Thursday, August 27
• Get a jump on the weekend: Butch Ross (below) will be playing mountain dulcimer and singing at the Westville Pub (777 Haywood Rd., West Asheville, 225-9782). Rumor has it Ross plays the duclimer like a guitar, and he rocks out with Zeppelin tunes. 9:30 p.m.
Friday, August 28
• Goombay! kicks off at 1 p.m. on “the block” (Eagle & Market Streets, Asheville). The Friday lineup includes a drumming & dancing opening ceremony at 1 p.m., Free Spirit drummers and dancers at 4 p.m., reggae band Reggae Infinity at 5:30 p.m., rapper/r&b artist Poo Folk (pictured below) at 7:15 p.m. and The Heather Hayes Band at 8 p.m. Free.
• The rockingest happy hour: Local Americana band Tennessee Hollow plays French Broad Brewery (101 Fairview Rd., Asheville, 277-0222) at 6 p.m., tips.
• Incidental Reading Series hosts novelist/poet Yesho Atil (On Freedom Street) and Walt Whitman Award-winning poet Tony Tost (Invisible Bride). 8 p.m. at 49 Brickyard Rd., Asheville. “Come early, stay late, bring drinks, food, teapots, flags, ukeleles, origami supplies, hats, whatever you want. Park in street, the driveway, the yard.”
• Country vocal group Deep River (pictured) plays the Feed & Seed (3715 Hendersonville Rd., Fletcher, 216-3492). 7:30 p.m., tips.
• Charlotte metal band Eastern Sky plays with thematically appropriate Another Day Falls and Dawn of the Dude at The Boiler Room (11 Grove St., Asheville, 505-1612). 8 p.m., $5.
• Local rockers The Poles join Raleigh’s stunningly melodic psychedelic indie rockers Birds of Avalon (below, photo by Justin Lyons) at New French Bar (12 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 225-6445). Hammer No More the Fingers also plays. 9 p.m.
• Blast from the past: 90s rockers The Merle (below) reunite for a Broadway’s (107 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville, 285-0400) show with contemporary rock group The Whappers. 9 p.m.
• Prog-rockers East Coast Dirt have not only a cool jammy sound, but a cool t-shirt worthy logo. Get the full affect at Hannah Flanagan’s (27 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 252-1922). 9 p.m., $3.
• The Chuck Lichtenberger Collective rounds out the night with Friday jazz at Tressa’s (28 Broadway St., Asheville, 254-7072). 10 p.m., $5.
Saturday, August 29
• Greenlife Grocery (70 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 254-5440) celebrates it’s 5th anniversary with two bands on the patio, great food, ABC beer, samples, raffles, games, and kid’s fun. Noon-6 p.m.
• The Goombay! festival continues on Eagle & Market Streets in Asheville. Catch a parade at noon, a community music showcase at 1 p.m., Oneaka Dance Company (pictured) at 2 p.m., r&b group Jazz Affect at 3:15 p.m., Free Spirit drummers and dancers at 4:30 p.m., r&b band Sweet Dreams at 5 p.m., dove releases at 6:30 p.m., r&b act Free Flow at 7 p.m. and reggae with Inner Visions at 8:15 p.m. All free.
• DJs, Drinks, Discounts: Hunk Clothing finishes out its all-August sale/DJ showcase. Shop (prices are 25-70-percent off), sip complimentary cervezas from Pisgah Brewery and check out DJ Daniel Milkman from 7-9 p.m.
• Local experimental duo The South French Broads and self-professed “Absurdist Gypsy Metal Folk Funk Punk” collective Sirius.B take over Pritchard Park (downtown Asheville) for Pigeons of the Park, an annual outdoor concert event. 7:30 p.m., free.
• Hickory-based grindcore + scary imagery purveyors Hatemonger (pictured) play (surprisingly) an 8 p.m. show at Westside Clippers (755 Haywood Rd., West Asheville, 505-4625). Free.
• Space-funk band The Secret B-Sides return to their roots: Sage Cafe at Warren Wilson College (701 Warren Wilson Rd., Swannanoa). This is a welcome back celebration for the college kids. 8:30 p.m., free.
• Like country? Check out Brittany Reilly and the Almost Acoustic Band (below) at Hannah Flanagan’s (27 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 252-1922). 9 p.m., free.
• The Urban Sophisticates from Greensboro claim to play “classic material.” Find out exactly what that means at Wild Wing (161 Biltmore Ave., Asheville,253-3066). 10 p.m., free.
—Alli Marshall, A&E reporter
