Alli Marshall is the arts & entertainment editor for alternative newsweekly Mountain Xpress and author of the novel How to Talk to Rockstars. A graduate of Warren Wilson and Goddard colleges, she’s lived in Asheville since 1995. Find Alli on Twitter at @alli_marshall.
In 1969 David Holt packed up his truck and drove from California to North Carolina. “That was the same summer as Woodstock, and I was going to wood stick,” he jokes. But the Texas-born multi-instrumentalist, who got his start as a jazz and rock drummer, had fallen in love with the banjo. He’d attended a Ralph Stanley concert and asked the bluegrass star where to learn clawhammer,
Tuning Into Asheville's Music Scene Asheville’s known for many things: natural beauty, an historic downtown, craft beer and great food. The local music scene is equally deserving of a top-10 list mention. Though hard to explain, Asheville’s multi-genre, boundary-pushing sound is underscored by its eclecticism. From Appalachian ballads and old-time picking to fierce funk, sultry
Which local musician will be next to bring home a Grammy? There’s no shortage of promising talent. Keep an eye on rising country artist Joe Lasher Jr. who, at 19, is already splitting his time between Asheville and Nashville. And Chase Rice — the songwriter behind country megahit “Cruise” — is also an Asheville native. Jessica Tomasin, studio manager at Echo
The red carpet at the Grammys' annual Los Angeles event may be more than 2,000 miles from Asheville, but plenty of local artists have made the star-studded stroll. Most recently, multi-platinum country singer/songwriter Luke Combs, who grew up in Asheville, earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 2019. Combs' first album spent 37 non-consecutive weeks at #1 on the
