A historic church building is the current studio’s home. | Photo via Echo Mountain Recording
Echo Mountain Recording will close at the end of the year. Housed in a historic former church on North French Broad Avenue, the studio has become an institution in music, recording local artists and drawing international acts to its state-of-the-art studio.
The recording studio announced its closure after almost 20 years of capturing the voices of artists like Gladys Knight, Steve Martin, and The Avett Brothers.
Echo Mountain’s owner and founder, Steve Wilmans, explained in a press release that the decision was no easy feat. Wilmans said that after 30 years in the recording industry, he wanted to spend more time with family — he also cited changes in the business.
“The landscape of the recording industry is also shifting, and rather than push forward with a new studio outside Asheville, we feel the responsible choice is to close this chapter with gratitude and intention.”
The studio will continue to operate as usual through October 1. Then, the team will begin to close up shop, selling inventory and preparing to transfer the property to GBX Group, which bought the space in early 2024.
One-Year Anniversary Party | 5-9 p.m. | Soprana Rooftop Cucina | Price of purchase | Raise a spritz for the anniversary while dining on pizza specials and vibing to tunes from Hot Bread Selectors.
Cast Iron Bluegrass Jam | 6:30-9 p.m. | Eulogy | Free | Sing and stomp along as the band pushes the boundaries of traditional bluegrass — then join in with your own instrument.
An Evening of Cherokee Storytelling | 7-8:30 p.m. | Weaverville Community Center | Free | Indigenous artist and storyteller Nancy Pheasant will share traditional legends and nature tales.
Friday, April 4
“when light gathers” Exhibition Opening | 5-8 p.m. | Noir Collective AVL | Free | Photographer Talia Hawley will debut her exhibit capturing the beauty and resilience of Black communities across the US — images will be on view through the end of the month.
Hustle Souls | 9 p.m.-12 a.m. | One World Brewing - West Asheville | $12 | Sip on a brew while the brass funk band brings down the house with roaring horns.
Saturday, April 5
Spring Art & Craft Pop-Up Market | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Reems Creek Pottery, Weaverville | Price of purchase | Revel in the work of 20 talented crafters, exploring everything from ceramics to upcycled clothes.
Connect Beyond Festival 2025 | Saturday, April 5-Sunday, April 6 | Times vary | Third Room | $15+ | Inspiring storytelling, art, music, and film will spark meaningful discussions.
Sunday, April 6
Southside Community Farm Spring Fundraiser | 1-4 p.m. | New Belgium Brewing | Donation-based | Help the farm reach its $50,000 fundraising goal to support Black food sovereignty while enjoying a cold beer and free elderberry cuttings and native plants.
NYT hailed his “effortlessly expressive tone” — and he’s coming to AVL
Presented by Asheville Symphony Orchestra
Joshua Roman opened the 2017 TED Conference with a performance of the Bach Cello Suites, drawing nearly a million live viewers. | Photos courtesy of Joshua Roman
The opportunity to see a New York Times-acclaimed composer perform his own work is rare — and it’s coming to Asheville this month.
Cello soloist and composer Joshua Roman — just 41 years old — has performed with icons like Yo-Yo Ma and Edgar Meyer. Now, he’ll present his own work, “Awakening,” as part of Asheville Symphony’s Masterworks 6: Fate, which also features Tchaikovsky’s fifth symphony, on Saturday, April 12.
Get tickets (before they sell out) to witness this musical legend-in-the-making.
Today, April 3, is the last day to submit feedback on the city’s CDBG-DR Draft Action Plan before it is presented to the Asheville City Council for review on Tuesday, April 8. Then, it will be sent to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development for final approval.
Regional
Buncombe County’s open burning ban has officially been lifted, but as wildfire season is exacerbated by Helene debris, residents are encouraged to take precautions. Clear combustibles at least 25 to 50 feet away from homes, remove dead vegetation from yards, and find resources from Buncombe Ready.
Featured
Finalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards were announced, including Chef Silver Iocovozzi of Neng Jr.'s, for Best Chef: Southeast. Although Asheville saw four stellar semifinalist nominations, Iocovozzi is the only local chef to advance as a finalist. The restaurant and chef awards will be presented on Monday, June 16.
Opening
On Monday, April 14, Buncombe County will open a new Helene Resource Center at 94 Coxe Ave. to assist withFEMA applications, Disaster Case Management, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, and more. The center will be open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. as Disaster Recovery Centers begin to transition out.
Civic
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners made changes to the Affordable Housing Services Program to expand funding for Helene-related home repairs, including increasing the maximum assistance amount from $25,000 to $50,000. The changes came at the request of nonprofits, who administer the funding to households.
Drink
This Sunday, April 6 marks the last day Voodoo Brewing Co. - Asheville will be part of the Voodoo franchise. On Thursday, April 10, owner Bill Osborne will reopen the space as The Flying Squirrel Pub, a new independent endeavor. Expect the same staff, some menu tweaks, and 20 regional beers on tap.
Environment
You can now see how much total storm debris has been collected in Asheville with the city’s new storm debris dashboard. The city has changed how it presents debris collection data after assessing that the original estimate that Helene left 3 million cubic yards of debris within city limits was an overestimate.
Festival
Get ready to head to Mill Spring because the lineup for this year’s Earl Scruggs Music Festival is fingerpickin’ good. Alison Krauss & Union Station will headline, joined by a plethora of roots + folk talent including Watchhouse, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Wood Brothers, and more. See the full lineup and secure tickets for the Aug. 29-31 festival.
Film
Think you’re the reel deal? Submissions are open for the Asheville Film Fest, calling for short narrative films + documentaries through Friday, June 27. If you’re up for a bigger challenge, register for The Tokiyasdi Film Race, where your team has 60 hours to write, film, edit, and submit a film based on your assignment.
Try This
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Tech
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Shop
Don’t waste time bouncing between dealerships when shopping for a car. With CarGurus, you can browse millions of cars + compare dealer ratings all in one place. Shop smarter.*
Category
Announced
Could Asheville have a MICHELIN moment?
Could farm-to-table fare from The Market Place earn a spot? | Photo via The Market Place
The highly acclaimed MICHELIN Guide is heading to our neck of the woods. The organization announced that it has begun scouting restaurants across Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee for the upcoming MICHELIN Guide American South. It will also encompass the pre-existing Atlanta guide.
Why is this so exciting? It’s the first time a regional selection has been launched since the MICHELIN Guide’s expansion into the US in 2005. The Guide’s anonymous inspectors are already scouting seats and dining across the South to decide which restaurants will be included — the full selection is expected to be released later this year.
In a press release, MICHELIN stated that the regional approach “will be able to go beyond the main urban cities across the territory to better uncover the authentic food culture of the American South.”
Although restaurants in Asheville and across NC are being considered for the esteemed guide, it isn’t guaranteed that any 828 spots will make the cut.
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From James Beard finalists to MICHELIN Guide hopefuls, a good meal is on the mind. You can feel extra satisfied by eating at one of the participating restaurants for Asheville Humane Society’s Dine to Be Kind event this week. Usually, restaurants donate a portion of proceeds to the nonprofit — but this year, they’re asking you to patronize the businesses that have supported them through the years. And of course, you can still donate to support the fur babies.
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