The Year That Was: Asheville Stages contributors reflect on 2025
Jonny Leather
Director of photography
5 Favorite Albums of 2025: Benjamin Booker - Lower; Geese - Getting Killed; Caroline - Caroline 2; U.S. Girls - Scratch It; Sharp Pins - Radio DDR
Favorite Local Release: Colin Miller - Losin’
Local Song of the Year: Wednesday - “Townies”
Favorite New Local Artist: Tanner York
Most Memorable Personal Music Experience of 2025: I was fortunate enough to interview many of my favorite artists—including U.S. Girls, Kramer, and Billy Woods—but getting to talk with Peter Hook about Joy Division and New Order was extra special.
Favorite Live Performance of 2025: Too many to name, but watching TAKAAT tear the roof off AyurPrana Listening Room was incredible.
Goals/Plans for 2026: Travel more. Spend more time on the baseball diamond. Help cultivate and highlight the local music scene.
Edwin Arnaudin
Co-founder/editor
5 Favorite Albums of 2025: Panda Bear - Sinister Grift; Bon Iver - SABLE, fABLE; Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out; Geese - Getting Killed; Ben Kweller - Cover the Mirrors
Favorite Local Release: Colin Miller - Losin’
Local Song of the Year: Pierce Edens, “The Bells of Marshall” (Resonance Sessions edition)
Most Memorable Personal Music Experience of 2025: Interviewing Ben Folds after nearly 30 years of fandom and getting to tell him about the late, great David Scharff was intellectually and emotionally rewarding. But profiling his The Bens bandmate Ben Kweller — THE best interview in music — then getting to play tennis with him against his keyboardist Dan Creamer (Dancey Jenkins; Shakey Graves) and opener Jonny Shane (Modern Love Child) before they rocked out Eulogy was just plain surreal.
Favorite Live Performance of 2025: The Kweller show was a dream come true, but Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts at PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte delivered two hours of jaw-dropping greatness.
Goals/Plans for 2026: Finish my Tim Burton book and take Asheville Stages to the next level.
Bryce Lafoon
Photographer
5 Favorite Albums of 2025: Wet Leg - Moisturizer; Geese - Getting Killed; Viagra Boys - viagr aboys; Turnstile - Never Enough; SG Goodman - Planting by the Signs
Favorite Local Release: Scott McMicken and the Ever Expanding - New Purple Dress
Local Song of the Year: MJ Lenderman & This is Lorelei - “Dancing in the Club”
Most Memorable Personal Music Experience of 2025: Future Islands at Forestry Camp
Favorite Live Performance of 2025: Steven Wilson Jr. at Merlefest
Goals/Plans for 2026: Hike another top 20 trail in the world; break into the top 10K pinball players; Travel more.
Micah Rogers
Photographer/writer
5 Favorite Albums of 2025: SG Goodman - Planting By the Signs; James McMurtry - The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy; Matt Berniger - Get Sunk; Snocaps - S/T; Geese - Getting Killed
Favorite Local Release: Snocaps - S/T
Local Song of the Year: Wednesday - "Wound Up Here (By Holding On)”
Favorite New Local Artist: Snocaps
Favorite Live Performance by Another Artist of 2025: Magnolia & Johnson Electric Co. at The Grey Eagle
OK Go (Photo by Jason Keefer)
Whitley Albury
Photographer/writer
5 Favorite Albums of 2025: Kerosene Heights - Blame It On The Weather; Hayley Williams - Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party; Hot Mulligan - The Sound A Body Makes When It's Still; AFI - Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…; Ruston Kelly - Pale, Through the Window
Favorite Local Release: Wednesday - Bleeds
Local Song of the Year: Andrew Scotchie - “Neighbor”
Favorite New Local Artist: She's not new by any means, but Kate Bryant made her way into my ears more this year than ever before and I just love her voice and style.
Most Memorable Personal Music Experience of 2025: Running another successful Asheville FM Record Fair and making friends with the kind folks at Papertown Records — or making a fun promo video for OK Go[‘s Orange Peel show].
Favorite Live Performance by Another Artist of 2025: OK Go. 125 pounds of confetti be damned, I had fun!
Goals/Plans for 2026: Make more weird stuff.
Scott Bunn
Writer
5 Favorite Albums of 2025: Jungle Boogie - Cease & Desist; Misha Panfilov - To Blue From Grey in May; Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band - New Threats from the Soul; SML - How You Been; Water from Your Eyes - It's a Beautiful Place
Favorite Local Release: Okonski - Entrance Music
Local Song of the Year: All of Rond's songs
Favorite New Local Artist: I'm open to suggestions!
Most Memorable Personal Music Experience of 2025: Officially becoming a contributor for Aquarium Drunkard.
Favorite Live Performance by Another Artist of 2025: A tie between SML and [Ahmed] at 2025 Big Ear.
Goals/Plans for 2026: Is "keep on rockin' in the free world" too glib? Is it actually a concrete goal that we need to work towards?
Violet Dwoinen
Writer
5 Favorite Albums of 2025: Wednesday - Bleeds; YHWH Nailgun - 45 Pounds; Geese - Getting Killed; SPY - Seen Enough; Dean Blunt/ Elias Rønnenfelt - lucre
Favorite Local Release: Wednesday - Bleeds
Local Song of the Year: Colin Miller - “Porchlight”
Favorite New Local Artist: Falling Behind
Most Memorable Personal Music Experience of 2025: My friend wearing rainboots to the Sunami show at The Orange Peel and sliding into people in the mosh pit at unfathomable speeds.
Favorite Live Performance of 2025: Three way tie between Fiddlehead at Eulogy, Geese at The Grey Eagle, and Magnolia & Johnson Electric Co. ft. MJ Lenderman at The Grey Eagle.
Goals/Plans for 2026: Learn the banjo and see more music.
Tom Chalmers
Writer
5 Favorite Albums of 2025: Viagra Boys - viagr aboys; Wet Leg - Moisturizer; Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out; Water From Your Eyes - It's A Beautiful Place; S.G. Goodman - Planting By the Signs
Favorite Local Release: Lo Wolf - Lay In the Dirt
Local Song of the Year: Wednesday - “Townies”
Favorite New Local Artist: SUPAHEAT
Most Memorable Personal Music Experience of 2025: Getting stuck overnight at the Atlanta airport with Datrian Johnson.
Favorite Live Performance by Another Artist of 2025: clipping. at Eulogy
Goals/Plans for 2026: Continue to enjoy, support, and promote the awesome shows at Asheville's smaller venues: hip-hop/indie shows at Eulogy; punk rock shows at Static Age; electronica shows at Third Room and Sly Grog; good-vibes shows at Revival; eclectic instrumentalists at AyurPrana Listening Room; rock 'n' roll shows at Fleetwood's; and funky/jammy/strummy shows at Asheville Music Hall.
(Geese photo by Jonny Leather)
