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.
Greasy rock ‘n’ roll; doom-laden metal; chiming folky rock; and a rootsy sensation from a big city a few hours south: those are the featured acts in this roundup.
Artist: The Kennedys
Venue: Isis Music Hall
Date: Saturday, March 3, 7 p.m.
Door: $15
This wife-and-husband duo has been together musically since 1992; the couple has released some 16 albums (including two under pseudonyms), and both Pete and Maura Kennedy have released solo albums. Nominally a folk-rock act, the Kennedys’ stylistic breadth extends well beyond that genre, and in various directions. Take a random dip into their catalog and you’re as likely to discover power pop as well as bluegrass. They do it all well with panache and clever humor.
Artist: The Burger Kings
Venue: The Crow & Quill
Date: Saturday, Feb. 17, 9 p.m.
Door: $5-10 suggested
Clearly, one band is not nearly enough to contain the musical force of energy known as Jason Krekel. In addition to the Krektones and Sufi Brothers (and a few others), the guitarist fronts the Burger Kings. This project focuses on boogie-woogie and old-time rock ‘n’ roll. Considering its name, the band is a natural for marketing/promotional tie-ins, and Krekel does indeed make the most of that connection. When you’re ready for straight-ahead, no-frills, unpretentious rock, have it, er…your way and check out the Burger Kings.
Artist: Pallbearer
Venue: The Grey Eagle
Date: Monday, Feb. 26, 9 p.m.
Door: $15
Little Rock, Ark.-based metal band Pallbearer formed in 2008, releasing its first album, Sorrow and Extinction, in 2012. The band scored near-immediate critical plaudits, with the debut topping many music publications’ best-of lists. 2014’s Foundations of Burden was similarly received. By the time of Heartless, the band’s 2017 album, Pallbearer had expanded its sonic palette beyond doom metal, including elements of progressive rock, but the critical praise just kept coming. Ruby the Hatchet and Bask are also on the bill.
Artist: Michele Malone
Venue: Ambrose West
Date: Sunday, March 11, 7 p.m.
Door: $15 advance, $18 day of show
I lived in Atlanta for nearly half my life, and beginning in the late 1980s, one name that seemed to be everywhere was folk/Americana/rock artist Michele Malone. The multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter has won countless local accolades there, including several readers’ polls. She’s a Grammy nominee, and fellow Atlantans Indigo Girls have recorded some of her songs. Her fame inevitably spread beyond her home city, and today she’s thought of as a musician’s musician. She’s playing locally at one of Asheville’s newest music venues, Ambrose West, which more or less picks up where the Altamont left off.
You may also enjoy: With more than 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 this week by Rowman & Littlefield.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.