A THREE-DAY CELEBRATION OF BLUES CENTERED IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC
The Black Mountain Blues Festival brought together the best of blues on the first anniversary of Hurricane Helene, which devastated the area.
Tourism needs to return and this was a grand first step. The lineup was first class with great indoor and outdoor venues, the downtown showing no sign of the devastation that took place 365 days ago.
Down the hill from town was a different story on that fateful day last September. The Bush Farmhouse, a South African-inspired food and drink establishment, had 8-feet of water throughout. Owner Mark Henegan told me his story of swimming inside to save as many treasures as he could. We shared stories together of South Africa, which I have traveled to twice, once for travel stories and once for Nelson Mandela’s election. Henegan showed us a book from South Africa from his collection that was damaged badly in the flood and how a patron bought him a new copy after he reopened. A simple act of kindness meant a lot.
As I talked to the residents, the pain was not much different from the survivors of 9/11 in New York City. One man I met had moved to Black Mountain from Wilmington, wanting to escape the hurricanes which hit the coast. In Black Mountain, he lost neighbors and friends. The entire weekend was titled a “Celebration of Resiliency” for a town still in sorrow.
The Peri Social House, which opened just six weeks before the hurricane struck, contained the most intimate stage. I met owner Kathryn Rudisill at the coffee bar inside the boutique hotel that was originally the 1930s summer home for a Durham family. Kathryn and her husband, Trevor, transformed the building, whose former tenants included a funeral home and an auction house, into a destination resort reminiscent of the time it was built.
The back of the hotel has a gorgeous patio and open air entry into the coffee bar and atrium, an intimate setting for performers Abraham Amador and Louisa Branscomb.
In addition, they hosted Blues2Grass. The “festival within a festival” was produced by Louisa Branscomb, a world-renowned songwriter, performer, and advocate for the transcending power of songs to change the lives of the writer, and the larger community. That philosophy fit right in with the theme of “Celebrate Resiliency.” Fifteen artists came together to show the connection between the blues and its impact on all forms of American music – folk, Appalachian music, swing, ragtime, country, folk, Americana, gospel, a Capella, show tunes, and bluegrass.
White Horse served as the linchpin of the festival, a non-profit music hall founded by music legend Bob Hinkle, located adjacent to the bucolic town square (site of another outdoor stage). The view from the square features an all brick shopping district with the mountains almost painted above them. On their website, the story of how the venue got its name is wonderful, involving visions and word play. (Read it!) It ends with this:
When McMurray first showed them the building and they heard the natural acoustic properties, they turned and a crinkled poster of white horses hung on the inside of the garage door. They kept the crinkled poster and a friend flattened it out and attached it to a wooden background. The original poster of the White Horse now hangs on our walls.
The Kelli Baker Band was a surprise that became a new favorite. I saw a group of musicians unloading in the parking lot I was parked in. I walked over and introduced myself and told them I would be photographing their show. Kelli introduced herself to me and we wished each other success in the day. Her bandmate, Noé Socha, is a Brooklyn-based guitar and harmonica player originally from the small town of Carpi, Italy. That I did not learn until visiting their website. I wish we could have talked about Brooklyn. Her Delta-blues style combined with Noé on the harmonica was enchanting.
On Friday, Nik West brought high energy to the Old Town stage that features walking by the old train station with pictures of long past mountain living. Discovered by Prince on YouTube, and quoted as saying he was her greatest mentor, came on stage in a dazzling purple cape and made herself heard throughout the town. My two favorite photos from the show are both with her interacting and having fun.
Robert Randolph took command of the Old Town stage on Saturday as he sat at his slide guitar and brought everyone to their feet. Here was someone on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists” list playing to a crowd of 2,000 in the foothills of North Carolina. I photographed him trying to capture his emotion, which was more than evident. The crowd left their seats and danced in front of the stage on the anniversary day of Helene. What a difference a year can make.
The pièce de résistance for me was Eric Gales debuting his new album, A Tribute to LJK, honoring his late brother Little Jimmy King (Manuel Gales). My reel on Instagram captured more views than anything else I posted this year. Hearing him rip away on the guitar was watching a maestro at work. It took me a while to realize that he was the first artist I have seen play the guitar upside down and left-handed.
Dancing in Black Mountain to Ra’Shad the Blues Kid on the street above the Foothills Grange stage of the Black Mountain Blues Festival on September 27, 2025. ©Mark D Phillips
