30 Days Out, Sept. 2024 #2: Battle of the Bands, The dB’s, Kaleo, Sunday Jam
The next 30 days are extra-special musicwise here in WNC. Indie rock heroes The dB’s have reunited for select shows, and Asheville is on that list! Icelandic rockers Kaleo make their regional debut, and two free shows featuring the cream of the local musical crop round out this survey of upcoming live music events.
Artist: Various (Battle of the Bands)
Venue: The Grey Eagle
Date: Tuesday, Sep. 17, 8:30 p.m.
Door: $free
Ahh…this takes me back to a golden era when rock bands competed onstage in front of audiences for a bit of fame and/or fortune. In this case, the winner gets a high-profile spot at this year’s Tour de Fat gala, October 5 at New Belgium, right there on the French Broad River. The bands competing are Trollcraft, The Old Futures, Straightlines, The Cartridge Family (ha!) and Cam Stack. They’re all New Belgium employees; that’s all I know about ’em. Should be a keg-o-fun though.
Artist: The dB’s
Venue: Eulogy
Date: Friday, Sep. 20, 7 p.m.
Door: $27
Just a few months after their debut album’s release, The dB’s re-entered the studio with a strong and unified sense of purpose. The result of those sessions was 1982’s RePercussion. That record would be the last release from the original quartet until the bravura Falling off the Sky some 30 years later. Over the years, live dates by the core four would be nearly as rare as those first two LPs. But in celebration of the domestic release of RePercussion on vinyl (Propeller Sound Recordings, October 18), The dB’s have scheduled a run of U.S. dates. More than four decades after the release of their first two records – both of which sound as fresh, timeless and vital today as they did in the early ‘80s – The dB’s are finally getting their due. Don’t miss this show.
Artist: Kaleo
Venue: Rabbit Rabbit
Date: Tuesday, Sep. 24, 7 p.m.
Door: $49.50
This band is new to me, but I like what I’ve heard and will be at the show. So sayeth the press release: “Emerging out of Reykjavík, KALEO—JJ Julius Son [vocals, guitar, piano], Rubin Pollock [lead guitar], Daniel Kristjansson [bass], and David Antonsson [drums] —buzzed to the forefront of the global conversation with the platinum-certified album A/B. Their music surged through popular culture with dozens of film and television syncs, including Marvel flicks like LOGAN and hit TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and Riverdale. Additionally, the guys made their mark with performances on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Good Morning America, and more. Beyond selling out headline tours on multiple continents, they shined as a live force of nature who could hold their own on a bill with The Rolling Stones or ignite festival crowds at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and beyond.”
Artist: Sunday Jam
Venue: Pisgah Brewing
Date: Sunday, Sep. 29, 6:30 p.m.
Door: $free
My friend Spiro – -who will be co-hosting my OCtober installment of Music to Your Ears discussion at Asheville Guitar Bar — hosts this lively event pretty much every Sunday. Again quoting from the press materials: “A special time with friends and musicians alike and with what has become a Sunday tradition, Pisgah Brewing Company hosts the Pisgah Sunday Jam – an open Jam every Sunday evening (with a few exceptions) on the outdoor stage. Join our star-studded house band as they soar though musical peaks and valleys. With a rotating lineup of musicians, no two Sundays are alike. Bring your instruments and join the band on stage, full backline provided.”
See you at the show!
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 for several years). The more than 5000 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 -- some 40 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: 30 Great Concept Albums is available now. Read even more about him here.