T o y b o aT c o M M u n i T y a r T s pa c e
whaT Carnavalito
whaT Two-day music festival with Toubab Krewe, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Donna the Buffalo and more
where Pisgah Brewing Company
when Friday and Saturday, July 13 & 14 (6 p.m. on Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $26 for one day, $41 for both days, $51/$76 for VIP. pisgahbrewing.com) And the festival has not only a name, Carnavalito (“It’s the vibe of the carnival spirit,” says Quaranta), but theme songs. “Carnavalito” is a Peruvian-inspired track from TK2; “La Vida Es Un Carnaval,” a Celia Cruz cover, is a track from Toubab Krewe’s next album (still to be recorded). The latter track, says Quaranta, evolved over time on the road and was recently recorded in a studio with guest artists, including a horn section. The band wanted to get some music out to the fans because the next album, which they plan to record in Bamako, Mali, is on hold due to political instability in that country. But they will go forward with the plan because, not only will the trip involve studio time, but groundbreaking on Krewe House, a music school to be headed by Toubab Krewe’s friend and teacher, Lamine Soumano. It's a project the guys in the band feel passionate about. Toubab Brewe (a Bavarian lager produced in partnership with Craggie Brewing) has raised funds for that cause, along with a portion of ticket sales from all of Toubab Krewe's concerts for the last year and a half. A dollar from each Carnavalito ticket goes to the music school. Also filed under making the world a better place: Asheville on Bikes hosts Tour de Toubab for those interested in reaching the festival by pedal power. The 25-mile ride leaves from the Stephens Lee Recreational Center at 3 p.m. on Friday and noon on Saturday. Cyclists will be accompanied by a sag wagon to carry camping gear to the East Asheville KOA. One reason Toubab Krewe chose Pisgah is because of the brewery’s proximity to the campground. A shuttle will transport Canavalito ticket holders the mile distance between Pisgah and the KOA; a shuttle will also be available between the KOA, Pisgah and downtown Asheville (details through Pisgah’s website). Then there’s the matter of Pisgah’s outdoor stage, which has already hosted festivalcircuit mainstays like Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and Karl Denson's Tiny Universe. It’s a great jumping-off point for what
The chronicles of Gnarnia There are plenty of reasons to buy your tickets in advance for the inaugural Gnarnia Festival. To begin with, the first two tiers of early bird tickets have already sold out. The good news is, you can still get into the three-day event (ThursdaySaturday, Aug. 9-11) for $135 (Royal Treatment VIP passes are $450, RV passes are $250 and single-day passes are $75). Held in Beech Mountain, Gnarnia (with its The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe theme) features a star-studded lineup including Beats Antique, 7 Walkers, Paper Diamond, Tipper, Emancipator, Mark Farina, Conspirator, 12th Planet and Toubab Krewe, among many others. Performance artists add “everything from fire spinning to stilt walking to comedy here in The Land of Gnarnia” and a roster of visionary/ spiritual/psychedelic visual artists (Android Jones, Brandon Paul, Abho Thati, Sean Pace and others) amp up the creative element. And, if you need more than just music, dancing and art at your festival, Gnarnia’s events list offers an obstacle course of activities. Bicycle jousting, mud wrestling and a costume ball are on the itinerary, along with guided yoga and nature hikes.
CIRCUS SCHOOL Brought to you by members of the Runaway Circus
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314-795-7232 •101 Fairview Road Suite B (next to French Broad Brewery) • Asheville, NC 28803
Juggling » Magic » Trapeze » acrobaTics » percussion enseMble » & More!
Speaking of nature, Gnarnia’s list of lodging possibilities suggests a refreshing mountain getaway (two bedroom chalet, anyone?), and a nearby campground offers rustic tent sites to the budget-minded starting at $16 a day. Find all the information at gnarniathefestival. com. — A.M.
Quaranta hopes will grow into an annual event, perhaps at “a really unique location out in Madison County.” As much as Toubab Krewe seems excited to settle down for a weekend, the band’s members are very much on the move. “It’s been cool spreading out a bit and seeing how people have grown on their own, musically,” says Quaranta, who is now based New York. Pransky is in Miami; Heller and drummer Vic Stafford are in Atlanta. Only guitarist, kora and kamelengoni player Justin Perkins remains in WNC. But despite the members’ scattered locales, Quaranta insists that “Asheville’s the home of the band, and always will be.” X Alli Marshall can be reached at amarshall@ mountainx.com.
mountainx.com • JULY 11 - JULY 17, 2012 41