From the Western North Carolina Alliance:

Campaign Aims to Raise $20,000 to Protect River and Build Paddle Trail

What: Wailers and Josh Phillips Folk Festival
Why: Grand Finale of Save the French Broad Campaign to benefit French Broad Riverkeeper and Western North Carolina Alliance
Where: Orange Peel
When: August 25, Doors- 7pm, Show- 8pm
Tickets: $22 in person and $25 at the door. VIP tickets also on sale for $65 and include pre-party from 5-7:30pm with band meet and greet, plus Sweetwater beer, food, and reserved VIP concert seating, and access to private longue throughout evening. Purchase in person at Orange Peel box office or online at http://www.theorangepeel.net.

The Wailers are coming to the Orange Peel to Save the French Broad. The goal of the Save the French Broad Campaign is to raise $20,000 to protect the water quality of the French Broad River and build the French Broad River Paddle Trail. The Wailers, who together with Bob Marley, have sold in excess of 250 million albums worldwide, will be joined by local music hero Josh Phillips Folk Festival to raise money for this important cause.
As part of the Save the French Broad Campaign, over 20 bars, restaurants, and businesses helped raise funds for the paddle trail, and over 140 people joined the campaign as part of our 9 day float and raft race down the French Broad River. Paddlers camped along the banks of the river, took water samples, monitored the rivers water quality, educated the public about the threats to the river, enjoyed Sweetwater Beer, and took in the beauty of the French Broad River.

The French Broad River faces a variety of threats that the Save the French Broad Campaign is working to address, including sediment pollution, coal ash contamination, pharmaceutical waste, sewage waste, and others. As we improve the water quality in the river we are also working to connect over 120 miles of the French Broad River through campsites and additional access points, which will soon become part of the French Broad River Paddle Trail. The Save the French Broad Campaign is helping this vision become a reality and the next campsite will be built on August 20 near Hendersonville with volunteers from REI.

This is the fourth year of the French Broad Riverkeeper has worked with Sweetwater Brewing Company to help “Save the French Broad River,” and thanks to the support from the community it has been the most successful campaign to date. Despite this success there is still over $4,000 to raise to meet the fundraising goal for this important project.
Wailers Bio: Their nucleus formed in 1969, when Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, and Peter Tosh recruited the Barrett brothers - bassist Aston “Family Man” and drummer Carly - from Lee Perry’s Upsetters to play on hits such as Lively Up Yourself, Trenchtown Rock, Duppy Conqueror, and many more besides. Inspired by Rastafari and their ambitions of reaching an international audience, this is the line-up that pioneered roots rock reggae, and signed to Island Records in 1971. Bunny and Peter left two years later. It was at this point that the in-demand Barrett brothers - whose rhythms also underpinned innumerable seventies’ reggae hits by other acts - assumed the title of Wailers, and backed Marley on the group’s international breakthrough album, Natty Dread. Under Family Man’s musical leadership, they then partnered Bob Marley on the succession of hit singles and albums that made him a global icon, winner of several Lifetime Achievement awards, and Jamaica’s best-loved musical superstar.
Josh Phillips Folk Festival Bio: Josh Phillips Folk Festival have been gaining a veritable army of fans that range from the youngest musical listeners, to seasoned long time traditional music fans. With the release of their first studio album, Wicker, Phillips has truly provided a strong testament to his ability to effortlessly capture generations worth of musical evolution, and traverse years of cultural dilution, bringing the listener back to the very source of roots, folk, soul, r & b, rock and reggae.

Buy tickets at http://www.theorangepeel.net.