Julie Loyd at Club Hairspray October 3.

October is one of my favorite months to be out-and-about on the town, what with the seasons slowly changing and fall bringing in its unique smells, sights and sounds.  This October is an especially eventful month for those of us lucky to be in Asheville and surrounding parts of North and South Carolina.  No need to desperately search for things to do this fall, it is all coming to you.

There will be plenty to check out at Club Hairspray in Asheville this month.  Aside from the usual nightly specials brought to you by some of the best bartenders in the city, October will be full of special performances by both familiar and not-so-familiar faces.  Julie Loyd will be in town to perform on Friday, October 3 at 11pm.  Another Hairspray favorite, Jazz Salm, will take over the stage on Saturday, October 20 at 11pm.  Both singer-songwriters have their own unique guitar styles and give a whole new perspective to the folk/acoustic genre. 

Though not an Asheville local, Julie Loyd’s music should be a staple on all our music-listening menus. With raucous energy, unmatched spunk, and boot-stompin’ attitude, Loyd brings passion and emotion to life on stage. It’s a show you don’t want to miss – she’s not in Asheville often these days.

The Good Problems, Steph Hayes & Chris Schutz, at LaRue's Backdoor October 22. Join the staff of OIA there!

Finally, this year there is no need to fret over finding the perfect thing to do on Halloween night.  Club Hairspray’s got that covered.  On Friday the 31st they will be hosting the 1st annual Freaker’s Ball where there will be king and queen performances galore, Tarot Card readings, and a costume contest well worth entering, as the winner will receive a $200 cash prize!

Joan Osborne, soul singer with a loyal queer following, will be at The Orange Peel on Saturday, October 4, at 8pm.  Her latest album, Breakfast In Bed, consists of soul classics as well as original compositions that complement nicely.  Admit it folks, like me, you bought Joan Osborne’s record, Relish, as soon as it hit shelves. It made a nice addition to my high school music collection – and a regular in my play list.

Also worth checking out at The Orange Peel this month, are Grace Potter and the Nocturnals on Friday, October 17 at 9pm.  Bonnie Raitt herself has called them “one of the most soulful bands around,” and their new album, This Is Somewhere, reaffirms their status as a rising “neoclassic rock and roll band.”  Grace Potter’s natural star quality is beginning to catch mainstream attention, so see them now so you can one day say, “I saw them when…”

Dehlia Low is a new country/bluegrass band from Asheville who will be performing at the Purple Onion Café in Saluda on Saturday, October 4 at 8pm.  Go check them out while catching a great meal and then look for them performing around Asheville over the upcoming months! I haven’t heard them yet, but I’m always up for new music.

Club Steel Blue in Durham will be hosting long-time lesbian duo Halcyon on Friday, October 17.  Steph Callahan and Deb Hunseder have been performing together for sixteen years and managed to maintain a loyal following as well as continually pick up new admirers along the way.  Whether old fan, new fan or just curious, you can check them out while visiting the Triangle’s hottest new lesbian bar.  Cover is $10 and doors open at 8pm.  Visit www.clubsteelblue.com for more information.

I am personally excited about Laura Blackley’s upcoming performance on Friday, October 17 at Rodi in Gastonia.  Blackley is a powerful and emotional performer who hates the term “folk-rock” but would rather be considered an admirer of the blues, rock and roll, and true country music whose admiration can be heard and felt through her own material.  And rightfully so… Blackley is one of the more original “singer-songwriters” out there who simply cannot be confined to a box or label.  How many musicians these days write songs about ghost stories and murder mysteries as well as love? 

And as a native of Gastonia I can promise you that before Rodi appeared there was virtually nowhere in town to see worthwhile musicians, eat delicious Mediterranean-American food, and most importantly, simply hang out and have a good time.  Music is from 9pm-11pm and there is never a cover.  (Try the Baked Penne. Trust me.)

Asheville favorite Brianna Lane will be playing The Evening Muse in Charlotte on Thursday, October 22 at 8pm.  Advance tickets are a mere $6 and can be purchased at www.theeveningmuse.com.  This is one heck of a deal as The Evening Muse has long been considered one of the best places in The Queen City to hear live acoustic music, and as many of you know, Ms. Lane’s talent never disappoints.  I’ve heard her a few times over the past couple years, and I have always been moved by her performances. Especially her performance at Lin and Porscha’s wedding last October. I also want to wish Lin and Porscha a happy anniversary on October 20! One year under their belts, and they’re still going strong.

Encore Magazine called Katie Sawicki a “Singstress, Songwriter, Lyrical Genius,” and I think they just might be right.  Sawicki, an independent contemporary folker, released her latest CD, Time Spent Lost, this spring and from the tracks I listened to on her myspace page, it’s pretty awesome. Katie Sawicki will be playing with Brianna Lane at the Evening Muse in Charlotte on October 22 and then at the Acoustic Coffee House in Johnson City on October 26. Check her out for yourself at www.myspace.com/katiesawicki.

Steph Hayes and Chris Schutz of The Good Problems will be playing at LaRue’s Backdoor in Asheville on October 22 with Wayne Fishell.  Not that I’m like a groupie or anything but Steph and Chris put on a really fun show. Susan of the Sirens Muse on WPVM-LP in Asheville describes their music as, “Intelligent lyrics, catchy hooks -- real, relevant and sexy.”  Rumor has it that Wayne Fishell is well-worth hearing in concert, too.  Even in Asheville, you don’t get too many opportunities to hear three queer musicians in one night!  And LaRue’s makes it doubly fun.  Have you ever tried to count all those Jello molds?  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you really must go hear Steph Hayes, Chris Schutz and Wayne Fishell at LaRue’s Backdoor.

The Western North Carolina Jazz Society will be hosting Gaye Adegbalola & Friends at Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville on October 26 at 7pm.  Gaye, a native of Fredericksburg, Virginia and former schoolteacher of 18 years, is a founding member of Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women, and a Blues Music Award winner who plays acoustic guitar, slide guitar, harmonica, sings and is a composer.  She has released three albums on her own label, Hot Toddy Music, the most recent being Gaye Without Shame.  An intentional pun, Gaye’s mission is to be an out artist in the Blues community while also introducing those in the queer community to Blues music.  Tickets are $21 for members of the Western North Carolina Jazz Society, $29 for non-members and $10 for students under 25 with valid student ID.  Visit www.dwtheatre.com for more information and to purchase tickets.  A performance well-worth seeing at any price!

If you are not familiar with the queer cult classic Psycho Beach Party, you should be.  But whether you have the film version memorized, or have never heard of such a thing, you should run to UNC Asheville’s Carol Belk Theatre between October 1 and 5 to see Theatre UNCA’s interpretation of this campy spoof of 1960s surfer films and Hitchcock-style horror flicks.  Gender-bending runs rampant in this piece with a male lead actor playing the female lead character.  Curtain is 8pm Wednesday through Saturday and there is a 2 pm Sunday matinee.  Theatre UNCA highly recommends advance purchasing of tickets, which are $10 general admission, $8 for senior citizens and $5 for students.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.unca.edu/drama.

If you feel the need to add a little drama to your life, you might want to check out one of these plays this month. Two of them are perfect for the upcoming spooky holiday. 

The Greenville Little Theatre in Greenville, SC is staging Agatha Christie’s Appointment with Death. From the Master of Mystery comes a story about the murder of a domineering American matriarch in the desert outside of Jerusalem.  Complete with a colorful array of characters now suspects, Appointment with Death is a dynamic and suspenseful play that could only have been concocted by Agatha Christie.  Agatha Christie’s Appointment with Death opens at the Greenville Little Theatre on Halloween (October 31) for ten performances.  For more information about show dates, times and tickets, visit www.greenvillelittletheatre.com.

For something more sinister and deeply twisted, I suggest you go see Misery at the Asheville community Theatre’s 35below theater.  This stage version of Stephen Kings’ thriller and tale of obsession in overdrive, adapted by Simon Moore, will keep you on the edge of your seat.  Misery will open on October 2 at 8pm and run for 4 weekends through October 25th.  The Asheville Community Theatre is located a 35 E. Walnut Street in Asheville.Tickets are only $15 may be purchased online at www.ashevilletheatre.org .

The Centre Stage, also in Greenville, SC, will be opening its 26th season on October 16th with Bus Stop by William Inge.  Based on an earlier one-act, Bus Stop involves a pair of young lovers and their struggle to find romance in the modern world, a nightclub singer named Cherie and a brash cowboy named. Alternately hilarious and heartbreaking, the play takes place inside a diner near Kansas City. A freak snowstorm has blocked all roads, stranding a busload of strangers together until morning. Their stories emerge to form a vivid tapestry of love, tragedy and hope. Bus Stop will run through November 1st.  For more information, go to www.centrestage.org.

Have a great month!  I’ll see you on the other side of barstools.

Jen Watson