AVLfest, the annual celebration of Asheville music, was underway.
I attempt to tell myself that I dont care/but I learn to love the ones that stay.
Its not dog-eat-dog in this town, Platt tellsRolling Stoneafterwards.
Blitzen Trapper delivered a powerhouse set at AVLfest in Asheville, North Carolina.Fiasco Media*
Its a little bit more of a pure artistic sentiment that goes on here.
The people that move here to pursue their art want to do just that.
And they know its a community of people also doing their art, and we facilitate each other.
They actually appreciate it.
Theyre only there because they dig the music, and the city has always had that reputation.
And if I see the other side/therell be no rest until I find you.
I dont make country music.
I dont make Americana music.
Its blue-collar music, Wells says.
Its for people who struggle day-to-day in this world.
Ultimately, its about the human condition distilling your story down to the common thread.
It just hits you in the chest.
You cant ignore it.
The outfit ripped through its set of old-school blues and soul renditions during a late-night Funkatorium set.
The pinnacle came with a rousing take on Elvis Presleys Suspicious Minds.
AVLfest wrapped up with a moving tribute to Holcombe at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts.
What made Malcolm so great was his believability.
He was not pretentious, flashy or overproduced.
He was a real troubadour, says local singer-songwriter Darren Nicholson, who partook in the tribute.
Music poured out of him.
He was the real deal, using his life and experiences to express so beautifully the human condition.
