MerleFest, the “traditional-plus” festival in Wilkesboro, entered its second year without its patriarch, Doc Watson, this year. Though organizers continue to push and uphold what Watson started, he was not completely missing from this festival’s second day—his voice could be heard throughout the festival grounds, his legacy in plain sight. At various stages between bands […]
Dan Schram
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Video: William Tyler plays a new tune in Saxapahaw
Nashville guitarist William Tyler has strong ties to the Triangle: He plays on Hiss Golden Messenger albums and joined Nick Sanborn’s “Lend Me Your Voice” presentation at Duke last year. He’s played often at The Pinhook and Duke Coffeehouse, and his new LP, Impossible Truth, and forthcoming EP, Lost Colony, are Merge Records releases. On […]
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Videos: Elizabeth Cook and The Del McCoury Band withstand Shakori Hills rain
Despite the rain, the music at Shakori Hills wasn’t dampened Saturday. Sure, many campers slept in less-than-ideal conditions, and the festival grounds themselves became a mud pit. But most attendees were able to overcome that wet atmosphere. As the traditional Saturday afternoon parade ended, country music singer/songwriter Elizabeth Cook took to the Meadow Stage. As […]
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Videos: Phil Cook, Tonk delight Friday crowds at Shakori Hills
The local roots music festival Shakori Hills returned to its Chatham County homestead over the weekend, marking the first fest since organizers purchased the land late last year Early Friday afternoon, the volume of people streaming into this Spring’s event seemed especially considerable. The line of ticket purchasers snaked well past the designated waiting area. […]
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Videos: The Backsliders celebrate Slim’s at 15
On Wednesday night, the downtown Raleigh dive Slim’s celebrated the second installment of its 15-year anniversary, or “Anniversapocalypse.” The Backsliders, The Bleeding Hearts, The Vibekillers and El Dealer (the first band to play the former Lakeside Lounge) joined; all four have helped pour the foundation for Slim’s. The Backsliders, who strangely began the night, opened […]
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Videos: Wayne Hancock gets to the country at The Pour House
Wayne Hancock’s publicity generally relies on his position as a revivalist of classic country music. But he is actually a preservationist of many forms of music—western swing, rockabilly and, yes, classic crooning country. Playing at a packed Pour House, Hanocock convinced many of the willing to dance from the first note he played. Over the […]
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Video: In the Cat’s Cradle’s Back Room, Bad Debt rises from the ashes
Friday night in the Back Room at the Cat’s Cradle, Hiss Golden Messenger celebrated the recent reissue of Bad Debt by playing it in its entirety. Upon first release, the album suffered an untimely fate when all the remaining CD copies burned during the 2011 riots in London. But Paradise of Bachelors has rereleased the […]
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Video: The Disciples of Doc Watson return to Raleigh
Two weeks ago, at the pristine Fletcher Opera Theater, the many sidemen of Doc Watson gathered to pick a few: Bryan Sutton, David Holt and T. Michael Coleman were all at one time or another associates of the legendary North Carolina picker from Deep Gap. Bryan Sutton won the 2007 instrumental Grammy along with Watson. […]
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Robbie Fulks returns to his former North Carolina home
Despite having left North Carolina many years ago for Chicago, the work of singer/songwriter Robbie Fulks always seems to reflect his time in central part of our state. An alumni of Durham’s Carolina Friends School, Fulks returned to Raleigh last week, playing at the Southland Ballroom. He brought his usual counterpart, Robbie Gjersoe, along, as […]
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Videos: Swamp rock legend Tony Joe White returns to the Triangle
Tony Joe White Southland Ballroom, Raleigh Saturday, Feb. 15 Touring Hoodoo, his first domestically released album in nearly 10 years, swamp rock legend Tony Joe White made his way to the Southland Ballroom on Saturday night. He was greeted by a large and enthusiastic crowd of fans, and many of them could be overheard proclaiming […]