Twice monthly, my blog 30 Days Out spotlights upcoming music shows and events of note, shining a light into some less well-lit corners, where some fascinating artists schedule performances. I do my best to give ample advance notice so that you can adjust your budget and calendar in a way that lets you get to the show.
Like every edition of 30 Days Out, this entry features four shows; what makes it somewhat unique is that you can take in all four performances for the grand total of $24. that’s quite a value for four evenings’ worth of live music.
Artist: Prom! with Reigning Sound
Venue: The Grey Eagle
Date: Saturday, Feb. 13, 9 p.m.
Door: $12 advance / $15 day of show
Former Oblivians singer/guitarist Greg Cartwright formed Reigning Sound in Memphis in 2001. With his deep love and understanding of American garage-rock (he had long been the owner of one of Memphis’ most celebrated indie record shops) Cartwright built Reigning Sound around his original, modern-day take on that style. The lineup of the band shifted, most notably after Cartwright moved to Asheville in 2004. For this special occasion — an opportunity for grownups to relive (or revise) their memories of their High School prom dances — the original early 00s lineup of the band has come together for an evening of music. DJ sets will take place before and after Reigning Sound’s set.
Artist: The Feels performing the music of Any Winehouse & Erykah Badu
Venue: Isis Restaurant & Music Hall
Date: Thursday, Feb. 11, 8:30 p.m.
Door: $7
It’s an inescapable fact of the Asheville music scene that a large number of local musicians play in more than one group. Certainly financial demands explain some of that activity, but one gets the feeling that most of them do it because they want to. Led by CaroMia Tiller, the members of The Feels are no exception. Their number includes members of Hermit Kings, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, Goldie & the Screamers and the always-solid Micah Thomas on drums. For this special show, the group has put together an evening’s worth of the best music from multigenre powerhouse Erykah Badu and the late soul /R&B giant Amy Winehouse.
Artist: The Core
Venue: Isis Restaurant & Music Hall
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m.
Door: $5
“Hard Bop Explosion is dead; long live HBE!” Okay, perhaps that overstates things just a bit, but when Hard Bop Explosion billed its Jan. 10 show at Isis as a “swan song,” Asheville lovers of the innovative 1950s jazz style were disappointed. Happily, it would seem that reports of the group’s death were exaggerated: A new group calling itself The Core has booked a Wednesday night residency at Isis for all of February, and The Core’s lineup looks suspiciously similar to that of HBE with drummer Evan Martin taking over for Michael W. Davis. One goal of the residency was the development of original material to be recorded in the coming months. The Feb. 24 show is the final night in the series taking place in Isis’ upstairs lounge.
Artist: Jittery Jack & Miss Amy
Venue: Jack of the Wood
Date: Tuesday, March 1, 9 p.m.
Door: Free (donations encouraged)
Though it fell out of favor after its brief 1950s heyday, rockabilly never really went away. The high-energy hybridization of country and rock ‘n’ roll has exactly zero in common with the slick, ersatz “country rock” that The Eagles churned out in the ’70s and ’80s. No, rockabilly is closer in spirit to what Jerry Lee Lewis did, and what The Stray Cats brought back into fashion in the 1980s. And since then, its popularity has endured, thanks to expert modern-day exponents of the sound like Boston-based Jittery Jack and his musical associate, lead guitarist “Miss Amy” Griffin. Get ready to rock(abilly)!
You may also enjoy: With over 2000 entries, my new and improved Musoscribe blog features new content — interviews, reviews and more — every business day. A proud tradition since 2009.
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