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I just returned from Belle Chere in Asheville, Drove an hour to get there…. What a joke, I thought Asheville had it togeather….Saw a street preacher verbally Bashed, not only by the crowd, but by a local dj on a live remote from some station claiming to be a progressive station… If this is what Asheville calls a
Good Time…You can keep it…… Its gone to crap…….Too Bad…
I'm a local and I will be at Bele Chere this year for sure. I love people. My mom's a redneck; in fact, she's red all over.
For those who think the bands are weak…well, you haven't seen Deep Fried 5 then…get ready to dance and get funky!!! I would hold your onto your complaints until you've heard the band…
http://www.soundcloud.com/deepfried5
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Deep-Fried-Five/272878116417?sk=app_178091127385
I think the whole Ashevegas scene is starting to collapse on itself. Musicians I know are sick of the dirty bumming freak hippie and red neck drunk scene in general. To the PollyAnna Cheerleader this response. I've spoken to people who've worked the different stages that the end is nigh. There's a fraction of the work we stagehands used to do.
Asheville has become nothing but a bums hangout. You have no major shows there simply because the cost of just living there eats up the discretionary income one needs to support major entertainment. NOW, it can be said you all are the Kings of the Second and 3rd Tiers of musicians BUT seriously folks, the scene you've got was because of those who relocated. it was not BORN there. Many of my musician friends MOVED there and created the scene that was and now that that scene isn't paying the bills they're moving back to the traditional cities with a LONG tradition of being able to support the arts.. (Austin, Chicago, New York, Boston, Denver). Where better paying jobs give the individual the right to support sports, the arts, etc. Other than a couple square miles downtown, that culture doesn't exist in Asheville. My musician friends tell me they're tired of being asked to still play for tips and no guarantees.Where the clubs act like they expect the musician to PAY THEM for the priveledge to enterain drunks.
The economy is bad and it's even worse in Asheville. Asheville needs more festivals like another hole in the head. What Asheville needs is REAL jobs staffed by REAL WORKERS not another trustafarian on an extended childhood jaunt OR a dirty hippie begging on the streetcorner. AND that's what Belle Chere' has become. It's no longer special. it doesn't pay the bills. It's boring. AND within another 30years (or less) at the current rate, it will be DEAD and GOOD RIDDANCE!. Time to give Asheville back to those that actually call the place HOME and let the rest go grow up.
Kudos to Tim and the other well-thought commentators who see the truth. Don't let some PollyAnna make his/her problem YOUR problem NOR allow yourself to become alarmed at their personal dillemma. Next thing you'll know, they might even throw the original hippy slam at you. Calling you "APATHETIC".
Good. Let 'em. Since it's not worth my time to go to Belle Chere' economically anymore as a stage worker, then I at this time am totally APATHETIC to those who think I owe it something. Nope..I could care less.
The New Asheville Slogan "Hippie Go Home" (Grow UP and Take a Bath!)
Dude, Big Gigantic has it on their website that they're playing Bele Chere on July 30th. If Big G plays downtown a-ville this could be the craziest Bele Chere in history! I also hear papadosio is playing this year too….Those are two really good bands and one of them is local.
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit on Saturday
http://www.jasonisbell.com/shows/
Totally agree with Tim: Belle Chere SUCKS!
When it first started years ago, it was unique and quite an interesting local event. Since then, it has become a dirty country carnival and we will never go to another Bele Chere. There are just way too many drunks, rednecks, kids stoned out of their minds, and fat people loitering around making a mess of our downtown. Sorry, but it's true. It's not for families, not even on Sundays when there is no booze. Not something we want to attend.
yay for jessica lea mayfield !
Sanctum Sully Friday @ 5pm
Look, I think Eric, E and Ricky Party and all the other haters should remember one thing. THAT BELE CHERE IS FREE. You don't pay a dime to see this live music, eyeball the freak show, eat some food, whatever. It will continue to attract people from all over who will come to Asheville and spend money in shops, bars, hotels, etc. So please, shut up and get over it cause no one cares that you don't like every single band. Maybe, just maybe, you'll go see one and actually have a good time, as cynical as you sound.
BeleChere is a carnival that turns downtown into something for tourists eating corndogs, not people who have a stake in it. Rednecks with NASCAR shirts everywhere.
That said, Rebirth Brass Band will be incredible. When there's a good show at BeleChere, it's your duty to brave the D-list crowds and check it out.
If You Wannas on Friday around 4PM
I've attended nearly every Bele Chere since 1988 and every year there are the same complaints (almost identical complaints! They could literally be copied and pasted from year to year). But, you know what? In over 20 of these events I've attended they always seem to be full of people having a good time and not complaining! So while maybe the festival is "going downhill" in a select few people's eyes, it is not really going downhill at all. I personally love it more and more each year.
(and you know what else? This post, in retort to the complainers, is probably a carbon copy of what someone else has replied every other year! Ha!)
I'm finished with Belle Chere.
As far as I know from my friends, nobody is really jazzed about Belle Chere any more. It's been getting worse for several years and has lost it's uniqueness and vibe. This music line up is really poor. They need some new energy and ideas. I know a lot of peeps here who simply boycott it and I can't say I blame them. Really too bad, it used to be cool.
As a native of Louisiana, I'm excited about ReBirth.
Eric, that obviously isn't the entire line up, those are local bands that have been chosen to represent asheville this year.
Support your community, please.
This line up is really weak.
I agree that BeleChere is going downhill.
Totally UNDERWHELMING!
It's pretty clear that Belle Chere is an event on a steep decline. Given all the changes downtown, this event will get smaller and smaller.
Many of us in Asheville are happy to see it downsize and become less of a freak, drunk, redneck spectacular.
The mighty Black Mountian band Floating Action also has a Bele Chere date listed on it's website
so far so good!
Protomen!!!!!!!
In addition to the bands you found on Pollstar:
Friday
The Secret B-Sides
Saturday
Railroad Earth (headlining set I believe)
Vertigo Jazz Project
Sirius B.
Deep Fried 5
Sunday
Doc Aquatic
Do It To Julia
The Stereofidelics
Skinny Legs & All
Common Foundation
They should just go ahead and announce it already. We already have at least a third of the bands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA32WggmIYo
Enjoy!
Let the yawning commence…