to attend **
Sunday, May 2nd, GurGanesha Band with Paloma Devi, 7PM
The weekend culminates with a Sunday Community Kirtan at noon, inviting everyone to come together in shared song and meditation.
Tickets and Event Information can be found at ayurpranalisteningroom.com/prana-mela-yoga-live-music
In addition to the music, Prana Mela will feature:
– A nourishing vegetarian based food pop-up from Chef Sean at SoHum Mountain Healing Resort
– Mini-Spa Pop up from So Hum Mountain Healing Resort
– Wellness Mocktails and refreshments
– Yoga classes including Live Music Yoga with Seán Johnson and Chris Rosser
– Meditation sessions
– Conscious Film Sessions
– Healing arts offerings
Whether you join for a concert, a class, or the entire weekend, Prana Mela is an invitation to slow down, reconnect, and celebrate. Aside from the ticketed concerts and spa treatments, the remaining programming will operate as pay-what-you-can. Full schedule coming soon.

May Classes at ARROWHEAD
2026-05-01 08:00 - 2026-05-31 17:00 | Arrowhead Gallery and Studios, 77 Catawba Ave.,, Old Fort, 28762
We have a wonderful lineup of classes in May!

Creation Care Alliance 2026 Symposium: “Building Resilience: Congregations in a Climate-Changed World”
2026-05-01 09:00 - 2026-05-02 16:30 | Montreat Conference Center-Anderson Auditorium, 303 Lookout Rd., Montreat, 28757
Creation Care Alliance WNC Presents
Symposium 2026
“Building Resilience: Congregations in a Climate-Changed World”
Friday, May 1 – Saturday, May 2 at Montreat Conference Center
Hurricane Helene gave the people of WNC a common experience of the unpredictable and devastating effects of climate change, even on places once considered “climate havens.” In its aftermath, faith communities were among the most effective first responders, quickly transforming into food and resource storage and distribution centers, communication hubs, and gathering places for neighbors helping each other through unimaginable times.
This spring, Creation Care Alliance of WNC will gather people of faith from 28 counties across WNC for Symposium 2026 at Montreat Conference Center and explore how communities of faith have been changed by their response to these challenges and how the work of disaster recovery and climate resilience-building in their communities has re-energized their ministry and elevated their value in the wider community.The goal for Symposium 2026 is for participants to return home with ideas, connections, and activities that strengthen your creation care ministry and encourage partnering with other climate-connected communities of faith.
Day 1 of this two-day conference will stand on its own as a collection of creation care rituals and activities for participants to bring back to try in their home congregations and communities including an Awe/Wonder Walks, a Reclaim-the-River Ritual, and an interfaith Earth Sunday Vigil full of ideas for future Earth Sunday services. Lunch on your own in Black Mountain or at Montreat’s Huckleberry Cafe on Lake Susan.
Day 2 features workshops on topics including:
Considering Going Solar?
Planting a Pollinator, Butterfly, or Vegetable Garden on Your Campus
Congregational Disaster Preparedness and Resilience-Building
Climate Justice Advocacy – Rev. Susannah Tuttle, Director, Eco-Justice Connection of the NC Council of Churches
Green Burials – Author and Professor Mallory McDuff of Warren Wilson College
Creation-Caring Congregations present their most effective programs and answer questions about their effectiveness and implementation.
Panel discussion featuring staff from various regional denominational offices for disaster recovery and resilience discussing how the work is evolving and impacting congregational life and ministry.
CCA WNC
With natural disasters increasing in frequency, faith communities are attending more to the natural world and to finding our true place within it. As a union of climate connected congregations, MountainTrue’s Creation Care Alliance is working to strengthen and expand its network of Covenant Partner Congregations, helping them become lifelines of resilience, compassion, and mutual aid in the face of future climate challenges.
Ticketing information:
*Please note that Friday registration does NOT include lunch (lunch will be on your own. You can check out the Huckleberry Cafe at Montreat, visit on of the tasty restaurants in Black Mountain, or bring your lunch from home.)
*Saturday registration DOES include lunch at the Galax Dining Room of Montreat’s Assembly Inn
*You can register for just one day, or both!

Buncombe County Law Day 2026
2026-05-01 12:00 - 13:00
The principles of the rule of law, including independent courts, judicial authority, due process, and equal protection, are foundational to our system of justice. As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, the Buncombe County Bar is proud to sponsor Law Day on May 1, 2026. Please join us at noon on Pack Square’s main stage for a nonpartisan, apolitical event celebrating the rule of law, including speakers and a voluntary retaking of our oath to uphold the Constitution.
For more information, please contact P.J. Roth at proth@mrglawfirm.com or 828.281.2100, or Niki Foster at nikifosterlaw@gmail.com or (828) 407-6588.

Turtle Island Pottery Retrospective
2026-05-01 16:00 - 19:00 | Arrowhead Gallery and Studios, 77 Catawba Ave.,, Old Fort, 28762
This is a retrospective celebrating and spanning 55 years of ceramic work by Maggie Jones of Turtle Island Pottery in Old Fort, NC. This exhibition is brought to you in partnership with NANU Gallery (78E Catawba Ave) and Arrowhead Artisans’ League and Studios (77 Catawba Ave), curated by Katie McWeeney and Molly Morningglory.
Exhibition dates: May 1 – June 6, 2026
Opening Reception: May 1, 4 – 7 pm

GALLERY WALK – ABILENE SKY, METALSMITH AND JEWELRY ARTIST
2026-05-01 17:00 - 19:00 | Lucy Clark Gallery & Studio, 51 West Main Street, Brevard, NC, 28712, United States
(FREE) The first Gallery Walk of the season will feature Abilene Sky, metalsmith and jewelry artist.
Abilene Sky (Jessie Kastner) is of Chiricahua Apache decent and a reiki healer; living a life full of magic and creativity has always been her purpose. She is a graduate of the prestigious Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia where she studied interior design, painting, and photography. She began her self-taught metalsmith journey in 2018 to help her grieve her father’s passing. Using copper, sterling silver, and brass, she creates pieces inspired by the Native Spirit. As a featured artist for Cowboys & Indians Magazine, her rustic style is unique, and her pieces have sold all over the world. Each one-of-a-kind piece is intuitively created with her healing hands out of love and gratitude.

Exhibit Opening: Watercolor From Regional Artists
2026-05-01 17:00 - 19:00 | Art Place Gallery, 730 Locust Street, Hendersonville, 28782
The Art League of Henderson County is excited to host the Western North Carolina Watercolor Society in featuring beautiful works from talented watercolor artists across the region. The opening reception will showcase the watercolor works, plus a variety of 2D and 3D work from our member artists.

PATIO SHOW: Morgan Bevis of Shed Bugs
2026-05-01 17:30 - 19:00 | The Grey Eagle Music Hall and Pub, 185 Clingman Ave, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
MORGAN BEVIS OF SHED BUGS
Morgan Bevis is a guitarist and songwriter based in Asheville, NC. Having established himself locally with his jam band ‘Shed Bugs,’ Morgan’s solo repertoire takes a step back from the sonic intensity of psychedelic rock to create a raw & stripped down acoustic experience. Listeners to his live performances can always expect a heavy mix of loops and improvisation in genres ranging from folk, blues, bluegrass, and country.

Stewart/Owen Dance + Guests
2026-05-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 S. Pack Square, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
Fri & Sat, May 1 & 2 • 7 pm
After a sold-out run in 2024, this curated evening showcases the ensemble alongside guest choreographers, each bringing a distinct voice. Spanning from elegant to electric, the program includes Stewart/Owen’s Asheville premiere of The Front—a sharply charged satire commissioned by the American Dance Festival.
The Front was commissioned by American Dance Festival with support from The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation.
Spotlight on Stewart/Owen Dance:
The Front makes its Asheville debut with sharp satire and kinetic energy
Their work bridges dance, film, and music through high-profile collaborations
Recently named WNC’s top dance company for pushing creative boundaries
As Wortham’s Resident Company, they teach community classes and perform
Their 2023 Wortham performances sold out—continuing a streak of high-demand shows

An Evening With Chris Smither
2026-05-01 20:00 - 21:00 | The Grey Eagle Music Hall and Pub, 185 Clingman Ave, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
ALL AGES FULLY SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE CHRIS SMITHER The sound and imagery of the 20th release by Chris Smither, All About the Bones, (release date: May 3, 2024 on Signature Sounds/Mighty Albert, distributed by Redeye) is as elemental as the inky black shadows cast by a shockingly bright moon. The listener is welcomed into some gothic mansion on an imaginary New Orleans street, and there in the lamplit parlor confronts the band, a minimalist skeleton crew: Smither’s inimitable propulsive guitar and rumbling baritone are joined seamlessly to producer David Goodrich’s carpetbag of instruments, Zak Trojano’s rock-steady, primal drumming, BettySoo’s diaphanous harmony vocals, and the flat, mournful flood of Jazz legend Chris Cheek’s saxophone. Recorded at Sonelab Studios in Easthampton MA by Justin Pizzoferrato (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., the Hold Steady) All About the Bones has a feel that is somehow baroque and austere at once. Smither and his longtime producer David Goodrich have been refining their musical conversation for decades, both in the studio and onstage, and by now, their bond verges on the telepathic. Goodrich plays on nearly every track. His sound is by now so translucent that it seems to function as a swath of silence, allowing the songs to burn like ciphers in the crackling air. And oh, the songs on All About the Bones. Chris Smither, after six decades of sharpening his knife as a songwriter, can at this point open damn near anything with a flick of his wrist. God and the Devil are opened here. Mortality is too. Politics, consciousness, renewal, family, vulnerability, surrender… Smither has sat with these topics like so many Zen koans, for so long, that every line is a pearl. The title track, “All About the Bones,” kicks the record off with “Consider your high station/ think about your fame. All of your creation depended on your frame.” Irony, wit, the double meaning of “depended”… each verse is a master class in songwriting. Yet the stark, elemental sage always has a twinkle in his eye, a light touch at your elbow as he guides you along. From the wickedly funny defense of the Adversary in “If Not for the Devil” to the unsentimental open-heartedness of “Still Believe in You,” he is as human as we all long to be. The disjointed imagery of “In the Bardo” and the dystopian mirror of “Close the Deal” find Smither unflinchingly staring down the mortality of both individuals and republics, and yet he is at peace, among loved ones in his cover of Eliza Gilkyson’s “Calm Before the Storm,” and turning his gaze to the future in “Completion”. As noted by the New York Times, Rolling Stone, MOJO, NPR, and others, in the decades of travels to All About the Bones, Chris Smither has gone from up-and-comer to journeyman to veteran to icon, and yet the whole time his path has more closely resembled Joseph Campbell’s “Hero with a Thousand Faces”- an unblinking, fearless trek into the depths of struggle and revelation, and a return back to the land of the living, to share the hard-won treasures found along the way. His restlessness is long gone, and his eyes are fixed “where the moonlight falls on some never-to-be-seen horizon” (“Still Believe in You”). The light given off from his music casts our own lives into a sublime and welcome clarity.

Modelface Comedy Presents Carmen Lagala
2026-05-01 20:00 - 22:00 | Green Man Brewery, 27 Buxton Ave, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
Modelface Comedy brings you the best comedians from all over the country. This week we have Carmen Lagala from NYC in Asheville!
Carmen Lagala masterfully blends silly and confessional humor with an approach that makes you feel like you’re pulling an all-nighter with a best friend. Carmen’s journey from a shy Vermont collegiate hall-of-fame athlete to a well-known New York City stand-up comedian is nothing short of inspiring.
After performing throughout the country for around 15 years, Carmen has developed a fearless approach to comedy. She tackles everything from current events to personal experiences, leaving no topic off limits.
Whether she’s speaking on awkward relationships, mental health, or coming out late in life as pansexual, Carmen brilliantly turns her vulnerabilities into laugh-out-loud material.
You may have seen her on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, from her viral Don’t Tell Comedy set, or in clubs and colleges around the country!
You can find her on Instagram & TikTok, and subscribe to her YouTube channel to catch her debut hour-long special which hit 100k views in its first two months!
PROJECTS
Carmen filmed her debut special, “Sweet Batch” in 2024 and released on it on her YouTube channel, SiriusXM, and all audio platforms. Subscribe to her YT channel CarmenLagalaComedy to watch this tightly packed hour on everything from making dog-fur mittens to a serial killer in her hometown!
Carmen has partnered with OnlyFansTV and has an account dedicated to bonus comedy and behind-the-scenes content. Subscribe on OF to CarmenLagala.
Carmen is a host of one of the longest running indie stand-up shows in the world, Comedians You Should Know. CYSK is every Wednesday at Gutter Bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She also hosts the wildly popular and whimsical Zoomies, a cat-filled comedy show every first Friday (and some special Mondays) at Brooklyn Cat Cafe.
Featuring Sarah Love
ages 18+
doors at 7:30pm, show at 8pm
This is an outdoor show, food available
Upstairs bar, above the Greenman tasting room
Tickets $18

Mother’s Day Watercolor Workshop | Flower Card Making Class | May 2
2026-05-02 10:00 - 12:00 | Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W. State Street, Black Mountain, NC, 28711, United States
A creative bonding experience for all ages and skill levels. All supplies included!
Celebrate Mother’s Day with creativity at this intimate watercolor workshop on Saturday, May 2nd, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Led by artist Melanie, this beginner-friendly session guides you through essential techniques to capture the beauty of a live floral still life. You’ll create three unique, professional-grade cards using premium materials provided on-site. Whether you come solo to craft a surprise gift or bring a companion along, it’s a perfect morning of artistic connection in Black Mountain. Space is limited for this $30 session ($50 per pair)—reserve your spot today to give a gift straight from the heart.

COLD WAX ALCHEMY WORKSHOP WITH GINA LOUTHIAN-STANLEY - DAY 1
2026-05-02 10:00 - 15:00 | Lucy Clark Gallery & Studio, 51 West Main Street, Brevard, NC, 28712, United States
Discover the beautiful layers, textures, and marks that only oil and cold wax can achieve finding inspiration within your own marks, compositions and intuition during this three-day workshop with artist Gina Louthian-Stanley. We will explore various techniques such as working methods, substrates, drying times, opaque and transparent color, pigments and powders, blending, color schemes, glazing, solvent reduction, transfer and printmaking techniques, creating textures, adding collage and more. Plenty of demos and individual discussions.
All skill levels would benefit from this class, especially beginners. (Advanced techniques are an option for those who have taken a prior class.)

Blue Ridge Orchestra's "Boom-De-Ay" May 2nd, ACRHS
2026-05-02 15:00 - 17:00 | A.C. Reynolds High School, 1 Rocket Drive, Asheville, 28803
Ta-Ra-Ra, “BOOM-DE-AY”− The Blue Ridge Orchestra echoes its previous program (Ta-Ra-Ra), while celebrating the spirited 26th season finale under the leadership of Music Director Dr. Emily Mariko Eng. The BRO ‘Booms’ with percussive explosions in Natalie Williams’s Sonic Boom, Chaminade’s Callirhoë Suite, Stravinsky’s “Berceuse” and “Finale” from the 1919 version of the Suite from The Firebird, and Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.”
“These works are just thrilling,” says Music Director Emily Eng. “Our program celebrates some of the most percussive moments in the orchestral repertoire. But don’t worry: not everything is loud and booming. Soft and sensitive passages build to the moments of triumph and grandeur. We look forward to bringing you on that journey with us!”
The BRO’s home at UNC Asheville is undergoing a multi-year scheduled renovation. While displaced from Lipinsky Hall, we are thrilled to express reverberating, joyful melodies at venues near you! Our passionate group of volunteer musicians will perform in the historically famous A.C.Reynolds High School Auditorium, east of Asheville, and the renowned Diana Wortham Theatre in downtown Asheville.
Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, 3:00 pm
A.C.Reynolds High School
1 Rocket Drive
Asheville, NC 28803
Sunday, May 3rd, 2026, 3:00 pm
Diana Wortham Theatre
Wortham Center for the Performing Arts
18 Biltmore Ave.
Asheville, NC 28801
Tickets: Pricing varies per venue. Please visit our event page for accurate rates. Children 6 and under are always free.
Info:https://blueridgeorchestra.org/boom-de-ay-may-2026, Facebook, Instagram, or call 828-782-3354.

PATIO SHOW: Forty Drop Few & Vaiano’s Paisanos
2026-05-02 17:00 - 19:00 | The Grey Eagle Music Hall and Pub, 185 Clingman Ave, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
– LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVE
FORTY DROP FEW & VAIANO’S PAISANOS
The “Forty Drop Few” are a trio originally from the southwest that play popular music of the early 1900s. They perform in various styles from the era as a string band and are influenced by nothing other than the old 78 records that they love so well. Their main influences include New Orleans jazz, southwestern fiddle music, classic banjo rags, black string band music, hillbilly harmonies and unique vocals. The trio consists of Ethan Francis, Candra Edwards and Elliot Kennedy who all currently reside in Portland Oregon. The couple, also known as “Stone and Sue” have been playing music together for a decade and met Kennedy who joined them 6 years ago. The three are inseparable and spend all of their time picking apart old tunes, listening to 78s, throwing shows in Portland and traveling around the country together.
Vaiano’s Paisanos, the string band, founded by Rachel Meirs (violin, mandolin); Maxwell Apra(mandolin, tenor banjo, tenor guitar); and Van Burchfield (guitar)—which sometimes balloons to a quintet, thanks to Quentin Bardinet (mandolin, tenor banjo, tenor guitar) and Albanie Faletta (guitar)—is a melting pot of old- instrumentation, with international repertoire gathered from recordings made in New York City. Though the musicians in the band met busking in New Orleans, fiddler in chief Meirs, now based in Louisville, KY, first encountered some of the recordings that inspired this project while working at the Jalopy Theatre over a decade ago. Following in the grand tradition of musical discovery and dissemination by Jalopy Records labelmate and musicological genius Pat Conte, curator of the acclaimed Secret Museum archival reissue series, Vaiano’s Paisanos’ repertoire consists of the masterful melodies immigrants would’ve been humming along and dancing to in the late ’20s and early ’30s. Think Cape Verdean fiddle tunes, Italian mandolin music, pre-Belafonte Calypsos, and Venezuelan waltzes. “Almost everything in our repertoire was originally recorded in New York City,” explains Meirs. “It’s not that we chose to play immigrant music; it’s that we come from a society largely made up of immigrants, and this music is a beautiful byproduct of that melting pot, as are we.” We owe our gratitude to the musicians who originally composed, played, and eventually recorded this music, who all came from different countries and traditions, and all recorded in New York in the 1920’s and 30’s. Of course, we would not have heard any of these songs if not for the people who seek out and and collect old 78’s, and who found ways to share what was on them, so that they eventually made their way to our ears in compilations, blog posts, discord channels, youtube videos, or a CD burned and sent in the mail.

Full Moon Sound Journey in the Salt Cave
2026-05-02 18:00 - 19:00 | Asheville Salt Cave, 12 Eagle St., Asheville, North Carolina, 28801
The Full Moon is a time of illumination, reflection, and release. Join Latoya for a guided sound journey in the tranquil Salt Cave, where meditation and the healing vibrations of sound invite deep relaxation and inner alignment with the rhythms of the lunar cycle.

Hendersonville Ballet presents "The Enchanted Garden of Le Corsaire and other works""
2026-05-02 19:00 - 20:00 | Blue Ridge Community College, Bo Thomas Auditorium, 180 W Campus Dr, Flat Rock, Henderson County, North Carolina 28731, Flat Rock, NC, 28731, United States
Hendersonville Ballet presents “The Enchanted Garden from Le Corsaire” also featuring the music of French artist “Indila” with original choreography by Betsy Dixon and “Reflections on Helene” with original choreography by Joy Shanahan on May 1-2, 2026 at 7pm at the Thomas Auditorium on the Blue Ridge Community College campus. Tickets available online and at the door.

Eyes Up Here Comedy: Mother's Day Edition
2026-05-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Ginger’s Revenge, 829 Riverside Drive, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
Modelface Comedy presents Eyes Up Here Comedy at Ginger’s Revenge! We are celebrating Mother’s in Comedy!!
Eyes Up Here Comedy is a night featuring all femme comedians and this month we have a special show featuring comedians from Asheville and around the South East. Hosted by local favorite Erin Terry.
ages 18+
doors at 6:30pm, show at 7pm
Tickets $18 GA, $23 Premium Seating

The Nude Party
2026-05-02 20:00 - 23:30 | The Grey Eagle Music Hall and Pub, 185 Clingman Ave, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States
ALL AGES
STANDING ROOM ONLY
THE NUDE PARTY
For The Nude Party, nearly a decade has flown by in the blink of an eye. In that time, the New York-based band has released a pair of well-received albums, an EP, and played countless shows. Prior to the pandemic, the band was really starting to hit its stride. They had a system in place and were spreading their brand of melodic rock to the masses. In fact, they could count Jack White, Arctic Monkeys, and Orville Peck as vocal supporters, which led to support slots for each. Soon, incredible live appearances at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Newport Folk Festival, and Shaky Knees became the norm.
Over the course of the last two years, The Nude Party decided to produce their new album, Rides On, themselves. With the help of Matthew Horner, The Nude Party had as much fun creating as they ever had at any other point in their career. Their new album includes 14 songs that dabble in electro-pop and stripped-down country. The Nude Party coalesced and embraced the spirit of collaboration. They’re excited to begin the next chapter of their career.
At a time when it would have been easy to pack it in, the band continues to persevere.
TOBACCO CITY
Tobacco City is a Chicago-based band that blends cosmic country with a mix of psychedelic rock and honky-tonk soul. Their sound captures the essence of small-town nostalgia while embracing modern-day themes, exploring heartache, longing, and the bittersweet nature of life. With their uplifting energy and authentic songwriting, Tobacco City continues to carve out a unique space in the country-tinged Americana scene.

Witching Hour, Dark and Dirty Comedy
2026-05-02 21:00 - 23:00 | Eda Rhyne, 101 Fairview Rd, Asheville, 28803
Modelface Comedy presents The Witching Hour Comedy Showcase at Eda Rhyne Distillery
Witching Hour is a dark and dirty comedy show featuring some of the filthiest comics in the South!! Combining dark humor with hauntingly delicious Appalachian cocktails.
This show is ages 21 and up and NC17
Doors at 8:30pm, show at 9pm
Tickets $15 advance, $18 day of
