30 Days Out, February 2022 #1: Honeycutters, Laura Blackley, Pet Metheny, Parquet Courts
Live shows! No, really!
Artist: Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters
Venue: The Grey Eagle
Date: Saturday, Feb. 5, 9 p.m.
Door: $22
The best (and highest profile) alt-country band in WNC, The Honeycutters took a time-release approach to their latest album, debuting the tracks one at a time over several months. With the near-complete abdication of art coverage by our local altweekly, that means that The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea isn’t getting the kind of exposure it deserves. If you know the band, you know it’s likely to be good, and it is. Go see ’em live.
Artist: Laura Blackley and the Wildflowers
Venue: Highland Brewing
Date: Saturday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m.
Door: $free
Blackley is a well known and much loved fixture on the regional music scene. Her top-notch band puts rock muscle into her alt- and folk-songs. The combination is a winning recipe.
Artist: Pat Metheny
Venue: Harrah’s Cherokee
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Door: $36+
One of the finest guitarists out there, bringing technique and feel in equal measure. That Metheny is including an Asheville date is truly something special. And in a happy bit of serendipity, Asheville’s own André Cholmondeley is the tech for Metheny’s keyboaridst.
Artist: Parquet Courts
Venue: The Orange Peel
Date: Sunday, Feb. 27, 8 p.m.
Door: $25
This NYC band released its latest, Sympathy for Life, in October. With a more pronounced dance vibe, the record has been earning critical raves. They’re on tour in North America through April, at which point it’s off to Europe. See ’em now. Mdou Moctar opens!
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4500-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.