Asheville musicians rally after Helene but fear losing an audience
"We definitely don’t want people to forget about us," one venue employee said, as Asheville's live music and festival scene prepares for a long recovery.
Last week, Kenny Clark packed his three dogs and 20 guitars into the back of his car and headed west to Nashville, Tennessee, where he planned to raffle off the instruments for hurricane relief.
“We had these couple days of overwhelming sadness and anxiety and confusion and wanting to help and not knowing what we could do,” said Clark, who co-owns and manages Asheville Guitar Pedals, a shop in the North Carolina city that Hurricane Helene tore through nearly three weeks ago.
The store experienced minimal damage but has been closed since the storm. Clark said he wasn’t sure at first where to start pitching in on rebuilding efforts, “and then Miranda, my partner, had this idea. It was a no-brainer.”
They helped organize a raffle and benefit concert at Soft Junk, a Nashville venue, over the past weekend that pulled in much-needed donations and helped buoy spirits. But Clark and others in Asheville’s music scene — which has a spunky, up-and-coming reputation — foresee a long recovery ahead.
“We definitely don’t want people to forget about us,” said Liz Tallent, who manages marketing and special events for the Orange Peel and Rabbit Rabbit, two prominent music venues in Asheville.
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