AVLFest 2024: Day 4

Alma Russ (Photo by Jonny Leather)

2pm @ One World Brewing West — Alma Russ

For much of the weekend, I actively avoided anything that would be at home at The Grand Ole Opry. I'm a yankee, so unlike those born and raised in the region, country and bluegrass aren’t part of my genetic makeup. 

Despite that general position, I found myself at One World Brewing in West Asheville for an early set by young country singer Alma Russ. It may have already been 2pm, but it felt more like morning after a late night out, so her soothing traditional country ballads were a perfectly relaxed way to begin the day. Evoking a young Dolly Parton, she's got a charming presence, sweet voice, and she's a hell of a picker on both acoustic guitar and banjo. It's no wonder that she impressed the judges of American Idol several years ago while still a teenager. —Jonny Leather

Keep Flying (Photo by Heather Burditt)

Keep Flying (Photo by Jonny Leather)

Keep Flying (Photo by Arlo Abrams)

4:30pm @ Fleetwood's — Keep Flying

Making one last stop in Asheville — where guitarist Dustin John Wallace currently resides — following an extensive tour opening for pop punk legends Bowling For Soup, the energetic sextet was well-prepared to blow folks away at the little West Asheville dive. In an oddly constructed lineup, the punk band was set to follow a mellow folk set by Josh Stack. 

Unsuspecting members of that crowd had to be caught off guard when Keep Flying launched into a high-octane set that quickly gave the mood of the room a shot of adrenaline. With a horn section that was always in motion, the New York-based group didn't act the least bit exhausted from the months on the road. They utilized every last bit of residual energy, projecting an infectious joy that overtook the space. It all brought me back to my teenage years, experiencing ska punk greats Less Than Jake at their peak, transforming a show into a vibrant celebration. 

And when a broken guitar string could have derailed things, a portion of the group improvised. As the keyboard player fetched new strings from the band's van, members delightfully played a chill bossa nova interlude that no one in the room could have foreseen, including guitarist/vocalist Henry Menzel. As soon as Menzel restored his guitar to full strength, the band flipped the switch, and flawlessly returned to delivering sweat-inducing pop punk. 

I may have prematurely dubbed Washed Out's Night 3 set at The Orange Peel the best of the fest, but Keep Flying's midday blowout at Fleetwood's was surely the most fun. And so, wanting to end on a high note, I called it a day and headed home to crash on my couch. —JL

Dylan LeBlanc (Photo by Rey Castillo)

Dylan leBlanc (Photo by Justin Bowman)

5pm @ The Orange Peel — Dylan LeBlanc

Yearning to cleanse my temporarily destroyed palate of an early afternoon screening of M. Night Shylamalan’s horrendous Trap, I fulfilled my promise of seeing yet another artist I’ve interviewed multiple times but had yet to take in live. And I was not alone: With “only” 11 other acts to choose from around town (versus 17 the day before in the same time slot), the Peel was packed and wholly receptive to the native Southerner’s distinct brand of soulful rock.

Whether slowing down “Look How Far We’ve Come” to impressively molasses-like sub-album BPMs on acoustic guitar or ripping impressive electric solos that I wasn’t aware he was capable of, LeBlanc and his right band kept the audience rapt throughout — to the point that the frontman eventually seemed on the verge of rapture. With time running out and neither side of the stage wanting the party to end, he let out a barbaric yawp and words of appreciation that whipped us into a final frenzy while seemingly encompassing gratitude for the crowd, his bandmates, the opportunity to be in their midst in such a charged atmosphere…and music its goddamn self. —Edwin Arnaudin

Yarn (Photo by Edwin Arnaudin)

6:30pm @ The Grey Eagle — Yarn

In a recent interview, Blake Christiana told me that he was going to see which musical friends would be around during AVLFest to potentially join his band for the closing night slot, and specifically mentioned the eponymous vocalist of Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast. True to his word, the frontman brought out the local siren for the last few songs of the rockers’ already high-energy set — a musical cherry atop this rich yet frothy dessert of a performance, and a tremendous end to my festival weekend. —EA

Ashley Heath (Photo by Micah Rogers)

Kevin Smith aka Planefolk (Photo by Micah Rogers)

Martin Anderson (Photo by Micah Rogers)

6:30pm @ Wortham Center for the Performing Arts — Malcolm Holcombe Tribute

I can clearly remember the first time I heard Malcolm Holcombe's incredible mountain drawl and fierce guitar picking over 20 years ago. His debut album A Hundred Lies, shared via a burned CD from a musically-savvy friend, was the soundtrack to my summer that year and his music has never left my side since.

Malcolm played a style that was wholly his own, full of incredible contradictions. He could sound raw and refined, passionate and subdued, personal and universal — often all at the same time. His music had roots in old-time Appalachian folk (not surprising, given his upbringing in the mountains just outside Weaverville), and also had distinct country, Americana, rock, blues, and western influences. While not a household name, Malcolm was hugely influential on a generation of songwriters and was a foundational piece of the WNC music community.

His live shows were imbued with a fierce energy. He would ramble between songs, telling inside jokes and going off on rants that would often make sense only to him. But once the music started, he became a completely different person. Malcolm seemed to disappear into a trance as he furiously picked his guitar and howled his lyrics. It was clear he was born to play music, and man did he do it well. I would be surprised if anyone who ever saw him perform didn't leave without at least a song or two scratched into their souls.

Malcolm was a local legend. His passing earlier this year after a long battle with cancer hit me hard, as I'm sure it did his many friends and fans in WNC and abroad. It was tough to see such a vibrant artist taken so early, but I was pleased to see AVLFest was planning to honor Malcolm with a tribute as one of the closing events on the 2024 schedule, one year after his last public performance at the inaugural festival. The chance to share Malcolm's music in a community setting one last time seemed like a great way to celebrate his art and his one-of-a-kind personality. And I'm happy to report that the show did a fine job of honoring his memory.

Seven separate artists that knew Malcolm shared stories, original songs, and covers of his music in front of an appreciative and respectful audience. AVLFest co-founder Jeff Whitworth opened the show with a touching tribute, followed by performances from Dylan Walshe, Laura Blackley, Richard Foulk, Dan Johnston, Kevin Smith (aka Planefolk), Ashley Heath, and Darren Nicholson. Each artist brought a unique style to the proceedings, but all were consistent in their love and respect for an artist who’d influenced their careers in many ways. WNCW's Martin Anderson did an admirable job emceeing the evening, sharing stories and accounts of many "Malcolm-isms" between the mini-sets. 

Jeff, Martin, and all of the performers had the audience laughing and tearful more than a few times as they reminisced about hand-carved wooden horses, homemade hot sauce, open-ended song interpretations, shed songs, wild Nashville nights, dubious career advice, transcendent songwriting, and the enduring love of Malcolm's wife and anchor, Cyndi. I'm sad that I'll never get to see Malcolm share his gifts in person again, but hearing these talented artists perform such staples as "Who Carried You," "Doing My Job”, and "A Far Cry" proved that Malcolm's genius will live on. It was a fitting end to AVLFest and a wonderful tribute to an artist who inspired so many folks in Asheville and beyond. —Micah Rogers

(Photo of Dylan Walshe, left, and Jeff Whitworth at the Malcolm Holcombe Tribute by Micah Rogers)