Singer-songwriter Noah Stockdale will perform at Openroad Coffee and Tea on Friday, April 17, from 6-8 p.m. Stockdale is the first musician to perform at an Openroad extended hours concert.

Stockdale is a 2008 graduate of Polk County High School and graduated with a degree in English from the University of North Carolina Asheville with Distinction in Literature. He was grand prize winner of the 2012 “Polk County’s Got Talent” competition for his song “On the Line,” and he has performed at Blue Ridge Barbecue Festivals, the Tryon Fine Arts Center and Rogers Park. Combining soul and folk music, his style has been influenced by the likes of Van Morrison, Stevie Wonder and Nick Drake.

Now an Ashevillian, Stockdale places his original songs under the “conscious music” category with music and lyrics that “bring awareness to all aspects of life, so that we may live in greater harmony with ourselves, one another, and the planet.” He has been creating original work since forming his first band, House Arrest, at 14. His songs range from the light-hearted “Fruitarian Rhapsody,” championing the benefits of a fruit-filled diet, to the more contemplative “Travel Light, Love Heavy.”

Stockdale’s acoustic performance at Openroad is part of a current Kickstarter campaign to garner support for his first full-length album. He returns to Tryon with female vocalist Ashé Tenderfire, who joined him last year at TFAC’s Amphitheater.

Openroad is located at 915 West Mills St. in Columbus, N.C., 828-894-2021. The concert is free and open to the public. All are heartily invited to stop in for an intimate evening of music—and Openroad’s legendary hospitality and camaraderie.

-Submitted by Lee Stockdale