Today, the North Carolina State Fair hosted a media preview lunch that featured a sneak peek at one of the best things at the fair in any given year: the food. It’s one of the best and worst things I’ve ever had the privilege of doing, but journalism is a demanding and often difficult public […]
Allison Hussey
Posted inMusic
Heading to Biff Rose Tonight? You Might Want to Check His Website.
Update, 5:42 p.m.: This show has been canceled. Tonight at Neptunes Parlour, the musician and comedian Biff Rose performs at 8 p.m. In the sixties, Rose worked as a comedy writer with George Carlin and released a few influential, popular records. In the seventies, he earned accolades from David Bowie for his creative efforts, and […]
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Drag Queen Vivica C. Coxx Has a Big Personality. The Change She Effects Is Even Bigger.
Justin “J” Clapp is standing in his basement, surveying his domain. He got home from a stressful day at his job at Duke University less than an hour ago. He is looking for a piece of himself. “I have to find my breasts,” he says. The breasts belong to Clapp, technically, but they really belong […]
Posted inMusic
Shouting, Shining, and Showing Pride at IBMA 2017
If you’ve spent more than fifteen minutes in downtown Raleigh during past IBMA convocations, you’ve noticed some trends about audience demographics. There’s a moderately strong presence of young people, but the audience largely leans toward an even mix of white, middle-age (or older) men and women; and like country music, bluegrass has a not-always-accurate reputation […]
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Stretching Strings: The International Bluegrass Music Association Looks at Year Five in Raleigh
Since 2013, the International Bluegrass Music Association has called Raleigh home for its annual World of Bluegrass convocation. The event includes a trade conference for professional and amateur musicians, promoters, instrument makers, label representatives, journalists, and dedicated fans. The city has rolled out the red carpet for IBMA every year, with a free street festival […]
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Leaves of ‘Grass
Friday, Sep. 29–Saturday, Sep. 30 Various venues, Downtown Raleigh www.wideopenbluegrass.com Since 2013, Raleigh has been home to the annual International Bluegrass Music Association trade conference and music festival. It’s one of the biggest weeks of the year for the musicians, craftspeople, and media in the bluegrass industry, but there’s plenty to enjoy for ordinary fans, […]
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Big Thief’s Subtle Brilliance
The Brilliance of Big Thief Thursday, 7 p.m., City Plaza It’s a bold claim to assert that one band holds any kind of title over its colleagues, but Big Thief’s careful dedication to its craft and unimpeachable songwriting make it one of the best active rock bands of the moment. The Brooklyn ensemble is one […]
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Hopscotch Grows Up
We’ve now arrived at year eight of the Hopscotch Music Festival, and by now it’s become an esteemed local institution rather than a scrappy three-day throwdown. It feels like a family reunion weekend for local music nerds, and, on an even larger scale, it feels like North Carolina’s official end-of-summer blowout. Even within the past […]
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The State Fair’s Musical Headliners Are Here—Country Rock, An Eagles Tribute, and…Marcy Playground?
Over the past few years, the North Carolina State Fair has adjusted its music programming after mismanaged booking translated to poor attendance and the loss of over $900,0000 (who, in this decade, really cares about seeing Vanilla Ice, who performed at the 2014 fair?). Happily, that reorganization translated to strong, compelling bookings over the past […]
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Batalá Durham Can Stay Put in Central Park. Now, What to Do With the City’s Noise Ordinance?
To call downtown Durham on Monday night “lively” might be the understatement of the year: shortly after seven p.m., activists pulled down a Confederate memorial statue on Main Street. But a few blocks away, in Durham Central Park, the samba-reggae percussion ensemble Batalá Durham simultaneously hosted its weekly practice. And, for the first time in […]
