Aug 19

Aug 19 Review: The Jesus Casino + Impending Joy + Sunbearer at The Orange Peel

On Aug. 14, The Orange Peel hosted its second consecutive monthly local showcase, and much like the July edition, the lineup was stacked. This one came together when Ian Duvall of The Jesus Casino reached out to the venue’s bookers, and once the date was locked in, Impending Joy and Sunbearer were added to the bill. Surprisingly, despite moving in adjacent circles within Asheville’s music scene, it was the first time any of the three bands had shared a stage.

“I really am passionate about the diversity of the music scene being showcased in large venues and was excited to be able to help make that happen with the Peel,” Duvall says. And he did just that, curating a bill that highlighted a wide range of local sounds while still feeling cohesive.

Sunbearer wasted no time diving into heavy extremes. Ripping through tracks from their brand-new record Uyaga — released just a day earlier — the metal quartet engulfed the room with slow, textural doom riffs and vocalist Jordan Hunsucker’s guttural growls. Years of touring and big-stage experience in other bands showed in their confidence.

“We are always gonna be who we are live,” Hunsucker says. “I’m always gonna do my best to borderline kill myself with my performance and connect with the spirit of every human that shows up.”

Between songs, he professed his love for Asheville and urged the crowd to stick around for the rest of the lineup.The audience did, and Impending Joy rewarded them with a rousing dose of energetic psych rock. The set doubled as the homecoming finale of their East Coast tour. With weeks on the road behind them, the band sounded locked in, with Brendan Grove and Torren Brown’s colorfully-warped guitar interplay buzzing atop the rhythm section’s steady pulse. Most of the set drew from last year’s excellent self-titled debut, though the band has hinted at new material in the works.

Performing at the prestigious downtown venue was a milestone for the group. “There is definitely a feeling of grandeur at The Orange Peel,” Grove says. “It was a great full circle moment as we've all been to tons of shows there — felt great to finally be on stage. Definitely one of the largest we've played on this year, and being so spread out is a different vibe that takes getting used to. We had some good practice with this coming off of our summer tour just a few days prior. We were lucky enough to get opportunities to play on stages larger than The Orange Peel and ones that barely fit the four of us — looking at you [The] Royal American [in Charleston, S.C.]. Also, the ability to set up massive amp stacks brings me immeasurable joy.”

Closing the night, The Jesus Casino proved themselves more than capable of following Sunbearer’s crushing doom and Impending Joy’s psych-fueled energy. I first caught the trio earlier this year at Eulogy opening for Cloakroom, and they impressed then — but at the Peel, their sound reached new heights. Frontwoman/bassist Jenna’s powerhouse vocals soared through the room with force, while Duvall and drummer Tyler Menon built a cinematic backdrop of electronic textures, spacey riffs, and driving rhythms.

“We definitely choose the more cinematic or ‘larger’ sounding songs when given a chance to play to a more appropriate room,” Duvall says. The alt rock trio provided a mesmerizing finale to the night. Fortunately, a new album is not far off, with the band just having finished recording.

There’s something special about seeing local acts rise to the occasion on a big stage. In the wake of both the COVID-19 pandemic and Tropical Storm Helene, Asheville’s music community feels vibrant again. Smaller venues will always provide the city’s most intimate, unpredictable magic — often at the mercy of imperfect sound — but nights like this prove how far local talent can stretch when given the full production treatment. As Grove joked, “No beer was spilled on my pedals, which is always a plus.”

I asked members of each of the band’s who they’d love to see on a future showcase at The Orange Peel:

Ian Duvall (The Jesus Casino): “I definitely would like to see more of the alt rock and electronic scene continue to be highlighted.”

Brendan Grove (Impending Joy): I would love to see Powder Horns — biased, since it's one of [bassist] Brett [J. Kent]’s other projects — Rougarou and, honestly, any other psych-adjacent band in town. There's so much local talent in Asheville and I hope they keep up the local showcases in the future.”

Jordan Hunsucker (Sunbearer): “I’d really love to see Author and Punisher at the Peel. I’ve been a big fan for a while now.”

Bask’s Friday, Aug. 22, album release show offers another chance to see a stacked lineup of local talent — with Secret Shame, Tombstone Poetry, and Cliff B. Worsham all taking the Peel stage. And while those acts are getting their spotlight soon enough, a few others that deserve a future showcase include Cold Choir, Kerosene Heights, and Roamck.

(Photos by Jonny Leather)