30 Days Out, July 2026 #2: Watchhouse, Kurt Vile, Andrew Thelston Band, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
Three fascinating nationally-touring acts are the focus of this roundup of live music in and around Asheville. Music highlights of the coming 30 days also include a date by a local treasure, Andrew Thelston. Here we go!
Artist: Watchhouse
Venue: Hellbender
Date: Friday, July 18, 7pm
Door: $63.08
The folk-Americana duo of Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin got their start in Chapel Hill NC as Mandolin Orange. They released six album under that name, building a loyal following along the way. 2019’s Tales of a Teardrop was an impressive breakthrough, charting on the Billboard 200 as well as performing quite well on the country, folk, rock and Heatseeker charts. In the wake of that cross-genre success, the duo rebranded as Watchhouse; 2025’s critically-acclaimed Rituals is the third and most recent release under that name. Fruit Bats open.
Artist: Kurt Vile
Venue: Orange Peel
Date: Saturday, July 19, 8pm
Door: $45.85
Yeah, that’s his real name; it’s not one of those tired punning noms de rock like Flint Eastwood or somesuch. Former War on Drugs guitarist Vile launched his indie-psych solo career (generally billed as Kurt Vile and the Viiolators) in 2008. His first three albums didn’t chart, but beginning with 2013’s Wakin on a Pretty Daze, Vile caught on in as big way, charting in multiple countries. His latest is 2026’s well-received release, Philadelphia’s Been Good to Me.
Artist: Andrew Thelston Band
Venue: 185 King St.
Date: Saturday, July 25, 8 p.m.
Door: $9.00
A frequent pollwinner in local roundups of the best (and most beloved) musicians in the region, Andrew Thelston is a frequent and enthusiastic collaborator in multiple projects. Even this gig underscores his versatility. One set will feature his original material; the other will celebrate the music of Led Zeppelin.
Artist: Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
Venue: Grey Eagle
Date: Tuesday, July 28, 8 p.m.
Door: $30.75
Sure, the name evokes thoughts of a Guided by Voices song, what with its three randomly-selected and unrelated words. Instead, SGM is a highly theatrical outfit that combines elements of classical, metal and industrial(!) The Oakland group’s most recent release is 2024’s unsurprisingly apocalyptically-titled Of the Last Human Being.
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.