30 Days Out, April 2021 #1: Alexa Rose, Brie Capone, David LaMotte, Eric Gales
I’ll spare you the April Fools Day jokes and instead move on to letting you know about foru live-and-in-person music performances happening in the next 30 days in Asheville. Three are locally-based artists (who customarily tour pretty widely), so not only are these opportunities to see live music, they represent a sampling of the best the region has to offer. The other artist is a widely respected blues guitarist who’s scheduled an Asheville date. Get your shots, hold on to that mask, keep your distance, and (if you’re so inclined) go to a show.
Artist: Alexa Rose
Venue: Isis Music Hall
Date: Saturday, April 10, 7 p.m.
Door: $15
The term singer-songwriter is bandied about too freely, Ithink. It should be reserved for those artists who excel in some way at both pursuits. A good example of an artist who richly deserves the label is Asheville’s own Alexa Rose. Read my 2019 interview/feature with Alexa Rose.
Artist: Brie Capone
Venue: The Grey Eagle
Date: Wednesday, April 14, 6 p.m.
Door: $12 advance / $15 day of show
Yep: another singer-songwriter. And one who’s also deserving of the plaudits she’s received. Like Alexa Rose, she isn’t from here originally, but her creative output has been significantly colored by her experiences in Western North Carolina. Read my 2018 interview/feature with Brie Capone.
Artist: David LaMotte
Venue: White Horse Black Mountain
Date: Saturday, April 24, 8 p.m.
Door: $20 in person / $12 online
And another! But – as his website makes plain – LaMotte is also a speaker and author. His command of multiple creative avenues enriches each of them. He’s a “big thoughts” guy who’s also refreshingly down to Earth. His music reflects that. Read my 2016 interview and my 2018 interview with David LaMotte.
Artist: Eric Gales
Venue: Salvage Station
Date: Friday, April 30, 6:30 p.m.
Door: $30
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Blues-rock guitarist Eric Gales has significantly sharpened, refined and improved his technique since starting out in the ‘90s. You can be the beneficiary of that if you see him live. He played a Downtown After 5 here in Asheville in 2019, but the sound mix (not his fault) was painfully loud and brittle. I expect better things from this show. My interviews with him have yielded two features: this one from 2019, and another published in 2020.
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 since 2018). The 4000-plus 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 is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 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: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.