The Purple Onion

Holla at ya Mama
2025-05-08 19:30 - 21:30 UTC | The Purple Onion, 16 E Main St, Saluda, NC, 28773, United States
Holla at Ya Mama Bluegrass is a high-energy, genre-blending band based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Known for their versatile sound and exceptional musicianship, the band brings a unique spin to traditional bluegrass, drawing inspiration from a variety of musical influences, including classic bluegrass, jam bands, and the timeless spirit of the Grateful Dead. With years of experience playing across the nation and regionally, Holla at Ya Mama Bluegrass has shared the stage with a diverse array of bands, delivering dynamic live performances that keep audiences on their toes.

Swamp Rabbit Bluegrass
2025-05-10 20:00 - 22:00
Homegrown grassers putting out a fresh cut sound!The Swamp Rabbit Bluegrass Band is a brand new venture that is bursting onto the scene with their fresh cut sounds of “homegrown grass.” This four-piece ensemble is pushing the limits of acoustic music while encompassing the foot stomping drive of authentic bluegrass in tandem with invigorating original music. Based in the Upstate of South Carolina, the ultimate desire of the Swamp Rabbits is to bring the community together while providing a musical atmosphere that is ripe for good times. This cast contains musical veterans that have each shined on major stages such as Albino Skunk Fest, the Houston Rodeo, Camp Springs, Fall for Greenville, and other notable billings. Now joining forces, they are eager to broadcast their newfangled creations to the local scene and beyond. As they like to say at SRB, let’s get weird!

Anya Hinkle
2025-05-15 19:30 - 21:30
Using the medium of Appalachian string band tradition, Anya Hinkle is a force when it comes to storytelling through song. With arresting honesty and a beautiful voice reminiscent of whiskey – smooth with an alluring hint of smoke – Hinkle straddles the bounds of bluegrass and country, resulting in some of the best Americana Roots has to offer. Playing tunes that flutter through beautiful finger-picked themes, invoking folk melodies from the past, Anya Hinkle will walk you through an artfully crafted story, evolving into an unknown inner psychological and surreal music space. It’s the honesty and grit in Hinkle’s music that pulls you in.

Chris Wilhelm
2025-05-17 20:00 - 22:00
Chris Wilhelm is known for bringing positive vibes and an uplifting message to his audience. He plays Americana, folk rock originals that are infectious and insightful, and sprinkles in covers too. Worldwide airplay brought his latest album, “This Too Shall Pass,” to one of the Top 100 Alt-Country Albums of 2020, as well as several months on the national folk charts. Based out of Asheville, N.C., Chris Wilhelm is a songcatcher and thrives on live performances.

Seth and Sara
2025-05-22 19:30 - 21:30
Seth Brand is an Americana Rock/Pop/Country songwriter and has been performing his original, heartfelt and inspiring tunes at various establishments throughout the country as well as several radio shows. With wife, Sara, at his side, playing percussion, the Brands set out for their first full time tour in October of 2018. Seth never fails to captivate the crowd with his passionate riffs and his mesmerizing vocals. He is the winner of three Indi.com Original Songwriter awards and has been showcased all throughout his hometown of St. Louis, and now the country.

Shane Meade
2025-05-24 20:00 - 22:00
Soul-Infused Folk Rock, Splash of Jazz & Mountain Funk. Shane Meade is a gifted singer songwriter, touring musician, and catalyst behind the soul-infused folk rock project, Shane Meade & the Sound. His music captivates the imagination, and audiences connect to his inspirational lyrics and universal subject matter. His unique and soulful style helps deliver an engaging live performance that is both powerful and uplifting.

Hannah and the Wistfuls
2025-05-29 19:00 - 21:00
Hannah Kaminer is an artist and singer-songwriter writing songs about love, loss, and home. Raised in small towns in Western North Carolina, she fuses echoes of Appalachian and country traditions with wistful, Americana-style songwriting.

Carolin Aloha
2025-05-31 20:00 - 22:00
Where the music of Hawaii meets the Mountains. CarolinAloha is the melding of three loves: the Mountains, the Ocean, and Music. A North Carolina trio consisting of dobro/steel guitar virtuoso Billy Cardine, multi-instrumentalist Landon Lush, and actor/musician Zach Hanner, CarolinAloha explores classic traditional Hawaiian songs, Hapa Haole tunes and other adjacent styles. Enjoy the dulcet tones of the islands with this mellow trio.

Menage
2025-06-05 19:30 - 21:30
Ménage is a swing/soul/roots band. Original members Mary Ellen Bush and Sarah McDonald are now joined by Melissa Hyman to create a sound that is intimate, harmonic, and invokes melodic landscapes of our hills. Folk-rooted, the trio will take you on a journey unlike most, where bluesy swing is conveyed in rolling grooves ranging from rich smokey vocal textures to rambunctious roadhouse to whimsical. Sweet harmonies and distinct songwriting are the backbone of this band’s novel style. Solid stringed riffs laced with distant artful flashes of harmonica and accordion are siren songs to those lucky enough to be within earshot. The songwriting and the talent of this trio/duo will draw you in, and bring you back to see them again

Centerpiece Jazz featuring Geoff Clapp
2025-06-07 20:00 - 22:00
In a musical career that has spanned over 30 years, Joseph Hasty’s extensive performing experience has carried him to stages in America, Australia and Europe. A three-time recipient of the Regional Artist Grant awarded through the North Carolina Arts Council, Joseph is a gifted performer who displays talents as a composer and arranger. His band, Centerpiece Jazz, performs straight ahead classic jazz, swing tunes, show tunes, and other standards. Joined on the stage this time by Geoff Clapp – a drummer whose feel and style are only matched by his kind and generous spirit. He plays what he describes as a mix of the “heady New York and soulful New Orleans” drum styles. Over his 37 year career, Geoff has toured, recorded and performed with some of today’s modern music giants: Delfeayo Marsalis and The Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet, Peter Martin Trio, Reuben Rogers, Nick Payton, Khari Allen Lee, Charlie Hunter, and so many more.

Alma Russ and The Boondockers
2025-06-12 19:30 - 21:30
Alma (say it like Alamo) is a vocalist, songwriter, and musician out of Western North Carolina. She plays patchwork music: country, folk, and Appalachian roots sewn together to make something unique. Songwriting is cheaper than therapy, and old songs make her happy. She fell in love with mountain culture and heritage – especially the music – at a young age. She remembers frolicking around the yard as a kid, singing Scotch-Irish murder ballads, passed down through generations; songs about old-true loves and murders. Music has taken her lots of places, from the hometown bars, to church, to the highway. Music continues to give her stories to tell.

Paper Crowns
2025-06-14 20:00 - 22:00
The Paper Crowns are the multi-instrument, genre crossing power duo of Spiro and Nicole Nicolopoulos. The Paper Crowns are earning their reputation as the genuine article and as a band on the cutting edge of modern roots music. Their musical chemistry is a gumbo of Appalachian folk and bluegrass, Dixieland melodies, delta blues, acid rock, murder ballads, outlaw country and Southern Gospel that they cook up into a sound all their own. As a duo they have a full band sound with drums, bass, acoustic and electric guitars and banjo as well as live looping on the spot compositions. Their mix of modern and traditional performance creates a captivating intensity yet always honors their intimacy and emotional rawness as a duo.

Michael Reno Harrell
2025-06-19 19:30 - 21:30
Michael Reno Harrell is an award winning songwriter, as well as a veteran storyteller and entertainer, and he’s from the South. One could compare Michael’s performances to his granddaddy’s pocket knife: well worn and familiar feeling, but razor sharp, and with a point. His original songs and stories have been described as “Appalachian grit and wit” but, as his writing shows, Michael’s awareness is much broader than the bounds of his boyhood home or even the Southern Experience. Between the approachable, feel-good nature of his music, and vivid story-telling that leaves you smiling, Michael creates an auditory experience that has to be witnessed in person.

Tina and Her Pony
2025-06-21 20:00 - 22:00
Indie, Appalachian-folk band, Tina & Her Pony, was formed in 2009 in Asheville, North Carolina by Tina Collins. Internationally known for their tight, sweet, smooth harmonies and simple, exposed, crafted instrumentation on cello, tenor ukulele & guitar, Tina and Her Pony has a fresh, palatable, sound that is bewitching. With warm smiles and honest simplicity, Tina & Her Pony bring a unique sound to the American folk tradition, featuring original songs that echo the sound of Appalachia, while creating new waves with radical, queer lyrics, uncommon instrumentation and vocals tighter than your mamas’ brazier.

Nicholas Edward Williams
2025-06-26 19:30 - 21:30
Host of the popular roots music history podcast American Songcatcher, Nicholas Edward Williams is a multi-instrumentalist and storyteller who is dedicated to “playing it forward” by preserving the songs and styles that have shaped our country: ragtime, Piedmont blues, traditional folk, old time and early country. Pulling from these great building blocks, Williams creates a sound that feels familiar, yet new.

Acoustic Roots w/ Kelly Jones and Peggy Ratusz
2025-06-28 20:00 - 22:00
Local faves Kelly Jones (guitar & vocals), praised as one of the best and most versatile players on the scene and 10 times best in Blues award winner Peggy Ratusz (singer songwriter & percussionist), combine their exceptional talents for an intimate early evening 2-set showcase of their favorite acoustic Blues, Classic Country and Pop Rock covers and originals. Expect to hear a heaping helping of Bonnie Raitt’s early classics as well as scaled down and evocative arrangements from the superb library of the late, great Piedmont guitarist and songwriter, Sean Costello. They call themselves Downtown Duo Delux, and together they’ve been seducing new and faithful fans for nearly two years.

Acoustic Roots w/ Kelly Jones and Peggy Ratutz
2025-06-28 20:00 - 22:00
Local faves Kelly Jones (guitar & vocals), praised as one of the best and most versatile players on the scene and 10 times best in Blues award winner Peggy Ratusz (singer songwriter & percussionist), combine their exceptional talents for an intimate early evening 2-set showcase of their favorite acoustic Blues, Classic Country and Pop Rock covers and originals. Expect to hear a heaping helping of Bonnie RaittÕs early classics as well as scaled down and evocative arrangements from the superb library of the late, great Piedmont guitarist and songwriter, Sean Costello. They call themselves Downtown Duo Delux, and together theyÕve been seducing new and faithful fans for nearly two years.

Brian Ashley Jones & Melanie Jean
2025-07-03 19:30 - 21:30
Based in Nashville, TN, Brian Ashley Jones and Melanie Jean are a Country and Blues duo who specialize in vocal harmony, lead guitar and bass guitar. Originally from Upstate South Carolina and a longtime resident of East Nashville, TN, Brian is a soulful singer, acclaimed guitarist, and versatile touring songwriter whose guitar-driven Blues and Country tunes have been featured in film, television and radio. Melanie Jean is an accomplished bassist, singer and flautist who has toured internationally with numerous recording artists.

Pythagoras
2025-07-05 20:00 - 22:00
Tradition meets innovation in Pythagoras Ñ a powerhouse bluegrass act delivering tight harmonies and ripping picking no matter the octave! Pythagoras began in a sweltering college dorm room tucked in the mountains of East Tennessee. Their roots in traditional bluegrass blended with a fresh, contemporary edge bring listeners across genres and generations to their shows. The band features an international lineup of talented musicians, all now calling Johnson City, Tennessee, home: Grant Dresnok on guitar, Gracie Grossman on fiddle, Gabriel Hebert on banjo, Joe Henson on mandolin, and Lexi Wagnitz on bass.

Admiral Radio
2025-07-10 19:30 - 21:30
Inspired by their 1941 wooden Admiral radio, this South Carolina- based husband and wife duo creates an Americana sound rooted in tradition that touches the heartstrings of the modern-day listener. With tight vocal harmonies, endearing storytelling and authentic energy, Becca and Coty hold a presence that is palpable and real, both on and off stage. Simply put, Becca and Coty aim to leave listeners better than they found them. With a personal sincerity and honest performance, you might shed a few tears and roll with laughter.

Angela Easterling & Brandon Turner
2025-07-17 19:30 - 21:30
A power house wife and husband duo, Angela Easterling and Brandon Turner are well known individually, but are pure Americana magic together. Angela brings a fire and clarity to their music with insightful lyrics and a wonderfully full voice. Coupled with Brandon pristine guitar playing, these two are exactly what youÕd want and expect from Americana. A little country, a little folk, a little alternative, and a whole lot of heart.

Dulci
2025-07-19 20:00 - 22:00
Dulci brings an ageless, classic style to pop music, with her smooth vocals and warm melodies. With her repertoire of original songs and updated covers, Dulci is where classic vocal beauty meets 60s pop nostalgia. Connecting with people and taking audiences to a happy place is at the center of every performance. DulciÕs vocals sound smooth and easy, while navigating intricate melodies and rhythms seamlessly. Striving to create meaningful, powerful music thatÕs also relatable, playful, and fun, Dulci’s mission as an artist is to create a more connected, happier, and healthier world through shared experiences.

Danielle Howle
2025-07-24 19:30 - 21:30
A lifelong artist and natural storyteller, Howle has lived a million lives in one, releasing well over a dozen studio albums in a four-decade career that has traversed genres, styles, and cultures, encompassing everything from country-swamp-blues and jazz to folk, southern rock, indie, and Americana Ð all while endlessly exploring the depths of the human condition. SheÕs opened for legends like Bob Dylan and Bonnie Raitt. This talented musician is a show you donÕt want to miss.

Old Sap
2025-07-26 20:00 - 22:00
ÒPoet from Chicago, rambled out to Montana, cut a banjo from a tamarack, strings across the country, foot like a freight train, voice rushing down over lush Appalachia, sings a thrush tune through the rush hour and into your long-forgotten prairie dreams.Ó In a live setting, Old Sap often performs as a stripped-down folk trio. The banjo sets the groove while the electric guitar and fiddle swarm and swoon around it. Next comes the stomp of the foot, like a freight train crossing an old steel bridge. Harmonies streak across the sky, prayers sent up millennia ago now swooping into the modern day. In a direct and energetic style, Old Sap stretches out a blanket and beckons listeners to lay down their troubles, lose their shoes, and dance around in the grass. It’s more sound than people expect from a few simple elementsÑa sound thatÕs surprising, familiar, modern and timeless all at once. Folk. Folk Rock. Americana.

Clay Ross
2025-07-31 19:30 - 21:30
Two-time GRAMMY¨ winner Clay Ross, founder of the chart-topping Gullah group Ranky Tanky and of the newly GRAMMY¨-nominated American Patchwork Quartet (Best Folk Album, 2025), steps into ÒsoloÓ mode, but heÕs not alone. For one night only at The Purple Onion, Clay shares the stage with his favorite new collaborator: his 10-year-old daughter, violinist and vocalist Isla Ross. Expect an intimate, joy-filled set where jazz standards swing into front-porch folk and classical gems, all threaded together by the easy banter of a father-daughter duo discovering the magic of music in real time. Bring the whole crew. Whether youÕre a long-time Ranky Tanky fan or catching APQÕs rising buzz, this family performance will leave you smiling long after the last note.

Sister Ivy
2025-08-02 20:00 - 22:00
Sister Ivy weaves sultry soul, jazz-infused groove, and indie-folk poetry into a sound thatÕs at once ethereal and grounded. Fronted by AshevilleÕs Rachel Waterhouse, the band blends hauntingly emotive vocals with layered instrumentation and unexpected harmonic turns. Their songs dive deepÑbridging the mundane and magicalÑwith themes of longing, identity, and transformation. Often described as Òdreamy soul-psych,Ó Sister IvyÕs sound is both experimental and deeply felt, offering a rich listening experience that lingers long after the last note.

A Tale Of Two
2025-08-07 19:30 - 21:30
This storytelling Americana blues duo blends the sultry jazz vocals of Stephanie Adlington with the swampy guitar stylings of Aaron Lessard. Known for their Southern-Gothic charm and cinematic flair, A Tale of Two crafts vivid, intimate tales of love, loss, and longing. Their vintage-inspired sound bridges folk, blues, and roots traditions, earning them a spotlight at AmericanaFest and acclaim as Òblues arias with soul, intrigue and power.Ó Their dynamic chemistry on stage captivates audiences, creating a live show that feels as timeless as it is emotionally raw.

Random Animals
2025-08-09 20:00 - 22:00
Random Animals is an Asheville, North Carolina based Indie-Soul quartet. A product of years of collaborations among the tight-knit quartet Ð most of whose members play in other bands in town (including The Get Right Band, Supatight and the Diamond River Band) Ð Random AnimalsÕ unique sound is defined by dreamy vocal harmonies, a driving rhythm section, thoughtful lyrics, and guitar arrangements that are tight yet melodic. Weaving together elements of indie-rock, funk, r&b, jazz and soul music, Random Animals puts on a dynamic show thatÕs aimed to please a diverse audience.

Zoe and Cloyd
2025-08-14 19:30 - 21:30
Klezgrass. This one word may best describe the vast musical world of Asheville, NC duo Zoe & Cloyd. Springing from rich and complementary traditions, the artistic stylings of fiddler/vocalist Natalya Zoe Weinstein and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist John Cloyd Miller fit together in a harmonic dovetail. Zoe & Cloyd delight audiences with soaring harmonies and heartfelt songwriting, seamlessly combining original bluegrass, klezmer, old-time and folk with sincerity and zeal.

Kristen Ford and Rachael Sage
2025-08-16 20:00 - 22:00
This powerhouse duo delivers an evening of bold, genre-blending performance and captivating songwriting. Kristen Ford commands the stage with high-energy, loop-driven indie rock infused with Americana spirit and raw emotional grit. Rachael Sage, an award-winning singer-songwriter, offers a rich tapestry of folk-pop melodies, classical undertones, and poetic lyrics that have drawn comparisons to Tori Amos and Ani DiFranco. Together, they create a dynamic musical experienceÑfierce, heartfelt, and unforgettably original..
