When a friend and I saw
Mobley at the One Stop back in April, we were in agreement that he was on his way to fame. His EP,
Some Other Country, attracted national attention with its R&B, indie rock, and pop-inflected sound. Embedded within the fluid, intricate inner workings of each song was the multi-instrumentalist's pointed discussion of race in America. Now, Mobley returns to Asheville, bringing his post-genre beats to the stage on his
Wake the Dreamers Tour, which he's doing with Texas electro-rock act Catch Fever. The show costs $5 and starts at 9 pm at The Ridge at
New Mountain Asheville. The Stump Mutts open.
The single, "Dreamers," a collaboration between Mobley and Catch Fever, is at the heart of the tour. It's an inspirational, even anthemic, song that asks, "Are you gonna change? Or are you gonna die?" It eventually proclaims that opposition to the dreamers is "[n]ot gonna stand in our way." Inspired by current events like the Standing Rock NoDAPL movement, it's a song that employs distortion, synth, hip-hop infused beats, piano and guitar. It also allows Mobley to use the full range of his vocal powers as his voice bursts into layered, transcendent harmonies with the last repetition of the chorus.
The fact that "Dreamers" is influenced by the
Dakota Access Pipeline protests has real-world ramifications. All profits from sales of the
Wake the Dreamers EP will go to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
Last time Mobley was here, we saw him moving from instrument to instrument, playing each with ease, singing soulfully through it all. He put on a great visual show as well, which was impressive considering he's a one-man act. I'm excited to see what
Catch Fever will bring to the table.
Mobley is going places. Catch him while Asheville is on that list and keep him coming back for more.
Facebook event page
here. Check out
Some Other Country, below. And read our interview with Mobley from his previous visit to Asheville
here.