Live music: Ensemble to pay tribute to Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles

After having just seen and heard a knockout tribute concert to The Beatles and The Eagles at Flat Rock Playhouse this past weekend, I was more than a little surprised to be notified that a tribute concert to The Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel would be this weekend at The Artisan at Flat Rock.

As I had expected, the Playhouse did a super job of honoring the Fab Four and the 70s guys who brought us “Hotel California” by bringing back some of its musical superstars, most of whom are frequent guests of the Carolina Foothills, but not really residents. This weekend, the musicians who will honor the duo who sang about “Mrs. Robinson” and the long-haired Englishmen who sang about “Eleanor Rigby” will all be well-known musicians who make this neck of the woods their home. It will certainly be worth a listen to check them out.

The musicians who will be taking on this creative challenge are the Alien Music Club, featuring Eric Congdon (guitar, bouzouki, vocals), Peggy Ratusz (vocals), Jonathan Pearlman (vocals, guitar), Micah Thomas (drums) and Grant Cuthbertson (bass). Here is what they are saying about the show:

“The concept of scaling down obscure and beloved Beatles tunes hatched during a conversation Peggy Ratusz shared with Jonathan Pearlman several years ago. They figured, with all the tribute and specialty shows taking place around the country, no one had truly done much with Beatles tunes, other than copy them verbatim.

"Pearlman has been brainstorming arrangements and Ratusz tests them out during their many acoustic shows together. Encouraged by the applause they receive each time they do their versions of classics like 'Oh Darlin,' 'Two Of Us,' 'Back in the USSR,' and 'I’ll Follow the Sun,' they decided it was time to put the finishing touches on these songs and present them in a special show. Because the two of them grew up listening to, learning and playing Simon and Garfunkel’s tunes, they determined it to be a no-brainer to throw some of their greatest hits into this special night, bridging the acoustic sensibilities of Simon and Garfunkel with the rock and roll aesthetic of The Beatles.

"Their buddies Eric Congdon on guitar and vocals and Grant Cuthbertson on upright bass will add the missing links to the arrangements and play key roles in developing and bringing their initial concept to fruition. For one night only: ‘Bridge,’ Simon and Garfunkel meet The Beatles will soothe, move and groove you.”

Well, that’s a pretty tall order, but I have faith in the local musicians to do right by those they honor. Hope to see you there, Saturday night at 7:30. (Hint: You might want to reserve seating).

305 Lounge & Eatery

305 N. Main St., Hendersonville

Friday, 7-9:30 p.m., Letters to Abigail (Americana)

Appalachian Coffee Company

1628 5th Avenue West, Laurel Park

Friday, 6 p.m., Vagabond Crowe (indie/folk band)

Saturday, 6 p.m., Jenny Arch

Appalachian Ridge Artisan Hard Cider

749 Chestnut Gap Rd., Hendersonville

Saturday, 3-6 p.m., Carver & Carmody

Sunday, 2:30-5:30 p.m., Geriatric Jukebox

Black Bear Coffee Co.

318 N. Main St., Hendersonville

Every Saturday, live music

Blue Ghost Brewing Co.

125 Underwood Rd., Fletcher

Friday, 7 p.m., Mr. Jimmy (blues)

Saturday, 7 p.m, Wintervals (folk) and The Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs (folk, pop, rock, acoustic)

Bold Rock Hard Cider

72 School House Rd., Mills River

Saturday, 6-9 p.m., Up Dog (classic rock)

Sunday, 3-5 p.m., Daniel Sage

Burntshirt Vineyards

2695 Sugarloaf Rd., Hendersonville

Saturday, 2-5 p.m., Hester & Franklin (jazz)

Burntshirt Vineyards Tasting Room & Bistro

438 Main St., Chimney Rock

Saturday, 2-5 p.m., Paul Schiro (singer)

Sunday, 2-5 p.m., Eric Cogdon (rock)

Cask & Wine

536 N. Main St. Hendersonville

Saturday, 6 p.m., Kirkland & Watkins Trio (2 guitars, 3 voices, 60s-plus music)

Dry Falls Brewing

425 Kanuga Rd., Hendersonville

Friday, 8 p.m., Raphael

Saturday, 8 p.m., Rebecca and the Reckoning (country)

Feed and Seed

3715 Hendersonville Rd., Fletcher

Friday, Blue Railroad

Saturday, Aaron Soots & Local Boys

First Baptist Church Hendersonville

312 5th Ave. W, Hendersonville

Saturday, 3 p.m., From Spirituals to Gospels

Guidon Brewing Co.

415 8th Ave. E., Hendersonville

Friday, 7 p.m., Andrew Thelston

Saturday, 7 p.m., Soleil LeBlanc (singer, songwriter)

Harper Eatery & Pub

10 Oak St., Tryon

Friday, 6 p.m., Dean Trakas and Linda Lee Reynolds

Saturday, 6:15-8:30 p.m., Paul Bowman (pop, classic rock, Americana, standards, contemporary and light jazz)

Lavender Bistro

82 N. Trade St., Tryon

Thursday, 6-8:30 p.m., Paul Bowman (pop, classic rock, Americana, standards, contemporary and light jazz)

McGourty’s Pub

74 N. Trade St., Tryon

Friday, 9 p.m., karaoke

Mountain Brook Vineyards

731 Phillips Dairy Rd.Tryon

Saturday, 3-6 p.m., Paul Bowman (pop, classic rock, Americana, standards, contemporary and light jazz)

Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards

588 Chestnut Gap Rd., Hendersonville

Saturday, 3-6 p.m., Hunnilicious

Sunday, 2:30-5:30 p.m, Lee Griffin

Saluda Outfitters

Green River Eddy’s Tap Room, 435 Main St., Saluda

Saturdays, through March 30, 6-9 p.m., Second Souls & Friends

Sanctuary Brewing Company

147 1st Ave. E, Hendersonville

Thursday, 7 p.m., Billy Litz (multi-instrumentalist, trumpet, keys, guitar, harmonica, foot percussion, and singer)

Friday, 8 p.m., Hustle Souls (powerhouse soul band)

Saturday, 8 p.m., Ross Osteen Band (blues, rock)

Sierra Nevada/Taproom & Restaurant

100 Sierra Nevada Way Mills River

Saturday, 6-8:30 p.m., The Get Right Band (psychedelic indie-rock power trio)

Saturday, 1-4 p.m., Suede (two guitarists, bluegrass, rock, jazz)

Sunday, 2-5 p.m., Savannah Smith and Southern Soul (north Mississippi southern soul)

Southern Appalachian Brewery

822 Locust St., Hendersonville

Thursday, 7-9 p.m., Blues Thursday with Bill Altman and Friends

Friday, 7-10 p.m., Second Souls (fundraiser for the Blue Ridge Humane Society)

Saturday, 8-10 p.m., Hip Bones' Two-Bass Hit (jazz)

Sunday, 5-7 p.m., Todd Hoke & Paul McIntire (folk, blues, roots)

St. James Episcopal Church

766 N. Main St., Hendersonville

Sunday, 5 p.m., Choral Evensong (canticles, Anglican chant, anthem Christ, organ recital)

The Artisan of Flat Rock

5 Highland Park Rd., Flat Rock

Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Bridge: Paul Simon Meets The Beatles (Eric Congdon, Peggy Ratusz, Jonathan Pearlman, Micah Thomas, and Grant Cuthbertson)

The Dugout Sports Bar Grill & Taphouse

430 N. Main St., Hendersonville

Open Jam Night every Thursday, 8 p.m.-midnight

The Gallery at Flat Rock

Flat Rock Square, 2702A Greenville Highway, Flat Rock

Sunday, 4-6 p.m., Dylan at Connemara by The Gathering Dark (Josh Dunkin and Steven DuRose, songs and spoken word)

The Loft Cafe & Pub

111 Joel Wright Dr., Hendersonville

Friday, 6 p.m., Kirkland & WAtkins Trio (2 guitars, 3 voices, songs from the ‘60s-plus)

The Old Home Place

4060 North Mills River Rd., Mills River

Friday, Blake Ellege

Saturday, Carolina Misty

The Poe House

105 1st Ave. W. Hendersonville

Friday, 7 p.m., Rick Praytor & LuAnn Arena

Saturday, 7 p.m., Folkadelic Duo

The Purple Onion

16 Main St., Saluda

Thursday, 7:30 p.m., The Get Right Band (psychedelic indie-rock power trio)

Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Scoot Pittman (roots, soul, rock, funk)

Triskelion Brewing Company

340 7th Ave. E., Hendersonville

Thursday, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Irish Session (open session for Celtic music and more)

Saturday, 8 p.m., Shoemaker and Sanderson Live (Celtic)

Tryon Movie Theatre

45 S. Trade St., Tryon

Sunday, 7 p.m., Rich Nelson Band (rock)

Yoga and Massage

410 S. King St., Hendersonville

Sunday, 9:30-10:45 a.m., Amah Devi