Editor’s note: This is part of “Four of a Kind,” a new Arts & Culture feature. Each month, four new artists share their takes on the local art scene. In addition to individual online posts, you can find all four features as a single spread in this week’s print edition.
Alex Krug is an Asheville-based singer-songwriter and guitarist, and the bandleader of the Alex Krug Combo.
Xpress: Is there an upcoming music event happening in Asheville that you’re looking forward to seeing?
Krug: I’m excited about Charlie Hunter playing Downtown After 5 on Friday, June 16. I’ve seen him a couple times before and am always inspired by, obviously, his insane groove but even more the open-hearted way he connects to those he plays with.
Outside of music, what other upcoming local arts happening intrigues you?
As an introvert, I don’t go out a lot, but there are a few artists whose work I really look forward to seeing anytime they have a show. Melanie Norris‘ paintings have a vivid emotional power and depth; Rosa Friedrichs‘ queer naturalism is displayed in skillful ceramic pieces; and I would call Liam Sawyer‘s work as printmaker Fruit Boots a dream tracer, which I find very likable.
What current project are you working on that you’re especially excited about?
At our Thursday, June 1, show at Pisgah Brewing Co., original Alex Krug Combo member Rachel Gramig will rejoin us, and we’ll have three-part harmony. Then on Friday, Sept. 15, we have the honor of opening up Downtown After 5 for The Sensational Barnes Brothers. For a queer-fronted local band, this is not a small achievement. We’ve faced a lot of subconscious discrimination, but things are slowly changing for the better.
