Jun 23

Jun 23 This Week in Asheville: June 23-29

Asheville’s wealth of live music, theater, and comedy offerings can leave concertgoers feeling overwhelmed when it comes to picking which shows to attend. But have no fear! The Asheville Stages staff is here to help with insights on the week’s most appealing options.

Adrian Younge

Having collaborated with the likes of Ghostface Killah, The Delfonics, Kendrick Lamar, Ebo Taylor, Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), and Laetitia Sadier, Younge deserves far more widespread recognition. This is the guy who scored Netflix’s Luke Cage, after all. His fusion of psychedelic soul with a deep reverence for Ennio Morricone has produced some of the coolest, most distinctive music out there. —Jonny Leather

at Grey Eagle Music Hall
Monday, June 23
Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm
[soul]
more info

Billy Woods

The NYC-based rapper seems to drop an Album of the Year contender annually — sometimes more than one. And his latest release, GOLLIWOG, is no exception. Backed by a diverse lineup of producers, Woods delivers some of his strongest work yet, crafting dense, abstract verses that confront listeners with the brutal realities of Black existence. Also on the bill for this local stop is his Backwoodz Studioz labelmate PremRock, whose recent album Did You Enjoy Your Time Here...? stands among the year’s strongest hip-hop releases — and features a standout guest appearance from Woods himself. —JL

at Eulogy
Wednesday, June 25
Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm
[hip hop]
more info

This Will Destroy You

As is the case with Explosions in the Sky, these fellow Texans can be titanic sonic forces. But while the former channel an ascending, almost cinematic optimism, This Will Destroy You leans into a darker palette — their sound steeped in the weight of doom metal and drone influences. —JL

w/ Jesse Beaman + Khandroma & Sleep Number
at Eulogy
Thursday, June 26
Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm
[post rock, drone, experimental]
more info

Blondshell

In 2020, Sabrina Mae Teitelbaum shed her pop-oriented persona BAUM and reemerged in 2022 as Blondshell, embracing a grittier sound rooted in ’90s alternative rock. The reinvention quickly paid off — her track “Joiner” even landed on Barack Obama’s “Favorite Music of 2023” list. Her sophomore album, If You Asked for a Picture, picks up right where she left off. —JL

w/ Daffo
at The Orange Peel
Thursday, June 26
Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm
[alternative rock]
more info

Band of Horses

Ben Bridwell and company may always be shadowed by the massive success of their debut. Everything All the Time introduced Band of Horses as a fully formed, folky indie-rock force — and it’s remained a high-water mark that's tough to top. Still, they’ve continued to put out solid records. I’ll admit they nearly lost me with Mirage Rock (2012), but Why Are You OK (2016) and Things Are Great (2022) restored my faith. —JL

at The Orange Peel
Sunday, June 29
Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm
[indie rock, folk rock]
more info