30 Days Out, June 2025 #2: The Aquabats, Mercy in the Mountains, Pleasure Chest, Steel Puls

There’s a lighthearted spin to some of what’s on musicwise in the coming thirty days. But the schedule is leavened with a fundraiser to help locally in the ongoing wake of Helene. And there’s some historically significant reggae, too.

Artist: The Aquabats!
Venue: Orange Peel
Date: Monday, June 16, 7 p.m.
Door: $38.77
High concept pranksters from Huntington Beach, California, the Aquabats are a wacky troupe that makes music encompassing a number of styles. Their most well-known tune, “Super Rad!” traffics in a kind of ska style, but another popular tune (“The Shark Fighter!”) is simply wacky, anthemic rock ‘n’ roll. Should be fun.

Artist: Melissa McKinney et. al. (Mercy in the Mountains)
Venue: The Grey Eagle
Date: Wednesday, June 18, 7 p.m.
Door: $18.45
The bill for this fundraising gig (benefiting Habitat for Humanity and LEAF Global Arts) features Melissa McKinney’s Mama, Mad Dog Blues Band and Eric Freeman aka The Blueridge Boy. Read my story about the ongoing Mercy in the Mountains initiative right here.

Artist: Pleasure Chest
Venue: Highland Brewing
Date: Saturday, June 28, 6 p.m.
Door: $free (but please tip generously!)
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: These guys rock hard, bringing forth the spirit of early rock’n’roll, the kind of thing you’d fine on the Loud, Fast and Out of Control boxed set. No soppy balladry here. Guitarist Erich Hubner – he of the wild-looking guitars – used to be in Man… Or Astro-Man? And that should tell you something.

Artist: Steel Pulse
Venue: French Broad River Outdoor Stage
Date: Wednesday, July 2, 7 p.m.
Door: $40.10
Reggae has as much of a tradition in the UK as it does in Jamaica. And among British reggae outfits, Steel Pulse is among the most legendary and revered. They were key in bringing the genre to punk fans in the ‘70s, and they carry on the proud work to this day.

See you at the show!