30 Days Out, October #2: The Residents, Beck, Min Xiao-Fen & Julian Kytasty, The Record Company
Wow. This time around we have two major, major live acts, one of whom has never played Asheville before, and a world-class duo, half of which is based in Asheville, and more besides. Here we go!
Artist: The Residents
Venue: Orange Peel
Date: Monday, Oct. 19, 8 p.m.
Door: $45.85
What can I say? Heroes/avatars of the avant garde, of the truly bizarre, of the transgressive. I’ve interviewed their “spokesmen” on numerous occasions, and for this tour they’re performing a classic work, Eskimo, along with what they describe as additional newly-discovered related material. Well… okay.
Artist: Beck
Venue: Thomas Wolfe
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 28, 8 p.m.
Door: $242.50
Candidly, hearing Beck’s music on the radio and whatnot never did all that much for me. I didn’t dislike it, but it never moved me. That all changed when I saw him live. The music connects in a live setting; it truly does. As it happens, I saw him at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Now he’s back, though tix are super-pricey and may well be sold out by the time you read this. There’s always scalpers, right? Diana Silvers opens.
Artist: Min Xiao-Fen & Julian Kytasty
Venue: Ayurprana Listening Room
Date: Thursday, Nov. 5, 7 p.m.
Door: $23.70
Min Xiao-Fen is a globally acclaimed pipa player and composer who has scored soundtracks for films from the classic era of Chinese silent film. Kytasty is a Ukrainian musician whose work fits remarkably well with that of MXF. Together they’ve made a sublime album, Boundless. They’re doing relatively few shows together, so file this under Do Not Miss.
Artist: The Record Company
Venue: Orange Peel
Date: Saturday, Nov. 7, 8 p.m.
Door: $37.02
Revered blues artists the likes of Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Reed and Muddy Waters are clear influences upon the music of Grammy-nominated trio The Record Company. But the Los Angeles-based group – guitarist Chris Vos, bassist Alex Stiff and drummer Marc Cazorla – have made a point of resisting the “blues trio” label. In celebration of their debut album’s 10 year anniversary – and in tacit acknowledgment of the interest in vinyl – The Record Company has reissued Give It Back to You. And they’re touring in support of it.
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.