Asheville, NC is my adopted hometown. After more than a quarter-century in a smog-filled, traffic-jammed metropolis, I escaped to the Blue Ridge Mountains in 2000. I’m never leaving. And while my own personal musical preferences are well-advertised, I often — more and more as time goes on — interview local artists and/or write about subjects of local interest. Honestly, I really enjoy talking with most anyone who is passionate about her or his art.
For five years, I also wrote a twice-monthly column called “30 Days Out” for an Asheville altweekly, previewing upcoming shows in and around Asheville. The column often spotlighted local-based artists. Today that column is hosted here on Musoscribe.
Below are links to some (but not all) of my locally- and regionally-focused music writing.
Asheville and/or North Carolina Artists and/or Topics…
2023
Anno X Festival — coming soon
Asheville Amadeus Festival
Asheville Music Venues in a Post-Pandemic World
Tashi Dorji
Blake Ellege — coming soon
Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra — coming soon
Okapi
Woody Platt
The state of touring 2023 from a WNC perspective
Tina and Her Pony — coming soon
Virginia & the Slims
White Horse Black Mountain — coming soon
Min Xiao-Fen #1
Min Xiao-Fen #2 — coming soon
Western NC Singer-songwriters (Melody Ida Chopko, Billy Litz, Scott Stetson)
2022
Acoustic Syndicate
AshevilleFM Real People, Great Radio album
Asheville Garage Rock
Seth and Sara Brand
Terry Carolan
Chatham Rabbits
Cold Mountain Music Festival
Deep River
Empire Strikes Brass
Fireside Collective
The Freeway Jubilee (review)
The Freeway Jubilee (feature)
Geriatric Jukebox
Hope Griffin
Hendersonville Symphony
Myron Hyman
LazrLuvr
Bobby McMillon
Rich Nelson Band
Orange Purple Marmalade
Pansyfest Annual Cover Show
Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters
Rocky Horror Music Show
The Ron-De-Voos
Blaine Russell
Andrew Scotchie and the River Rats
Ska City
Solasta Festival
Kate Steinbeck
Bryan Sutton (#1)
Bryan Sutton (#2)
Ukraine Benefit Concert
David Wilcox
The (Fabulous) Wunz
Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band
2021
Awen Family Band
Area 22 Guitars
Travis Book
Laura Boswell
Carolina Guitar Show
Carolinas District Barbershop Harmony Society
“Creativity During Covid”
D-Town Brass
Jason DeCristofaro
Dave Desmelik
The Discs
Stephen Evans
The Eyebrows
Dom Flemons
The Get Right Band
Giraffe Studio
Ryan Guerra
Hendersonville Symphony
Izzi Hughes
JackTown Ramblers
Rory Jagdeo
The Krüger Brothers
Michelle Lang
The Last Rock & Roll Art Show
LEAF Downtown
“Live Music, Quarantine Style”
Kayla Lynn
Fayssoux McLean
Min Xiao-Fen
The Moon and You
North Carolina Music Hall of Fame
Oklawaha Synth Community
Pretty Little Goat
Avery Roberson
“Same Roots, Separate Sounds”
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Nina Simone
Spartanburg Philharmonic Percussion Ensemble
Steep Canyon Rangers
Transylvania Ukulele Circle
Vagabond Crowe
Yesterday’s Tomorrow
2020
The Music Scene in WNC Before, During and After COVID-19
Acoustic Syndicate
Adi the Monk
Bill Altman
Ryan RnB Barber
The Broadcast
Brother Bluebird
Brushfire Stankgrass
Citizen Mojo
Citizen Vinyl
Death Nebula
Dirty Soul Revival
John Doyle
Eleventyseven
Empire Strikes Brass
Feminazgul
Firecracker Jazz Band
Fireside Collective
Fwuit
Sandlin Gaither
Gold Rose
David Holt
Ishmael (Daniel Palenque)
Samara Jade
Life Like Water
LLGLDNBKS
Sarah Louise
Anna Lynch
Christy Lynn Band
Anders Manga
Modern Strangers
The Moon and You
Rich Nelson
Nest Egg
Orgatroid
The Paper Crowns
Ben Phantom
Pimps of Pompe
Amanda Anne Platt and the Honeycutters
Justin Ray
Abby “the Spoon Lady” Roach
Eleanor Underhill #1
Eleanor Underhill #2
Up Jumped Three
Virginia and the Slims
Vvitchgang Coven
Young Mister
Zoe & Cloyd
2019
Abraham Jam
American Vinyl Company
Amigo
The Appalucians
Archetype Brewing
Arouna & Biko
Asheville Improv Comedy Fest
Asheville Music School
Ryan RnB Barber
Backline
Bask
Below the Bassline
The Burger Bar
DJ Audio
DJ Besbleve
Cameo
Coconut Cake
Bianchi & Cofod
Marley Carroll
Day & Dream
Jason DeCristofaro
Descent
Dave Desmelik
DJ Dallas & SIYAH
Dream Guitars
Blake Ellege (Appalachian Santa)
Emma’s Lounge
Fleetwood’s
Free Planet Radio #1
Free Planet Radio #2
Gold Light + Snakemusk
Morgan Geer’s Drunken Prayer #1
Morgan Geer’s Drunken Prayer #2
The Grey Eagle
Hope Griffin
Joseph Hasty
Hit Dogs
Caleb Johnson
Spaceman Jones
Alias Patrick Kelly
Jane Kramer
Casey Kristofferson
Lavender Blue
The Magnetic Theatre
Taylor Martin
Mindshapefist
The Moon and You
Moonlight Street Folk
Carrie Morrison
Moses Jones
Moves
Negativland
Amanda Anne Platt and the Honeycutters
The Odditorium
Ben Phan
Aaron Price
Queen Bee and the Honeylovers #1
Queen Bee and the Honeylovers #2
Peggy Ratusz
reddenhollow
Andrew Reed
RiddleFest
Alexa Rose
Rising Appalachia
Andrew Scotchie
Daniel Shearin
Jeff Sipe
Sk the Novelist
Steep Canyon Rangers
Stereospread
STIG
Nikki Talley
Tellico #1
Tellico #2
Town Mountain
Travers Brothership
Tub
Unspoken Tradition
VIA
The Vince Junior Band
Virginia and the Slims
Western N.C. Recording Studios
Kat Williams
Tim Williams
Russ Wilson
Young Mister
Zoe & Cloyd
2018
Top 10 Releases of 2018
Adi the Monk
Amandla
Asheville Rock Collective
Amigo
Balsam Range
Sidney Barnes #3
Chuck Brodsky
Aaron Burdett
Brie Capone
Todd Cecil
Crooked Ghost
Daydream Creatures
Doc Aquatic
Tashi Dorji & Tyler Damon
The Fritz #2
Galena
Hope Griffin
Hearts Gone South
Jazzville
Hannah Kaminer
David LaMotte
Makenoise
Chuck Lichtenberger
Andrew Finn Magill
Stephanie Morgan
Natural Born Leaders
Jordan Okrend
Poet Radio
Amanda Anne Platt
Peggy Ratusz
Andrew Reed
Ian Ridenhour
Carol Rifkin
River Whyless
The Rough and Tumble
Jonathan Scales
Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats
Richard Shulman
Nina Simone
Sister Ivy
Spaceman Jones and the Motherships
Steep Canyon Rangers
Terpsicorps Dance Company
Tin Roof Echo
Toubab Krewe
Town Mountain
Uncle Kurtis
Billy Edd Wheeler
David Wilcox
Jonathan Wilson
The Zealots
2017
Amandla
J. Atkinson
Back South
Sidney Barnes #1
Sidney Barnes #2
André Cholmondeley
Dr. Bacon
Laura Blackley
Carpal Tullar
Todd Cecil
Eric Congdon
DJ Audio
Dave Desmelik
Jack Devereux
Empire Strikes Brass
Evil Note Lab
Floating Action
Foul Mouth Jerk
Mary Frances
The Freeway Revival #1
The Freeway Revival #2
The Fritz #1
Gov’t Mule
Warren Haynes
Ashley Heath
Hendersonville Chamber Music
Malcolm Holcombe
The Honeycutters / Amanda Anne Platt
Jamie Laval
BJ Leiderman
The Lost Chord
Andrew Finn Magill
The Moon and You
Stephanie Morgan
Carrie Morrison
Angel Olsen
Jordan Okrend
Sidney Outlaw
Joe Penland
Phuncle Sam
Peggy Ratusz and Paula Hanke
RBTS WIN
Carol Rifkin
Resonant Rogues
Jeff Santiago
Jonathan Scales
Andrew Scotchie
Sarah Siskind
Skunk Ruckus
Somewhat Petty
Fayssoux Starling
Jon Stickley Trio
Stump Mutts
The Tills
Wes Tirey
Shana Tucker
Uncle Kurtis
The Undergrowth
Paul Vo
Wham Bam Bowie Band
Russ Wilson’s Big Band
Yonder
Zoe & Cloyd
2016
Analog Moon
Bygone Blues Duo
Devils in Dust
The Digs
The Get Right Band
Warren Haynes
The Honeycutters
David LaMotte
Jamie Laval
Plankeye Peggy
River Whyless
Rising Appalachia
Jonathan Scales Fourchestra
Sweet Claudette
Wes Tirey
Travers Brothership
Underhill Rose
Russ Wilson
2015
Ahleuchatistas
The Broadcast
Warren Haynes
Rising Appalachia
Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats
Wham Bam Bowie Band
2015
stephaniesĭd
Aaron “Woody” Wood
2014
The Volt Per Octaves
2013
Drunken Prayer
E. Normus Trio
Pierce Edens
Jamie Laval
Project/Object
2011
Cheeksters
Project/Object
stephaniesĭd
2010
Cheeksters
Paul Crouch
Skinny Legs and All
2009
Leigh Glass Band
2008
Tom Dudley
Free Planet Radio
Billy Jonas
Eliza Lynn
Peter Millis
Youth at Jazz / YMI Band
Other Topics of Local Interest…
2018
ABS Fest
Asheville Moth GrandSLAM
Heavy Mountain Festival
Make Noise
Music Video Asheville
Terpsicorps
2017
All Go West Festival’s Arieh Samson
Reed Turchi
Western North Carolina’s 1960s Garage Rock Scene
Woods & Wilds Festival
2016
Asheville Electro Music Festival
Asheville Music School*
Brevard Music Center
Code Red ACLU Benefit Album
Girls Rock Asheville 2016*
LEAF Downtown 2016*
Music Video Asheville 2016
Musician’s Workshop
Reed Turchi
Stand Against HB2
2015
Best Concerts of 2015
Front Row Focus
Girls Rock Asheville 2015
Warren Haynes Christmas Jam*
LEAF Downtown 2015*
Mountain Soul Party
2014
Moogfest 2014
Transfigurations II Festival
2013
DIG Festival
Mountain Oasis 2013
2012
Ignite Asheville*
Moogfest 2012
Music Video Asheville 2012
2011
Moogfest 2011
2009
Willie Little’s “Juke Joint”
2008
Youth at Jazz
2007
Bob Moog Foundation
* indicates the piece is hosted elsewhere and may be added later.