The White Horse toasts to 15 years of live music and community
Black Mountain listening room celebrates anniversary with friends and neighbors
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
November 3, 2023
White Horse founder Bob Hinkle, left, and director Zach Hinkle will be among the performers, Nov. 4, as the Black Mountain nonprofit music venue celebrates its 15th anniversary. Photo by Fred McCormick
Beneath the arched wooden ceiling of a spacious old building near the center of Black Mountain, sound floats gently from the stage to the ears of captivated audiences. It’s a scene Bob Hinkle could envision the first time he stepped into the former car dealership where a crinkled poster on the bay door depicted a herd of white horses running through a meadow.
Fifteen years later, as White Horse Black Mountain welcomes longtime friends and supporters for a weekend of festivities celebrating its anniversary, the nonprofit listening room stands proudly as the heartbeat of the community.
The event will feature the 15th Anniversary Extravaganza, at 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 4, featuring performances by David LaMotte, Bob and Zach Hinkle, Tracey Schmidt, Bayla Davis and Cary Fridley, Whitney Monge and Cuberow. Tickets are $25 and available at whitehorseblackmountain.com.
Hinkle had done “just about everything” in the music business when he returned to the mountains in which he grew up, in 2008. With his then-wife, Kim Hughes, the former manager for acts like the J. Geils Band, Etta James, Harry Chapin and more, set out to establish a music venue that catered specifically to artists and the surrounding community.
“Most venues emphasize their connection to the music, but not necessarily to the community they serve,” Hinkle said. “That’s starting to change a little now, but it was that way for a long time. So, from the very beginning, because I have strong roots here, I knew it was important to bring everyone from bikers to Presbyterians under one roof.”
The ability to connect a wide range of locals and visitors around an eclectic blend of performers reflects the spirit of the White Horse, according to the founder.
“That’s been pretty clear since the start,” Hinkle said. “People come because we have the right artists, the right beer, the right atmosphere and that’s created this strong community link right here in the center of town.”
The White Horse Black Mountain will celebrate its 15th anniversary, Nov. 4, with a special anniversary concert featuring David LaMotte, Tracey Schmidt, Bayla Davis and Cary Fridley and more. Photo courtesy of the White Horse/Josh Graham
Throughout its 15-year history, the White Horse has hosted more than 75 benefit concerts for local organizations and individuals, as well as global partners. With its longstanding commitment to supporting a variety of causes, the venue pivoted to a nonprofit model in April. An anonymous donor purchased the $700,000 building and gifted it to the organization in September.
“For a young 501(c)(3) to control its own real estate is a big deal,” said Zach Hinkle, White Horse Director and son of the founder. “We are so grateful to the angel benefactor who made that possible, but it’s also a tale of a whole line of people. In a lot of ways, the fact that we were gifted this building represents the human element of how we got to this point.”
The White Horse has faced challenges ranging from a recession to a global pandemic since the beginning, Zach added, but the commitment of its patrons has been unwavering.
“In year three, a person walked into dad’s office and gave him everything in his wallet because he cared that much about this place staying open at that time,” Zach said. “We have Don Talley, who has worked 80-hour weeks for years, for whatever my dad could pay him, just to make sure he could run the place. There have been so many people who have contributed to what this place is today.”
Support has grown since the unveiling of the nonprofit model, according membership coordinator Selena Hilemon.
“We’ve added over 230 members in our five levels of membership,” Hilemon said. “That membership starts at $20 per month, and that includes two free tickets to any shows during the year, and the number of shows increases at every level. Every month we have member shows, which are for members and their guests.”
The structure allows the White Horse to increase its sustainability as a nonprofit music venue, she continued.
“It keeps us from riding the rollercoaster of living and dying by ticket sales every month,” Hilemon said. “Our ‘herd,’ as we like to say, is strong, and we’re always looking to add new members.”
The response to its membership program reflects the time and energy the founder has poured into the community since establishing the venue, according to Hilemon.
An audience at the White Horse, which seats 140 people, calls for an encore at a show earlier this year. The nonprofit music venue will celebrate its 15th anniversary, Nov. 4, with a lineup of new and familiar faces. Photo courtesy of the White Horse/Josh Graham
“I also wonder if it’s indicative of what people want right now,” she said. “I think the pandemic put everyone in a space where they lacked the human connection we’re all wired to need, and it’s such an honor to be able to provide that connection point for this community.”
Regular offerings like the White Horse’s monthly Beer and Hymns benefit shows, which support area nonprofit organizations like the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry, the Dr. John Wilson Community Garden and the Black Mountain Counseling Center, attract diverse audiences.
“I look around and notice old and young people, church members, people who haven’t been to church in 20-something years, you name it,” Bob said. “The world is a big mess right now, and when I look around I see a place that inspires people to think that good things are still possible.”
White Horse faithful will see plenty of familiar faces this weekend, as the venue welcomes a diverse mixture of talent to commemorate its anniversary. Friday’s concert, according to Hilemon, will feature guest performers and speakers.
“We want to bring a variety of perspectives to the stage, including board members who will speak about what they hope to see in the White Horse’s future,” she said. “We’ll obviously have artists speaking about what spaces like this mean to them, and some of our nonprofit partners will talk about ways we can continue working together to support their initiatives in the community, and beyond.”
LaMotte, who has been a regular performer at the venue over the years, will be among the guests celebrating the success of the White Horse. The singer-songwriter and author, who has released 13 full-length albums in his 33-year career, will take the stage Friday night before hosting a concert at 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 5, benefitting the nonprofit Senderos (Guatemala) that he founded with his wife in the early 2000s.
“I relate to the White Horse as a musician, a regular audience member, the founder of a nonprofit and now a board member with the venue,” he said. “What really attracted me to the White Horse from the beginning is the fact that true listening rooms are very rare. It’s a place where music is featured and beer is provided, as opposed to the other way around.”
Bob’s commitment to centering the experience around the artists is part of what makes the White Horse special, he added.
“People really go there to listen, and appreciate the subtleties of music, and I really treasure that,” he said. “At a time when people are actively shredding the fabric of society, places like this are where we mend it. Shared experiences of beauty and laughter weave it back together, and that’s really important. It goes way beyond entertainment.”
Nurturing that environment over 15 years is one of Bob’s proudest accomplishments.
“People come for that person-to-person connection,” he said. “I can’t tell you the number of people who have come up to me over the years and told me this place feels like church. It’s a place to come and commune with people who are there for the same reasons you are, and that’s the touchstone of what we’ve been trying to do.”