Cup of compassion: Concert to aid Zuma Coffee following Helene
Ashley Heath. File photo
When Hurricane Helene roared through Western North Carolina last fall, the storm ravaged and decimated several small mountain towns. One of the most devastated communities was Marshall (population 777) in the rural landscape of Madison County.
Located at the corner of North Main Street and Baileys Branch Road in downtown Marshall, Zuma Coffee was one numerous businesses taken out by the floodwaters of the nearby French Broad River, with the wall of water estimated to have been over 27 feet high.
Founded by Joel Friedman in 2001, Zuma is cherished as this beacon of connectivity, compassion and culture within Marshall, all atop its world-renowned status as a bluegrass bastion for its weekly jam sessions. To note, a special fundraising concert will be held on Jan. 31 at the Grey Eagle Music Hall in Asheville.
“It’s the generosity of the people. It’s the beauty of the area,” Friedman reflected on the shop in a 2023 interview with The Smoky Mountain News. “And it’s the sense of accomplishment of bringing this sort of thing to a community, watching it grow and thrive.”
Talking to SMN, local singer-songwriters Ashley Heath, Hannah Kaminer and Pierce Edens spoke about not only the upcoming fundraiser for Zuma they’ll all be taking the stage for, but also just what makes that coffee shop such a special place in the hearts of all who cross its threshold.
Smoky Mountain News: Give me a sense of not only of what Zuma Coffee means to you, but also what that place means to locals and visitors alike?
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Ashley Heath: Zuma was my very first job in 2006. I worked for Joel when I was just graduating from Madison High School and also when I moved back home after graduating college.
Working at Zuma’s — and also growing up in Marshall — everyone is a big family and knows everyone. But, Zuma, in particular, allowed me to meet many of the iconic figures in music in our area and know them on a personal level when I was a teenager. I would be working the nights of these jams and would sneak out from behind the bar and sing a few songs with everyone.
The community there raised me and took me under their wing and always encouraged me to get up there and sing. I feel very lucky to have been placed in such an encouraging and inspiring place, especially as a young musician.
Hannah Kaminer: Zuma is a pillar of the Marshall community and also a place where magic can happen. One time I played a “Songwriters in the Round” gig there and met [bluegrass legend] Bobby Hicks and a long-lost relative who happens to live in Madison County — all at the same gig.
Hannah Kaminer. File photo
Pierce Edens: Joel was one of the first people to take a standing interest in Marshall. Downtown had sort of been passed over in the decades before. The courthouse was still there. The daily grind of keeping community living was still going on for the local folks.
He gave them something us all something we actually wanted. A cup of coffee and friendly face. It really brought back a reason to go downtown.
SMN: Beyond the devastation of the flood itself, what’s been your biggest takeaway from your experience — what you saw, heard, felt, etc. — now that you’ve been able to reflect on everything?
AH: Through the devastation and destruction I’ve seen and been through in the last few months, communities have been there for each other preparing hubs for food, resources, clothes and raising money for those in need. I also learned that storms are going to come through and what’s important is that we gather together and repair the best we can.
HK: We’re all a lot stronger and a lot more fragile than we realize. I want to spend more of my time nurturing my relationships with people and less time worrying about where I’m going in life.
Who knows what will happen or where we will all be tomorrow? But, we can work to take care of each other in this moment — today — even if we are strangers.
PE: We have a brilliant and inspiring community here. It has deep roots. Not only did I see a wealth of spirit, but also a wealth of willingness to do whatever was necessary. None of us had a job. We all took what job was necessary. I’ve never been prouder to be part of something.
Pierce Edens. File photo
SMN: This fundraiser is one of countless events around our area aimed at helping and rebuilding local businesses. What does that say about the spirit and character of folks here in Western North Carolina?
AH: Musicians and artists are some of the first to be called when disaster strikes. The benefit shows are not only to raise money, but to raise our community spirit. Bring people together. Share memories and make more together. And create some sense of normalcy.
It’s important for everyone to know they’re not alone in this. I feel really grateful to be amongst a community who appreciates the significance of the arts and how much we need expression for our livelihood.
HK: Concerts like this remind me of what’s important — community, friendship, music, taking care of each other and sharing what we have. I think this is the mountain spirit, [where] we seem fiercely independent here in Western North Carolina, but it’s not individualism.
And our music scene is built around open mics and jams and potlucks, not just performances and shows. Those are communal experiences. Playing music together to help a venue rebuild is really encouraging to me — emotionally and spiritually we are depleted and need each other in order to rebuild.
PE: We’re building back our community — one brick at a time. Getting together has always been a part of the “how we do that.” Music has always been woven into that fabric. Clearly, we need it. So, playing tunes seems as necessary as mold remediation.
Want to go?
The “Zuma Coffee Recovery Fundraiser” will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, at the Grey Eagle Music Hall in Asheville.
Featuring performances by Pierce Edens, Pleasure Chest, Ashley Heath, Hannah Kaminer and more, net ticket proceeds will go directly to the recovery of Zuma Coffee in Marshall in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene last year.
Admission is $23.30 per person. The show is all ages. Doors open at 6 p.m. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on thegreyeagle.com.
