Gabriel Kahane’s Cross-Country Train Journey Inspired an Album of Tales from the Tracks
Two years after an Amtrak trip that changed his life, Kahane stops in Carrboro Friday night.
Richard Thompson Still Finds Room for Fun in His Fifty-Year Songwriting Career
The celebrated songwriter and guitarist performs at Saxapahaw’s Haw River Ballroom on Thursday.
Nathan Bowles Explores New Dimensions of the Banjo and the Human Psyche
Bowles plays with his trio Thursday night at The Cave.
Hopscotch 2018: Nearly a Decade in, Hopscotch Has Yet to Skip a Beat
We’ve long passed the point where we worry about the future of Hopscotch, to the point that we perhaps even take it for granted. Nine years in, Hopscotch has established itself as a linchpin of local music activities. While festivals like Shakori Hills’s twice-yearly party have been around for longer, Hopscotch’s central location in the…
Hopscotch 2018: Thundercat’s Ferocious, Freewheeling Experiments Launch him Toward Exciting New Universes
From his music to his outlandish fashion sense to his sometimes too honest Twitter feed (“These farts are getting pretty violent,” read one dispatch from April), Steven Brunerbetter known by his stage name Thundercatis unapologetically himself. Take “DUI,” the last track on his 2017 album Drunk. The song is quintessential Thundercatconcise, rooted in jazz, simultaneously…
Hopscotch 2018: Speedy Ortiz Fine Tunes Its Grunge Throwbacks on the Staggeringly Personal Twerp Verse
SPEEDY ORTIZ Saturday, Sep. 8, 5:50 p.m. | City Plaza Since forming in 2011, Speedy Ortiz hasn’t lost a bit of its wry humor or its knack for wordplaythe band has only leaned into these signature characteristics even more. Singer Sadie Dupuis has infused her plucky spirit and a refreshing sense of self-awareness into the…
Hopscotch 2018: Our Hip-Hop Recommendations
Leading the pack of hip-hop at Hopscotch is Vic Mensa, Chicago’s own political superhero. Labeled a “once in a lifetime artist” by Jay-Z, Mensa has proven his commitment to the culture both on and off the track. His catalog of diverse tracks is what sonically sets him apart from his peers. Festivalgoers who love Mensa…

