Got a chance to catch up with my old buddies out of Asheville last night at the Madison Theater. The Toubab Krewe put on a good set as usual and gained a lot of new fans. Most of the people I talked to in the room said they have never seen Toubab before but had heard of their original sounds. Baoku Moses and The Image Afrobeat Band also played a great set of originals. They are currently based in Cincinnati as Baoku is originally from Nigeria. Check out more at www.toubabkrewe.com
The Infamous Stringdusters now have a festival of their own The Festy. Taking place at Devil's Backbone Brewing Company in the beautiful mountains of Nelson County Va. With two stages set up allowing for music flow all day long into the wee hour of the night. With The Infamous Stringdusters being the host of the first annual event they hand picked the incredible line-up. Starting with Sarah Siskind who kicked it off, too Toubab Krewe who closed it out on Sunday night. The list in-between is just as exciting. Pantheburn, Tress on Fire, Yarn,Misty Strings,Morwenna Lasko & Jpun Quaretet,Town Mountian,Packway Handle Band,Robinella,Crooked Still,Old School Freight Train,Tony Rice Unit,Railroad Earth,The Devon Sproule & Paul Curreri Band,Larry Keel & Natural Bridge,Josh Ritter & The Love Canon String Band and two nights of The Infamous Stringdusters.
Other activities included morning yoga classes, massage therapists, rock climbing wall. There were music workshops as well as a zero-waste workshop and composting. There were morning runs and mountain bike races. A fantastic group of food venders as well. So mark your calendar for October 8 & 9 2011 for the 2nd annual Festy.
Bele Chere Festival is a free street festival held each summer in the city of Asheville, North Carolina. With 32 years under it's belt, Bele Chere Festival has grown to become the largest and most rockin free street festival in the southeast.
(Click photos for large view)
Bele Chere Festival attracts hundreds of thousands of people each summer to see the music and art attractions that comprise most of downtown. The city blocked vehicle traffic for the weekend to make way for hundreds of food and vending booths and four stages set up in the city streets.
Bele Chere Festival has a active committee permitting only the finest in craft and vendors. One of Asheville's most popular bands, Toubab Krewe, a gifted group of Afropop musicians, drew one of the biggest crowds in the street that Asheville has ever seen in front of the Battery Park Stage on Saturday evening.
People filled the street and sidewalks wall-to-wall all the way up the street. The parking garage besides the stage had people lining the edges on all levels catching an aerial view of the performance. Justin Perkins of Toubab Krewe can wail on native African instruments the kora and the kamelengoni as well as the electric guitar. The sunset performance summed up why many live in the Asheville area and the reason Bele Chere Festival brings up to 350,000 people to the festive mountain city each recent summer.
Also performing on Saturday evening at Bele Chere was Grace Potter and The Nocturnals. There was also a huge crowd gathered for Grace Potter's performance. The talented, sexy and statuesque musician and vocalist rocked past the sunset alternating between guitar, her piano and her Hammond B3 organ.
The long awaited new city park brought comfort from the heat with the amusing Splasheville water fountain. Kids of all ages beat the midday swelter in the water fountain which consists of many water jets flush mounted in the ground. Columns of water shot off in a seemingly random patterns, leaving trails of cool water for the kids to chase.
Another one of Asheville's most talented performers is Laura Reed. Formally with Laura Reed and Deep Pocket, Laura Reed has gone on to perform with various musical projects including recent collaborations with Yonrico Scott and also Kofi Burbridge. Laura Reed has the energy and passion of Janis Joplin mixed with the spirit of Bob Marley; seeing her perform is always a treat and an uplifting experience.
By Butch Worrell Nashville, TN Emi Sunshine made her Grand Ole Opry debut On August 5, 2014. For a Country/Americana artist ...
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