ARTS + MUSIC

Midnight Snack
Asheville's Midnight Snack releases their new single, "Shadow Chaser," today, and celebrates on February 4th at West Asheville's Mothlight.

Fringe Fest Weekend Update
Happy Fringe Festival, all! See what's happening with sneak peeks from our Fringe Friends, plus more on this edition of the GritVegas weekend update!

The Ride Along
We're highlighting five (of many!) shows we're hyped about that will be performed at this year's Asheville Fringe Festival.

Jim Sea
Jim Sea is bringing light to an issue that is often overlooked--and he's doing it in a way that not many have done before. His show "Unredeemable" will be on stage at Asheville's Fringe Festival on January 26th. Check out our interview and your chance to win two tickets to see "Unredeemable".

dissisoma
Transcend duality and find “the Lord of the Dance” with dissisoma’s upcoming release, and catch her with Bluetech and Push/Pull at New Mountain AVL this Thursday!

Michael Washington Brown
Michael Washington Brown has a lot to say, and we were recently lucky enough to listen. His show "Black!" will be premiering at Asheville's Fringe Festival on January 27th. Check out our interview and your chance to win two tickets to see "Black!"

Harry Callahan, Asheville, North Carolina , 1951
This Friday marks the opening of a photography exhibit at the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center that showcases photographs taken at the College.

Krampus GritVegas
Whether you want to get involved in Inauguration-related community events, find your niche in the arts, or take a ride with Krampus, we've got something just for you this weekend in Asheville.

Winter Warmer
We've got a pair of tickets for the Winter Warmer Beer Festival this weekend! To enter, like us on Facebook and share our post. We'll pick a winner on Friday at 10 am!

Zach Brock of Snarky Puppy. Photo: Frank Zipperer
2016 was a big year at Asheville's Orange Peel. Did you make it out to any of their favorite shows?

Ghostlight Project
The Ghostlight Project, which focuses on the theatre's role in "sustaining values of inclusion, participation, and compassion for everyone," will meet on Thursday, January 19th at Magnetic 375.

BEAT LIFE COMP.1 cover. Credit: Shayanne Gal
BEAT LIFE releases BEAT LIFE COMP.1, its first compilation album, on Sunday, January 15th, with a second volume already in the works.

Start 2017 with good music by heading to The Mothlight on Monday, January 16th to see Big Thief.

Boo Velvet: The Great American Strip-Off
The Great American Strip-Off: an evening of pasties, toilet paper, and tiny hands (among other things) happening through this weekend and next.

So many movies, so little time. Skip work and hit up some matinees. Skip sleep and go see some late night flicks. You're going to want to when you see this lineup.

Moogfest 2017
Moogfest has released its first announcement about presenters and this year's festival, which will once again be held in Durham, NC.

GritVegas MLK Edition
Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., on Monday, and fill the rest of your weekend with music and the arts!

Malaprop's
Looking for a new read in the new year? The staff at Malaprop's adds to your essential reading list.

Philadelphia-based choral ensemble The Crossing plays Friday
Big Ears 2017 happens in Knoxville, TN, from March 23-26. Here's what you need to know.

Still from The Conquest of Canaan
The Conquest of Canaan, filmed in 1921 in Asheville, will be screened at Grail Moviehouse on January 22nd with live piano accompaniment.

The GRiZ Get Down @ ExploreAsheville.com Arena. Photo: Auburn Petty
Auburn Petty, of Plugged In Publicity, gives us her Top Five EDM shows of 2016. We recommend immediately putting all of these artists straight into your playlist.

Embrace of the Serpent
The Daily Orca's James Rosario picks his Top 10 Films of 2016.

Asheville Fashion Week
A Recap of Asheville's Fashion Scene in 2016

Melanie McNair Malaprop's Book Picks
Malaprop's manager Melanie McNair shares her picks for the Top Books of 2016 with Asheville Grit.

GritVegas Weekend Update January 5-8
Cold weekend ahead? Heat it up with this edition of the Asheville GritVegas Weekend Update, our first of the new year!

Asheville Fringe Festival
It's the most wonderful time of the year again--Fringe Festival time! Tickets and limited Fringe Freak Passes are on sale now!

Jeremy Horton of Unification Tattoo. Photo: Tiffany Narron
Tattoo artist & hip hop beat maker Jeremy Horton shares how he learned the trade while traveling and helped Key West gain its ability to tattoo legally. Also: the most ridiculous thing he's ever drawn on someone.

GritVegas Weekend Update New Year's Edition
Start the champagne toast now, here are your weekend plans for the final days of 2016.

Rosebud Video is going out of business. Go support them one last time.

Christine Garvin Dance + Transform. Photo: Megan Torgerson
Christine Garvin Dance + Transformation (CGD+T) is offering a new certification program in 2017. They'll also be donating to a different non-profit every month.

All your New Year's Eve party opportunities in one spot.

12 Days of Grit-Mas logo
We're celebrating 12 Days of Grit-Mas this year! Starting on Monday, December 12th, we'll be giving away exclusive gifts and packages from some of our favorite local businesses!

The Brand New Testament
A very fun and whimsical story whose triumphs far outweigh its shortcomings.

GritVegas Holidays
Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Good Yule! Celebrate the holidays with the Asheville GritVegas Weekend Update!

Salvage Station
Get your New Year's Eve plans right with our Day 10 Grit-Mas Giveaway: 2 tickets to Salvage Station's New Year's Eve party AND a $25 giftcard!

Barley's and Grail images
We've created the ultimate package for you on Day 9 of Grit-Mas: dinner and a movie. Enter today to win a $30 gift certificate to Barley's and a Night out at the Movies at Grail Moviehouse.

Claire Veale and Shayanne Gal, Creators of Voices of Refugees
Local photographer Shayanne Gal and co-creator Claire Veale began Voices of Refugees to document the stories of displaced Syrians and other refugees in Greece.

Fire Forest. Photo: Cameron Strandberg
Equal parts heartbreak and hope, Brad Kelly's "Morchella Eximia" is the Grand Prize Winner of our inaugural Asheville Grit/Dogwood Alliance Flash Writing Competition.

GritVegas Weekend Update December 16-18
We're gearing up for the holidays, and we've got fun events to help you celebrate, shop, and relax!

Suwanee River Live Oaks. Photo: Stewart Tomlinson
A testament to memory, longing, love, and identity, Audrey Amir's powerful "Etymology" is the first runner-up for our Asheville Grit/Dogwood Alliance Flash Writing Competition.

Christmas Jam. Photo: John Zara
Warren Haynes and friends make the US Cellular Center glow.

Corvallis and Eastern Railroad Logging Car. Source: Wiki Commons
Ryn Bradford Hayes shared her wonderful "Forests by Owl-Light" with us, and we chose is as the second runner-up for our Asheville Grit/Dogwood Alliance flash writing competition.

Horse and Hero handmade holiday cards
On the second day of Grit-Mas, we're giving away a $50 gift certificate from Horse and Hero to one lucky winner!

Snake Mountain at Sunset. Photo: Justin Lonas (2005)
Kathryn Keeper's gorgeous "Hypermetropia" is the third runner-up for our Asheville Grit/Dogwood Alliance flash writing competition.

Woods & Wilds. Source: Dogwood Alliance
Announcing this year's Dogwood Alliance + Asheville Grit Flash Writing Competition Winners and finalists! We'll publish one winning story a day, ending with our Grand Prize Winner!

Chris Coen and Andy Shauf
The Mothlight welcomes the talented rockers to Asheville.

Christmas Jam GritVegas
It's gonna be cold this weekend, Asheville! We've got events and activities to keep you toasty!

Oak City Slums
Saturday night, head to the Mothlight for a BEATLIFE celebration with headliner Oak City Slums.

Mobley and Catch Fever // Wake the Dreamers
Mobley, who hails from Austin, TX, comes to New Mountain's Ridge on Friday with support from Catch Fever and the Stump Mutts. Proceeds from their new EP go to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Dylan LeBlanc
Inflected with the sounds of the deep South, Dylan LeBlanc's latest album offers a meditation on the singer's life so far--and far ahead. He'll play the Mothlight Tuesday, December 6th.