“Renown performers and rising talents ignite one stage, celebrating artistic collaboration… two nights of unforgettable music!”
Asheville Skyline is excited to present Playing It Forward 2010 on July 1 & 2 at the beautiful Diana Wortham Theatre, in the heart of Asheville, NC!
After an inspiring trip to Muscle Shoals and Decatur Alabama in early December 2009, where Asheville Skyline‘s Executive Producer Craig Hines and others had the tremendous opportunity to meet and spend time with legendary producer Johnny Sandlin, an idea was born. The culmination of which is the Asheville Skyline Band, an ever changing and evolving band comprised of some of the best talent around the “greater” Asheville area. And because of the significant contributions which Johnny Sandlin made to so much of the music that has been the soundtrack to our lives, having worked with literally the “who’s who” of Southern Rock, and beyond, the July 1 Playing It Forward concert features many musicians who have had the opportunity to work with Sandlin in the past, as well as up and coming artists who hope to in the future. Individual day tickets and VIP packages are available.
On July 1, 2010
The “Playing it Forward” Asheville Skyline Band:
Col Bruce Hampton: guitar / vocals, Ike Stubblefield: Hammond B3 organ, Jeff Sipe: drums, Jay Sanders: bass, and Shane Pruitt: rhythm guitar. They will be joined with by other special guests including Janelle Funk: jazz/ blues vocalist , Craig Sorells: trumpet, Tony Kennedy: tenor sax, and others TBA.
Col. Bruce Hampton, Ret. has been making music since he formed his first band in 1963. The Colonel has been in constant motion ever since making music, writing poetry, acting in major motion pictures and guessing birthdays along the way. Although he’s been ‘Retired’ for decades, The Colonel still tours regularly. He plays with his band The Quark Alliance, featuring Kris Dale, Perry Osborn and Duane Trucks. Bruce also performs with Grant Green, Jr., Dennis Palmer and occasionally with the original lineup of The Aquarium Rescue Unit.
Ike Stubblefield started his career in 1968 playing keyboards with the Motown Review greats like The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Rare Earth. Ike Stubblefield performed live on stage with George Benson, B.B. King, Ike and Tina Turner, Curtis Mayfield, Al Green, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, The Jerry Garcia Band, Johnny Adams, Bobby Caldwell, Boz Scaggs, Esther Phillips and The Pointer Sisters, to name a few. During that time, he lived in San Francisco, New York and London.
Jeff Sipe is a founding member of the self-applied “Cajun Slamgrass” band Leftover Salmon, Aquarium Rescue Unit, and played in the Zambiland Orchestra, an experimental big band featuring members of Phish, Widespread Panic and others. Most recently he has toured with Keller Williams with Moseley, Droll and Sipe and Jimmy Herring Band.
Jay Sanders If there is one thing you can say about bass player, Jay Sanders, it is that he has never stopped following the path his heart leads him through music. With over twenty years in the saddle, he is still touring and recording with folk rock band, Acoustic Syndicate. He played four years with Americana roots rock legends Donna The Buffalo. Jay was one of the original members of the Snake Oil Medicine Show, CX-1, and one of the primary forces behind AVAS (The Acoustic Vibration Appreciation Society). He also currently leads the jazz band, The E.Normus Trio.
Shane Pruitt hails from Spartanburg, SC, where the musical roots of the blues and southern rock have been living and breathing for years on end. He is raw, refined, explorative, and expressive and along with his band brings his brand of blues all across the Southeast. Spartanburg has named Shane Pruitt its “Instrumentalist of the Year” for seven years and running.
Opening Acts:
Velvet Truckstop takes the time-honored instrumentation of the classic rock ‘n’ roll outfit and relentlessly engages house full’s of loyal audiences who themselves likewise feel the blues, dance the funk, and sing the truth; for people who strive to love life. “It’s the kind of rock you can lose yourself in”, comments Gus Lubin from Winston-Salem’s Yes! Weekly. When musical magic occurs spontaneously on stage, the experience is shared by performer and audience alike. It is an alchemy that cannot be artificially reproduced, only happening in the ‘moment’ when the circumstances are perfectly aligned…which is most certainly quite often for this band of musical stalwarts!
BIG DADDY LOVE brings a natural blend of grass, roots, and rock to the emerging North Carolina music scene. With fiery vocals, sweet-sugary harmonies, authentic song-craft, and undeniable musicianship, the quintet delivers high-energy performances comprised of their own brand of good-time music. It is the startling power of these live shows that resonate with their audience. Genuine and intensely personal lyrics captivate and connect.
Be captivated. Get connected. Feel the love.
July 2, 2010
Acoustic Syndicate with special guests:
Known for their high-energy, positive sound, Acoustic Syndicate delivers a genre-defying performance, masterfully blending its eclectic influences with trademark finesse that only 17 years of cohesive teamwork can bring.
Acoustic Syndicate is the product of Cleveland County’s McMurry clan. Guitarist Steve “Big Daddy” McMurry is joined by his cousins, Bryon McMurry on banjo and Fitz McMurry on drums. The three McMurrys also bring a trademark vocal trio that only a lifetime of singing together can deliver. Joining the McMurrys in 1998 on bass, Jay Sanders has become part of the family. A long time resident of Asheville, NC, his seamless blending of musical genres and driving style brought a completion to the band’s sound that continues to characterize and define.
Formed in 1992, Acoustic Syndicate has had a long and storied career. They spent well over a dozen years on the road, playing at the original Bonnaroo, MerleFest, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Memphis in May and many many other clubs, festivals and events. Acoustic Syndicate’s all about making sure it’s an honest alternative, a sound that’s 100 percent its own, but steeped in a rich musical history.
“The dynamics come from 12 years of traveling on the road together,” McMurry said. “We’ve been playing together long enough now to pretty much know what everyone else is doing. It’s more of a reflex action now than anything else. We love to get together and play together, so we’ve been very fortunate in that regard.”
The Honeycutters: In a world that is becoming increasingly digitalized and impersonal, the Honeycutters are building a reputation based on live performance and songs that tend to stick with you. Their first full length studio release “Irene” (May ’09) has landed them in Iaan Hughes’ (No Depression Podcast) top twenty of 2009, Fret Knot Radio Hour’s “Nine you need to know from ’09”, and number 32 in WNCW’s listener voted top 100. Singer/songwriter Amanda Anne Platt has been hailed as “one of the best songwriters coming out of WNC these days” by WNCW programming director Martin Anderson, and her voice has been described as “perfectly unadorned” and “recklessly beautiful”. Lead guitarist and Producer Peter James compliments Platt’s vocals with seamless harmonies and tasteful instrumentation. Spencer Taylor on mandolin, Ian Harrod on bass, and Richard Faulk on the drums effortlessly round out the Honeycutters sound, creating an original brand of americana that has proved equally appealing to both the musician and the music lover, the country and the city, and the old and the young.
Chris O’Neill is a songwriter, musician and performer whose breadth of talent defies any easy mold. O’neill’s songs are lyrically engaging, yet thoughtful and honest, deftly blended with intricate guitar pieces that manage to captivate the ear without ever becoming overbearing. These elements, compelling on their own, achieve a whole new level when presented in his voice that seamlessly pays homage to soul, blues, country, and southern rock, yet maintains a sound that is individual and undeniably Chris O’Neill’s own.
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Details at a Glance:
828-257-4530
2 South Pack Square
Asheville, NC 28801-3521
www.dwtheatre.com
www.ashevilleskyline.com
Doors 7pm, show 8pm each night
Individual Day Tickets $28 (until 5/31), then $33 (Includes the ticket service fee)
Limited VIP Ticket available $125 (1 ticket for each night, early admission, reserved prime seating, meet and greet, details at website*)
Hotel discounts also available at the Residence at Biltmore, The Double Tree Inn, Haywood Park Hotel, and the Renaissance Inn
More details about ticket and hotels are on AshevilleSkyline.com
Event Sponsors include the Flying Frog Cafe, Highland Brewing Company, http://www.asheville-microbreweries.com, Asheville Rolf Experience, Groves Printing, and Dreamspider Publicity. The Flying Frog Cafe will be catering the hospitality area and there will also be a variety a selection of Asheville’s finest beers, wine bar, and non alcoholic beverage selections from The Flying Frog Cafe.
“Renown performers and rising talents ignite one stage, celebrating artistic collaboration… two nights of unforgettable music!”
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Prizes for winning videos will include a free day of studio time at Echo Mountain Recording Studios and a $500 cash prize! Other awards to be given this year include Best Cinematography, Best Soundtrack and Best Costume Design and Best Visual Design.
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