After more than 15 years making music, it's obvious Ohio duo Over The Rhine is in it for the long haul, and for keeps. Their commitment is underscored by their latest, The Trumpet Child, and its opening track, "I Don't Wanna Waste Your Time," a manifesto of sorts for the artists recently named to Paste magazine's list of 100 Best Living Songwriters. Look no further than the lyrics to this track for what animates Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist, the married couple at the heart of Over The Rhine: "I hope this night puts down deep roots / I hope we plant a seed / 'Cause I don't wanna waste your time / With music you don't need."
Over The Rhine may not be a household name, but to call the act's followers "fanatical" would understate the point, and they're not shy about converting the curious. Why? For starters, there's Bergquist's torchy, devil-may-care voice, brimming with Midwestern soul, unafraid to lay bare every emotional resonance. And again, there's the life-and-death commitment dripping from her every word. "I'm either into it or I'm not, because there's no faking it with me," Bergquist notes. "Life's way too short for that."
Thursday, March 11, 2010. 8:30pm. $18 advance / $20 day of show.
As with many artists, these extracurricular activities are just window dressing compared to his main focus: performing live. Typically traveling as duo (w/ acoustic piano), Redbone's musical repertoire can hover between Dylan's "Living the Blues," Jelly Roll Morton's "I Hate a Man Like You," Eddy Arnold's "Bouquet of Roses" and the childhood folk favorite "Polly Wolly Doodle." Known more for covering other artists' songs, the musician admits he comes up with a few tunes of his own every decade, but counters with a grin, "I think that they're all mine to begin with."
If there is one common element to Redbone's diverse music it's his mastery of his acoustic guitar. It is easy to get lost in his stage exploits (which often gravitate between vaudeville and performance art) and overlook what a truly fine player he is -- fingerpicking with a ragtime bounce or jumping between chords with the grace of a hurdler. (Maybe the analogy should be with the grace of a card shark, because he makes it look so effortless it can often be deceiving.)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010. 8pm. $20 advance / $25 day of show.
In a country where interstates don't take you to new places, but to the same places, where everywhere you go you've already been or you've just left, The Bottle Rockets' new album absolutely nails a sound and a vibe with a palpable sense of place. Lean Forward is suffused with the determination and resilience of their distinctly midwestern roots; theirs is a celebration of pragmatism and tempered optimism, not the delusions and exhortations of glassy eyed zealots—they aren't going to fall for that. Oh, it's a flat out, smoking rock record, too.
With Brian McGee & The Hollow Speed. Thursday, February 25, 2010. 9pm. $10 advance /$12 day of show.
From the first thump of the bass, the songs on Turntable Matinee display why Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys are still the modern essence of classic rockabilly. The perfectly timeless country swing of Big Sandy's warm, seductive croon mixed with sweet pedal steel rolls across you like radio waves from an old wooden cathedral console. Big Sandy's lifelong obsession with older styles of music is no secret, but on Turntable Matinee, he and His Fly-Rite Boys have captured a more complete picture of all of their influences adding to the mix the sounds and feel of Memphis soul, Bakersfield country and LA folk rock. Paste Magazine calls them "a direct link to the country, blues and R&B infused music of rock 'n' roll's golden age" and No Depression says, "Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys remain the current kings of hillbilly bop.
For all ages to enjoy, 8:30pm. $10 advance / $12 day of show. Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Grey Eagle is thrilled to welcome talented singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur to Asheville on Friday, February 12th. Advance tickets are only $12 for the fully seated 9pm show, and are available online as well as at Orbit DVD and Harvest Records in West Asheville. We here at the club have been looking forward to this one for months -- don't miss it!
The Grey Eagle welcomes one of our favorites, The Fiery Furnaces, back to Asheville. Drug Rug opens the all-ages show at 9pm. Tickets are only $13 in advance, and available online and at Harvest Records and Orbit DVD in West Asheville. Don't miss this one!
The Media Arts Project, Orbit DVD & TV Eye present a one-of-a-kind event tonight that showcases footage from videos that were found at garage sales and thrift stores and in warehouses and dumpsters throughout the country. From the curiously-produced industrial training video to the forsaken home movie donated to Goodwill, the Found Footage Festival resurrects these forgotten treasures and serves them up in a lively celebration of all things found.
Tickets are only $10 for the 8pm show.
