Chow Chow Opening Party

THE SKINNY

• Bites from 15 of the most exciting SE region Pitmasters!
• Sips from 10 of the most interesting local beverage makers and mixologists!
• Co-curated by James Beard Award-Winning Author and Historian Adrian Miller, The Soul Food Scholar.
• Entertainment by Whitewater Bluegrass Co. from 4:30PM-7PM
• Afterparty entertainment by Electro Lust from 7:30PM – …

THE DEETS

Chow Chow’s 2023 Opening Party celebrates the evolution of barbecue across time, history and heritages — from Indigenous traditions to cultural influences from around the world now calling Southern Appalachia home. Curated by James Beard Award-Winning Author and Historian Adrian Miller, pitmasters from all manner of backgrounds, cultural identities and culinary traditions will offer their take on the art and history of barbecue, with acknowledgement of the many unnamed and unrecognized fire and smoke geniuses who have come before. The variety will surprise you, not only in the styles of barbecue but also in the inventive use of regional ingredients to interpret beef, pork, lamb, goat, fish and seafood, bison, turkey and wild game. Creative beverages will reflect the evening’s diversity of voices as well.

THE AFTERPARTY

We’ve got the best afterparty EVER for this event! Join us for Electro Lust starting at 7:30PM. Tickets are FREE for Chow Chow Opening Party Ticket holders and $10 for anyone who wants to join the fun after the culinary event comes to an end. Doors will reopen at 7PM; Show starts shortly thereafter!

Electro Lust is Electronic Latin Funk music with live Beats and Brass. The music stems from the love of electronics combined with live musicians, influenced by multi-cultural music from across the globe. Their love for Latin, Cuban, and Afrobeat music started by being exposed to diverse cultures when traveling and performing, and by digging for vinyls in record shops all across the country while on tour. 

This band features Grammy Award winning artists and members of Asheville bands: Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, The Fritz, and Empire Strikes Brass. Members are Mary Frances-Mama Funk on Vocals and Keyboards, Jamie Hendrickson on Guitar, Derrick Johnson on Trombone/Efx, Alex Bradley on Trumpet, and Lee Allen on Drums/Electronics.

Electro Lust instantly transports you to a nightclub in Miami, over to a beach in Brazil, ending up on the streets of Cuba, all while listening to a hip-hop mix tape.