The space between: AyurPrana Listening Room offers transcendent music and spiritual exploration
AyurPrana Listening Room has become a cultural haven for unique live shows and musical experiences in Asheville.
ALR photos
Situated on the corner of Haywood Road and Swannanoa Avenue in West Asheville, the AyurPrana Listening Room has become a haven for music lovers and artists well-versed in the sacred art of performance.
“[AyurPrana] somehow creates a ‘live studio’ atmosphere, almost like a set or soundstage or theater,” said Bryce Franich, music manager for AyurPrana. “The room feels like you’re there to experience something rare or once-in-a-lifetime, which seems to engage attendees in a theater-like manner.”
With a deeply-held ethos of “bolstering artistic innovation, spiritual exploration, and transcendent curiosities,” AyurPrana is the counterpoint to loud venues and neighborhood bars, where musical acts are treated more like background noise than melodic magic.
“They want to experience a connection with the artist,” Franich said. “In that respect, it also naturally halts the urge to pull out your phone. It’s just so incredibly intimate that people almost instinctually lock in with the atmosphere.”
The seed for the inception of AyurPrana was initially planted by the late David Newman, who was the founding music director. In 2022, when the space opened, it was Newman who saw the potential for the intimate room and what it could host and showcase.
“David recognized the craftsmanship with meticulous sound treatment [of the space],” Franich said. “[His] mission for the room was to uplift and heal through music. David’s programming was designed to act as sonic medicine for the community surrounding the Ayurvedic Institute and Asheville Yoga Center.”
Related Items
Partner content: Taste of Local
This must be the place: ‘It’s somewhere I know, every piece I ever have found’
NC Symphony to celebrate ‘America 250’
Cataloochee Ranch goes Americana
When Franich came onboard at AyurPrana, his work ethic and sense of purpose mirrored that of Newman, which ultimately has led to the perpetuation of “transcendence through music.”
“Transcendence is what much of David’s programming provided to the culture he created. We agreed the programming would have to usher attendees outside of their current field and allow them to dissolve everyday stresses for a few hours — a sonic meditation of sorts,” Franich said. “It’s interesting to see how much uplifting high-vibe and challenging avant-garde music have in common. Both scenes seek the same results: to feel moved and inspired.
Franich, who was a touring musician for several years, would find himself passing through Asheville, only to circle back down the road and decide for himself to put down roots in a scene that’s become one of the most cherished and vibrant in America.
“After living in Brooklyn for 20 years, my wife and I were searching for a town with access to nature and tranquility without sacrificing culture and the arts,” Franich said. “Asheville is that rare bird, overflowing with ambitious artists who have created a nurturing scene that bolsters the creative spirit. The amount of radical artistically challenging music from this gorgeous mountain town is confounding.”
In the midst of a live performance, when the musician(s) and the audience are genuinely connected in this two-way street of energy, respect and artistry, Franich can’t help but harbor immense gratitude for that moment unfolding in real time each and every single night.
“Sharing music I love with the community is why I do this. It’s one of the greatest joys in my life,” Franich said. “I don’t know that I have the lexicon to describe the feeling of having a room full of friends and family locked into a transcendental state, or how wonderful it feels to hear that the artist had a similar experience in the room.”
Want to go?
Known as an event space “that seeks to elevate consciousness through music, movement, education and healing,” the AyurPrana Listening Room is located at 312 Haywood Road in West Asheville.
To note, the ALR is an alcohol-free venue which offers “a variety of locally made beverages.” Food is not available onsite. It is also a cashless venue. Doors open one hour before events are scheduled to start. Events are both seated and standing.
For more information, a full schedule of events and/or to purchase tickets, visit ayurpranalisteningroom.com, call 828.785.5228 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Upcoming events
• Every Thursday: “Live Music Yoga” with various artists at 9 a.m.
• Second Tuesday of each month: “Ram Dass Local Asheville Fellowship” at 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday, March 7: Mt. Kili & Liliana Hudgens (Americana/indie-folk).
• Friday, March 20: Sean Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band (rock/world).
• Saturday, March 21: Marc Ribot (roots/folk).
• Wednesday, March 25: Rosenau & Sanborn with Joe Westerlund (Americana).
• Thursday, March 26: Tara Clerkin Trio & Walt McClements (Americana).
• Friday, March 27: Wendy Eisenberg with Sally Anne Morgan (indie-folk).
• Saturday, April 4: Sophia Corrine with Laney Barnett (Americana).
• Tuesday, April 7: “Experimentation Meditation Club” with Kelly Kelbel & Tony Rolando.
For tickets, visit ayurpranalisteningroom.com/events.
