Last weekend at Slim’s, more than 15 bands played to show their support and raise funds for Paint Fumes lead singer Elijah Von Cramon at “LIJApalooza.” As detailed in last week’s Indy Week, Von Cramon recently spent considerable time in the hospital after being hit by a car. Those on stage and in the crowd […]
Dan Schram
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Without Doc and Rosa Lee Watson, Merlefest marches on
Photo by Bob Alexander/Courtesy of MerlefestChatham County Line gathers ’round The 26th annual MerleFest returned to the campus of Wilkes Community College last weekend. One major figure was missing, of course: This year’s Merlefest somberly marked the first without the festival’s patriarch, Doc Watson, who passed away in May 2012. Many asked if, after the […]
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Simple Music Video Series: Kenny Roby’s “The Craziest Kid Around”
I first encountered the name Kenny Roby while listening to a Whiskeytown bootleg from The Brewery, recorded Oct. 22, 1999. Not having been in the Triangle during the great alt-country hope, I never got to see the band for which he is best known, 6 String Drag. But after getting my hands on those records, […]
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Live: Dex Romweber Duo rips through the catalog in Durham
Friday night at the Casbah in Durham, the underground heroes of the Dex Romweber Duo took the stage. Running through a blistering set, the Duo showed no signs of rust, despite having not performed in some time. Romweber dipped into his extensive catalog of solo records, duo releases and Flat Duo Jets material. Summoning a […]
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Live: Ray Wylie Hubbard says no to taping, yes to the blues
Photo by Dan SchramStill pictures: Ray Wylie Hubbard in Raleigh Ray Wylie HubbardBerkeley Cafe, RaleighMonday, March 25 Give them what they want, and give it to them again right before you sell them something: Ray Wylie Hubbard began and ended his Monday night set in Raleigh by offering the sizable audience “Snake Farm,” a tune […]
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Live: Four songwriters test new waters (Videos)
Last Thursday, the Casbah in Durham continued its songwriters in the round series. The first installment featured Heather McEntire, Hiss Golden Messenger, Amy Ray and Phil Cook. The second installment featured an equally stellar lineup of Christy Smith, Justin Robinson, Shawn Luby and Katharine Whalen. Kudos to the Casbah for setting up this series which […]
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Live: The Morning After finds unlikely pop success
Turning to Jac Cain as The Morning After stepped off stage Friday night at The Pour House, I asked him for his impressions of the group: “You know,” said the longtime sound engineer, “on paper it shouldn’t work. But the thing is, it does.” On paper, The Morning After has all the traditional elements of […]
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Live: Jacco Gardner and Schooner tweak pop in Durham (Videos)
Stepping through the front door of The Pinhook, Jacco Gardner and company resembled a military battalion marching in lock step. Professional and organized, the group was there to get a job done. As they stepped on the stage Thursday evening, I had been interested to see how their lush soundscape of an album Cabinet of […]
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Live: Mandolin Orange shines in its little N.C. hometown (Videos)
Photo by Dan SchramComing home: Mandolin Orange Saturday night in the small town of Warrenton, N.C., Mandolin Orange returned to the Southeast after several weeks touring in the North. Among those stops, they taught a workshop at the famed Berkelee College of Music (which rejected member Andrew Marlin as an applicant years ago) and the […]
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Live: Slaid Cleaves plays new material in Durham (Videos)
Last Thursday at the Casbah, Texas singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves returned to the Triangle, accompanied by Scrappy Jud Newcomb. Cleaves has not been in the area in nearly four years, so he brought along a batch of new songs from an upcoming album titled Still Fighting The War. The title track, which you can hear below, […]