Raleigh
Rose Hill Drive
The Pour House– Their riffs aren’t as engaging as most prefer for the big bad Southern rock sound, but Rose Hill Drive–brothers Jacob and Daniel Sproul and drummer Nate Barnes, all based in Boulder, Colo.–are one of the most buzzed-about young rock bands in America for their simple, powerful, three-piece rock delivery and trenchant dedication to an Electric Lady muse. Of course, they’d resist the Southern rock tag, anyway, probably preferring the driving backbeat of Zeppelin and the fuzzed delivery of Sabbath to the sinewy work of Brothers Van Zant. But this is serious backwoods, grizzle-faced, unkempt-hair rock ‘n’ roll largely unaffected by modern (read: last 25 years of popular music) trends. Industry types have been salivating over them for years, and–with Drive-By Truckers, Kings of Leon and now Wolfmother all peaking their guitar rock banners into the populus–you have to think these dudes have a shot. Georgia singer-songwriter Bain Mattox opens. The $6 shows begins at 10 p.m. –Grayson Currin
Durham
N.C. Festival of the Book
N.C. Central University– The revamped Festival of the Book groups Nnenna Freelon–Durham resident and vocal jazz star–with jazz-poet laureate Quincy Troupe and jazz-poetry scholar T.J. Anderson III in conversation at B.N. Duke Auditorium. Discussion starts at 7 p.m. See page 42 for more on the festival.
