30 Days Out, December 2025 #2: Jon Stickley Trio, Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters, A Swannanoa Solstice, The Cheeksters
It’s time for an all-local edition of 30 Days Out. I’ve been running this twice-monthly roundup of live music in Asheville for twelve years now: six for Mountain Xpress, six more here on Musoscribe. And while touring acts are important, I’ve always endeavored to shine a luight on the splendind talent that lives right here in Western NC. So this time, as we wrap up 2025, here are four Asheville shows featuring Asheville artists. Go see and hear ‘em!
Artist: Jon Stickley Trio
Venue: Eulogy
Date: Friday, Dec. 19, 8 p.m.
Door: $22.82
This trio has been making its brand of progressive bluegrass for more than a decade. You can do a lot with guitar, fiddle and drums, and they prove it. Fresh off a run of dates that took them to Duluth and Minneapolis, they’re coming to Eulogy, an intimate South Slope venue with a great sound system and techs who know how to run it.
Artist: Amanda Anne Platt and the Honeycutters
Venue: Grey Eagle
Date: Satuday, Dec. 20, 8 p.m.
Door: $30.25
Amanda is a WNC-and-beyond treasure; her style of singing-songwriting embodies true Americana musical values. Definitely not of the “put on a cowboy hat and play at being a c&w artist” mentality that has overrun modern country, she writes songs about real things. And her band is top-notch. This annual holiday show is always a crowd-pleaser. Interviews with Amanda are here, here and also here.
Event: A Swannanoa Solstice
Venue: Wortham Center
Date: Sunday, Dec. 21, 2 and 7 p.m.
Door: $34.78 and up
A showcase of regional stars playing Americana, soCeltic, roots and world music, this two-perofmrance run features John Doyle & Cathie Ryan; Maura Shawn Scanlin, Zoe & Cloyd; Josh Goforth; EJ Jones & the Piper Jones Band and Elizabeth McCorvey. Becky Stone emcees.
Artist: The Cheeksters
Venue: Grey Eagle
Date: Saturday, Dec. 27, 8 p.m.
Door: $18.45
Co-leader Mark Casson writes great and impopssibly catchy songs that are both in line with classic pop and rock yet fresh and new. The band doesn’t play live very much these days, so missing this show would be foolhardy. There’s lots of previous coverage of the band on this site, because they deserve it. Doss Church and the Unholy Noise open.
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.