We were in Asheville, NC over the weekend, where we happened to stumble upon Westville Pub and MarsupiaL. The Asheville-based band calls their version of prog rock, “electrogroovin-psychofusion.” I call it jazz meets jam. Either way, it makes for a nice night out. Especially in Asheville, where the kind beers flow and hippies, dreads, punks and all variety of freaks are free to roam the streets.
Here’s a bit about the band from their MySpace page:
Formed in 2001 when guitarist Ian Reardon joined forces with members of the Boone, North Carolina outfit Hidden Progression, the band has crafted a guitar-heavy brand of exploratory music. Made up of guitarists Reardon and Naren Schoenacher, bassist Brad Mehder and drummer Chris Nelson, MarsupiaL is slowly stretching its touring range and drawing in new fans with each ambitious musical flight. Earlier this year, MarsupiaL released its sophomore studio release, Moby Fleck. A follow-up to Dancing About Architecture, which was released in 2004, Moby Fleck is a concept album that embodies the band’s group approach to creation, one that is as effective within finite strong structures as it is careening into orbit.
Just a note on the beer…I tasted Seeing Double IPA from Foothills Brewing in Winston-Salem for the first time. It’s a 9.5% brew hand-crafted specifically for the hop lover interested in quality over quantity.