Asheville live music best bets: Umphrey's, Black Lillies singer, Parquet Courts, more

Jason Gilmer
·3 min read

It seems that when Umphrey’s McGee comes to town, the band members find more than one way to connect with fans.

Members of the Indiana-based band have said in the past how much they enjoy the area because of the venues and fans.

The group has several opportunities for fans to see them, including a two-night stint at Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville, with shows at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 and 26.

After that, bassist Ryan Stasik will join his side project, Doom Flamingo, for a late-night set at Salvage Station. That show begins at 10:30 p.m. with Lee Ross as the opener.

Previous coverage: Looking for Umphrey's McGee in Asheville? You've got 5 chances

Also: Asheville live music best bets: Indigo De Souza, Southeast Sirens, Pony Bradshaw, Sobule

Umphrey’s McGee started playing bar gigs in 1998 and have become one of the biggest live acts in the country, having played more than 2,000 shows.

The six-piece band’s newest release, a 12-song instrumental album titled “You Walked Up Shaking In Your Boots But You Stood Tall And Left A Raging Bull,” dropped last July.

Umphrey's McGee will perform Feb. 25 and 26 at Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville.
Umphrey's McGee will perform Feb. 25 and 26 at Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville.

If you don’t want to get out and see the show in person, the group is offering a livestream of the show via its website. The two-show pass is $30.

Another afterparty will also happen downtown. Asheville Music Hall will host Drunken Doja Monkey and a DJ set by Jonny G, beginning at 11:30 p.m. Feb. 25. The Asheville-based hi-energy psychedelic rock band The Snozzberries will be the band at the afterparty show at 11:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at the venue.

Black Lillies singer plays solo

Cruz Contreras of The Black Lillies performs at Barley's in Knoxville during a Rhythm N' Blooms headliner reveal party Nov. 27, 2018.
Cruz Contreras of The Black Lillies performs at Barley's in Knoxville during a Rhythm N' Blooms headliner reveal party Nov. 27, 2018.

Cruz Contreras performed for more than a decade with his group, The Black Lillies, but that band began a hiatus in 2020.

Contreras, who also played in a group called Robinella and the CCstringband, will perform a solo show at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 at Isis Music Hall.

Contreras, who hails from Knoxville, has played with a variety of other artists and his projects have had songs top Billboard and Americana charts. He is currently working on a solo album, to be titled “Cosmico,” according to his website.

The Black Lillies had a connection with Asheville — it recorded its 2018 album “Stranger To Me” at Asheville’s Echo Mountain Studio.

Parquet Courts plays at The Orange Peel

New York indie-rockers Parquet Courts perform Nov. 3, 2021 at Higher Ground in South Burlington.
New York indie-rockers Parquet Courts perform Nov. 3, 2021 at Higher Ground in South Burlington.

The New York City-based quartet Parquet Courts mix indie rock, post punk and garage punk into a sound all its own.

It’s most recent release, 2021’s “Sympathy For Life,” was written and recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the group waited a while to release the music.

Now the group is touring in support of the album and will play at 8 p.m. Feb. 27 at The Orange Peel.

Jack Of The Wood welcomes Chelsea Lovitt

Mississippi-born singer-songwriter Chelsea Lovitt studied literature and adds a lot of that love into her writing.

She moved to Nashville to pursue songwriting and is now touring behind her debut album, “You Had Your Cake, So Lie In It,” which was released in 2020. Her music has been described as “original swamp surf sound layered over pure honky tonk.”

Lovitt and Her Boys (the name of the trio that backs her up) will perform at 8 p.m. Feb. 25 at Jack of the Wood.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville live music: Umphrey's, Black Lillies singer, Parquet Courts