By David Menconi The Coronavirus quarantine going into effect across America has been devastating for the nation’s business, but even more so for the arts. Not only has the shutdown canceled or postponed arts events, it has also closed down the restaurants, bars and other businesses where artists work to supplement their income. It’s an… Read More →
Down on Copperline
Down on Copperline: Swanson Violins in Hillsborough
By David Menconi Just west of Hillsborough’s Churton Street main drag, the first block of West Tryon is like a trip back in time. That’s where you’ll find Hillsborough’s Old Town Cemetery, final resting place of some of North Carolina’s most notable long-ago politicians. It’s the home address of renowned novelist Allan Gurganus, celebrated author… Read More →
Down on Copperline: Billie Feather
By David Menconi Check the “Current Bands” section of Billie Feather’s website, and you’ll see no less than eight acts covering everything from bluegrass to punk. She also does the occasional guitar-tech gig and teaches pretty much any stringed instrument – guitar, bass, mandolin, ukulele and banjo (three-finger picking as well as old-time frailing) –… Read More →
Down on Copperline: Libba Cotten/Cat’s Cradle
Featured photo by Daniel Coston By David Menconi It’s been well over a century since the late great Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten was born in what is now Carrboro, but you can still find traces of the Piedmont blues legend’s wonder years in her old hometown. A bike trail bears her name, and there’s a historical… Read More →
Down on Copperline: Kirk Ross
By David Menconi Chapel Hill musician Kirk Ross leads something of a double life, political reporter by day and rock star by night – except, of course, for those times when the legislature’s session runs into late-night hours, or a storm is coming. Covering calamities from 2016’s infamous HB2 “Bathroom Bill” to this year’s Hurricane… Read More →