This month I am delighted to showcase Matt Schnable and Mark Capon, the two gents who own Harvest Records store in West Asheville.
Since 2004 Harvest Records has set a standard for independently owned record stores and has been nationally recognized by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the best 50 such stores in the USA.
In addition to supplying many a music lover with vinyl and CDs (both common and collectible) the pair have promoted numerous musical performances-both at the shop and elsewhere-as well as art shows, poetry readings, and anything else that intrigues them.
One of their most ambitious undertakings is the three day Transfigurations II music festival, taking place the weekend of August 28-30. The event is centered on three venues — Asheville’s Grey Eagle, the Mothlight Theater, and Blannahassett Island in Marshall — and features a wide assortment of bands and styles. The lineup is staggering and is reflective of the bands that Matt and Mark, along with those who work at and frequent Harvest Records, love. My thanks to Mark C. for taking the time to chat!
James Cassara: First question… are you guys crazy? If running a record store wasn’t enough, what possessed you to take on something this massive?
Mark Capon: I think we are a little crazy, no doubt about it. But Matt and I always seem to thrive on opportunities like this, on challenges that seem daunting but exciting at the same time. It’s in our nature, and that nature is what has driven us this far already, so we might as well keep going with it while we’ve got the energy.
JC: Talk a bit about the history of Transfigurations, how it came about and what’s involved in planning an event like this. Obviously your long standing connections in town come into play.
MC: We’ve done something close to this level just once before — Transfigurations I, which celebrated our 5 year anniversary back in 2009 with folks like Budos Band, War on Drugs, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, etc. — and it was a total blast. So we just wanted to build on the same principles as that festival, which were to highlight a limited number of acts compared to the average festival, focusing on a positive environment, and an emphasis on not having sets overlap so everyone can see each artist; making everything as intimate as we would want it to be ourselves as festival goers.
It’s a daunting task, and every time we think we’ve nailed down a detail, there are three more details that hit us over the head in that same moment! But as I said, we really enjoy this type of challenge. And yes it’s a good time to use our connections to venues, our friends, our friends’ businesses, and local artists, our customers — bringing all of those folks into the fold to make the event as exciting and successful as possible.
JC: The Grey Eagle and the Mothlight seem like pretty obvious choices, but Blannahassett Island much less so. How did that expansion come about? Are you counting on folks who might not typically come into Asheville being encouraged to do so?
MC: We’re definitely counting a little more on out of towners than we normally would. We wanted to expand ever so slightly into the all-day, indoor/outdoor type vibe which we haven’t really explored before. In fact, other than a Drive By Truckers performance behind the shop on Record Store Day 2010, we’ve never really hosted an outdoor performance. There will be two stages outdoors and one indoors in Marshall, so this is a very exciting step for us.
We did a Bonnie “Prince” Billy show on the Island (indoors) back in October 2011, and when we booked it I remember thinking “well, I hope at least some people want to take the trip out there”… and it ended up selling out. As it turned out, folks were jumping at the idea to go see a show in a space that they’re not very familiar with, something that seemed like a unique experience. So that’s exactly the vibe we are hoping for with Transfigurations II.
JC: Talk a bit about the bands. Many of these artists have previously played Asheville, and there’s a great mix between local/regional and national acts. How do you decide who to offer up to?
MC: Exactly how you just explained it, actually — that’s what we were hoping to do, to bring in a mix of acts from near and far that we already had befriended or promoted over the years, as well as taking some chances on some rare possibilities like The Clean (from New Zealand) or soul singer Lee Fields & the Expressions or Mudhoney, acts that to our knowledge haven’t played in Asheville in at least this past decade, if ever.
More than a year ago we started a running list of dozens of artists we’d like to try and book for this, and so when the time came to officially make offers, we jumped on it, and waited to see who was down with the idea and who wasn’t.
RR: Okay, so imagine I’m new to this and to festivals of this nature. What words of advice do you offer? Three days of music can be pretty overwhelming.
MC: Well we’re pretty confident that it won’t be overwhelming, since it’s only about 30 acts over the course of the three days. And I’m biased but I think everyone should try to see every act playing! But if I had to say there was one day you shouldn’t miss, it’s Saturday, August 30 on the Island in Marshall. About 18 acts on three stages on an island in the French Broad River in the middle of a beautiful and quaint mountain town… can’t beat that scene!
JC: So in all the years I’ve been a customer I’ve never thought to ask… does the store name come from the above quoted Neil Young song?
MC: Here’s the truth: the name was inspired by, but not necessarily named directly after, the Neil Young record. I know that’s kind of a wishy-washy answer, but we were just spouting off names for weeks, and finally “Harvest” just stuck, and yes, the word came up because of that record. Truth be told, we worship at the altar of Neil!
If You Go: Transfigurations II at various sites in and around Asheville. For more information, artist bios, and ticket prices go to www.harvest-records.com