The Jukebox Jumpers with Jason Moore on saxophone play country blues and southern soul songs during a benefit for the AVL humane society. The day-long event will occur on the top level of the downtown AVL parking garage. We play from 11am-2pm

The French Broad Playboys play western swing and classic honky-tonk at the antler hill village in the Biltmore Estate.

The Barsters doing our thing at Taco Billy, our favorite Mexican restaurant in AVL with has a great outdoor stage and patio area.

The Jukebox Jumpers duo with Jim Aaron on harmonica (!) play piedmont and delta country blues at an event celebrating the opening of Andrea Clark’s photography exhibit at the Asheville Museum of History. The AMoH is located in the Smith McDowell house at 283 Victoria road. It’s a free community day event and we start playing outside at 11am.

The full Barsters quintet play bluegrass, old-time, honky-tonk and classic folk rock songs at a really fun outdoor venue. This is a really family friendly space with a nice flat creek, a food truck, a playground and great beverage selection.

The JJ duo plays blues, southern soul and Nawlins funk at the Highland Downtown Taproom, which is inside the old S&W cafeteria building and has lots of affordable food options.

The Dead Strings Trio is a smaller ensemble of Barsters (James Johnson - mandolin/vocals, Rob Mangum - fiddle/vocals, Parrish Ellis - guitar/vocals) that focuses on the acoustic early 1970s songs of the Grateful Dead. We also venture into the catalogs of other 60/70s rocknroll legends including The Beatles, Bob Dylan/The Band and The Rolling Stones. If you live around AVL then you are probably already familiar with Taco Billy, but if not then just be aware that they make absolutely the BEST TACOS IN TOWN.

The Dead Strings Trio is a smaller ensemble of Barsters (James Johnson - mandolin/vocals, Rob Mangum - fiddle/vocals, Parrish Ellis - guitar/vocals) that focuses on the acoustic early 1970s songs of the Grateful Dead. We also venture into the catalogs of other 60/70s rocknroll legends including The Beatles, Bob Dylan/The Band and The Rolling Stones. If you live around AVL then you are probably already familiar with Taco Billy, but if not then just be aware that they make absolutely the BEST TACOS IN TOWN.

The JJ duo playing blues/southern soul and Nawlins funk. The only thing I like more than the tasty beer and BBQ at Riverside Rhapsody is the laidback vibe and good people that make it happen.

The Dead Strings Trio is a smaller ensemble of Barsters (James Johnson - mandolin/vocals, Rob Mangum - fiddle/vocals, Parrish Ellis - guitar/vocals) that focuses on the acoustic early 1970s songs of the Grateful Dead. We also venture into the catalogs of other 60/70s rocknroll legends including The Beatles, Bob Dylan/The Band and The Rolling Stones. If you live around AVL then you are probably already familiar with Taco Billy, but if not then just be aware that they make absolutely the BEST TACOS IN TOWN.

The French Broad Playboys prove why they are the best small western swing band in WNC. In addition to the Bob Wills & Texas Playboys catalog, they also play lots of classic country songs from monumental icons Hank Williams, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Lefty Frizzell. The performance is at the pavillion in Antler Hill Village.

The Dead Strings Trio is a smaller ensemble of Barsters (James Johnson - mandolin/vocals, Rob Mangum - fiddle/vocals, Parrish Ellis - guitar/vocals) that focuses on the acoustic early 1970s songs of the Grateful Dead. We also venture into the catalogs of other 60/70s rocknroll legends including The Beatles, Bob Dylan/The Band and The Rolling Stones. If you live around AVL then you are probably already familiar with Taco Billy, but if not then just be aware that they make absolutely the BEST TACOS IN TOWN.

The Barsters play our first full band (5 person) gig in way too long. We will be playing our usual mix of bluegrass, honky-tonk, mountain fiddle tunes and classic folk rock songs from The Band, Van Morrison, The Grateful Dead, CCR, Neil Young etc…. The Junebug resort is a relatively new outdoor venue outside Weaverville that is perfect for spring/summer family fun. The kids can enjoy playing in a nice sandy flat creek, grassy fields and a playground. There is a bar and a food truck.

The JJ duo play blues/southern soul/Nawlins funk at one of our favorite local craft breweries. Located on Haywood Rd in West AVL, Cellarest not only has awesome beer and a great outdoor patio, but now they also have a really good Thai food truck.

The JJ duo plays our favorite local spot in NAVL/Woodfin. Riverside Rhapsody has it all: excellent beer, great BBQ and nice outdoor space.

The JJ duo with Jason Moore on saxophone and key bass will play our mix of southern soul and blues at Cellarest, one of our favorite West Asheville outdoor patio hangs.

The French Broad Playboys perform classic country and western swing songs at Biltmore’s Antler Hill Village Pavilion

JJ duo with Stevie T on super hot fiddle play blues and souther soul at Black Mountain Brewery

Three of the Barsters - Rob Mangum (fiddle/vocals), James Johnson (mandolin/harmonica/vocals), Parrish Ellis (guitar/vocals) started a new trio to play acoustic interpretations of classic rock’n’roll songs primarily drawn from The Grateful Dead songbook, but also including songs from The Beatles, The Band, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Little Feat, and The Rolling Stones.

The Barsters (bluegrass, country, rock’n’roll) will make our first appearance at Junebug Resort - the coolest new outdoor venue in the Weaverville area. It’s an awesome family hang with a creek, playground, fields for volleyball & cornhole, a trailer bar and a food truck is often present.

The Easy Chairs is a new honky-tonk band that specializes in recreating the classic country duets of Loretta & Conway, George & Tammy, Dolly & Porter; as well as playing many country hits from the 50s/60s/70s by Hank Williams, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Buck Owens etc. The band is fronted by the harmony vocals of Doug Sharkey (guitar) and Mary Ellen Dendy; and the rhythm section includes Peter Mencher on drums, myself on bass, Steve Trismen on fiddle and Scott Murray on pedal steel.

The Dead Strings Trio is a new offshoot of The Barsters with myself on acoustic guitar/vocals, Rob Mangum on fiddle/vocals and James Johnson on mandolin/harmonica/vocals. This super fun band plays an acoustic mix of 1960s/70s rock’n’roll songs including lots of Grateful Dead, The Beatles, The Band, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Little Feat, CCR, Rolling Stones, Neil Young and a bunch of hippy bluegrass standards (old and in the way!). Sometimes we are lucky to be joined by either Kevin Kehrberg or Travis Stuart on bass.

The JJ duo with virtuosic fiddler Steve Trismen will play our mix of blues, southern soul, and new orleans r&b at One World Brewery Downtown.

JJ duo with violin virtuoso extraordinaire Stevie T will play the best beer and taco establishment in Hot Springs - BIG PILLOW!

My friend Cory Seznec will be in town from his home in France in order to teach guitar at the Swannanoa Gathering. Cory is a masterful guitarist/banjoist who has spent many years traveling and studying numerous vernacular strains of African traditional music, which has significantly influenced his original compositions and interpretations of African-American blues, ragtime and gospel songs. He is a really amazing and fluidly musical guitarist. I’ll open the show by playing a few original blues and ragtime guitar compositions, and then will be joined by virtuosic fiddler Steve Trismen for a few bluegrass songs, fiddle tunes and country blues numbers.

The JJ duo will play blues and southern soul songs at Riverside Rhapsody in Woodfin. Their beer is awesome, the BBQ is delicious and the best fiddle player in WNC - Steve Trismen - will be joining me.