Jan 12

Jan 12 Review: The Avett Brothers at Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville

The Avett Brothers’ New Year’s Eve shows have achieved legendary status over the past 20-plus years. Held primarily in Charlotte near their home base, these marathon bashes occasionally make their way west to Asheville, where one of their most passionate fanbases reside.

Such was the case this past Jan. 31 when the Americana rockers proved that the hype of these performances are well-deserved, and the Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville crowd likewise showed out, validating the band’s decision to share their year-end celebration with Western North Carolina.

In an inspired choice by the headliners, the Infamous Stringdusters didn’t just warm up the stage with their high-energy bluegrass — they flat-out whipped the audience into a temporary frenzy. Playing originals and a fun cover of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven,” the impressive instrumentalists (among them Brevard-based bassist Travis Book) proved with each virtuosic solo why they’re one of the genre’s shining stars.

But this was the brothers’ night and, good grief, were they prepared. From Scott and Seth Avett’s opening, harmony-rich a capella take on The Zombies’ “This Will Be Our Year,” it was clear they were in top form and ready to send out 2025 with the very best from their own impeccable songbook.

Featuring a fairly equal smattering of selections from across their catalog, the band focused on two nearly 20-year-old albums, Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions and Emotionalism, yet only picked two cuts from The Carpenter, which they noted — to many cheers — was tracked at nearby Echo Mountain Recording.

Expressing gratitude for their numerous good times in the city over the years (and for the still fresh news of the studio’s surprise forthcoming return), the Avetts and their fans felt in sync throughout the evening, simply enjoying each other’s company after a strange political year and the band’s first Asheville show since Tropical Storm Helene.

While the brothers remained front and center, longtime bandmates Bob Crawford (bass) and a giddily mobile Joe Kwon (cello) held down their complementary roles with touring colleagues Mike Marsh (drums), Tania Elizabeth (fiddle/guitar), and the brothers’ sister, Bonnie Avett-Rini (keys) coloring in the rest of the band’s rich sound.

After the countdown to midnight, dropping of confetti and balloons — So. Many. Balloons. — and singing of “Auld Lang Syne,” the band was joined by Herbie Abernethy, dressed as Father Time, for ecstatic covers of John Fogerty’s “Centerfield” and Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid,” the latter of which showcased Seth’s gifts as an electric guitar shredder.

Yet having already eclipsed the 30-song mark and thoroughly fulfilled their role of NYE party hosts, the Avetts nevertheless satisfied the raucous crowd’s encore request and returned for renditions of “Laundry Room” and “Ain’t No Man” that sounded just as full of life as the performances at the start of their setlist, two hours prior.

I’m sold. When’s the next one?

(Photos by Jason Keefer)