Toshi Reagon, BIGLovely

Toshi Reagon has a big voice and even bigger ideas. She’s been sharing both with the Triangle since 2017, when she was named Carolina Performing Arts’ inaugural DisTIL (Discovery Through Iterative Learning) fellow. Last year, she premiered an opera, Parable of the Sower, at UNC’s Memorial Hall, which was based on Octavia Butler’s dystopian novel of the same name. This year, she closes out her fellowship with a three-day festival, including a concert with her backing band, BIGLovely. Onstage, Reagon is an alchemist, mixing old sounds and new: blues, gospel, folk, funk, and rock. Her voice is clear and rich, bounding with energy even when her subject matter is melancholy; altogether, the effect is captivating. It hasn’t been announced what the band will be playing on Saturday night—the program will be announced from the stage—but that might be beside the point. To hear Toshi Reagon is always a chance to experience the unexpected.