Gypsy punk band Sirius.B will launch the revival of the Concerts on the Quad series at UNC Asheville with a free performance at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 15.

An eclectic ensemble that describes its music as "absurdist Gypsy folk funk punk," Sirius.B has been voted favorite local band three years in a row in the Mountain Xpress Best of WNC reader’s poll, while also winning in categories like best acoustic folk band, best rock band and best world music band in the past several years.

Sirius.B’s high-energy style is created with a mix of multi-lingual vocals and instruments, including the accordion, tuba, violin, cello, acoustic guitar, kazoo, charango (an Andean stringed instrument), banjo, African drums, upright bass, melodica and clarinet. The ensemble was formed in 2006 by Xavier Ferdón, Pancho Romero Bond, and Imhotep, and takes its name from the white dwarf star, Sirius B.

The group’s performance is the first in the new season of Concerts on the Quad, a longtime fixture of Asheville’s summer calendar that is being revived after five years on hiatus due to budget constraints. UNC Asheville is able to present the concerts again thanks to the financial support of community partners Asheville Citizen-Times and Mission Health.

The free concerts will be held on Monday evenings from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on the UNC Asheville Quad. Attendees are invited to bring chairs, blankets and picnics to enjoy along with the music. The lineup also includes:

·      June 22: Ulali (featuring Pura Fé) (Native American, folk and blues influences)

·      June 29: The Malpass Brothers (country)

·      July 6: stephaniesĭd (Asheville-based “pop-noir”—jazz, rock and more)

·      July 13: Chatham County Line (bluegrass)