of Montreal
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYOF MONTREALWhen creators f<ck with how we experience time and space, great fictions emerge: Clive Barker’s Imajica, Andrei Tarkovsky’s sci-fi classic Solaris, and Godard’s Alphaville. But what happens to artists when the flow of time gets f^cked up IRL? When an hour stretches into eternity, and the voices in your head begin to echo through empty rooms? If you’re Kevin Barnes, the creative visionary behind of Montreal, Freewave Lucifer f<ck f^ck f>ck happens. Isolation and uncertainty loomed throughout the genesis of the band’s latest studio album. “The experience of just trying to keep my head above water and navigate through the last couple years played a huge role in this record,” says Barnes.These expansive selections contrast markedly with the focused pop of 2020’s UR FUN, which was crafted for visceral thrills and the concert stage. As it was for countless musicians around the world, the inability to tour eliminated one of the linchpins of Barnes’ creative process. “I didn’t know if we’d ever tour again, so I didn’t consider that side of things.” Denied social interaction and diverse experiences, Barnes delved inward.Barnes contemplated how time functions in music and experimented accordingly. These new songs, dense with ideas but short on repetition, feel epic in scope despite reasonable running times. Like the staircases of M.C. Escher’s Relativity, the discrete sections of “Marijuana’s A Working Woman” and “Blab Sabbath Lathe of Maiden” crisscross and pivot, confounding the senses yet commanding attention. The imagery and sentiments that bubble forth from Barnes’ lyrical wordplay prove equally disorienting.“Is it important to say black chrome rodents?,” asks Barnes on “Après The Déclassé.” Phrases borne of free association took on new meaning when introduced into a song. “It’s like collaborating with my subconscious in a way. It feels deeply personal, even though I don’t necessarily understand it at that moment.”“Marijuana’s A Working Woman” juxtaposes oddball funk a la Zapp or Rick James with nods to Alice Anne Baily’s 19th century spiritualism. “Modern Art Bewilders” zigzags between baroque psychedelic idyll and synthpop tantrum, equal parts Sgt. Pepper’s and Gary Numan. Other influences woven throughout include realist painter Edward Hopper, fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin, cinéaste Pedro Almodovar, and erotic illustrator Toshio Saeki.Barnes likens their compositional process to making collages from seemingly unrelated source materials, combining them in provocative ways to reveal new meanings. “I wasn’t working with specific themes that I wanted to try and stretch over a three-minute pop song. It was sewing together a lot of fragmented thoughts,” which ties in nicely to the ‘freewave’ aspect of the album title’s meaning. As Barnes explains, “Freewave is my term for wild and intractable artistic expression. Lucifer is the angel of enlightenment and elucidation. Fuck is something we say when things are going really well, or really badly.”As for anything else going on behind the scenes during the genesis of Freewave Lucifer f<ck f^ck f>ck, Barnes opts to preserve the mystery. “Sometimes in the past, I felt it was important for people to know certain things, so they could get into a specific headspace.” Not this time.LOCATE S,1
Emery: ‘In Shallow Seas We Sail’ Anniversary Tour
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYEMERY Our trials and tribulations toughen us up and, ultimately, inform who we become. Emery proudly wears the wisdom from those scars in their songs. The Seattle quintet—Toby Morrell [vocals, guitar], Devin Shelton [vocals, bass], Josh Head [vocals, keys, synths], Matt Carter [guitar], Dave Powell [drums], and Chris Keene [guitar] —teeter on an axis of unpredictably heavy soundscapes, off-kilter grooves, searing melodies, and fits of harmony. Now, the group open up and bleed like never before on their eighth full-length offering, Rub Some Dirt On It [Tooth & Nail]. “The album is based on personal and difficult real-life situations,” reveals Devin. “We wanted to focus on moments that were hard to navigate, but ultimately character-building experiences in our lives. When we would fall, scrape our knees, or get some other fairly insignificant injury, our dads would always say, ‘Rub some dirt on it’. In other words, you’re tougher than you think. Instead of crying or dwelling on it, get up and keep going. Don’t let the pain define you. Instead, learn from it and become better. STRAWBERRY GIRLSSLOW JOY
OUTPOST: 54 Bicycles
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE54 BicyclesA Charleston, SC based band of lifelong Widespread Panic fans and musicians aiming to capture the spirit, energy and intention of Mikey-Era panic shows in intimate venues.
PATIO: The Resonant Rogues
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVEDTHE RESONANT ROGUES The Resonant Rogues’ dark Appalachian folk paints a picture of their lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina and on the road. Anchored by the songwriting duo of Sparrow (banjo, accordion) and Keith Smith (guitar), they’ve traveled the byways and highways of America and crossed the oceans with instruments in tow. From riding freight trains to building their own homestead, the pair are no strangers to blazing unconventional trails. At once rooted and adventurous, each song tells a story of real experiences, friendships, and challenges. The Rogues just wrapped up a record in Nashville with renowned producer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff), featuring guest appearances from Sierra Ferrell, Benjamin Tod, John James Tourville (Deslondes), and Jason Dea West. “Their intense cohesion is so intertwined that it feels like they’re playing with one pair of hands.” –No Depression “I urge you to get out and hear them” -Lonesome Highway
PATIO: Krekel and Whoa
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVEDKREKEL AND WHOA “More spectacle than a traditional two-person band,” Krekel and Whoa hails from Asheville, NC, on Cherokee land. Musical conspirators since 2004, Jason Krekel (guitar, fiddle, drums, vocals) and Ami Whoa (keyboard, guitar, vocals) have traveled the continent and beyond sharing their infectious tunes. An adaptable duo, their show can be folk-y and acoustic, or rockin’ and electric with Krekel playing drums with his feet while still shredding the strings. This versatility means you might hear them saw through vintage fiddle tunes, weave original yarns, or pound out esoteric rock-n-roll beaters. One moment they’ll touch your heart, and the next they’ll get you dancing. Whether unplugged or cranked up, every Krekel and Whoa performance is full of heart, harmonies, and happiness. “Percolating sounds of 1950s roots rock, mountain music, and blues through an interesting array of instrumentations…[creating] a rather sly sound rich with an energetic curiosity and a deviously fun flavor.” – Escape Magazine “A danceable, campy, shredded-up mix of just about every kind of American music you can think of…and they belt out their sweet but biting lyrics with passion and abandon.” – Creative Alliance Baltimore “The duo from Asheville plays rockabilly, early punk, and 1960s rock and roll (among others) with a Buddy Holly swagger and the authenticity of 1930s street performers.” – PopMatters “Where Flat Duo Jets meets Flatt and Scruggs.” – Unbound Culture With a prolific musical history, Jason and Ami have released four full-length albums and two 45 records under a previous band name, Mad Tea Party, as well as a few singles and two EPs, Warm Up Bones (2018) and Tucked Away (2020). They have played countless venues and festivals, and shared the stage with bands such as Southern Culture on the Skids, Donna the Buffalo, and the Avett Brothers. Click here to read a more detailed band backstory.
OUTPOST: The Lads
– FREE SHOW- ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINEThe LadsClassic rock and blues. They call it classic for good reason. The Lads will make you want to dance, sing along, or both. Get classic with The Lads avl.
PATIO: Ben Balmer
– ALL AGES- LIMITED PATIO SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVEDBEN BALMER Born and raised near Ann Arbor MI, Ben Balmer is an Austin and Asheville-based singer songwriter whose talent and way with words has taken him touring all over the world. Binding roots-y Americana with contemporary twists, Ben has been influenced by a wide range of musicians, including Tom Waits, Fiona Apple, Taj Mahal, and Paul Butterfield. He has released three full-length albums, as well as multiple EP’s and singles, and has released his newest album, Honky-Tonk Macbeth, in October of 2021. Ben’s songs speak of the road, love, loss, and revisits archaic themes that work towards a poetic narrative of folklore all on its own. Ben is currently working on writing as well as performing with other esteemed artists as a harmonica player.
OUTPOST: Dirty Dead
– FREE SHOW- ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINEDirty Dead Began in the fall of 2016 as a Grateful Dead tribute band based in Asheville NC. Since they have earned a large local and regional fan-base for their live performances of unique, grungy, and uptempo versions of the Dead & JGB catalog. In the years following, they have expanded from Asheville NC, and regularly appear in Knoxville TN, Greenville SC, and other cities and mountain towns surrounding their home base.
OUTPOST: Dirty Dead
– FREE SHOW- ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINEDirty Dead Began in the fall of 2016 as a Grateful Dead tribute band based in Asheville NC. Since they have earned a large local and regional fan-base for their live performances of unique, grungy, and uptempo versions of the Dead & JGB catalog. In the years following, they have expanded from Asheville NC, and regularly appear in Knoxville TN, Greenville SC, and other cities and mountain towns surrounding their home base.
OUTPOST: Dirty Dead
– FREE SHOW- ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINEDirty Dead Began in the fall of 2016 as a Grateful Dead tribute band based in Asheville NC. Since they have earned a large local and regional fan-base for their live performances of unique, grungy, and uptempo versions of the Dead & JGB catalog. In the years following, they have expanded from Asheville NC, and regularly appear in Knoxville TN, Greenville SC, and other cities and mountain towns surrounding their home base.
