Benefit Concert in Asheville, North Carolina: Rocking for Paranormal Research
Asheville, North Carolina — Joshua P. Warren and his team, L.E.M.U.R., investigate the toughest mysteries facing science — ghosts, UFOs, cryptids, psychic activity, etc. — yet few help fund the endeavor. Therefore, as a creative way of raising money, they’ve turned to something scarier than any haunting: singing and playing instruments on stage in a one-time-only benefit concert. The team of paranormal investigators has prepared for months to perform a fully-professional two-set gig, featuring around twenty songs performed by the investigators, themselves. This unusual extravaganza is Saturday, September 16, 8pm, at The Grey Eagle, off Clingman Avenue, in Asheville, North Carolina. The eclectic mix of oldies includes Pink Floyd, Warren Zevon, Steppenwolf, some jazz classics like the Pink Panther, and even a few originals.
“We need new equipment” Warren says, “but instead of simply bumming money, we’re offering a night of true entertainment; a wild experience only we could provide!” Warren, who has played the keyboard since middle school, will also belt out a few tunes such as “Werewolves of London.”
L.E.M.U.R., always based in Asheville, has been conducting research for more than ten years. Over the years, numerous members have been involved in professional bands. Music Director Micah Hanks has played with “Buncombe Turnpike,” Caleb Hanks’ band “Dawn of the Dude” (at times including trumpeter Brian Irish) just played the Warped Tour; John Anderson has performed with “ElectroDog;” and Dr. Alvin C. Proffit, of Appalachian State University, even jammed on stage with the legendary Dizzy Gillespie. Other local radio personalities may take the stage for cameos, as well.
“We joke we’re a band that thought we were a paranormal research team,” Warren chuckles. “I just see it as an interesting psychological phenomenon. People who are fascinated by the paranormal must often have musical ability. I can’t explain it.”
Warren hosts “Speaking of Strange,” a show devoted to the weird and paranormal, 8-11pm Saturday nights on News Radio 570 WWNC, and the station, which also employs some band members, is sponsoring the event. Tickets cost $10 in advance or $12 at the door if space remains. For more information visit www.LEMURteam.com or purchase tickets by calling 800-594-TIXX (8499), or visiting The Grey Eagle, Harvest Records, or Orbit DVD. The show is suitable for all ages, and The Grey Eagle serves food and beverages, including beer and wines.
L.E.M.U.R.’s work has been featured on the History Channel, Discovery Channel, TLC, and Travel Channel. Warren’s book, How to Hunt Ghosts was published by Simon and Schuster in 2003, his 1996 book Haunted Asheville is a regional best-seller, and L.E.M.U.R. made the cover of a science journal, Electric Space Craft, in 2004 due to their groundbreaking research on the mysterious Brown Mountain Lights near Morganton, North Carolina.
