With Asheville, North Carolina’s recent once-in-a-generation hurricane flood damage, the city has slowly been digging itself out and rebuilding. Known for its popular arts and foodie culture, Asheville revels in its local music scene — one of its most celebrated bands is Town Mountain, a hot roots outfit now touring the Midwest, including a Cincinnati stop here at Memorial Hall. The acoustic string band released its bluegrass-inspired debut, Heroes & Heretics, back in 2008, but through lineup changes and a new record label, New West Records, Town Mountain’s sound has evolved into a raucous surge of honky-tonk, alt-country and rock. Part of that stems from the addition of Miles Miller on drums in 2018, who enhances their country-rock inclinations.
Lines in the Levee, their most recent record from 2022, underscores the group’s rich ensemble playing. Led by co-founder Robert Greer on vocals/guitar, the group’s rowdy swagger and warm, collective vocals are reminiscent of The Band, roots royalty. Mandolinist Phil Barker’s opening title song echoes The Band’s standard, “The Shape I’m In,” with its galloping groove and emotive vocals, Appalachian soul-style. Town Mountain’s latest project, last year’s Dance Me Down Easy: The Woodstock Sessions EP, features favorite covers of the Kinks, Rolling Stones and more in a rustic blast of classic rock and country.
Barker explains the band’s changes to Smoky Mountain News last month: “The current lineup definitely has the same core intent, just painted with a broader brush. The addition of drums and pedal steel gives us the chance to continue to challenge ourselves artistically and explore what we’re capable of. It has definitely been met with levels of resistance from some of our listeners, but for us right now as artists, it has been a great evolution. . .”
Town Mountain plays Memorial Hall on March 14 at 8 p.m. with Cristina Vane as the opener. More info: memorialhallotr.com.
This story is featured in CityBeat’s March 5 print edition.
This article appears in Mar 5-18, 2025.