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.
Two local acts (one electronica, one progressive/fusion), one regional artist and a nationally touring act whose front man is more associated with the big screen than music: Those are just some of what’s on offer locally in the next 30 days.
Artist: Orgatroid
Venue: The Mothlight
Date: Wednesday, Aug. 8, 9 p.m.
Door: $5
In some ways, this project from Jason Daniello (Broomstars) and Jeffrey Richards (Hazeldine, Vic Chesnutt) is wholly unlike anything either musician has done before. Purely analog synthesizer-based, Orgatroid makes original, melodic darkwave that draws from ’70s and ’80s influences, but the duo’s music sounds timeless. In the past, Orgatroid has flirted with larger lineups, but ultimately it’s a two-man project. An album — or at least an EP — is rumored to be on the way. Mason Self, Vasillus and No Eyes are also on the bill.
Artist: Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands
Venue: The Crow & Quill
Date: Friday, Aug. 10, 9 p.m.
Door: $5-10 suggested donation
Serving up sophisticated art-pop that combines a singer-songwriter sensibility with more ambitious instrumental aspirations, Crystal Bright employs sounds from relatively unconventional sources in her pursuit of complex and rich arrangements. The latest release from Chapel Hill-based Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands is an EP, Staring at the Sun, released last November.
Artist: Billy Bob Thornton & the Boxmasters
Venue: Salvage Station
Date: Tuesday, Aug. 14, 8 p.m.
Door: $28
Billy Bob Thornton is best-known as an actor; the 1996 film Sling Blade and the current Amazon Studios series “Goliath” are just two of his many memorable roles. But he began a music career back in 1990, and started releasing albums in 2001. Thornton has four solo records to date, and in 2008 he started making albums with rootsy rock band the Boxmasters. 2015’s Providence is their latest, but the current run of dates is the group’s highest-profile tour so far.
Artist: Chris Cooper Project
Venue: The One Stop
Date: Friday, Aug. 31, 10 p.m.
Door: free
If you have an affinity for the jazz-leaning instrumental rock of the 1970s — Blow by Blow and Wired-era Jeff Beck, Dixie Dregs, Roxy & Elsewhere-era Zappa — then you’re likely to delight in the progressive fusion flavors of Asheville’s Chris Cooper Project. Knotty-yet-melodic and funky tunes reign supreme. The whole band sizzles, but Cooper’s fiery and fluid fretwork never fails to dazzle. Carpal Tullar opens.
You may also enjoy: With way more than 2500 entries and more than 550 interviews, my Musoscribe blog features new content — features, reviews and more — every business day. A proud tradition, now in its 10th year. My book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon, published by Rowman & Littlefield, is available now.
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