You probably know Casey Driessen if you don’t know you know him: He was a member of the Sparrow Quartet (with Ben Sollee, Abigail Washburn and Béla Fleck), he’s performed with each of those artists individually and most-if-not-all of them on Asheville stages. According to his bio, he “listens for inspiration from Tennessee to Tibet” and “is the current leader of the percussive bowing technique known as ‘The Chop.’” (Also according to press, “Casey has released two albums and his new fiddle/percussion video project, Fiddle/Sticks, was successfully funded $15,000 via Kickstarter in June 2012.” So there’s that to look forward to.)
Driessen played Bonnaroo this summer in the midst of a seemingly-constant tour that has him crisscrossing the U.S. He’s currently performing in Colorado but next weekend — Saturday, Aug. 11, to be exact — Driessen returns to Asheville (which, incidentally, he’s called home for the past three years since relocating from Nashville) to perform at the Altamont Theatre.
The Altamont website says that, using digital loops, Driessen will build his show by layering sounds “in real time in front of the audience. The result is a one of a kind experience that pushes the boundaries of musical genres and styles.” Local multi-instrumentalist Billy Cardine lends support on slide guitar; the Asheville Analog Collective also performs.
The concert begins at 8 p.m., tickets are $12 in advance or $15 day of the show. Xpress will give away a pair of tickets next week by way of Facebook.
Watch Driessen live-create “The Heartbeat Kid” at The Wedge Brewery:
