Twice monthly, my 30 Days Out column 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.
While the extensive array of live music choices in Asheville means that you can find something worthwhile most every night of the week, for this edition I’m highlighting four shows that happen on weekends, when it’s often just a bit easier to venture out in the evening.
Artist: Steven Wilson
Venue: The Orange Peel
Date: Saturday, Dec. 8, 8 p.m.
Door: $20-$40
In or near the beginning, there was Porcupine Tree. Initially just Steven Wilson, it became a band, one of the modern era’s most popular progressive rock groups. Leader Steven Wilson — who had been and remains involved in multiple concurrent musical projects — disbanded the group in 2010 and has continued with a higher profile solo career that expands his musical ideas in most every direction; to wit, “Permanating,” a standout track from his most recent studio set, betrays a strong ABBA influence.
Artist: Malcolm Holcombe
Venue: White Horse Black Mountain
Date: Saturday, Nov. 24, 8 p.m.
Door: $12 advance/$15 day of show
Weaverville-based Malcolm Holcombe is a local treasure. His particular style isn’t for all tastes; while his guitar playing is precise and appealing, his vocals define “rough-hewn.” That’s wholly in keeping with his folk-Americana style of mountain music, though, and he comes by it honestly. Holcombe’s influences include Delta blues and gospel, but he weaves those styles into something he can rightly call his own.
Artist: The House Hoppers
Venue: The Crow & Quill
Date: Saturday, Dec. 1, 9 p.m.
Door: $5
Fronted by trumpeter-vocalist Mick Glasgow and including his wife Stacey Bowers Glasgow, the Asheville-based group plays traditional jazz (that’s what the British call American Dixieland jazz) along with vintage pop and dance-oriented swing. The hot jazz ensemble even folds some blues into the mix, but the overall vibe is conducive to dancing.
Artist: Goldie
Venue: Asheville Music Hall
Date: Sunday, Dec. 2, 8 p.m.
Door: $30
English DJ Goldie is a leading light in the British breakbeat scene, and a major figure in the drum and bass genre. Goldie has been releasing albums since 1995; his earliest record including symphonic textures and an ambitious track, “Timeless,” that ran in excess of 21 minutes. He’s considered an innovator within the electronica field. His most recent full-length, 2017’s The Journey Man, earned wide critical praise and commensurate commercial success, rising to No. 6 on the UK charts.
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