Hey I know I said I can't make it, but a bit of recommendations having been to Asheville several times:
Just walking around the downtown is cool, especially at night. It's pretty target-rich. Pack Square is known as the center of the town I guess, but there sometimes are things going on in the little park space across from Tupelo Honey as well. BTW, I highly recommend Tupelo Honey for lunch/dinner if you can get in, which is hard. I once was there and saw the cooks break out in singing along with the whole of "Subterranean Homesick Blues" when it came on the sound system. And the food's great. Laughing Seed is also great. If you think vegetarian=lettuce, this place will rock your world.
I have not been to a Shindig, but your choice there is easy. Following the link for Frampton, it turns out he's $125 a seat.
😱 (And major rock star shows usually are not camera-friendly -- it's all that "my record company owns the rights to publish my likeness so if you take a photo it's piracy" etc.)
Avoid the Biltmore. It is a tourist trap and very expensive. Granted, once you're in, and looking at each room, each room is interesting. But overall, the whole experience has been so over-choreographed and Disneyfied that it's surreal. And did I mention expensive...
If you do want to go out of downtown, consider going over to the
River Arts District. Gritty, artsy (DUH!), etc.
--Dave
