The White Horse rides anew
Black Mountain music venue charts new course as nonprofit
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 17, 2023
Bob Hinkle, who founded White Horse Black Mountain in 2008, will celebrate the music venue’s pivot to a nonprofit model, April 21, with a Launch Party, featuring performances by Tony Cedras, Anne Coombs, BJ Leiderman, David LaMotte and others. Photo by Fred McCormick
A recession was looming in 2008, when Bob Hinkle and the White Horse set up shop in downtown Black Mountain. In a town with a rich musical tradition, they rode out the storm together.
“In those days it was all about survival,” said Hinkle, who is preparing to guide his steed on a different quest, as a nonprofit organization. The White Horse Black Mountain Launch Party, which begins at 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 21, will celebrate a new era for the local listening room. Tickets for the event are $20, and available at whitehorseblackmountain.com.
Hinkle, an Asheville native who also lived in Black Mountain as a child, had a mission when he came back to town from New York, following a successful career in the music industry. He established a music venue in his hometown that put the artists and community first.
“Nobody gets rich doing this,” said Hinkle, who is entering his 15th year running the White Horse. “I only know of one or two people in the world who have made a lot of money doing a live venue. But, if one could become a nonprofit, and make it work, then you’re doing something for others. The bottom line is this community has been kind to us all along, and now we want to do this for the community.”
The new structure includes five tiered memberships, ranging from Appaloosa to Arabian, and offers perks to those who support its endeavor to maintain a quality listening room experience for local music lovers. Levels offer various perks, from t-shirts and access to members-only events to free and discounted concert tickets. Non-members will still be welcome to attend shows at the listed prices.
The initiative, according to Hinkle’s son, Zach, is designed to chart the course for a long-term future for the White Horse.
“My dad had always been focused on the community and wanted to make sure this is a place that supports it,” Zach said.
That commitment to serve the Swannanoa Valley, and surrounding areas, has fostered an environment the Hinkles describe as an “agnostic church.”
“Everyone knows when they’re doing something to benefit the community, or have a fundraiser, or a big meeting, he’s often the first person they call because he’s going to give them the best deal he can,” Zach said of his father. “Sometimes that means he’s basically breaking even. He does that on a regular basis, because he’s incredibly invested in this town.”
Pivoting to a nonprofit model will allow the White Horse to build a sustainable infrastructure.
Don Talley, left, Bob Hinkle, center and Zach Hinkle prepare to host the April 21 White Horse Black Mountain Launch Party, which will celebrate the music venue’s status as a nonprofit organization. Photo by Fred McCormick
“We have a great board, with Doug Orr serving as chairman,” he said. “Tommy Brown is on it, as well, and David LaMotte.”
The seven-person board will continue the venue’s long-held commitment to hosting a wide range of curated entertainment in a familiar and comfortable setting.
“A lot of the feedback I’ve heard in town is people feel like they’re watching a great show in their living room,” Zach said. “The artists feel connected to the audience and they talk about my dad, and how much he loves this community and running the living room of the town.”
Cultivating a welcoming atmosphere in a live music room has been a top priority for Bob since the beginning, he said, but operating the establishment has presented many challenges.
“We made it through the recession, but then we lived through a pandemic, which wasn’t easy,” he said. “We tried to keep the ball rolling, so to speak, with livestreams, which were successful at first. As more people started doing that, it became more difficult.”
The response from the local community, however, has always served to validate Bob’s vision for the White Horse.
“Through the years, in times of true crisis, where we needed to raise money or close, the community has rallied around us,” Zach said. “It’s happened many times, and it’s because of that energy we knew we could make this work as a nonprofit.”
The new structure will provide a valuable support system for the founder, his son continued.
“This isn’t a one-person job,” Zach said of running the White Horse. “I still think of my dad as a strapping 45-year-old man, but unfortunately, there hasn’t been money to bring in help. In reality, my dad isn’t 45, and it’s time for him to be able to relax a little bit and not carry all the water on his own.”
The nonprofit model has allowed the venue to call in reinforcements, in the form of a familiar faces.
“One of the greatest friends of the Hinkle family, and the White Horse, is Don Talley,” Zach said. “He has been instrumental in so many ways when it comes to supporting us, and my dad. With him stepping in as our events coordinator, that essentially pulls about half of the stressful duties off my dad’s plate.”
Another longtime presence at the venue, Kakki Vance, will fill a permanent position as the bar manager.
Bob Hinkle, right, and his son Zach are partnering with longtime supporters of the White Horse Black Mountain to guide the live music venue into a new era as a nonprofit organization. Photo by Fred McCormick
“She’s been with us, on and off, for years,” Zach said. “She’s really thrown herself into making the bar efficient and streamlining the processes. So with Kakki handling the bar, Don coming in as the event coordinator and my dad maintaining his position as the face and energy here, we feel like we have a solid foundation.”
The venue, which plans to add a “White Pony” courtyard in the coming months, is eager to celebrate its latest quest to provide a quality listening experience to local residents and visitors. Its upcoming launch party will feature an all-star lineup, including names like Tony Cedras, Anne Coombs, BJ Leiderman and David LaMotte.
“It’s all about articulating the vision and mission to the community, which is to say we’re doing this for you,” Zach said. “We were never making any money, so we were always doing it for you. But now it’s official, this place is a community center, and we’re excited to celebrate that.”
While the business model is shifting, the essence of the White Horse will remain unchanged, as the venue recently announced the Saturday, May 27 “Through the Years” concert, headlined by The Kenny Rogers Band, featuring Don Gatlin.
“This concert is one of many that make me feel great about this new chapter,” Bob said.
Although he had no idea what the future would hold when he established a live music venue with “exceptional acoustics” nearly 15 years ago, Bob is glad he did.
“We opened in the jaws of a recession, fought through a pandemic and did it all while consistently bringing good music to Black Mountain,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate to nurture the artistic soul of this community, and now we feel the White Horse can continue honoring the rich tradition of music here for years to come.”