30 Days Out, August 2026 #1: Broken Social Scene, ABACAB, Gimme Hendrix, Black Label Society
Wow. Some great stuff on tap in the coming 30 days. Two regional tribute acts, one original band, and a triple bill with elements of tribute and member-sharing. Off we go!
Artist: Broken Social Scene
Venue: Forestry Camp
Date: Sunday, Aug. 2, 6 p.m.
Door: $50
Way back in the late ‘60s, pioneering rock journalist Lillian Roxon wrote about a nascent movement within the rock world: moving beyond the group format to something more ad hoc, something closer to the jazz aesthetic of musicians coming and going as needed/as they please. Good an idea as it was, that movement never truly took off in a big way. But decades later, Canadian collective Broken Social Scene is proving the worth of the loose format. BSS has nine albums (if one counts the B-side collections), all showcasing the collective’s defiantly indie mindset and musical approach. Their first album in nearly a decade (‘cause hey, they’re all busy with other things as well) is this year’s critically-praised Remember the Humans.
Artist: Abacab
Venue: Orange Peel
Date: Thursday, Aug. 14, 8 p.m.
Door: $34.45
This Charlotte-based tribute band deftly navigates the tricky and fraught path between the progressive/art rock textures of early (Peter Gabriel era) Genesis and the later pop-oriented (Phil Collins era) material of that group. The actual Genesis didn’t manage to please fans who preferred one over the other, but somehow ABACAB does. Their approach to the music – honoring the source material but not becoming slavish to it – is a big part of why it works. ABACAB tackles the music with wit, precision and style.
Artist: Gimme Hendrix
Venue: Grey Eagle
Date: Friday, Aug. 28, 8 p.m.
Door: $18.95
I often take a kneejerk dislike toward bands that give themselves awful-pun names. Flint Eastwood, Buckcherry… you get the idea. But this one gets the nod, because the name telegraphs what’s in the tin (as they say). Based just down the road apiece in Athens, Gimme Hendrix is a power trio extraordinaire, but then it wold be, wouldn’t it? The fiery band shows how much can be done with the minimalist aesthetic of late ‘60s guitar-bass-drum trios. And the guitarist even plays a right-handed Strat left-handed!
Artist: Black Label Society
Venue: Harrah’s (aka Asheville Civic Center)
Date: Sunday, Aug. 31, 7:30 p.m.
Door: $49.40
Zakk Wylde seems intent on having his cake and eating it too, and affording fans the same degree of musical variety. Touring in support of their latest release Engines of Demolition, BLS headlines an evening that also features Zakk Sabbath (yes, that’s former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Wylde’s Black Sabbath tribute band) and BLS guitarist Dario Lorina’s side project Dark Chapel. In other words, some of the same guys in different contexts will serve up an evening of hard ‘n’ flashy rock.
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.