Hayley Benton

hbenton@citizen-times.com

1. Futurebirds and Raising Caine at Downtown After 5.

Next up on Downtown After 5's star-studded lineup is the Athens, Ga., high-energy country-rock getup Futurebirds. Creating a stripped-down rock sound, the band uses four-part harmonies and a pedal steel guitar to deliver Americana melodies that'll rock North Lexington Avenue on June 17. The show opens with Raising Caine, an Asheville-based soulful alt-country band with heartfelt lyrics, pedal steel, guitar solos and organ melodies. Each month, the free summer concert series draws around 7,500 people to the outdoor stage, the street lined with beer stands, food trucks and other local vendors. Don't worry about an address, just follow the music — you'll hear it. The series is held the third Friday of each month, May through September, and the music begins — you guessed it — after 5 p.m. For more information, visit ashevilledowntown.org.

From June 17-19, world-class performers and teaching artists will be on-hand downtown for a weekend of booms and beats. Events are scheduled for the Diana Wortham Theatre and Odyssey Community School, 90 Zillicoa St. This year's festival will include top-notch percussionists as well as 20-plus workshops, with the main event, the Masters Concert, at 8 p.m. June 18 and smaller events like fireside drumming and sound meditation throughout the weekend as well. Tickets to the weekend's various events range from $20-120, with several free events sprinkled throughout the festival. For a full schedule, tickets and more information, check out ashevillepercussionfestival.com.

On June 18, at The Grey Eagle and Ben Phan and The Soul Symphony are bringing in a benefit show for Asheville Community Yoga. Later this year, the 6-year-old yoga center will expand into the other half of its building, doubling in size, and Phan, a local folk musician and student at the center, will perform an 8 p.m. show at The Grey Eagle to show his support. For more information, head over to thegreyeagle.com to purchase a $10 ticket to the show.

4. Pisgah, Pisgah, Pisgah benefit show with Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby.

Amplify Pisgah is back again, held at the Pisgah Brewing Company to benefit Pisgah Legal Services, a nonprofit organization that provides free legal aid to people living in poverty, helping more than 15,000 people in the community meet urgent needs like housing, safety, health care and income. On June 21, the Pisgah-cubed concert will feature one of bluegrass music's most recognizable names, Ricky Skaggs, along with pop pianist Bruce Hornsby and Skaggs' band Kentucky Thunder. Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. outdoor show are $40 (they're for a good cause) and can be purchased at pisgahbrewing.com.

5. Olde Virden's SuperHappy Trivia Challenge at 35Below.

Get ready to get SuperHappy. They might be a little bit goofy, but sometimes that's exactly what you need on a Wednesday evening. Don't let the name fool you: This is no pub trivia event. Olde Virden's SuperHappy Trivia Challenge is a gameshow produced before a live audience right here in Asheville — currently held in the Asheville Community Theatre's 35Below black box theater. The unpredictable, unscripted show puts two teams of panelists to the test in the style of NPR's "Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me" and the '70s TV show "Match Game," with improv elements similar to "Whose Line?" thrown into the mix. The next event is held at 7:30 p.m. June 22. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at ashevilletheatre.org or at the 35Below box office (around back at the Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E. Walnut St.). For more information, check out superhappyproductions.com.