Jim Lauderdale 10.18.06

Jim Lauderdale is a wonderful fella who loves his fancy threads and sweaty stage towels. Otherwise, he is among Nashville's 'A list' of songwriters, having written tunes for George Straight, The Dixie Chicks, Vince Gill, Mark Chestnut, and Patty Loveless. He's always been a crowd favorite, and contined to please with an excellent show that displayed his wide versatility as a songwriter and performer. Jim hails from the Carolinas, and he's always in the area. Check him out the next time around, and stay informed at Jim's website.

the everybodyfields 10.18.06

See more of the everybodyfields on their homepage or check 'em out on their
myspace page

Damien Jurado 10.10.06

Find more at damienjurado.com

From The Archives

Bobby Bare,Jr.

David Lamotte 10.7.06

Asheville resident David Lamotte has been recording albums and playing live shows for years. During that time he has performed around the world, developed a stage persona equivalent to that of an old friend and confidant, and become one hell of a story teller.

And I can asure you that what you are seeing on stage is not an act, but a sincere and humble being in touch with the essence of raw humanity, anxious to relate truth through experience with all who will listen. The audience hung to every word on Saturday night as David put on a show like no other we've seen.
David added world-class musicians and dancers to his act, displaying to new extent his musical ability throughout the entire show. Several audience members remarked that they had never seen David with a band, and how impressed they were with his versatility to meld with the new members into a top-notch performance. We're proud to call David one of our own.

Find David on the web here.

The Greencards 10.6.06

The Greencards have received more praise in their first three years than most bands get in a full lifetime. Infusing bluegrass and americana with such timeless influences as The Beatles and Bob Dylan (for whom they recently opened an eight-week run of shows), The Greencards have become a prominent act on a scene which initially had been foreign to them.


For a trio who all speak with english accents, they sure do know how to get down when it comes to playing American roots music. They displayed their versatility and impecable craftsmanship at the Grey Eagle on Friday night. An intimate, appreciative Asheville audience made these self-proclaimed "Eurograss" pickers feel right at home.
"This imported trio is playing some of the finest Americana around"-Rolling Stone
Check out the Greencard's homepage, or listen to a few tunes on their myspace page.

Heavy Trash w/ The Sadies 10.4.06

Matt Verta-Ray and Jon Spencer! Heavy Trash brought their punk rockabilly sounds to the Grey Eagle stage (and as you can see in the pics below, the dancefloor as well) on Wednesday, October 4. Those in attendance can testify to the intensity of rock n' roll abandon displayed by these two infamous rockers, backed by the not-to- be-overlooked Sadies, who performed a set of their own prior to Heavy Trash. An excellent night of nitty-gritty American rock n' roll in its purest form. Thanks to Captain SP for braving the crowd to get these pics...


At 'press time,' these heavy(trash)hitters only had 13 friends on their myspace page. Get on over there and make yourself count!

Carolina Chocolate Drops 9.29.06

The Carolina Chocolate Drops hail from the Durham area of North Carolina, and draw their influences from the music of the foothills of both Carolinas. The Drops fall in the footsteps of traditional black string bands, and carry on the heritage of musicians like Odell and Nate Thompson, Dink Roberts, John Snipes, and countless others. These excellent perfomers did a fine job warming the stage for the Mad Tea Party, with whom they appeared on stage for a few numbers.



check out the Carolina Chocolate Drops on their homepage or on myspace.

The Mad Tea Party 9.29.06

The Mad Tea Party is one of Asheville's most stand-out acts to grace the stage at the Eagle. Built around the primary duo of Jason Krekel and Ami Worthen, the Tea Party's performances have been known to drive crowds into a frenzy, delivering multi-talented musical performances combined with a zany 'anything goes' attitude.This show highlighted that unpredictability rather well, as the stage quickly filled with members of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, family members, artist Phil Cheney painting in time with the music, and an audience hanging onto every last note.
The final performance of the evening featured Jason and his father sharing vocal duties, alongside members of the Reigning Sound, more family members then you could shake a stick at, and Reece (Firecracker Jazz Band, Squirrel Nut Zippers) and Jake(The Blue Rags)dueling on the Grand Piano. Another excellent performance from the MTP.
On the web: the mad tea party and on myspace

The Long Winters 9.24.06

The Long Winters came to the Grey Eagle fresh off the Deathcab For Cutie tour. They've been on the road supporting their third CD release "Putting the Days to Bed," a jubilant blend of pop-driven guitar tunes and commanding lyrical nuances that have allowed the band a good deal of interest from the music media in recent weeks.
Singer John Roderick displayed an appealing stage presence; taking requests from the audience and playing it more than cool when a fence jummper ended up on stage with them, claiming to be "Sherriff 420." A professional band who deserves all the attention they are sure to receive.
For a listen to some radio-ready pop melodies, check out The Long Winters here, or check out their
Myspace page.

The Hellsayers 9.24.06

The Hellsayers, fronted by lyricist-extraordinare Wayne Robbins, have fine-tuned their form of Americana Noir over the past several years into a sound that is unlike any other to come from the North Carolina music scene.
Dark melodious rhythms accented by catchy lap steel phrasing and rich, imaginative lyrics have earned these Ashevillians opening slots for My Morning Jacket and Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes. However, trying to get any of these individuals to actually say 'hell' is harder than...hmmmm...what's the word I'm searching for?...

Find more on the Hellsayers on their homepage or at myspace.

Richard Buckner 9.23.06

Richard is another long-time performer and friend of the Eagle. He's become known for playing sets of music that flow seamlessly from one tune to the next, signified by his wandering lyrical melodies and poignant, time-tested voice. The most common remark about Richard's music is that it's strangely familiar, yet unplaceable. Some say this is because he could be heard on a Volkswagen commercial (during the height of those trendy shorts a few years back). I'm convinced, however, that he's one of those hypnotic performers who lures you under his spell of mad urban lyricism and layers of steady, unbroken guitars, shaking your soul before leaving you calm and sedated moments later. Richard was accompanied by Doug Gillard (Guided By Voices) during this particualr performance.
It's always a pleasure to have Mr. Buckner in the house. Find more on Richard at his homepage.

Eric Bachmann 9.23.06

Eric Bachmann was a member of the Archers of Loaf back in the good ol' nineties. After the AOL disbanded, Eric took a new direction, leaving behind the fast-paced indie rock scene for a more delicate and somber sound. After playing under the moniker Crooked Fingers since 2000, Eric came out from behind the mask, releasing "To The Races" under his own name in 2006. The disk was recorded in an old hotel in the Outer Banks right here in North Carolina, and I just can't stop listening to it myself. Eric's performance was just as soothing, including tunes from the disc as well as numbers from each of the Crooked Fingers albums.

If you weren't one of the few hundred to catch the show, then find out what you've been missing at Eric's new homepage, and be sure to look into Crooked Fingers as well.

From The Archives

How To Get A Gig (Or Not)

I have nothing to do with booking bands at the Grey Eagle, (ask and you will find that I love making suggestions), but I do receive phone calls every night and they're all the same: The voice on the other end has/works for a band who is amazing (but we've never heard of), they're guaranteed to pack the place, and would it be possible to get one of the next three Saturday nights for a show? I usually try to be sympathetic with that voice and guide them through the steps to securing a possible gig, and they always sound rather persistent and indifferent to the advice I have given them. So, if by chance anyone stumbling upon this 'review' is considering being that voice in the future, allow me to provide you with this juicy insider knowledge.
1) Anyone who calls during 'business hours' might as well have 'inexperienced' stamped on their forehead. This is like calling a restaurant asking for a job during Friday night dinner. You will never get a gig at this time of night over the phone, no matter how good you are. Never.
2) Sure you may be better than Jimmy Page on guitar, but a music venue needs to know you will draw a crowd. The Grey Eagle has a solid past of helping artists build strong fanbases and careers through opportunity, but you must find a method of ensuring you will draw a crowd. Which leads to
3) Be professional. Send a proper package with a sample of music and a brief bio to the right people at the right address. Jeff Foxworthy and Jimmy Landrum don't live here.
And last but not least:
4) A music venue, such as the Grey Eagle, is booked several months ahead of schedule. Waltzing in and asumming you'll get a Saturday night is a sure way to not get what you want.
So please use common sense and be professional. You are afterall applying for a job. Put together your 'resume,' send it to 185 Clingman Ave. Asheville, NC 28801, wait an appropriate amount of time, and followup with an email to booking@thegreyeagle.com. this is the best route to scoring that gig at the eagle and anyplace else where you don't plan on playing Jimmy Buffet covers.

Long Way to Drive

This guy told us he drove from Vermont with his girlfriend and ended up at the Grey Eagle. That's possibly the longest anyone has ever driven to the eagle who was not perfoming on stage. We felt that deserved some photographs. Congratulations, long distance driver man! Tell your pals back home you've made the blog!

Check out more on this fella at I drove a long damn way to get here.com

Rodney Crowell 9.15.06

Rodney and his band played a two hour show to a packed house on Friday, September 19. Audience favs included "Sin City," Crowell's tribute to Gram Parsons, and "Like a Rolling Stone," during which the band exchanged lyrics with the crowd throughout the entire number. Rodney's dog, Turdhound, kept the greenroom in orderly fashion throughout the show. Yeah, dog.

Rodney's album "The Outsider" was the #5 album of 2005 on WNCW's top 100. One week after this performance he was awarded the lifetime acheivement award for songwritting at the Americana Music Awards in Nashville. Find tour dates, history and more at the official Rodney Crowell homepage.

Sparklehorse 9.9.06

So my details are a bit rusty on Sparklehorse, but here's what I've got: These guys, led by Mark Linkous, are (to borrow a popular t-shirt slogan)huge in Europe, and we at the Eagle were lucky enough to have them on one of their six (or so) American dates before heading overseas. All in attendance seemed impressed by their short yet superb set of sad-beautiful-pop-electro-boom-bang-boom-retro-mod-melancholy sound. Appropriately, the photo below was taken during the catchy number "Don't Take My Sunshine Away."


For more info on Sparklehorse than I seem to have, check out the official website