Oct 26

Oct 26 This Week in Asheville: Oct. 26-Nov. 1

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.

Osees

Thee Oh Sees, OCS, Oh Sees, or whatever John Dwyer wants to call the band at a given time, is one of the hardest-working, most prolific acts of the 21st century. Shifting between psych, garage punk, metal, folk, and so much more, Dwyer and company led the way for the success of acts like King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and Ty Segall. Nothing will compare to seeing the explosive band perform on the floor of a packed, sweaty DIY venue as it did for years, but it’s still able to bring that incredible energy to larger stages. —Jonny Leather

w/ Trap PS
at The Orange Peel
Tuesday, Oct. 27
Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm
[garage punk, psych rock]
more info

Beck

When the music video for “Loser” propelled the enigmatic musician into popular culture in 1994, it would have been hard to imagine all the directions his music would take, or just how enduring a career he’d have. Like other shape-shifting artists, including David Bowie and Prince, Beck Hansen has fans who each have a preferred version of him. Despite the funkier, more eccentric records that initially brought him to stardom, it’s the somber folk of Sea Change (2002) and Morning Phase (2014) that he may be best known for now. Following in the tradition of those records, Ride Lonesome, his 15th studio album, finds the artist once again tapping into his more sincere side for his best record in a decade. —JL

w/ Ioanna Gika + Wayne Faler
at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
Wednesday, Oct. 28
Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm
[folk, singer-songwriter, neopsychedelia]
more info

Wednesday + Mannequin Pussy

The Bitch Cabal Tour pairs what will go down as two of the defining rock acts of the 2020s. The co-headliners both have the rare combination of indie cred, critical acclaim, and enough popularity to build intensely devoted fanbases. It’s the final Hellbender show of the year, the day before Halloween, and election anxiety will be intensifying. It will be a cathartic night. —JL

w/ Snõõper
at Hellbender
Friday, Oct. 30
Doors: 5:30pm / Show: 7pm
[alt-country, shoegaze, punk, indie rock]
more info

Colin Miller

If you only know him as the drummer in MJ Lenderman’s backing band, the Wind, you’re missing out. A pivotal member of the local scene that gave the world Lenderman, Wednesday, and Indigo De Souza, Miller is arguably the most talented songwriter of the bunch. His albums Haw Creek and Losin’ are both poised to become alt-country staples once more people catch on. With a rising Nashville folk-rock trio opening, it’s a can’t-miss double bill. —JL

w/ Styrofoam Winos
at AyurPrana Listening Room
Friday, Oct. 30
Doors: 6pm / Show: 7pm
[alt-country, folk]
more info

Wednesday

While this one lacks the presence of Mannequin Pussy and Snõõper, getting to see Wednesday on Halloween with a solo set by Snail Mail at the more intimate Orange Peel is a decent trade off. —JL

w/ Snail Mail (solo)
at The Orange Peel
Saturday, Oct. 31
Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm
[alt-country, shoegaze, indie rock]
more info