For the second year, Groove in the Garden—a joint production between two Raleigh booking forces, Younger Brother Productions and The Pour House—will turn the amphitheater and rose garden near Raleigh Little Theatre into a festival grounds for a day.
Durham indie rock revivalists Hammer No More the Fingers and Richmond soul singer Matthew E. White will headline the August 13 concert, with support coming from hip-hop enthusiasts Inflowential, psychedelic brooders Some Army, and two more top-of-the-bill acts to be announced during the next month. Of special note, The Fabulous Knobs—a beloved Raleigh rock band associated with the Cameron Village Underground and North Carolina’s Comboland heritage—will reunite for its first show in more than a quarter-century.
“Just gotta do it before we all die,” notes Terry Anderson about the decision to turn the Knobs back on right now. Guitarist David Enloe died in 2007; for this show, Terry McInturff will take his role.
This year’s concert will include some updates from last year’s debut. Co-founder Craig Reed, who runs Younger Brother Productions, says they’ll include more vendors and food trucks, plus a boost in family programming. Much of that will come from an all-acoustic side stage in the garden itself, where a half-dozen, as-yet-unannounced acts will play between sets on the main stage.
“A big thing we saw last year was that the space lends itself to so many activities, and it’s such a strong atmosphere. It’s not just an open field or a typical venue,” Reed says. “So we’re trying to use the landscape as much as possible.”
Tickets go on sale Friday morning at ten a.m. through grooveinthegarden.com.