ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Local activist group Save the Woods has organized a concert in their latest effort to raise awareness about potential forest development in north Asheville.
The Concert to Save the Woods will be held from noon to 7 p.m., Sunday, March 2, at Sly Grog Lounge, 271 Haywood St.
The forest Save the Woods wants to protect is in the Five Points neighborhood of north Asheville on land owned by the University of North Carolina Asheville.
UNC Asheville has stated there are no concrete plans to develop the woods, but conversations Save the Woods members have had with workers on the site have led to an outcry for conservation.
The Concert to Save the Woods was orchestrated by area local Alex Deutsch.
“I’m a volunteer who volunteered to take on the concert to do some fundraising and raise awareness for the Save the Woods effort,” said Deutsch.
Deutsch has experience organizing fundraisers, especially ones centered around music. In one campaign, for instance, he raised money for preventing musician overdoses. In another, he was part of “Caverns of Gold,” a benefit album for survivors of Hurricane Helene.
Read more about “Caverns of Gold” in our story here.
For Concert to Save the Woods, he’s gathered 13 musical acts to perform half-hour sets at Sly Grog Lounge. Each musician is performing free of charge.
“We actually have a lot of talent right in the neighborhood. A lot of the musicians and bands have members that live in the neighborhood,” Deutsch said. “As I was planning this and people were hearing about it, I got some offers from people outside of the neighborhood as well. Because, you know, people from Montford and other areas in the city use the woods as well. Then also other people that are just passionate about conservation.”
At the show, Save the Woods will be sharing information about their effort and asking the audience to sign their petition. They will also be selling “Save the Woods” T-shirts. The proceeds will go toward hiring consultants and producing shirts and yard signs.
“If we don’t end up using all the funds we raise, we’ll donate them to another local nonprofit,” Deutsch promised.
The list of musicians includes:
- Aurora Wynne
- The Blinds
- Double Love and the Trouble
- Jason Merritt
- Keep Left – members of The Get Right Band
- Mike Andersen
- Pink Mercury
- Planefolk
- Ryan Glass
- Sal Landers Party RX
- Samara Jade
- Secret B-Sides
- Wild Roots
There will be a $10 suggested donation at the door, but “no one will be turned away for inability to pay,” Deutsch said.
For more information, visit the event Facebook page.