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.
This edition previews Asheville shows in a variety of styles: rock, prewar jazz, EDM and a kind of jazz/hip-hop hybrid.
Artist: Badbadnotgood
Venue: The Orange Peel
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 19, 8:30 p.m.
Door: $20
This Toronto quartet has been wildly successful where others have stumbled. Starting with a foundation of jazz, Badbadnotgood has successfully woven hip-hop textures into its music. The result is a kind of musical hybrid that will impress jazz fans, yet offers something that younger fans raised on a diet of more, shall we say, widely-accessible styles, will find quite appealing. There’s a cinematic, hypnotic quality to the group’s music that draws the listener in and then holds them there. And the group’s frequent collaborations with other artists display an irrepressibly adventurous spirit.
Artist: Of Montreal
Venue: The Grey Eagle
Date: Saturday, Sept. 16, 9 p.m.
Door: $15 advance / $18 day of show
By design, Athen, Ga.-based Kevin Barnes’ group of Montreal is one of the hardest acts to pin down stylistically. Through its nearly 20 years together, the group has released 14 albums, in nearly as many styles. While of Montreal’s current incarnation – Barnes being the sole constant member since 1997 – makes music that loosely falls into the EDM category, the group has trafficked in glam, funk, country and western, progressive and other genres. Also on the bill: Showtime Goma and Nancy Feast.
Artist: Drayton and the Dreamboats
Venue: The Crow & Quill
Date: Saturday, Sept. 30, 9 p.m.
Door: $5-10 (suggested donation)
One of the older musical forms that continues to enjoy popularity is what’s sometimes called “hot jazz.” It’s the kind of music that guitarist Django Reinhardt, violinist Stéphane Grappelli and others made so popular, especially in Europe in the late 1930s. Drayton and the Dreamboats use the style as a foundation, but there’s a timeless “adult pop” sensibility in their music, one that connects them more with mid-century crooners like Bing Crosby. They play standards, for sure, but the group’s original tunes display a keen understanding of its chosen style.
Artist: The Stone Foxes
Venue: Salvage Station
Date: Friday, Oct. 6, 9 p.m.
Door: $7 advance / $9 day of show
The music of San Francisco-based rockers The Stone Foxes has one foot in classic blues and the other in a modern, individual sound. The band has refined its approach across four albums, starting with its self-titled 2008 debut, and built a large fan base in the process. The group doesn’t play classic 12-bar blues, but does acknowledge a clear debt to the style. The group’s plan — then as now, with a fifth album on the way — is to let all the influences seep into its collective psyche.
You may also enjoy: With nearly 2500 entries and nearly 500 interviews, my Musoscribe blog features new content — features, reviews and more — every business day. A proud tradition since 2009, now in its ninth year. My first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon, will be published by Rowman & Littlefield in February 2018.
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