30 Days Out: a look at upcoming concerts

Like a villain in a teenage slasher film, Unknown Hinson keeps coming back. Thank goodness. He returns to The Grey Eagle on Saturday, May 16 at 8:00 p.m.

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.

Psychobilly, folk-pop, top-flight acoustic acts and ambient: there’s something for nearly all tastes in this edition of 30 Days Out. Your modest monetary investment will yield musical riches in return.

Artist: Unknown Hinson
Venue: The Grey Eagle
Date: Saturday, May 16, 8 p.m.
Door: $15 advance / $18 day of show
I don’t have the statistics at hand, but I am pretty certain that Unknown Hinson has played The Grey Eagle more than most any other artist. And there’s a good reason for that: his maniacally high-energy performances define psychobilly. He may look like a “Hee Haw” cast member at a Halloween party, but in any sort of just universe, his music would top the charts instead of that bro-country stuff. His lyrics are a riot, and his guitar playing is on fire. Roger Alan Wade opens.

mountain_spirit

Artist: Various (10th Anniversary Show)
Venue: Mountain Spirit Coffeehouse at UUCA
Date: Sunday, May 17, 6:30 p.m.
Door: $17 advance / $20 day of show / $15 students
For a decade now, husband-and-wife team Louise and Don Baker have consistently booked some of the best and most popular artists traveling the coffeehouse circuit, giving Asheville audiences the opportunity to see acts who might not otherwise perform in Asheville. They also feature some of the finest local acoustic-based artists. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the endeavor, they’ve invited some favorites back for a special show. At press time the bill includes Ray Chesna, Friction Farm, Tim Grimm, Michael Reno Harrell, Annie Lalley and Joe Ebel, Al Petteway and Amy White, Dana and Susan Robinson, Chris Rosser, and Zoe and Cloyd. More artists may be added.

lovebirds

Artist: The Lovebirds
Venue: The Mothlight
Date: Sunday, May 24, 9 p.m.
Door: $5
The Folk Alliance International selected this duo as an official showcase performer for their 2015 event. Much more pop than, say, The Indigo Girls, and a good bit more folk than Tegan and Sara (but with echoes of both of those acts), The Lovebirds describe their sound (fittingly enough) as “folk that pops.” In their music, you might even hear shades of The Andrews Sisters. Their relationship onstage and offstage is key to their songwriting, which features some lovely close harmony. Brittany Ann Tranbaugh opens.

divine_circles

Artist: Divine Circles
Venue: The Crow & Quill
Date: Friday, June 5, 9 p.m.
Door: $5-10 suggested donation
Glitchy, hypnotic down tempo trip-hop meets ambient music with Divine Circles. A sampling of the music made by violinist/composer/multi-instrumentalist Meg Mulhearn suggests a wide array of styles and influences, so it remains to be heard exactly what Divine Circles will sound like on any given evening. But it’s a safe bet that it’ll be sublime, trance-inducing stuff. Aerial Ruin opens.

You may also enjoy: With over 1,700 entries, my Musoscribe blog features new content — interviews, reviews and more — every business day. A proud tradition since 2009.

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About Bill Kopp
Author, music journalist, historian, collector, and musician. His first book, "Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon," published by Rowman & Littlefield, is available now. Follow me @the_musoscribe

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