Normally, Darren Nicholson would have a mandolin in his hands.
But on this day, hes gripping a chainsaw.
Right now, Im working on a giant red oak and a locust, the bluegrass musician tellsRolling Stone.
Debris covers the River Arts District in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene flooding on Oct. 2 in Asheville, North Carolina.Mario Tama/Getty Images
Its just two trees, but Im not a tree service.
Im a one-man show just a guy with a chainsaw and a truck.
Like everybody else, Im just stunned.
Its hard to comprehend, Nicholson says.
But we have two choices.
We either sit around and dwell on the problem or we can get into the solution.
This is going to change peoples lives forever, says Ketch Secor, frontman forOld Crow Medicine Show.
Its going to change these towns for the next 50 or 100 years.
Volunteer, bring money, supplies, muscle, determination, and positivity.
If you cant go there, then just send a check.
[Help out] in your own way.
Floodwaters overtook his familys home on the outskirts of the city in Swannanoa.
Were devastated, Zara says.
My street was completely under water, [with] homes flooded up to the ceiling.
Stranded for several hours, they were eventually rescued.
Despite his house being in ruins and without flood insurance Zara remains grateful.
His family is safe and recovery is underway for the property and neighborhood.
(Theres also aGoFundMefor the Zaras.)
Cleanup is moving along with lots of help from complete strangers.
Houses are going down to the studs in Swannanoa, Zara says.
Were hopeful and know that our community is resilient.
We can do anything with a little help from our friends.
Its a long road ahead, Tomasin says.
[But] Asheville is a town that rallies to support one another.
What makes Asheville is the people who are here.
Its just an endless cleanup, Hubner says, describing the Sisyphean task at hand.
Ten-foot tall berms of trash and mud that get scraped away and immediately replaced with another pile.
Headquartered on Main Street in Marshall, the MCAC building was pulverized by the flood.
The river ran through the front of our building and out the back, Hubner says.
We put the instruments up in the mezzanine on Thursday before the water rose, Hubner says.
The mezzanine was just two feet away from getting inundated.
But it didnt and we were able to save our kids instruments.
Billy Strings and James Taylor are also on the lineup.
Its a daily plan here to continue to figure out how to be helpful, says musician Woody Platt.
Theres a real locals helping locals feeling.
The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter hails from Brevard, North Carolina.
The showcase has now transitioned into a flood benefit, with proceeds going to Rescue Carolina.
(Platt will alsolivestream the performanceso folks can donate from far away.)
Proceeds will go to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund.
The rebuilding process is going to be monumental.
An Asheville native, Haynes was personally affected by the flood.
Haynes brother, Brian, owns a vinyl record shop in the heavily damaged River Arts District.
The business, Records in the RAD, was flooded out.
Its just unbelievable, Haynes says.
Watching CNN and they would show footage of areas I was familiar with.
We finally cracked, had some whiskey, and played some music at a friends house, Hubner says.
I cant believe how much destruction there has been.
But its been heartening to see all the aid and volunteers coming to help.
