Asheville LIVE looks to be just what Asheville needs to show the rest of the nation what all of the locals know to be true. Asheville is a music city - one that thrives on merciless creativity; and one worthy of recognition as a major force in the nation’s music scene. Asheville LIVE takes place in one of the best sounding venues in Asheville, Isis Dining and Music Hall. Isis, located in the heart of West Asheville was once an old movie theatre that was transformed into an amazing venue for live music. The food is arguably the finest in town and the atmosphere has a throwback feel of the 40’s and 50’s.
Most importantly, the venue has been fine-tuned to deliver the best experience, both audibly and visually, for a live audience, making it the ideal location for the production of Asheville LIVE. Tonight’s event included some of Asheville’s finest - 2 local powerhouses that astonished the plethora of fans that came out to support local music on a Monday night.
Starting with Pierce Edens, with his raspy soulful sound, his demeanor is one of a good ol country boy that has a powerful message of the ways of life lived by a man that has been through it all. His songs seem to be a reflection on that way of life that so many people can relate to, that’s why his songs hit a chord in the soul that resonates through his dominant meaningful lyrics. The conviction brought on by his stage presence that he conveys is one of those things that will bring a tear to your eye just from the sheer emotional rollercoaster his songs take you on.
The next act was Asian Teacher Factory or better known as ATF. This band has a way of conjuring up some sounds right out of a Sci-Fi thriller, capturing the ears of the audience in a way that gives people a sense of wonder and anticipation of what they will play next. Their synth sound is very hard to classify into a genre, the music is so unique and different that it’s in a class of its own. The music is straight to the point and orchestrated in a way that has the band playing as a whole, feeding off of one another and not straying off into a spacey jam like a lot of bands do nowadays.
The place filled to the brim on the dance floor as the energy of the music took you on a journey through what seemed like an experimental space-time rock opera. I look forward to seeing the finished video and many more episodes of Asheville Live! in the future.
Article by: Brad Winecoff
Photos by: Cameron Yeager
