Passafire, one of the premier reggae bands on the national music scene for several years, will make a national tour stop in Asheville on Sunday, Oct. 3 for an 8 p.m. show at Asheville Music Hall. Tickets for the concert, promoted by Charlie Traveler Presents, can be purchased at eventbrite.com or ashevillemusichall.com/amh/.
Based in Savannah, GA, the group boasts six studio albums, including two LPs (Start From Scratch, 2011 and Vine, 2013) which zoomed to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Reggae Album Charts. Their most recent offering is a 2018 live album entitled Live in Atlanta on FlameGuys Records, which has drawn critical acclaim in the reggae world.
Opening on the attractive double-bill is Of Good Nature, an indie rock-reggae band from Charlotte, N.C. which saw its past album, Timeless, debut at No. 1 on iTunes and No. 3 on Billboard’s Top Reggae Albums Charts in 2019.
Passafire was founded in 2003 by Savannah natives Ted Bowne (vocals/guitar) and Nick Kubley (drums). They are joined in the band by Mike DeGuzman (keyboards, guitar) and Will Kubley (bass, vocals).
While the group still identifies in the reggae-rock genre, Passafire has explored other alternative influences in recent albums including progressive rock. The band’s new single, “Keepin’ On,” continues to expand boundaries musically while also addressing such social issues as global warming, economic uncertainty and technology’s threat to personal privacy.
Next month’s appearance at the Asheville Music Hall is part of Passafire’s Keepin’ On Tour, which spans both coasts and the Midwest as well as several festival dates.
Of Good Nature, which features Cam Brown (guitar, vocals), Brandon Hucks (trombone), David Hamilton, Jr. (drums) and Clifton Bundick (bass), has also received recognition for their second album, Life Worth Livin, which debuted at No. 5 on iTunes’ Top Reggae Albums Chart in 2019.