30 Days Out, September 2025 #2: Tinsley Ellis, Mountain Goats, Redd Kross, Ben Folds
Blues, indie rock, punk pop (the good kind) and intelligent rock-meets-orchestra. Wow; what an exciting thirty days here in Asheville. Onward…
Artist: Tinsley Ellis
Venue: Grey Eagle
Date: Sunday, Sep. 14, 8 p.m.
Door: $24.60
Blues guitarist Tinsley Ellis was a prominent fixture in the Atlanta music scene of the 1980s. As guitarist for the Heartfixers, Ellis established a reputation as an impassioned and expressive bluesman. Though nominally a blues artist, Ellis has made a practice of working with musicians well outside the blues idiom. Fellow southerners guested on his early solo albums, including R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, Chuck Leavell (Sea Level, Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers Band) and Derek Trucks.
Artist: Mountain Goats
Venue: Pisgah Brewing
Date: Saturday, Sep. 20, 8 p.m.
Door: $55.98
Indie folk rockers the Mountain Goats are known for their literate lyrics and emotional storytelling. Early recordings have a lo-fi feel, but the band’s ambitious artistry quickly transcended those limitations. When I was researching my upcoming book about concept albums, What’s the Big Idea, a few artists I interviewed suggested the Mountain Goats’ 2023 album Jenny From Thebes as a suitable subject for a chapter. Alas it was too late for my deadline. Maybe next time? (This show has been moved from the short-lived, now-defunct Hatch Amphitheater.)
Artist: Redd Kross
Venue: Orange Peel
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 7, 8 p.m.
Door: $38.27
Over the span of a decade-plus, Hawthorne, California band Redd Kross navigated the tricky path from punky indie band to one that sounded like the epitome of arena rock. And they managed the metamorphosis in a way that kept their bratty, pop culture perspective intact. In fact the change to a more radio-friendly sound served to sharpen the band’s music, and its knowing take on rock forms proved once again that to properly satirize and/or pastiche something, you have to really understand and appreciate it. The Melvins are also on the bill.
Artist: Ben Folds
Venue: Thomas Wolfe
Date: Friday, Oct. 10, 8 p.m.
Door: $56.50
Ben Folds came to prominence as the pianist, singer and songwriter who introduced the “punk rock for sissies” (his self-effacing term) of Ben Folds Five to alt-rock audiences in the 1990s and beyond. Folds’ subsequent work as a solo artist has elevated his status even further; he has since expanded into scoring for film and television, producing for (and collaborating with) other artists, writing an autobiography, doing a bit of acting, and mounting tours that emphasize an interactive quality. This show finds him playing with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra.
See you at the shows!
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.