30 Days Out, Feb. 2025 #2: Fireside Collective, Piper & the Hard Times, Asheville Jazz Orchestra, Joe Bonamassa
Americana, blues, jazz and… more blues are among the highlights of Asheville (and Cherokee) live music in the coming thirty days. Off we go!
Artist: Fireside Collective
Venue: Asheville Music Hall
Date: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 p.m.
Door: $26.39
When Fireside Collective got their start, the idea of hybridizing bluegrass with other styles was a pretty radical concept. Today it’s less so, with many other groups having picked up on the idea. But this North Carolina-based outfit remains the exemplar of what can be done. They do it with style, passion, dedication and a strong sense of fun. I interviewed the group in 2022.
Artist: Piper & the Hard Times
Venue: White Horse Black Mountain
Date: Saturday, Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m.
Door: $22*
Combine a saucy New Orleans vibe with a blues sensibility, put a soulful and strong vocalist out front, and give them a set of well-written and-arranged tunes. Fronted by Al “Piper” Green, there’s nothing terribly unusual about this group or its music; they simply do what they do in the traditional method, and they do it well. Popular local artists Melissa McKinney and Bill Mattocks are on the bill as well. The ticket price is $22, but WHBM has a pay-what-you-can policy. And a chunk of proceeds go to the White Horse Community Fund.
Artist: Asheville Jazz Orchestra
Venue: Orange Peel
Date: Sunday, Mar. 2, 7:30 p.m.
Door: $25.86
Big band jazz is alive and well in the third decade of the 21st century. Who’dve thought!? These musicians do it with style, maintaining the classic approach yet never feeling stale. The way to experience this music is live onstage; here’s your chance, and with the top-notch sound system of the Orange Peel.
Artist: Joe Bonamassa
Venue: Harrah’s Casino
Date: Friday, Mar. 7, 9 p.m.
Door: $115.08
If you listen to contemporary blues, you don’t need me to explain who Joe Bonamassa is. He has landed something like 17 albums at the top of Billboard’s Blues Albums chart. I wrote two features based on my 2021 interview with Bonamassa; they’re here and here. Note that this show is in Cherokee, NC, not Asheville.
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.