Jul 29

Jul 29 Review: The Silver Doors, Fashion Bath, and Tanner York at The Orange Peel

With most headliners bringing their own support acts, opportunities for local bands to play The Orange Peel are rare — unless they’ve already reached headliner status themselves. Thankfully, the venue occasionally hosts local showcases that spotlight some of the best the Asheville scene has to offer. That happened on July 19, when The Silver Doors, Fashion Bath, and Tanner York shared the stage.

All three acts are more than capable of packing out smaller venues like Static Age or Fleetwood’s, but The Orange Peel is another story. Going into the show, I wondered whether the spot — usually reserved for nationally touring artists — might feel too spacious. Had it been a weeknight, maybe so. But the Saturday night scheduling helped fill the room to a respectable level.

Kicking off the night was York, a promising young singer/songwriter quickly making a name for himself. Backed by a tight trio, the frontman played songs from his debut album Welcome to the Shower, which dropped hours later at midnight. The record has a lo-fi charm in the vein of Alex G or Apples in Stereo, but the full band and the Peel’s sound system gave the songs extra punch. Tracks like “Girlfriend” and “All Over Again” were instant charmers — hooky, heartfelt, and sounding extra enthusiastic in the live setting.

Fashion Bath took the middle slot and showed no signs of rust, despite having been less active in recent years. The local alt-rock veterans delivered a high-energy set that included a few new songs, and they seemed completely at home on the big stage.

As excited as I was to finally catch York and Fashion Bath, it was The Silver Doors that drew me out to the show. I’d seen them in several smaller local spots, but was curious what the Peel’s upgraded acoustics would add to the quartet’s already expansive sound.

The answer came quickly: Justin Lawrence’s electric violin — easily the most striking element of the band’s sonic palette — soared like never before. With the venue’s booming sound, it brought to mind Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s legendary sets on the same stage. Bassist Brett J. Kent and guitarist Alex Cox traded off vocals throughout the set, keeping things fresh as the band shifted from heavy psych rippers like “Way of the Buffalo” to the bouncy standout “Legwork.”

Asheville’s music scene has been getting national attention lately, thanks to a handful of breakout acts, but much of the talent here still flies well under the radar — even for locals. That’s why events like this matter. They give emerging artists a chance to shine under the best possible conditions.

Luckily, you won’t have to wait long for the next local showcase at The Orange Peel. On Thursday, Aug. 14, The Jesus Casino, Impending Joy, and Sunbearer will take the stage. And just over a week later, Bask’s album release show promises a stacked bill of local talent, including Secret Shame, Generation of Vipers, Tombstone Poetry, and Cliff B. Worsham.

That said, you don’t have to wait for a big stage to support local music. Asheville’s smaller venues are full of incredible acts and need the support to keep the scene thriving.

(Photos by Jonny Leather)