News

City announces this year's Rhythm & Brews lineup

Major Monbacks will return to Rhythm & Brews on June 15.

By Bill Moss, Published: March 20, 2017

The city of Hendersonville announced the lineup of headliners for this summer's Rhythm & Brews season, featuring rock'n'roll, R&B and Americana bands.

Beginning in May and running through September, the free outdoor event opens May 18 and continues on the third Thursday on South Main Street between Caswell and Allen streets. The shows feature local singer songwriters at 5 p.m. followed by opening acts at 6 and headliners at 7.

This season opens with The Get Right Band, a three piece unit hailing from Asheville. The Get Right Band’s music combines styles from funk and rock n’ roll to reggae. Their melodies are a perfect blend of energy and fun supported by smart lyrics. The band’s newest album was released on August 5, 2016 and was recorded at famed Echo Mountain Studio with production duties assumed by Julian Dreyer, GRB frontman Silas Durocher and group. Dreyer (The Avett Brothers, Zac Brown Band) also engineered and mixed the record which was mastered by six-time Grammy winner Brian Lucey (The Black Keys and Beck).

June’s show features the return of the six-piece ensemble Major and the Monbacks, from Norfolk, Va. The band features a lively horn and powerful rhythm section that merges retro 60’s rock and roll with the high energy and horn laden grit of southern soul! Think Chicago meets the Grateful Dead meets The Band and with a new album slated for release this spring, you don’t want to miss this fantastic return to the R&B stage!

July’s concert showcases one of the great Americana acts touring today. The Steel Wheels have captured audiences across the country with their heady brew of original soulful mountain music and their deep commitment to roots and community. Based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the dynamic four-piece string band marries old-time musical traditions with their own innovative sound and lifestyle, generating a truly magnetic revival. With a new album out in 2017 the band is one you won’t want to miss.

August swings us back into the world of rock'n'roll with Come Back Alice, with its brand of Southern Gypsy Funk, a blend of rock, soul, gypsy jazz and funk music. With improvisational influences and a love of bands known for killer live performances—including The Band, Dave Matthews, Tom Petty and the Allman Brothers Band—even the biggest Come Back Alice fans don't know what to expect. Fronted by multi-instrumentalist (and newly-weds) Tony Tyler and Dani Jaye, the connection onstage is electric. Switching between slide guitar, B3 organ, Violin, and keys, these two have a knack for captivating audiences with a true Rock N Roll stage presence.

Closing out the season is Backup Planet, a progressive funk-rock band based out of Nashville, Tennessee. Elements of jazz, funk, roots, blues, electronic, and progressive rock all emerge during the course of their shows. While their sound draws from much of what you’ve heard before—‘70s rock and funk, high-energy improv, a touch of pop, and a sliver of metal, the band members mix and match those elements—with just a hint of modern tech—in ways that never fail to astonish. With a fantastic repertoire of original songs, they’re able to build fluid sets interspersed with improvisation.

The shows will once again feature local brews alongside the best concert line-up in Henderson County. Featured drinks will include the craft brew stylings of Henderson County’s own Sierra Nevada and Southern Appalachian Breweries, wine from Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards and hard cider from Flat Rock Ciderworks and Bold Rock Cider.