The Larry Keel Power Trio made their way to the Southland Ballroom last week after a 10-hour drive from Memphis. Despite a chatty crowd that seems to plague all bluegrass shows in Raleigh that start around or after midnight, Keel charged forward, with his wife, Jenny Keel, on standup bass and banjo ace Will Lee […]
Dan Schram
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Videos: Amy Ray plays songs from Goodnight Tender in Durham
Indigo Girl Amy Ray arrived at Durham’s Motorco Music Hall late last month to play songs from her new country-rock album, Goodnight Tender. That LP includes local contributions from Mount Moriah’s Heather McEntire (who adds harmonies and contributes a song) and brothers Brad and Phil Cook, both of Megafaun. McEntire opened, joined by Nick Petersen […]
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Video: At the brink of stardom, Lee Bains III gives Moral Monday a shout
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires brought their Southern rock thunder to Slim’s on Friday night, all the way from Birmingham, Ala. From the ear-splitting decibel level pouring from their amplifiers to the howling lead vocals and a nonstop flow of greasy guitar licks, it’s hard for me not to get excited about this […]
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Videos: The Rebirth Brass Band marches into The Pour House
Tuesday night at Raleigh’s The Pour House, iconic New Orleans eight-piece The Rebirth Brass Band arrived, riding the momentum after a number of appearances on HBO’s Treme. They took to the stage in front of a sold-out Pour House crowd, collectively rabid for the big bass drum. sound A number of conversations leading up to […]
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Videos: Tony Williamson shares the mandolin’s history
Sunday afternoon, Tony Williamson brought his “Exploring the Mandolin” program to the North Carolina Museum of History, part of PineCone’s “Music of the Carolinas” series. Outside of being an accomplished mandolinist, Williamson doubles as a collector and dealer of vintage mandolins. His program focused on the evolution of the instrument in both design and usage—from […]
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Video: Charlie Parr, Town Mountain share The Pour House stage
In one of the more interesting roots music bills in recent memory, blues singer Charlie Parr joined Asheville-based bluegrass group Town Mountain for a performance Friday night at The Pour House. Parr opened the evening with a mesmerizing set of acoustic blues numbers. Despite battling the idle chatter of many in the crowd, Parr delivered […]
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Videos: The Backsliders turn a creative corner, announce New Year’s Eve gig at Sadlack’s
The reunited Backsliders returned to The Pour House in Raleigh Saturday night. After getting back together nearly a year ago, the band finally seems to be moving past the reunited, return-to-glory stage and making a creative turn. To wit, Saturday’s set featured a batch of new covers and originals. The energy level was high; resident […]
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Video: David Holt & Mipso at Raleigh Little Theatre
Following packed crowds at the Haw River Ballroom and the Cat’s Cradle, Mipso brought their road show to the intimate confines of the historic Raleigh Little Theatre. The usual trio brought along an interesting co-headliner in folklorist, Grammy winner and longtime Doc Watson side man David Holt. Holt was joined by Josh Goforth, another multi-instrumentalist […]
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Videos: Justin Townes Earle at Southland Ballroom
On Monday night, Marianne Taylor—the local roots-music promoter who relocated from the Berkeley Cafe to the Southland Ballroom this summer—sat outside, holding the door open and welcoming each patron despite the cold December evening. Taylor has hosted Justin Townes Earle at three different venues during his career, including his first solo tour at the long-lost […]
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Video: NC Music Love Army releases album of protest songs at Cat’s Cradle
Saturday night at the Cat’s Cradle brought the release of the NC Music Love Army‘s debut, We Are Not for Sale: Songs of Protest. The group is hoping this release will continue the message of this summer’s Moral Monday protests and create some momentum for the cause leading into the new year. On Saturday, enthusiasm […]