Be Loud! ’19: Chatham County Line, The Old Ceremony, The Tan & Sober Gentlemen, Alive at 27

“Be loud / And move with grace / Explode with light / Have no fear.” Taking inspiration from the Avett Brothers’ tune “Color Show,” Sophie Steiner wrote those words—part of her poem “Be Loud”—in September 2012, a couple of months before her cancer diagnosis. Sophie died less than a year later, giving rise to the foundation that now bears her name and her words. Appropriately, Sophie’s foundation raises funds to support the needs of young cancer patients partially through benefit concerts like this weekend’s sixth-anniversary event. Friday is headlined by Chatham County Line’s masterful songwriting and marvelous strings and The Old Ceremony’s cinematic chamber pop. The Tan and Sober Gentlemen add wild, raucous rides through Appalachian and Celtic roots, while spirited upstarts Alive at 27 open with offbeat alt-rock. On Saturday, members of The Pressure Boys, Ben Folds Five, and DAG cover early Joe Jackson cuts as Preeesh! while Greg Humphreys Electric Trio brings soulful funk. PopUp Chorus leads a singalong of Tom Petty’s “American Girl,” with young indie rockers Pajama Day rounding out the bill.