The Big Crafty returns; Rocky Horror Music Show ready to rock The Orange Peel; JuneBug Asheville opens creekside oasis; Amanda Anne Platt, Sarah Siskind and Jane Kramer set for Sisters in Song show
Also, the Asheville pinball scene is red-hot right now, and much more
This story sponsored by Citizens Fuel Co., a family-owned Asheville company.
Here’s hoping you’re getting back into the swing of things after the holiday break. There’s a lot happening in July. Here’s some of it:
The Rocky Horror Music Show, a 12-person, live-music rock ‘n’ roll review, hits the The Orange Peel stage at 8 p.m. on July 15. Get your tickets here. Asheville musician/drummer Courtney Cahill dreamed up the show after he watched the cult classic movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show back in the fall of 2020. The movie, and his idea of getting together some of his local musician friends to present the songs of Rocky Horror, helped him kick a case of the pandemic blues. The show, which debuted in October 2021, is back this summer with stops in Asheville, Johnson City, Tenn., and Greer, S.C. Cahill’s vision has costumed characters playing the Rocky Horror songs live, with snippets of the movie dialogue and on-stage narration to move the story along between songs. And it’s performed by an all-star lineup of Asheville musicians featuring members of Dr. Bacon, Natural Born Leaders, Modern Strangers, The Beekeepers, Andrew Thelston Band, Carpal Tullar, The Deathbots, Fancy & The Gentleman, Sun Goblin, Pronounced Heroes and more. An opening set by Double Love & The Trouble get things started. Wow! I’m getting sweaty just typing this.
The Big Crafty is back July 8 and 9 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville, featuring a kalediscope
Shindig on the Green is back for some down home mountain music and family friendly fun, this month and next.
Old-fashioned brawling is back with Toughman Contest: The Original coming to Silverados in Swannanoa July 28-29. Are you tough enough?
Lions Den Gallery is the name of a new gallery and event space opening soon at 760 Biltmore Ave. (That’s the former TreeRock Social Cider & Mead Bar.) It’s the work of Jason Roy, best known as Biscuit Head chef and founder/owner with wife Carolyn Roy. He’s asking folks to “stay tuned to see what unfolds as we take a journey from chef and restauranteur to art curator and event creator.” Follow the happenings at @lionsdengallery on Instagram. “This space is for the artists and creators of the world to showcase their self expression and inspire the community. A space for healing and a place for growth is what we are working to create,” Roy writes.
Junebug Asheville, the Weaverville wedding and event space also known as JuneBug Retro Resort, has opened its space to the public. The star attraction of Junebug Creek Lounge, other than the beer, wine and snacks sold from their 1960 clamshell Airstream bar, is the half mile of Flat Creek running through the property. That’s where folks can dip into the creek, or loll in one of several hammocks strung across the little waterway. It’s a gem that includes picnic tables and a vintage playground with a merry-go-round and swings.
Thrive Asheville, a two-year-old nonprofit, is hiring a new executive director. The organization aims to :”bring together local community advocates, policymakers, and professionals from diverse fields and backgrounds to find equitable solutions to our city’s toughest challenges.”
West Asheville Presbyterian Church is slated to be torn down, and church officials are seeking feedback on the best use of the property at 690 Haywood Road in West Asheville. Go here to share your thoughts.
UNC Asheville is searching for a new chancellor. University officials want your input “about key leadership characteristics and priorities for the next chancellor.”
Three fantastic Asheville-area singer-songwriters - Amanda Ann Platt, Sarah Siskind and Jane Kramer - will kick off a new concert series with a 7 p.m. show on July 13 at Central United Methodist Church of Asheville. Get your tickets here. There's nothing especially devout about the Sanctuary Series. Rather, it’s just a local church opening its doors in support of local musicians, a local nonprofit that will benefit from show proceeds, and the fans who want to come out in support of it all. The three will share their songs, stories and harmonies in an intimate, in-the-round style performance. Ticket sales will benefit Asheville nonprofit Sistas Caring 4 Sistas.
This story has locals worked up about the ever-increasing price of housing (for good reason), and the headline says it all: Asheville Was Already Cool - Now It’s Luxe.
Pinball is hot in Asheville and Western North Carolina, according to Sling Shot, WNC’s pinball newsletter. With more than 100 pinball machines in a 5-mile radius around Asheville, the city has become the de facto pinball capital of the region and boasts a huge collection of machines for such a small city, the newsletter reports. Silverball Subs hosts a monthly league, and there’s a local tournament just for ladies. There’s even a high-stakes event on Sunday (July 9) at Level 256 on Coxe Avenue. Competitors will pay $150 to enter, but the last person standing goes home with their very own pinball machine.
In local anniversaries: Sunshine Sammies, the Asheville maker of amazingly delicious ice cream sandwiches, is 10 years old this month. And Downtown Books and News, the Lexington Avenue bookstore that is the sister bookshop to Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe on Haywood Street, is celebrating its 35th anniversary as of this month. (Malaprop’s opened in 1982, with DBN following in 1988.) Cheers!
And looking ahead to August, Asheville indie rockers Kovacs & the Polar Bear are planning to reunite for a pair of shows. The band grabbed ahold of the local music scene in the early 2010s by playing everything from intimate house parties to big festival gigs including Bele Chere and All Go West. Starting as a duo with high school friends Nick Kovacs and Andrew Woodward, then adding Chris Lee and Joe Chang, Kovacs & the Polar Bear rose to open for The War On Drugs and Those Darlins. But the magic didn’t last, and the band called it quits in 2014. Now, after a decade-long hiatus, the original four-person lineup of Nick, Andrew, Chris and Joe are set to perform again for two shows: at 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 4 at The Orange Peel for the inaugural AVLFest; and the following night at Static Age Record Store at 8 p.m.
Thanks for reading,
-j