This psychedelic Afro-funk/Afro-beat band from Brooklyn was part of the All Go West Festival in West Asheville last weekend, and they return to the area for a show of their own at Pisgah Brewery in Black Mountain on Thursday. The spirit of Fela Kuti and other West African greats lives on!

This 13-years-old musician has grown up in Madisonville, TN honing her old-school country style at churches, community gatherings, and festivals. An amateur video of a flea market appearance of her in 2014 went viral, garnering 14 million YouTube views and half a million Facebook followers. Following appearances on The Today Show and the Grand Ole Opry a dozen or so times, she and her family band make their debut Studio B appearance on Friday morning before heading to the Don Gibson Theatre in Shelby.

21 CITY TOUR KICKS OFF SEPT. 18 & INCLUDES CHARLOTTE ON FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 29

Multi-Platinum artists Alison Krauss & David Gray will be touring together throughout the United States this fall.  They will bring their tour to PNC Music Pavilion Charlotte on Friday September 29.  Tickets go on sale Friday June 23 at 10am and tickets can be purchased at livenation.com, the pavilion box office, Ticketmaster, or by phone 800-745-3000.

We'll hear the progressive bluegrass of Trampled By Turtles in Studio B in 2009, when they were touring in support of their 4th album “Duluth”, plus an extensive conversation from 2006 with legendary flat-pickin' dobro man, the late Tut Taylor. He talked about working with Roy Acuff at the Opry, winning a Grammy, about his time in John Hartford's Aero Plane Band, and a lot more. 

The kalimba is a tiny African box-like instrument you hold in your hands and pluck with your fingers. It is amazing the variety of sounds that Asheville's Kevin Spears can get out of it, especially with the loop effects he adds to his impressive mastery of it. Also amazing is the roster of artists he was played with: Futureman, Victor Wooten, Lizz Wright, India.Arie, Col. Bruce Hampton, Toubab Krewe, Arrested Development... "KalimbaMan" is part of the lineup of this year's Asheville Percussion Festival, June 26th-July 2th.

When you think of the phrase "follow your muse", you might look to Daniel Romano as a prime example of a musician who does just that. His albums have sounded significantly different from each other, as if his interests are morphing, or he's trying to find out what sound fits best for him. Like Dylan, it may or may not be either, or both... All we know is, we've liked his last two albums, and we like the variety of sounds on his new one "Modern Pressure." Romano plays the Evening Muse in Charlotte on Tuesday, and the Mothlight in West Asheville on Wednesday.