Hellbender's opening weekend

After a little over a year’s hiatus, The Orange Peel is back in the outdoor concert game.

Located at the end of Thompson Street on the site of the former Brouwerïj Cursus Kĕmē, whose excellent beers and overall lovely setting were washed away in Tropical Storm Helene, Hellbender marks an exciting new chapter for Asheville’s best venue and has the potential to be a great addition to the live music scene. However, the experienced staff had such bad luck throughout opening weekend that it’s a bit of a relief they have two weeks before the next show to work out some kinks.

Things got off to a rocky start for Hellbender’s inaugural July 17 show with Dinosaur Jr. and Band of Horses when lightning and thunder pushed gates back a half hour to 6:30 p.m. But the 7 p.m. start time remained, likely due to the bands essentially being co-headliners with each performing their respective most famous albums in full — all of which had to happen before the 10 p.m. noise ordinance hard stop. As expected with this professional Krewe, communication about the gate delay was relayed promptly at 5:30 on social media, informing attendees of the change well in advance.

Paying $15-$30 for nearby parking wasn’t desirable and didn’t seem wise to test out on a businesses’ first night, yet the free shuttle from the Asheville Mall proved fairly smooth and easy. With multiple school buses running the loop to and from the venue, attendees didn’t have to wait long, though it was somewhat of a shock when the driver didn’t turn down Swannanoa River Road and instead took the truck route behind Target, doubling the distance and travel time.

More surprises awaited at Hellbender where, just after 6:30, a line of attendees snaked halfway down Thompson Street and doubled back on itself, all the way to the entrance. Five minutes in the box office line to get credentials — staff gratefully let photographers in through the employee entrance so they could get to the pit and not miss their “three songs, no flash” window — were followed by another 25 in the queue to get in. And most folks were still there when Dinosaur Jr. started promptly at 7.

Likely well aware that the bulk of their fans weren’t yet through the gates, J. Mascis & Co. thankfully began their set with Where You Been closing tracks “Goin' Home” and “I Ain't Sayin’” before turning to the more popular top of album. And yet, “Not the Same,” “Drawerings,” and “Hide” wound up being cut after a fan in the first few rows passed out shortly into the set, prompting the band to pause for roughly 10 minutes while paramedics tended to the ailing individual.

In the midst of the chaos, it was nevertheless easy to take in the pleasant sensory experience of the rehabilitated property. Hellbender’s sound and lines of sight are excellent, and it’s such a treat to stand on grass at an outdoor venue, all but guaranteeing no stiff back at the end of the night. The trees lining the perimeter and frequent cool breezes blowing in from the Swannanoa River further granted the spot an overall pleasant vibe that extended to the well-behaved crowd.

Underneath the calm, however, was plentiful grumbling. Many attendees who’d come primarily to see Dinosaur Jr. wound up hearing almost half of the set just outside the venue and were vocal about their disappointment online. While their complaints are somewhat justified, especially when paying $70+ per ticket, it’s also on attendees to recognize the high likelihood of opening night hiccups and show up earlier, especially with the added complications of extreme weather.

Such bad vibes also likely amplified the various shortcomings within the venue. Lines at the bars just inside the gates extended into walking areas, making the most direct path difficult to pass through, and beer was limited to selections from — of all places — Charlotte-based NoDa Brewing Co., prompting speculation regarding potential issues with Hellbender’s alcohol permits.

Laudable as line of sights are in the front half of the space, that overall experience felt oddly cramped for a non-sold-out show on a property that can allegedly fit 6,000 people. The main culprit of the squish? An excessive amount of seating — or at least grass where sitting is permitted. 

Along with a sizable chunk of lawn with chairs reserved for general admission and premium seating, the area behind it is designated for plopping down on rented chairs, blankets, or the ground. All told, it’s nearly half of the venue’s stage-viewable footprint, and the space between the sitting sections — which offer some of the best views outside of the GA lawn — don’t allow standing (though enforcement of this rule was inconsistent).

In turn, a better balance needs to be struck between standing and sitting areas to maximize the property while still offering a reasonable amount of seated zones. It’s difficult to imagine the same amount of square footage devoted to sitting for the sold-out LCD Soundsystem show on Thursday, Sept. 17, and the somehow not yet sold-out Geese concert gig on Wednesday, Sept. 30. If no adjustments are made before then, unpleasantness awaits.

As the sun set and a beautiful crescent moon shone from above, another issue arose as Band of Horses shared a passionate rendition of its 20-year-old Everything All the Time. Other than the stage, the celestial orb, and lights around the restrooms and bars, minimal illumination aided attendees in the dark, forcing them to turn to cell phone flashlights.

With 15 minutes left before curfew, Band of Horses frontman Ben Bridwell brought out Mascis for “In a Drawer,” the studio version of which features the latter on backing vocals. This time, Mascis also added his signature guitar to the mix, providing frustrated and satisfied Dinosaur Jr. fans alike with another quality glimpse of their guy.

His guest appearance also seemed like a great time to catch a shuttle rather than risk a lengthy wait after 10 p.m. Though some childish adults attempted to bunch up at the top of the line and sneak on a bus, a combination of fellow not-having-it early exiters and helpful staff sent most of these violators to the end of the queue and the rightful quick-thinkers to a spot on the transport.

From the elevated bus seat, the congestion of cars and people leaving the venue looked awful, though as they had throughout the night, the Hellbender staff kept its cool and calmly moved vehicles through as best they could.

(Photos by Jason Keefer)

Dinosaur Jr.

Band of Horses

For better and for worse, the following day was a completely different story.

Around 6:30 p.m., there was no line at the shuttle and the driver took the more direct route down Swannanoa River Road, arriving at Hellbender in less than five minutes where no line awaited at the box office or gates.

As predicted, Watchhouse, Fruit Bats, and Two Runner were less popular draws than the opening night combo, making it easy to get about 20 feet from the stage without feeling cramped. However, dark clouds loomed in the not-too-distant distance and, right as Fruit Bats frontman Eric D. Johnson sang the first words of opening number “Rushin’ River Valley,” lightning flashed behind the stage, somewhere between downtown and the River Arts District.

The clouds all too quickly neared, a peal of thunder rang out and, three additional catchy, smartly-crafted songs later, following “Cazadera,” Johnson relayed a message from the stagehands that the show was being suspended but that he fully expected to return before long. Though it was too late to reverse course, the news was met with a robust number of attendees comically shouting back a portion of the song’s refrain: “It’s just a cloud! It’s just a cloud!”

For the second consecutive night, the Hellbender experience was disrupted by thunder, though this time would prove far more troublesome. A prerecorded message instructed attendees to exit the property, but unlike at Asheville Yards where numerous nearby bars, breweries, and parking decks offer shelter, there’s nowhere to go in the Thompson Street area unless you walk up the windy hill and wait things out in Target. And what about restroom access? It was all a little murky.

While concertgoers figured out where to huddle, many opting for the lone shelter of an empty industrial hanger, shuttling back to the car felt like a wiser way to wait out an ambiguously long pause. From there, a social media post reported that the delay had been extended, and since this writer’s plan all along was to bounce a few songs into Watchhouse’s set, it felt like too much hassle to jump through the hoops of returning.

The “all clear” arrived nearly an hour after Fruit Bats’ set was interrupted. Footage trickled in on social media of Johnson playing three songs solo on acoustic guitar and Watchhouse performing with a saxophonist, eventually inviting Johnson to join them for at least one tune. For die-hard fans of the artists formerly known as Mandolin Orange, it seemed like a great time. But for those who didn’t want to stand around for an hour, hoping for the weather to improve, anywhere else was a better option.

Despite the opening weekend headaches, perhaps it’s a blessing that so many of Hellbender’s flaws were exposed up front rather than down the line in a less opportune situation. Indeed, The Orange Peel staff is smart, experienced, and cares about customer satisfaction, so there’s every reason to feel confident that Saturday, Aug. 1’s American Tunes: Lift Ev’ry Voice And Sing  concert— featuring Rhiannon Giddens, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Mavis Staples, and a Hurray for the Riff Raff duo set — will go far smoother than Hellbender’s first two shows.

(Photos by Olivia Thomas)

Watchhouse

Fruit Bats

Two Runner