The White Horse rides tall into new era

Black Mountain music venue to celebrate one year as nonprofit organization

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
February 29, 2024

David LaMotte, a frequent performer at the White Horse Black Mountain and member of its board, will perform March 3, as the music venue celebrates its first year as a nonprofit organization. Photo courtesy of Josh Graham

The long and arduous ride of the White Horse Black Mountain reached a crossroad in 2023. While the local listening room had long established itself as a renowned Western N.C. music venue, the many trials and tribulations of the journey left the future uncertain.

As it entered its 15th year, the business blazed a bold new trail, unsure of the path ahead, but as the White Horse prepares to celebrate its first year as a nonprofit organization with a pair of anniversary concerts at 12 p.m. and 5 p.m., Sunday, March 3, strong support from the community is allowing it to stand tall in a new era. The benefit concerts will feature catered meals and headlining performances by an array of acclaimed singer-songwriters, including Malcolm Holcomb, Kat Williams, Chris Rosser and David LaMotte.

Established in 2008 by Bob Hinkle and his then-wife Kim Hughes, the White Horse persevered through the Great Recession and the COVID pandemic, each of which proved too much to overcome for many venues around the country. For the vast majority of its existence, the survival of the downtown Black Mountain listening room relied on the dedication of Hinkle, according to his son, Zach, who stepped in as the director of operations last year.

“He was one fellow carrying all the water here, with help from some generous supporters along the way, but as he got older it wasn’t something he could do, as one person,” Zach said of his father. “But, at the same time, dad created this space that nurtured local artists and connected the community in a beautiful way, to the point where people talk about it like it’s an agnostic church.”

Preserving what Bob called his “heart” became a top priority for Zach and his brother Ramsey.

“We suggested he create a board and become a 501(c)(3), and we realized we could offer the community that loves White Horse so much the opportunity to make a tax deductible donation to become members and build value into that membership,” Zach said. “As we discussed it further, we felt confident we could create a revenue stream, through those memberships, that would allow us to cover overhead and let this place grow and thrive in the future.”

The aspiring nonprofit tapped the leadership of board president Doug Orr, who is joined by a diverse governing body that Zach calls “the driving energy” behind the success of the White Horse. The community response to the venue’s new model, which it launched with a benefit concert last April, has been overwhelmingly positive, according to Zach.

The organization welcomed 325 members in its first year as a nonprofit, membership coordinator Selena Hilemon said.

“We like to talk about all of our members as part of the sustainability plan for the White Horse,” she said. “We were already serving as a place in the community that hosted fundraisers for individuals who had a need and serving as a space for other nonprofits to come and gather. So, this model not only allows us to double-down on those efforts, it’s also a natural evolution for this venue.”

The White Horse will welcome Asheville-based jazz and blues singer Kat Williams, March 3, when the Black Mountain music venue celebrates one year as a nonprofit organization. Photo courtesy of Josh Graham

Celebrating a year like no other

While the support of its five-tier membership model began illuminating the path forward for the White Horse, the past 12 months have been highlighted by additional major milestones. An anonymous donor helped the organization acquire the building for $700,000 last September, while the venue celebrated its 15th anniversary the following month.

In year one of its nonprofit operation, the White Horse raised nearly $45,000 for more than a dozen local nonprofits, including the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, the Black Mountain Counseling Center, Bounty & Soul and the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry.

“We have received so much positive affirmation from so many members of this community,” Hilemon said. “That lets us know that there is a lot of local support and that people want us doing what we’re doing in this community.”

Channeling that momentum, however, creates new challenges for the burgeoning nonprofit, according to Zach. While ownership of the building ensures a long-term home for the White Horse, he added, it also brings new responsibilities for the leadership team.

“A year ago, the challenge was we had to buy this building,” he said. “Now the challenge is we own the damn thing.”

Repairs are necessary, Zach continued, including a new roof to replace an aging and leaking one.

“It’s a different kind of pressure, and it’s all uncharted territory for us,” he said. “We don’t have HVAC in here, so we’ll have to put that in to serve our customers in the summer. We also need to work on becoming ADA compliant so we can welcome people with different abilities.”

Changes are coming to the White Horse, which will close for around two months, beginning March 18, to undergo renovations.

“We will have a significant increase in our square footage after the renovation. Right now, we’re at a place where we are selling out concerts on a regular basis, so we’re looking at around a 70% increase in space,” Zach said. “We’ll be repositioning the bar, which we love, but is extremely inefficient. So we’re focused on improving the experiences of our listeners.”

New light and sound systems are in the plans, as well, representing the first major upgrades in the venue’s history.

Malcolm Holcombe will join a star-studded musical lineup, March 3, when the White Horse Black Mountain hosts its First Annual Nonprofit Anniversary Fundraiser show. Photo courtesy of Josh Graham

Celebrating with ‘legends’ of the stage

The White Horse will launch a capital campaign to fund the upcoming improvements at its First Annual Nonprofit Anniversary Fundraiser shows. Tickets for the concerts are $60, and can be purchased on the venue’s website, while members attend for free.

Brunch is included in the price of admission and will be catered by Bush Farmhouse, while dinner will be provided by Goldfinch.

The musical lineup, which opens the first show at 1 p.m. and the second at 6 p.m., epitomizes the diverse breadth of talent the listening room has brought to Black Mountain over the past 15 years, according to Hinkle.

Holcombe, Williams, LaMotte and Rosser are all familiar with the White Horse stage, where each has delivered memorable performances over the years.

“Malcolm Holcombe is absolutely a living legend in this neck of the woods. He’s a singer-songwriter in folk and blues, and a beautiful artist,” Hinkle said. “He hasn’t played much in recent years, and neither has Kat, so this is an opportunity to see both of them on the same stage at the same time.”

LaMotte and Rosser, he continued, add another layer to the lineup.

“David and Chris, for my money, are really the inheritors of that folk singer-songwriter spirit, and soon-to-be living legends,” Hinkle said.

Melissa McKinney, current artist-in-residence with LEAF and co-founder of the Women to the Front Music Festival, will bring her “remarkable” talent to the White Horse.

“Then you have Max Sweeny and Joe DeVito, who I believe are the young musicians who are going to be the future of the singer-songwriter, mountain folk community,” Zach said. “You get the full gambit of living legends, godfathers and godmothers of the current scene and these amazing talents who will just continue to become more well-known. These are performers who are crushing it in their craft right now.”

The venue, affectionately known as “Black Mountain’s living room” to many of its loyal patrons, has been boosted by an “amazing positive energy,” as it settles into a new era as a nonprofit organization, according to Zach.

“My dad wakes up excited everyday,” he said. “He keeps us grounded and makes sure we all remain true to the soul of the White Horse.”

As the organization looks ahead to the future, the team draws inspiration from the community that has supported the listening room since it opened its doors.

“We couldn’t be happier,” Zach said. “Black Mountain has this way of appreciating the things that make it special, and that has given us this confirmation that this place, and what we’re doing here, are important. We can’t let these people down, because they’re truly what makes the White Horse so special.”