Genre: Blues/Appalachian Soul
Cover: $5 Suggested Donation @ the Door
Show: 10PM
Ages: 21+
Aaron “Woody” Wood
Aaron Woody Wood’s story is one steeped in music and tradition. Woody is straight up Appalachian Soul music. Carved from a piece of the NC foothills Rock and then Rolled through the Mississippi Delta mud, he’s a cosmic cowboy who represents the powerful soul and energy of American music.
Beginning all the way back in Love Valley in the Piedmont foothills of North Carolina where the famous Fiddler’s Grove was held, Woody was brought up in a family full of musicians and musical talent. As long as he could remember there was music surrounding his life. Woody’s Father, AL Wood, was an important figure in Contemporary Bluegrass Music throughout the 60’s and 70’s helping define that genre of music alongside bands like ‘Seldom Scene’ and ‘Country Gentlemen’. AL Wood was well respected for his songwriting, tenor singing, and banjo playing putting out records when Bluegrass was just beginning to get popular. Playing at the Grand Ole Opry 3 times and performing at the White House were among some of the great achievements of AL Wood’s career. Woody’s Mom influenced him through encouraging him to listen to her collection of rock n roll records turning him on to artists like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Rockabilly music.
Being the youngest of 5 kids, all of whom played instruments or sang, Woody was immersed in music and tradition from a very young and formative time in his life. His first memory of being on stage was at the young age of 6 where he played a tiny banjo his Dad had made for him. He played and sang next to his Dad and Bill Monroe that day. Between the old time bluegrass his Father and brothers played and The Piedmont Blues that he was drawn to in his teenage years, his musical styles and influences were taking shape through his guitar playing and songwriting.
At 20, Aaron Woody Wood moved to the Asheville, NC mountains and soon began busking on the downtown streets with what would end up becoming the members of the Rag n Roll swing style Ragtime music of The Blue Rags – and would be the start of Woody’s musical career as an artist. When Woody was 23 the band was signed to Sub Pop Records and began touring, eventually recording 2 CD’s and playing in 47 states across the country and abroad over the following 5 years before disbanding. Along the tours they opened up for some of the greatest like Alabama, Leon Russell, Southern Culture on the Skids, Santana, Pavement, and Ziggy Marley in places like The Oregon Country Fair, High Sierra Fest, City Stages in Birmingham, Al and SummerFest in Milwaukee. Woody was featured in Acoustic Guitar Player Magazine in April of 1998 for the work that was being released during these years.
Over the next 10 years Aaron Woody Wood had many successes as a solo artist and began various bands in Asheville like the Sufi Brothers, Custard Pie, and Hollywood Red, opening up for Mountain and Kenny Wayne Shepard. In 2006 he was featured on the CMT television show Big Break, where he beat out over 400 local Asheville musicians to open for Country Superstar Sara Evans. The show aired numerous times on the network. Woody spent those years all over the country doing club shows and festivals like Bonaroo and The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
New Orleans has always been like a second home to Woody. While spending time in The Big Easy he recorded 2 albums and performed regularly with the Blue Brass Project, a blend of traditional New Orleans jazz and bluegrass music. The Blue Brass sessions features Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Woody, members of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Rebirth Brass Band, Larry Keel, and Trombone Shorty. He performed in New Orleans at Voodoo Fest and JazzFest in 2011 and 2012 with the Mardi Gras Indian funk band, the 101 Runners.
Over the past few years Woody has been doing studio work and opening up for acts like Brad Paisley, Buddy Guy, Jamey Johnson, Kellie Pickler, David Holt and Tony Joe White. He sang on The Avett Brothers 2013 release Magpie and The Dandelion and plays at the annual XMas Jam in Asheville, NC every year.
His newest release was recorded at Fleetwood Shack Studios in Nashville Tennessee where he joined some of his bandmates from The Blue Rags. “Sunshine” features Woody on guitar and vocals, Bill Reynolds as producer and bass player and Mike Rhodes on drums. It also features Micky Raphael (Willie Nelson) on harmonica, Jimmy Wallace ( Joe Walsh) on organ – and was mastered by Rob Frabone (Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Bob Marley….).
Woody continues to focus on songwriting and fresh styles of guitar picking while collaborating on new creative projects.
web: http://www.aaronwoodywood.com/
vid: https://youtu.be/cghG4SnZ_KA
Tony Holiday Band
Tony Holiday and The Velvetones mix their many influences into a musical gumbo of Dirty Rock and Down Home Blues . With Tony Holiday on harmonica and guitar, Adam Fifield on the Hammond organ, and Dave Idan on drums, it’s a compact trio that packs a big punch and will keep the place dancing till the sun comes up.
Tony Holiday and The Velvetones travel the country spreading their music. Based out of Salt Lake City, you’ll either find them currently on tour or prepping hard for their next one. It’s just what they do-they live and breath the open road.
Tony Holiday and The Velvetones are endorsed by Shaker Harmonica Mics, Coalatree Organics, and Wasatch Glass Works.
“Tony, on vocals and harp, brings out that old school voice that is sometimes missing from the Blues scene today. It harkens back to when the Blues were just finding their way in the new electric age.“
-NEW ENGLAND BLUES REVIEW 2019-
“Hitting the streets January 25th, 2019 on the VizzTone Label Group, Porch Sessions by Tony Holiday is reminiscent of Alan Lomax’s landmark field recordings and the live recordings that have surfaced from Chicago’s famed Maxwell Street era over the years”
-ROCK AND BLUES MUSE 2019-
Named by Blues Harmonica Player™️ as one of the top 10 up and coming harmonica players in the USA-
New Album “Porch Sessions” out now with the Vizztone Label
web: https://tonyholidaymusic.com/
vid: https://youtu.be/zKOEgYMHuYE
https://www.facebook.com/events/235451857299954/