Mountain Xpress and Sherwood’s Music Present: Matt Townsend and the Wonder of the World

Matt Townsend and the Wonder of the World performing at Sherwood's Music.

Matt Townsend began his music career in Burlington, VT, writing songs in secret and eventually moving on to busking and playing coffeehouses. Since then, Townsend has moved to Asheville and played stages in Boston and Ireland — and laid down the tracks for his debut album.

Townsend performs both as a solo artist and with a full band as Matt Townsend and the Wonder of the World. The band includes Rodney Easter on bass, Munchi Jones on drums and guest appearances by other musicians, including Casey Saulpaugh who plays steel guitar in this video for Xpress.

Townsend writes that his songs are “inspired by strange dreams and visions, the madness and beauty of the world around us, and the untouchable truth of the Universe itself.” Townsend’s debut album, Matt Townsend and the Wonder of the World, on which “Gratitude and Being” appears, is tentatively scheduled for June 20 but is also available for pre-order at MattTownsendMusic.com.

You can catch Townsend in a solo performance at the Town Pump Tavern in Black Mountain on Sunday, April 27. The full band will also be performed at The Odditorium on May 14. You can also connect with them on Facebook at facebook.com/MattTownsendMusic and look for other upcoming shows in Black Mountain, Brevard and Marshall.

This video web series is produced by Mountain Xpress and Sherwood’s Music. Check back each week for a new video featuring Asheville and WNC musicians.

Matt Townsend and Casey Saulpaugh of Matt Townsend and the Wonder of the World performing “Gratitude and Being” at Sherwood’s Music. (Carrie Eidson & Hayley Benton/ Mountain Xpress)

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Carrie Eidson
Multimedia journalist and Green Scene editor at Mountain Xpress. Part-time Twitterer @mxenv but also reachable at ceidson@mountainx.com. Follow me @carrieeidson

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.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.