The 25th season of the Downtown After 5 street party will open with Big Sam’s Funky Nation, featuring a New Orleans funk sound, just after 5 p.m. May 17 on North Lexington Avenue.

The monthly gala, staged from May through September and featuring  local beer and restaurants, usually draws 5,000 to 6,000 partiers to North Lexington Avenue, where the downtown street is closed off near the I-240 overpass.

The 2013 Downtown After 5 entertainment lineup was unveiled April 30 by the Asheville Downtown Association during a volunteer appreciation party at The Orange Peel nightclub.

Big Sam’s trombonist Sam Williams is a former member of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Williams has performed with Elvis Costello, Allen Touissant and others. Also performing will be Empire Strikes Brass.

The series has includes a wristband program since 2006, and each year a portion of the proceeds of beer sales are donated to a nonprofit that works each concert. Over the years, the ADA has granted more than $65,000 in wristband grant funds.

Other 2013 artists scheduled to perform at Downtown After 5 include the following:

• June 21 — Shonna Tucker & Eye Candy

Hailing from Athens, Ga., Tucker was formerly with the Drive-By Truckers. Her new band is billed as epitomizing “a little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll,” with a healthy dose of soul and twang.

 • July 19 — Asheville All-Stars with Pleasure Chest

The AA-S bring together many of the musicians that comprise Asheville’s eclectic music scene. Performers will include Josh Blake, Woody Wood, Kellin Watson, Caitlin Krisko, Adam Strange, Jeff Knorr and many more.

• Aug. 16 — The Revivalists with Lyric

The Revivalists are billed as the next breakout band from the music capital of New Orleans. The group blends soulful, syncopated rock and earnest songwriting through a meticulously crafted and ever-evolving live performance. 

• Sept. 20 — Truth & Salvage Co. with The Blue Rags

The band Truth & Salvage Co., which includes former members of the Asheville 1990s band Scrappy Hamilton, will close out the 2013 series with songs fitting between the genres of county and rock music, in a show stacked with four-part harmonies.